00:00Mexico is huge, and one of the most populated countries in the world.
00:04More than 128 million people live there.
00:07But why more than half of them have decided to settle in this small piece of land?
00:12This region in the center of the country represents only 18% of Mexico.
00:17And the inhabitants have been living there for centuries.
00:20All this because it seems to be the only habitable place in the country.
00:24In the north, there are hot and dry deserts.
00:27Let's face it, it can be very difficult to survive in such climatic conditions.
00:32In the south, there are jungles, and these are nightmarish.
00:36The jungles are hot and humid, so they may not deceive you
00:40by making you believe that they will be a cozy home for you.
00:43But it is very difficult to build anything in there.
00:47The concrete does not dry out because of the terrible and incessant rains,
00:51and the heat degrades the roads in asphalt.
00:54This is why there are only 8 paved roads through the jungles of the south,
00:58linking Mexico to Central America.
01:00Roads are crucial for a decent life.
01:03The more roads there are, the better and cheaper the transport is,
01:06which helps people to trade, to do business, and to earn more money.
01:12But the jungles have even more serious problems than just a lack of roads.
01:16Agriculture.
01:17Most of the nutrients in the jungles are found in plants,
01:20old wood and decomposing leaves.
01:22When these elements decompose,
01:24they become McDonald's quality meals for insects, mushrooms and bacteria.
01:29They immediately begin to recycle the nutrients so quickly
01:33that almost none reach the soil.
01:35Without nutrients, the soil becomes sterile and useless.
01:39Oh, and we still have to clear the jungles from time to time.
01:43Otherwise, they can become impractical.
01:46People do it by using burning methods.
01:48But because of this, they often end up with a poor soil
01:51that needs a lot of fertilizers to grow crops.
01:55And don't forget the omnipresent pests of the jungle.
01:58These little guys throw themselves on crops,
02:01and no amount of pesticides can eliminate them permanently.
02:05To make matters worse,
02:07almost 70% of Mexico is located in the mountains.
02:10It is one of the most mountainous countries in the world,
02:13comparable to Switzerland.
02:15And the mountains, just like the rain,
02:17do everything they can to prevent humanity from prospering.
02:21Building infrastructure there is almost impossible.
02:24It requires tons of money and labor compared to the plains.
02:28It also makes transportation between these valleys
02:30and to the coast much more difficult.
02:33Now imagine mountains combined with jungles.
02:36Exactly.
02:38But wait a minute.
02:40Isn't the central part of Mexico filled with the highest mountains in the country?
02:44This area is filled with plateaus and valleys
02:46and is located at altitudes of 2,000 meters or more.
02:50It is as high as a ski resort in Aspen, Colorado.
02:54So why the hell is everyone still living here?
02:58It turns out that these are good mountains.
03:01As they are so high,
03:02they block the heat of the desert and tropical areas.
03:05In this way, they create fresher, drier and more temperate climates.
03:10The soil here is very fertile and ideal for agriculture.
03:13All this thanks to an unexpected rebound.
03:16Many of the surrounding mountains are actually volcanoes.
03:20Volcanoes, although terrifying, can also be very useful.
03:24They have erupted for millions of years
03:26and when they do, they mix rich minerals in the soil.
03:30They are like natural fertilizers.
03:32So the soil here is perfect for growing crops,
03:36in particular cereals rich in calories, such as corn.
03:40This is why we receive so much corn, or corn, from Mexico.
03:44In addition, many volcanic areas have hot natural sources
03:48where people can relax and enjoy a hot bath.
03:51Finally, the mountains help reduce the spread of viruses and insects.
03:56This is one of the reasons why Mesoamerica
03:58has become one of the first birthplaces of civilization in history.
04:02Thousands of years ago, the old city of Teotihuacan flourished there.
04:06This city reached a population of at least 125,000 people,
04:10larger than Monaco or Liechtenstein.
04:13It was one of the largest cities in the world at the time.
04:17During the Aztec Empire, this region housed five large lakes
04:20and numerous rivers that provided a lot of fresh water for agriculture.
04:25In addition, people used boats to transport goods.
04:29This stimulated trade and cultural growth.
04:33But living in the mountains is still not perfect.
04:36Only about 12% of Mexico's land is suitable for agriculture.
04:41Thus, people mainly grow in the central volcanic valleys
04:45where they have lived for centuries.
04:48In addition, due to the high altitude,
04:50the rivers flow from the mountains to the ocean.
04:53Gravity plays its part and the currents accelerate and become stronger.
04:57Because of this, there is no good flow transport between Mexico and the ocean.
05:02Rivers are too dangerous for ships.
05:04Instead, people have to rely on more expensive methods
05:08such as roads, railways and planes.
05:11Veracruz was once the local star port.
05:14It was located in the only safe and calm place on the Gulf of Mexico.
05:18Since it was the only natural port a few kilometers along the flat coast of Mexico,
05:23it was super important.
05:25Not only for the locals, but also a target of choice for the invaders.
05:30And if the mountains could somehow keep the heart of Mexico safe,
05:34protecting the coastal areas was more difficult because of them.
05:37Connecting Veracruz to Mexico was a huge headache.
05:42And don't forget that living near volcanoes is always scary.
05:45From time to time, they do whims and start spitting lava, ashes and smoke everywhere.
05:51It's extremely dangerous.
05:52So the inhabitants have to evacuate to ensure the safety of everyone.
05:57A famous volcanic event occurred in 1943 with the Paricutin volcano.
06:03Imagine the surprise of a farmer when a volcano suddenly erupted in the middle of his corn field.
06:09The volcano quickly grew and buried two villages under the lava and ashes.
06:15Most of the inhabitants managed to evacuate in time, but not all.
06:20Another dramatic event was the El Chichon eruption in 1982.
06:25This eruption was a big surprise and caused a lot of destruction.
06:30Finally, there is the Popocatépetl volcano.
06:32In Aztec language, this name means mountain that smokes.
06:37People affectionately call it El Popo.
06:39This volcano is still active and quite close to Mexico.
06:42El Popo often lets out steam and ashes, reminding everyone that it is indeed alive.
06:48And living near El Popo always means being ready for something to happen.
06:53In addition, the reason why there are volcanoes is because the local tectonic plates are quite active.
06:58The ground likes to move, which means that earthquakes are not uncommon here either.
07:04Well, at least the climate in the central band is pleasant,
07:07so modern construction materials such as concrete and asphalt thrive here.
07:12Finally, we can build roads, can't we?
07:15Oops!
07:16No matter, due to the altitude, the inhabitants managed to build the first railway in the 19th century.
07:22During this time, the United States had already built more than 80,000 km of railroads at the time.
07:28Can you imagine?
07:29As Mexico looks like a puzzle of separate valleys,
07:32it is very difficult to build roads and railways across the mountains.
07:36Fundamentally, there is no good way to transport goods to the country.
07:41But some cities have found a way to thrive outside the central band.
07:46Chihuahua is one of the largest cities in Mexico, and it is doing pretty well.
07:50It sells good automotive and electronic industries.
07:54It is probably because it is connected to the American border, which really helps trade.
07:59Hermosillo is also located in the desert.
08:02But fortunately, it is just next to the Gulf of California.
08:05So the temperatures are not so terrible.
08:08In addition, it helps maritime trade.
08:11In this city, they even invented advanced irrigation techniques that make the desert flourish.
08:17In addition, Hermosillo is a major center for the aerospace industry.
08:22However, Mexico continues to remain the vital center of the country,
08:26and it is one of the largest megacities in the world, with more than 22 million inhabitants.
08:30But it is difficult for the central government of Mexico to control this mosaic of countries.
08:35Trade between the central valleys and the northern deserts or the southern jungles is very difficult.
08:40And supporting the economy can be a little frustrating.
Comments