Mexico's Mountains and Plateaus

3.1.4 Mexico's Mountains & Plateaus

Main Idea:

The mountains and plateaus of Mexico

are important to the country’s economy.

Notes: Landforms & Climate

• Mexico City is the capital of Mexico - located on the Mesa Central

• the city is home to 20% of the population

• areas of the Mesa Central have been subject to volcanic activity

• this results in rich, volcanic soil that helps to produce crops

• selling crops is important to Mexico's economy

Notes: Resources & Agriculture

• Mexico’s mountains hold resources like: copper, silver, zinc

• the richest resource is the oil found in/around the Gulf of Mexico

• over 3 million barrels of oil are produced each day

• agriculture is also important to the country

• farmers in the north grow cotton, wheat, and fruit, and raise cattle

• to the south, farms produce sugarcane, coffee, and tropical fruits

• most people in Mexico live by practicing subsistence farming

Multiple Choice

Which of these is not a resource found in Mexicon?

• copper

• iron

• zinc

• oil

study this map before moving on to the next slide - you will answer a question about it.

Open Ended

Location:

Based on the map, where are most of Mexico's oil reserves?

study this map before moving on to the next slide - you will answer a question about it.

Open Ended

Interpret Maps:

Using directional words (north, east, south, west, etc.), describe where most cattle is raised in Mexico.

study this map before moving on to the next slide - you will answer a question about it.

Open Ended

Make Inferences:

On the map, move your finger along the areas with sugarcane. What type of land is best for growing sugarcane?

Multiple Choice

Mexico's two peninsulas are the Yucatan and Iberian peninsulas

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

What do the people of Mexico call the Mexican Plateau?

• Table

• Pico de Orizabo

• Butte

• Mesa

Multiple Choice

Where is most of Mexico's oil found?

• Sierra Madres

• Pico de Orizabo

• Gulf of Mexico

• Baja Peninsula

Multiple Choice

Which of these is not a mountain in Mexico?

• Sierra Madre Rockies

• Sierro Madre Occidental

• Sierra Madre Oriental

• Pico de Orizabo

Summary

The Mexican Mountains and Plateaus are important to the economy of Mexico because the plateau the capital city and rich soil good for growing crops, while the mountains contain valuable minerals.