9781422286944

Mexico Today

facilities, known as maquiladoras, in Mexico. Maquiladoras import the materials needed to manufacture a product, and then export the finished product to markets in the United States, Canada, and elsewhere. For example, fabric or sewing machines might be brought tax-free from the U.S. into Mexico, where those items are used to manufacture t-shirts in a maquiladora . The t-shirts could then be sold in the United States. Today there are more than 4,000 maquiladoras operating in Mexico, manufacturing electronics, clothing, automobiles, and many other consumer products. The success of NAFTA encouraged the Mexican government to sign free-trade agreements with many other countries, including China, Japan, the European Union, and many countries of Central and South America. Today, Mexico has the world’s 14th-largest economy, with a gross domestic product (the value of all goods and services produced in a year) valued at over $1.3 trillion in 2014. Mexico is far more than its economy, its government, or its problems. Mexico is made up of people who are artistic, resourceful, and loving. Their strong sense of identity was forged in the fires of Mexico’s long history, and that history now inspires the Mexican people to face the future with hope.

15

Text-Dependent Questions What is the Mérida Initiative? What is a maquiladora?

Research Project Choose one of the Mexico’s 31 states and find out more about its geography. What are the major mountains, rivers, deserts, or other natural features within the state? Print out a map of the state, and label important geographic features as well as major cities.