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Why "Nobody" Lives In This HUGE Area Of Mexico
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Apr 2, 2025
TRAVEL WITH ME TO IRELAND: https://www.trovatrip.com/trip/europe/ireland/ireland-with-geoff-gibson-oct-07-2024 Watch the podcast: @GeographyPod Listen to the podcast: https://linktr.ee/geographyiseverything Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/geographybygeoff/ Threads: https://www.threads.net/@geographybygeoff Linktree for everything: https://linktr.ee/geographybygeoff Mexico is a huge country. With nearly 130 million people, 22 million of which live in Mexico City, the country ranks 10th in terms of population. Despite the vast amount of people, however, there exists a large swath in the middle that has very few people relative to this size. And this area effectively cuts the country in half, from the the Gulf of Mexico to the Pacific Ocean. Here's why "nobody" lives in Mexico's Empty Belt. Stock footage is purchased from www.videvo.net and www.storyblocks.com. See something that doesn't look right? Please contact me! Animation support provided by DH Designs (needahittman.com)
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Mexico is home to nearly 130 million people, but this population isn't spread out equally
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In fact, the northern central part of the country, stretching from the east coast to the west coast
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is an area with a relatively small 3.9 million people on an otherwise really large stretch of land
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So why don't more Mexicans live in Mexico's empty belt? Welcome to Geography by Jeff
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Today, we're off to explore an area of Mexico that I've dubbed the Empty Belt
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And like the United States and Canada's Empty Belts, what we're going to find is a unique
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confluence of historic, economic, and most importantly, geographic reasons that prevent people from moving to this otherwise huge part of Mexico
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But first, come join me in Ireland this October. Together, we'll explore Dublin, Killarney, and a whole lot of Ireland's geography in between
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Early bird pricing is still available, and most things are included aside from international airfare
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So check it out today. All links are in the description below. Before the Spanish conquest
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the area known today as Mexico was home to a wide range of indigenous peoples
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but perhaps most notably the Aztec civilization, which flourished in central Mexico
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The Aztecs, known for their monumental architecture, complex society, and the vast city of Tenochtitlan built an empire through conquest and alliance
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dominating much of Mesoamerica by the early 1500s. In fact, during this time, it's been
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theorized that Tenochtitlan was larger in population than London, Paris, or Rome. But
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shortly after Christopher Columbus made landing in the West Indies in 1492, the Spanish conquest
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of Mesoamerica would begin. Hernán Cortés arrived on the east coast of Mexico in 1519
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and, through a combination of military might, strategic alliances with discontented indigenous groups
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and the inadvertent spread of European diseases, he managed to topple the Aztec Empire by 1521
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The fall of Tenochtitlan marked the beginning of a new era and the eventual establishment of New Spain
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a vast colonial territory that extended far beyond the borders of present-day Mexico
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Spain's colonization efforts in the northern region were initially less intense than the mineral-rich south
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The North's arid climate, tough terrain, and resistance from local indigenous groups like the Apache and the Comanche made the region less appealing for settlement
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However, over time, the Spanish established missions, presidios, and ranches as part of their strategy to Christianize and control the indigenous peoples and to secure the region against European competitors such as France and Great Britain
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But after the United States gained its freedom, the people of Mexico began to consider their relationship with Spain
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The country's struggle for independence began in the early 1800s, fueled by Miguel Hidalgo y Castilla's famous Grido de Dolores in 1810
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which called for the end of Spanish rule. Mexico's war for independence lasted more than a decade
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involving various social classes and indigenous groups. The Spanish crown's focus on the more prosperous central and southern regions
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meant that the northern territories were often battlegrounds for control and as such suffered instability as a result It was only in 1821 with the signing of the Treaty of Cordova that Mexico achieved its independence The post period was tumultuous with the new nation
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struggling to maintain unity and define its identity. The northern parts of Mexico, including
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areas that are now part of the United States such as California and Texas, remained sparsely
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populated and underdeveloped compared to the rest of the country due to the intense physical
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geography that encompasses much of this region. Mexico is a large country with a very large
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population, and within this country is an incredibly varied physical geography that
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helps explain why Mexico has its very own empty belt. But before we get to the physical geography
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of Mexico, if you're enjoying this video, hit that subscribe button. More fun geography videos
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are just a single click away. The physical geography of Mexico is as diverse
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as it is vast, encompassing a range of landscapes from deserts to lush rainforests, towering
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mountains to expansive coastlines. And given that it extends 1,200 miles from its far southern point to its far northern
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point, the country exhibits multiple types of climates and biomes. The country's terrain is famously rugged with high, stark plateaus and solitary peaks
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contrasted by deep canyons and fertile valleys. The Sierra Madre Oriental and Sierra Madre Occidental mountain ranges flank the Central
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Mexican Plateau, and are the guardians of Mexico's most significant topographical features
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These mountain ranges, along with the Sierra Madre del Sur that extends along the southern
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coast, are part of the Pacific Ring of Fire, responsible for the volcanic activity that
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has shaped much of Mexico's landscape. Volcanoes such as Popocatapero and Ixtacuaro are both cultural icons and significant geographic
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landmarks towering over the landscape with their often snow-capped peaks. These mountains are not only physical barriers, but also climate regulators
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casting rain shadows over vast areas and creating distinct climatic zones. Mexico's extensive coastline stretches for thousands of miles
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with the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea to the east
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These coastal areas are home to beautiful beaches, tropical forests, and important ecosystems like the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System
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the second largest coral reef in the world, behind only the Great Barrier Reef
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Starting in the far north, along the border of the United States, the Sonoran Desert stretches across the Baja California Peninsula
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a stark landscape that is nevertheless teeming with life adapted to the extreme heat and dryness
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This desert meets the sea in the Gulf of California, an area rich in marine biodiversity
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Further south, the geography is marked by a series of plateaus and isolated mountain ranges known as Sierras
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This region's sparse population and expansive landscapes have resulted from a combination of
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historic, cultural, and environmental factors. The harsh and arid climate, less fertile soils
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and relative isolation have shaped both the human settlement patterns and the ecology of the area
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It's a region where the legacy of mining towns and the traces of indigenous communities mingle
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with wide open spaces. The central part of Mexico, known for its fertile lands and temperate climate
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is a stark contrast to the northern arid regions Here the Trans Volcanic Belt crosses the country featuring more lush vegetation and agricultural areas It a hub of biodiversity and has been
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a center of Mexico's largest urban centers, such as Mexico City and Guadalajara. Finally
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in the far south, Mexico's topography changes dramatically as the country enters the tropics
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Here, the land is covered with dense tropical rainforests, and the ground is perforated by
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cenotes, natural sinkholes connecting the vast underground river systems. Mexico is part tropical
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part highland plateau, and part arid desert, and throughout it all are huge mountain ranges that
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carve up the land. And it's this exact geography that helps create Mexico's empty belt
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Mexico is home to nearly 130 million people, making it the 10th largest country in the world
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by population. Despite this, most of Mexico's people live in a few key areas of the country
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In fact, in the middle part of the country is a large area that stretches from the east coast
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to the west coast that has relatively very few people living in it. This is an area I've termed
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Mexico's empty belt, and this area is home to only 3.9 million people total, or 3% of Mexico's
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total population, on an otherwise very large stretch of land. And this is due to a combination
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of historic, geographic, and economic issues that prevent Mexicans from moving here
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Historically, the northern regions of Mexico were some of the last areas to be colonized
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by the Spanish during the colonial period. The indigenous communities that inhabited these lands were often nomadic, and the challenging
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environment did not favor the kind of large-scale agriculture that flourished in other parts
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of the country. The Spanish, therefore, focused their settlements and missions closer to central and southern
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Mexico, where the indigenous populations could be more easily controlled and converted
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and where the land was more amenable to the production of lucrative crops like sugar and coffee
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But perhaps more relevant is that Mexico's empty belt encompasses extremely arid and semi-arid lands
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including deserts and scrublands. These areas receive minimal rainfall and can experience extreme temperatures
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making agriculture without extensive irrigation systems difficult. The soil in these regions is also less fertile, reducing its suitability for sustained farming
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which is the backbone of rural population centers. And the areas that aren't arid or semi-arid are very mountainous
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which brings its own set of challenges when establishing large population centers
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And because of this challenging terrain, economic opportunities in these areas have been limited
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While mining and ranching have historically provided some impetus for settlement, these industries do not require large workforces
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Moreover, those that do work here are often subject to the whims of Mexico's extensive
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and often violent cartels. Because of the relative lack of population density, Mexico's national police offer little in the way of safety
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further encouraging people to either leave this region entirely or not move there in the first place
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Finally, infrastructure development in Mexico's empty belt has been limited to say the least
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with fewer roads, hospitals, schools, and other essential services. This inaccessibility makes it difficult for communities to thrive and grow
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People especially the younger generation often leave in search of better opportunities in more urbanized areas leading to a cycle of depopulation Today the largest population centers in Mexico would be led by Mexico City with nearly 22
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million people, Monterrey and Guadalajara each with about 5.3 million people, Puebla
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with 3.2 million, Toluca with 2.4 million, and Tijuana with 2.2 million
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In contrast, the Empty Belt's largest cities would be led by Ciudad Victoria with 350,000
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people, Fresnia with 240,000, Zacatecas with 150,000, Matauala with 102,000, and Santiago
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Ixquintla with 93,000 people. But while all of this might seem natural, it's worth highlighting that some of Mexico's
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largest cities, such as Monterrey and Tijuana, are located north of this region in areas
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that are geographically pretty similar. The existence of major population centers like Tijuana, Hermosillo, Juarez, and Monterrey
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in the far northern part of Mexico, despite sharing a similar geography
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to the sparsely populated Empty Belt, is a phenomenon rooted in Mexico's relationship
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with its northern neighbor, the United States. The allure of the United States
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as a destination for economic opportunity has played a significant role in the development of these cities
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Proximity to the U.S.-Mexico border has turned them into bustling hubs of commerce, industry, and exchange
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Cities like Tijuana and Juarez grew as points of entry and departure between the two countries, serving as gateways for both people and goods
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They are the front lines of the cross-border trade, which is bolstered by free trade agreements
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like the North American Free Trade Agreement and its successor, the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement
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These agreements have led to the creation of numerous maquiladoras, or manufacturing plants
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where goods are assembled for export into the United States, providing jobs and attracting
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internal migration from other parts of Mexico. Monterey, in particular, stands apart as an industrial and financial powerhouse of Mexico
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often referred to as the Sultan of the North. Its growth is attributed to its entrepreneurial culture, its early industrialization
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and its establishment as a center for higher education and technological innovation
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The presence of steel, cement, glass, and brewing industries has turned Monterey into
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one of the most economically significant cities in Mexico, with a higher standard of living
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and better infrastructure than many other parts of the country. The growth of Tijuana, Hermosillo, Juarez, and Monterey stands in contrast to the empty belt
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not because of geographic destiny, but due to the magnetic pull of the border economy
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the lure of early industrialization, and the deliberate concentration of infrastructure. These cities are the crossroads of Mexico and the United States
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where the exchange of cultures and commodities is a daily occurrence, fueling their continuous growth and vitality
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Mexico's empty belt is so sparsely populated because, geographically, it's one of the most challenging areas of the country to live in
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And unlike the far northern cities, the economic pull of the United States border
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simply doesn't exist here. And for that reason, this area will likely remain underpopulated for
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a long time. I hope you enjoyed learning all about Mexico's empty belt. If you did
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please subscribe to my channel. If you want to watch more videos, click here. If you want to
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listen to the podcast, click here. Thanks for watching. See you next time
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