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Natural Resources of Central America and Mexico - Coggle Diagram
Natural Resources of Central America and Mexico
Mexico and Central America, much like North America, have plentiful sources of fertile land for crops and animals.
When the Spanish sailed to this region in the 15th century, they were after one thing: gold. And, this region does have a lot of the metal.
Metal ores
Mexico produces
about
25% of the world’s gold
and about 1
7% of the world’s silver.
This had made Mexico into a rich country, but much like the United States, that wealth was concentrated into the hands of a few people. The gap between rich and poor in Mexico is almost as pronounced as it is in the US.
Mexico also has an incredible amount of
copper.
It is
extremely important in the making of cathodes
. Cathodes are
used for making batteries and other electrical devices.
Zinc
is another metal that Mexico and Central America have plenty of. Zinc can be
used for a chemical process to make steel and iron not rust.
In modern times, Zinc is used in the
making of paints, pharmaceuticals, soaps, plastics, batteries and electronic devices.
Mexico also has one of the largest deposits of
coal
on Earth.
Agriculture
Mexico and Central America are able to produce some of the finest agriculture in the world.
Some of the cash crops that are grown in this region are coffee, sugarcane, bananas, avocados, mangos, rice, vanilla, and cocoa.
Because of their fertile lands, staple crops and livestock like cows, pigs, chickens, corn and other vegetables are easily grown.
This region is used for the growth of plants that are made into illicit drugs, which winds its way into communities and destroys them.
Drawbacks
However, digging up these resources or growing them has caused some serious ecological damage to the region.
Pollution from oil production and coal mining has polluted many rivers and destroyed the quality of air.
Most of the farming has been taken over by sugarcane and coffee because they can sell for high prices on the global market.
This has led to a shortage of food that people can consume, and famine can be common in this region.
Also, because of this region’s proximity to the equator, temperatures can be fatally hot for both humans and flora. Droughts are common in this region.
Panama cannal
The Panama canal was constructed by the Americans and completed in 1903.
It is essentially a man made channel that links the Pacific Ocean with the Atlantic.
The canal was given to the Panamanian government and it has been a source of wealth for the country as they collect fees from any ship moving through the canal.