Iron County news. [volume] (Hurley, Wis.) 1913-1950, 1914-07-18
A Peep At MEXICO
The CountryS Area Now and
What 1t Was Originally.
HAS LOST A VAST TERRITORY.

HAS LUSI a VASl Ehhl Un l..
Nearly 3 Million Square Miles Of its
Land Have Been Added to the United
states-still a Big Country, Though,
and Has an Enormous Coast Lire.
IL Is interesting to note that the area
Of Mexico is practically as great us that
OF the United States between the Mis-
sissippi river and the Atlantic coast.
the great lakes and the gulf of Mexico
varying In altitude from sea level To
1900 feet Its climate Is affected by
these elevations and by a range of
eighteen degrees OF latitude Twelve
hundred miles is the distance traversed
In passing south from Juarez, on the
northern boundary. to the capital. and
900 miles more to the southeastern
boundary. The gulf of Mexico and
| Caribbean sea coast line extends for
| 100 miles, while the Pacific ocean and
! gulf Of California touch 1000 miles of
/ Mexican coast
Prior to 1896 Mexico. as a Spanish
| colony, and the United States covered
I approximately equal areas. but the
Texas secession and the result of the
| Mexican war added nearly a million
square miles to our territory. and the
extent of Mexico now is less than one
fourth that Of continental United
States, Mexico has still territorial ex.
panse equal to the aggregate of Aus.
tria- Hungary, Germany, France. Great
Britain and Ireland. The total area of
the republic. 100000 square miles, Is
less than that OF Texas California.
Montana, New Mexico and Arizona
combined.
The average density OF population
Of Mexico approximates twenty per
square mile, the most thickly populated
parts, outside of the federal district
being the states OF Tlaxcala and Mex.
ico, the former being less than Della
ware In size and OF about the same
density Of population and the latter be
ing nearly as large as New Hampshire.
but with more than twice the number
Of Inhabitants. The federal district
nodded after the District OF Columbia
but OF eight times greater area. Is sur
| rounded by the state of Mexico, the
large population of the capital. 100000
materially aiding in bringing the aver
age to more than 200 per square mile.
During nearly 300 years subsequent
10 the conquest by Cortes, Spain domi-
mated Mexico. A century ago q bold
effort for freedom was started. which
eventually resulted In the republic of
Mexico of today, More than half of
the FIRST century of Mexican lndepend.
another coming into temporary power
/ and number OF those acclaimed rul-
/ ers after brief regimes meeting igno-
minious death at the hands of the PEG
pie they sought TO govern.
| The form OF government adopted by
| Mexico follows In general that OF the
| United States. having executive, judi.
cial and legislative divisions Each of
the twenty-seven states is represented
| tn two houses of congress. composed of
senators and deputies Congress holds
| two sessions each year for limited pc
RODS Each state has its governor and
| legislature and is subdivided into dis.
/ tr1cts or counties. Gy - each of which
jefe pOlitico Is placed. the districts
/ having subsidiary municipalities With
magistrates. presiding officials and
| councils. The so called autocratic fea.
/ ture of the government may be largely
/ due TO the fact that governors hold of.
/ bee with approval of the president
| that jefe politicos have similar rela-
tons with the governors and that the
officers OF the municipalities are gener
ally controlled by the jefe politicos.
/ The church and state are independ,
emit and congress cannot pass laws
/ prohibiting or establishing any reli.
gion OF the 100000 inhabitants
two-fifths claim direct descent from
/ ancient tribes or families which are
( accepted as the basis OF Mexican MIS-
tory, two-ffths are of mixed native
and foreign blood. the remainder being
classed under the common appellation
of foreign"
The City of Mexico. 264 miles by rail-
west of Vera Cruz and 400 feet alti
tude, is reached by two rail routes
climbing from the hot lands through
difficult mountain passes. one OF which
closely follows the trait taken by Cor.
ties In 1919, 10y General Winfield Scott
with American troops in 1877 and over
which fifteen years later the invading
French troops passed II is the most
populous city. One half OF the railroad
mileage of the country is between sea
level and 5000 feet and about an equal
/ amount between 5o00 and 10000 feet
From National Geographic Society in
Washington
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