MEXICO--CENTRAL AMERICA--WEST INDIES
Mexico and the Central American states occupy the narrow, southerly part
of North America. Structurally they consist of a plateau about a mile
high, bordered on each side by a low coast-plain. The table-land, or
_tierra templada_, has about the same climate as southern California;
the low coast-plains, or _tierra caliente_, are tropical.
=Mexico.=--The United States of Mexico is the most important part of this
group. The people are of mixed Spanish and Indian blood, but there are
many families of pure Castilian descent. The latter, in general, are the
landed proprietors; the former constitute the tradesmen, herders, and
peons. There is also a large unproductive class, mainly of Indians, who
are living in a savage state. In general the manners and customs are
those of Spain.
The agricultural pursuits are in a backward condition, partly for the
want of good system and an educated people, but mainly for lack of the
capital and engineering skill to construct the irrigating canals that
are needed to make the land productive. Maize, rice, sugar (cane and
panocha), and wheat are grown for home consumption.
The agricultural products which connect Mexico with the rest of the
world are sisal-hemp (henequin), coffee, logwood, and fruit. Sisal-hemp
is grown in the state of Yucatan, and has become one of its chief
financial resources. Oaxaca coffee is usually sold as a "Mocha" berry.
The logwood goes mainly to British textile makers; and the fruit,
chiefly oranges and bananas, finds a market in the large cities of the
United States, to which large consignments of vanilla and tropical woods
are also sent. Cattle are grown on more than twenty thousand ranches,
and the greater part are sent alive to the markets of the United States.
The native long-horn stock is giving place to improved breeds.
[Illustration: MEXICO]
Gold and silver are the products that have made Mexico famous, and the
mines have produced a total of more than three billion dollars' worth of
precious metal. The native methods of mining have always been primitive,
and low-grade ores have been neglected. In recent years American and
European capital has been invested in low-grade mines, and the bullion
production has been about doubled in value; it is now about one hundred
million dollars yearly. Iron ore is abundant, and good coal exists.
The manufactures, at present of little importance, are growing rapidly.
The cotton-mills consume the home product and fill their deficiency from
the Texas crop. All the finer textiles, however, are imported. Most of
the commodities are supplied by the United States, Great Britain, and
Germany, the first-named having about half the trade. Most of the
hardware and machinery is purchased in the United States.
Railway systems, with American terminal points at El Paso, San Antonio,
and New Orleans, extend from the most productive parts of the country.
One of the most important railways crosses the Isthmus of Tehuantepec,
and, in order to encourage commerce, the harbors at Coatzacoalcos and
Salina Cruz have been deepened and improved. This interoceanic route is
destined to become a very important factor in commerce. It shortens the
route between European ports and San Francisco by six thousand miles,
and between New York and San Francisco by twelve hundred miles.[57]
_Mexico_, the capital, is the financial and commercial centre. _Vera
Cruz_ and _Tampico_ are connected with the capital by railway, but both
have very poor port facilities. Steamship lines connect the former with
New York, New Orleans, Havana, and French ports. It is the chief port of
the country. _Matamoros_ on the American frontier has a considerable
cattle-trade. The crop of sisal-hemp is shipped mainly from _Progresso_
and _Merida_. _Acapulco_, _Manzanillo_, and _Mazatlan_ for want of
railway connections have but little trade. The first-named is one of the
best harbors in the world. _Guadalajara_ has important textile and
pottery manufactures.
=The Central American States.=--The physical features and climate of
these states resemble those of Mexico. The Spanish-speaking people live
in the table-lands, where the climate is healthful. The coast-plain of
the Atlantic is forest-covered and practically uninhabited save by
Indians. Guatemala is the most important state. A railway from _Puerto
Barrios_, its Atlantic port, through its capital, _Guatemala_, to its
Pacific port, _San José_, is nearly completed. British Honduras is a
British territory acquired mainly for the mahogany product, which is
shipped from _Belize_. Honduras has great resources in mines, cultivable
lands, and forests, but these are undeveloped. Salvador is the smallest
but most progressive state.
[Illustration: ROUTE OF PROPOSED NICARAGUA CANAL.]
Nicaragua is politically of importance on account of the possibilities
of an interoceanic canal. A treaty for this canal, involving both
Nicaragua and Great Britain, has already been signed by the powers
interested. Many engineers regard the Nicaragua as preferable to that of
the Panama canal. The shorter distance between New York and the Pacific
ports of the United States, a saving of about four hundred miles, is in
its favor. The longer distance of transit and the dangers of navigating
Lake Nicaragua are against it. Costa Rica is favorably situated for
commerce, but its resources are not developed. A railway from _Puerto
Limon_ is nearly completed to _Puenta Arenas_, an excellent harbor on
the Pacific side.
Coffee, hides, mahogany, and fruit are the only products of importance
that connect these states with the rest of the world. About half the
trade goes to the United States. The Germans and English supply a
considerable part of the textiles and manufactured articles. The coffee
of Costa Rica is a very superior product. Much of the mahogany and
forest products goes to Great Britain. Fruit-steamers call at the
Atlantic ports for bananas, which are sold in New Orleans and the
Atlantic cities.
=The West Indies.=--The climate and productions of these islands are
tropical in character. Sugar, fruit, coffee, tobacco, and cacao are the
leading products. From the stand-point of the planter, the sugar
industry has been a history of misfortunes. The abolition of slavery
ruined the industry in many of the islands belonging to Great Britain.
The competition of the beet-sugar made in Europe drove the Cubans into
insurrection on account of the excessive taxes levied by the Spaniards,
and ended in the Spanish-American War.
The fruit-crop--mainly pineapples, oranges, and grapefruit--is shipped
to the United States. New York, Philadelphia, and the Gulf ports are the
destination of the greater part of it.
Cuba, the largest island, is one of the most productive regions of the
world. The famous "Havana" tobacco grows mainly in the western part,
although practically all Cuban tobacco is classed under this name.
According to popular opinion it is pre-eminently the best in flavor,
and the price is not affected by that of other tobaccos.[58] About
two-thirds of the raw leaf and cigars are purchased by the tobacco
manufacturers of the United States. _Havana_, _Santiago_, and
_Cienfuegos_ are the shipping-ports; most of the export is landed at New
York, Key West, and Tampa.
From 1900 to 1903 the small fraction of the sugar industry that survived
the war and the insurrection was crippled by the high tariff on sugar
imported into the United States. The latter, which was designed to
protect the home sugar industry, was so high that the Cubans could not
afford to make sugar at the ruling prices in New York. Hides, honey, and
Spanish cedar for cigar-boxes are also important exports.
The United States is the chief customer of Cuba, and in turn supplies
the Cubans with flour, textile goods, hardware, and coal-oil. Smoked
meat from Latin America and preserved fish from Canada and Newfoundland
are the remaining imports. There are no manufactures of importance. The
railways are mainly for the purpose of handling the sugar-crop.
_Havana_, the capital and financial centre, is connected with New York,
New Orleans, and Key West by steamship lines. _Santiago_, _Matanzas_,
and _Cienfuegos_ are ports having a considerable trade.
The British possessions in the West Indies are commercially the most
important of the European possessions. The Bahamas are low-lying coral
islands, producing but little except sponges, fruit, and sisal-hemp.
_Nassau_, the only town of importance, is a winter resort. Fruit, sugar,
rum, coffee, and ginger are exported from _Kingston_, the port of
Jamaica. _St. Lucia_ has probably the strongest fortress in the
Caribbean Sea.
Barbados produces more sugar than any other British possession in the
West Indies. The raw sugar, muscovado, is shipped to the United States.
Bermuda, an outlying island, furnishes the Atlantic states with onions,
Easter lilies, and early potatoes. From Trinidad is obtained the
asphaltum, or natural tar, that is used for street paving. Brea Lake,
the source of the mineral, is leased to a New York company. Sugar and
cacao are also exported from Port of Spain. The products of St. Vincent
and Dominica are similar to those of the other islands.
The French own Martinique (_Fort de France_) and Guadeloupe (_Basse
Terre_). St. Thomas (_Charlotte Amalie_), St. Croix, and St. John are
Danish possessions. Various attempts to transfer the Danish islands to
the United States have failed. They are admirably adapted for naval
stations. The island of Haiti consists of two negro republics, Haiti and
San Domingo. The only important product is coffee. Most of the product
is shipped to the United States, which supplies coal oil and textiles in
return.
QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION
What part of the United States was formerly a possession of Mexico, and
how did it become a possession of the United States?
From a cyclopedia learn the character of the political organization of
Mexico and the Central American states.
From the report listed below find what commercial routes gain, and what
ones lose in distance by the Nicaragua, as compared with the Panama
canal.
From a good atlas make a list of the islands of the West Indies; name
the country to which each belongs, and its exports to the United States.
FOR COLLATERAL READING AND REFERENCE
The Statesman's Year-Book.
Great Canals of the World--pp. 4058-4059.
[Illustration: SOUTH AMERICA]