The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1914-07-31
A Peep AT MEXICO
The Country's Area Now and
What It Was Originally.
HAS LOST A VAST TERRITORY.
Nearly q Million Square Miles Of Its
Land Have Been Added to the United
states-stiII a Big Country, Though,
and Has an Enormous Coast Line.


states-stilI a Big Country, Though,
and Has an Enormous Coast Line.
II is interesting TO note that the area
of Mexico is practically as great as 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
$4,000 feet. Its climate is affected by
these elevations and by 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
800 miles more to the southeastern
boundary. The gulf of Mexico and
Caribbean sea coast line extends for
LOO miles. while the Pacific ocean and
gulf of California touch 1000 miles of
Mexican coast.
Prior to 1896 Mexico. as Spanish
colony. and the United States covered
approximately equal areas. but the
/ Texas secession and the result Of the
Mexican war added nearly 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. 10000 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
leo. the former being less than Della
ware I'm 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. 10000.
materially aiding in bringing the aver
age to more than 100 per square mile
During nearly 800 years subsequent
to the conquest by Cortes. Spain domi- |
mated Mexico. A century ago a 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 independ. !
ence was abortive. one coterie after |
another coming into temporary power /
and number of those acclaimed rul- |
ers after brief regimes meeting ignO. !
minious death ut the hands Of the peo-
pie they sought to govern. I-a
The, form of government adopted by 1
Mexico follows in general that of the
United States. having executive. judi |
cial and legislative divisions. Each of
the twenty-seyen states is represented
in 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
tricts or counties. over 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
fee with approval Of the president.
that jefe pOliticOs have similar rela-
lions with the governors and that the
officers Of the municipalities are gener-
ind nv tha infa
The church and state are independ-
ent. and congress cannot pass laws
or establishing any reli-
giOn. OF the 100000 inhabitants
two-ffths claim direct descent from
ancient tribes or families which are
accepted as the basis Of Mexican his
tory, twO-fifths are OF mixed native
md foreign blood. the remainder being
classed under the common appellatiOn
Df foreign"
The City Of Mexico, 2G4 miles by rail
west Of Vera Cruz and 400 feet alti.
tCde, is reached by two rail routes
from the hot lands through
iifficult mountain passes. one of which
loosely follows the trail taken by Cor
es in 1919. by General Winfield Scott
With American troops in 1917 and over
which fifteen years later the invading
french troops passed. IL is the most
city. One-half of the railroad
Mileage of the country is between sea
evel and 5000 feet ana about an equal
mount between 5000 and 10000 feet.
From National Geographic Society In