Tag Archives: Mexico

According to allcountrylist, Mexico is a large, open economy located in North America. It has a diversified economy with services and industry being the two main economic activities. Services account for around 70% of GDP while industry contributes around 30%. Agriculture is an important sector in Mexico with corn being the most widely grown crop followed by wheat, beans, sugarcane and fruit. Livestock is also an important activity with cattle being the most widely produced followed by pigs, poultry and sheep. The majority of agricultural produce is consumed domestically while some products are exported to other countries for sale on international markets. Fishing is also a major sector in Mexico with shrimp being the most important species caught followed by mahi-mahi, tuna and snapper. Manufacturing is a relatively small contributor to GDP with food processing being the most important industry followed by textiles production, chemicals production, petroleum refining and automobile manufacturing. The manufacturing sector produces a wide variety of goods including furniture, clothing and electronics which are exported to other countries for sale on international markets. Agriculture has been an integral part of Mexico’s history since ancient times. As far back as 2000 BC, the Mayan civilization had developed an agricultural system that included corn and beans as staple crops. This system was further refined by the Aztecs who developed a variety of irrigation techniques and agricultural practices that allowed them to cultivate a wide range of crops such as maize, squash, tomatoes, peppers, beans, chia, amaranth and cotton. During the colonial period, Spanish settlers introduced new crops to Mexico such as wheat and sugarcane which were grown primarily for export purposes. Additionally, cattle ranching also became a major industry during this time with large herds being raised in the northern regions of the country. In the 19th century Mexico underwent significant changes due to the Mexican-American War which resulted in the loss of much of its northern territories. This caused a shift in focus away from export-orientated agriculture towards subsistence farming which became increasingly important for rural households who grew food for their own consumption or to sell at local markets. By the mid 20th century Mexico had become one of Latin America’s leading producers of agricultural goods such as maize and beans but it was still largely reliant on traditional farming methods. In order to increase yields and reduce poverty levels among rural farmers, President Luis Echeverria initiated a series of reforms in 1968 which included providing access to credit facilities and subsidies for smallholders as well as investing in better infrastructure such as roads and irrigation systems. In recent decades there has been an increased focus on sustainable agriculture with initiatives such as agroforestry combining tree crops with short-term cash crops helping to maintain soil fertility while also generating income for farmers. Additionally, genetically modified organisms (GMOs) have also been introduced into some parts of Mexico with mixed success so far due to concerns over their environmental impact. Overall Mexican agriculture is still largely dependent on traditional methods but there have been some changes due to advances in technology which have helped contribute towards a more efficient agricultural sector overall. See smber for Mexico Agriculture and Fishing.