00:00Mexico is huge, and one of the most populated countries in the world.
00:05Over 128 million people live there.
00:08But why did more than half of them decide to pack up in this tiny strip?
00:13This area in the center of the country makes up only 18% of Mexico, and the locals have
00:18been living there for centuries.
00:21All because it seems to be the only livable place in the country.
00:25To the north, there are hot, dry deserts.
00:28Let's face it, it may be pretty hard to survive in such climatic conditions.
00:33To the south, there are jungles, and those are nightmarish!
00:38Jungles are warm and wet, so they might trick you into thinking that they'll be a cozy
00:42home for you.
00:44But it's very hard to build anything in there.
00:47The concrete won't dry because of awful unstoppable rains, and the heat messes up
00:52asphalt roads.
00:54This is why there are only 8 paved roads through the southern jungles connecting Mexico
00:59to Central America.
01:01Roads are crucial for proper life.
01:04More roads mean better and cheaper transportation, which helps people trade, do business, and
01:10make more money.
01:12But jungles have even bigger problems than just a lack of roads.
01:16Farming.
01:17Most of the nutrients in the jungle are in the plants, old wood, and decaying leaves.
01:23When these things decay, they become McDonald's-level meals for insects, fungi, and bacteria.
01:29They immediately start recycling the nutrients so fast that almost none reach the soil.
01:35With no nutrients, the soil becomes barren and useless.
01:38Oh, and we still need to clear the jungles from time to time, otherwise they may become
01:44impossible to get through.
01:46People do that by using slash-and-burn methods.
01:49Because of this, they often end up with poor soil that needs lots of fertilizers to grow
01:54crops.
01:55And don't forget about the ever-present jungle pests.
01:59These guys pounce on the crops, and no amount of pesticides can get rid of them forever.
02:05To make matters even worse, nearly 70% of Mexico is located in the mountains.
02:11It's one of the most mountainous countries in the world, similar to Switzerland.
02:15And mountains, just like rain, do everything in their power to prevent humanity from thriving.
02:21Building infrastructure there is nearly impossible.
02:24It requires tons of money and labor compared to flatlands.
02:27And they also make transportation between these valleys and to the coast much more challenging.
02:32Now, imagine mountains combined with the jungles.
02:36Exactly.
02:38But hold on a minute.
02:39Isn't the central strip of Mexico filled with the highest mountains in the country?
02:43This area is packed with plateaus and valleys and sits at elevations of 7,000 feet or more.
02:50This is as high as a ski resort in Aspen, Colorado.
02:54Then why in the world does everyone still live here?
02:58Turns out, these are actually good mountains.
03:01Since they're so high, they block the hotness of the desert and the tropical zones.
03:06This way, they create cooler, drier, and more temperate climates.
03:10The soil here is super fertile and great for farming.
03:14All because of the plot twist.
03:16Many of the surrounding mountains are actually volcanoes.
03:19Volcanoes, while scary, can also be super useful.
03:24They've been erupting for millions of years, and when they do that, they mix rich minerals
03:29into the soil.
03:30They're like natural fertilizer.
03:32So the land here is perfect for growing crops, especially calorie-heavy grains like corn.
03:38That's why we get so much corn, or maize, from Mexico.
03:42Also, many volcanic areas have natural hot springs where people can relax and enjoy a
03:47warm soak.
03:49Finally, mountains help reduce the spread of viruses and insects.
03:54This is one of the reasons why Mesoamerica became one of the first cradles of civilization
03:58in history.
04:00Thousands of years ago, the ancient city of Teotihuacan thrived here.
04:06This city reached a population of at least 125,000 people, bigger than Monaco or Liechtenstein.
04:13It was one of the largest cities in the world at the time.
04:16Back in the days of the Aztec Empire, this area was home to five large lakes and many
04:22rivers that provided tons of fresh water for farming.
04:25Also, people used boats to transport goods.
04:29This boosted trading and cultural growth.
04:33But living in the mountains still isn't perfect.
04:36Only about 12% of Mexico's land is good for farming, so mostly people farm in the central
04:41volcanic valleys, where they've lived for centuries.
04:45Also, because the elevation is so high, the rivers flow from the mountains to the ocean.
04:52Gravity plays its tricks, and the currents accelerate and become stronger.
04:57Because of this, there's no cheap river transport between Mexico City and the ocean.
05:01The rivers are too dangerous for the ships.
05:04Instead, people have to rely on more expensive methods like roads, railways, and airplanes.
05:11Veracruz used to be the local star port.
05:14It was the only safe and calm place on the Gulf of Mexico.
05:18Since it was the only natural harbor for miles along Mexico's flat coastline, it was super
05:23important, not only for locals, but also a hot target for invaders.
05:29And while mountains could keep Mexico's heartland kinda safe, protecting coastal areas was harder
05:35because of them.
05:37Connecting Veracruz to Mexico City was a massive headache.
05:42And don't forget that living near volcanoes is still scary.
05:45Every now and then, they throw temper tantrums and start spewing lava, ash, and smoke everywhere.
05:51This is extremely dangerous, so locals have to evacuate to keep everyone safe.
05:57One famous volcanic event happened in 1943 with the Paricutin volcano.
06:03Imagine a farmer's surprise when a volcano suddenly erupted right in his cornfield.
06:08The volcano grew rapidly and buried two villages in lava and ash.
06:13Most people managed to evacuate in time, but not all of them.
06:17Another dramatic event was the eruption of El Chichon in 1982.
06:22This eruption was a big surprise and caused a lot of destruction.
06:27Finally, there's Popocatépetl volcano.
06:31In the Aztec language, this means smoking mountain.
06:35People affectionately call it El Popo.
06:38This volcano is still active and quite close to Mexico City.
06:41El Popo frequently lets off steam and ash, reminding everyone that it's very much alive.
06:47Living near El Popo means always being prepared that something might happen.
06:52Also, the reason why volcanoes are there is because the local tectonic plates are pretty
06:57active.
06:58The ground likes to move, which means that earthquakes aren't a rare occasion here either.
07:04Well, at least the climate on the central strip is nice, so modern construction materials
07:08like concrete and asphalt thrive here.
07:11Finally, we can build some roads, right?
07:14Oops, never mind.
07:16Because of the elevation, the locals only managed to build the first railroad in the
07:1919th century.
07:21Meanwhile, the US had already built over 50,000 miles of tracks at the time.
07:27Can you imagine?
07:29Since Mexico is like a jigsaw puzzle of separate valleys, it's very tricky to build roads and
07:34railways through the mountains.
07:36Basically, there are no cheap ways to move goods in the country.
07:41But a few cities found a way to thrive outside the central strip.
07:46Chihuahua is one of the largest cities in Mexico, and it's doing pretty well.
07:50They boast good automotive and electronics industries.
07:53That's probably because it's connected to the US border, which really helps trading.
07:58Hermosillo is also located in the desert, but luckily, it's right near the Gulf of California,
08:04so the temperatures aren't that awful.
08:06Plus, it helps marine trading.
08:09In this city, they even made up some advanced irrigation techniques that make the desert
08:14bloom.
08:15Also, Hermosillo is a major center for the aerospace industry.
08:19However, Mexico City still remains the life center in the country, and it's one of the
08:24world's largest megacities, with over 22 million people.
08:30But it's hard for the central government in Mexico City to control this puzzle of a country.
08:35Trading between the central valleys and the northern deserts or southern jungles is very
08:40tough, and supporting the economy may be sort of frustrating.
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