Mexico: Difference between revisions

'''Mexico''' (Spanish: ''México,''); (Náhuatl: ''Mēxihco''), officially the '''Republic of Mexico''' (''República de México''), is a country in the southernsouthwestern and western portionquarter of North America. It is bordered to the north by the [[Amerikaanse Free State]];, to the northeast by [[Tussenland]] and [[Opdamsland]];, to the eastsoutheast by [[South Tussenland]] and the Gulf of Mexico;, to the west by the Pacific Ocean, and to the south by [[Boschland]]. Mexico is the most populous nation in North America and the most populous Spanish-speaking nationcountry in the world. The nationsnation's capital, [[Mexico city]]City (''Ciudad de México''), also known as CDMX, is the largest metropolitan area of North America and in the Western Hemisphere. Other major Urbanurban areas include Guadalaxara, Monterrey, Puebla, Los Angeles, San Antonio, Ciudad de Guatemala, Goudhaven, Ximénez and Santa Maria.

Pre-Columbian Mexico traces its origins to 8,000 BC and is identified as a cradle of civilization and was home to many advanced civilizations, including the Maya and the Aztecs. In 1521, the Spanish Empire conquered and colonized the territory from its base in Mexico City, which then became known as New Spain. The Catholic Church played an importantessential role as millions of indigenous inhabitants converted to Catholicism. The colony became richwealthy due to the heavy exploitation of deposits of precious materials. Mexico became an independent country after the successful coup of the government of New Spain by the former viceroy [[Jorge González de Güemes y Horcasitas]] against Spain in 1881 and the subsequent [[Mexican Independence Crisis]], founding the Empire of Mexico.

After Mexico's defeat in the [[Mexico#The Mexican%20Mexican-Dutch Boer War %20Boer%20War%20(1901-1903)|Dutch-Mexican-Dutch Boer War (1901-1903)]], the internal popularity and legitimacy of the Emperor of Mexico waned. In 1909 the Emperor of Mexico abdicated and after the [[Mexican constitutional crisis]] was replaced by the '''Republic of Mexico''' after the Mexican constitutional crisis. During the 20th century, economic and political rivalry between Mexico and New NetherlandsNetherland dominated political discourse. Starting in the 1930's Mexico experienced a massive economic boom with investment and advancement in mining, refining, industry, manufacturing, and agriculture sectors spurred by modernization policies of the Mexican government.

''Mēxihco'' is the Nahuatl term for the heartland of the Aztec Empire, namely the Valley of Mexico and surrounding territories, with its people being known as the Mexica. In the colonial era, when Mexico was called New Spain, this central region became the Intendency of Mexico,. duringDuring colonial reforms in the 1850's1850s, the colony was locally referred to as the Crown colonyColony of Mexico or the viceroyViceroyalty of Mexico. After the colony achieved independence from the Spanish Empire in 1881 with, the new country beingwas named after its capital: Mexico City, which itself was founded in 1524 on the site of the ancient Mexica capital of Mexico-Tenochtitlan.

Mexico is a historic cradle of civilization, with many pre-Colombian civilizations thriving in the valley of Mexico and the in the Yucatán peninsula. The earliest complex civilization in Mexico was the Olmec culture, which flourished on the Gulf Coast from around 1500 BC. In Central Mexico, the height of the classic period saw the ascendancy of Teotihuacán, which formed a military and commercial empire whose political influence stretched south into the MayaMayan areaareas asand well asthe north. During the early post-classic era, Central Mexico was dominated by the Toltec culture, Oaxaca by the Mixtec, and the lowland Maya area had important centers at Chichén Itzá and Mayapán. Toward the end of the post-Classic period, the Mexica established dominance, establishing a political and economic empire based in the city of Tenochtitlan (modern Mexico City), extending from central Mexico to Guatemala. In 1519 Mesoamerican society drastically changed with the beginning of the Spanish conquest of the Aztec empire.

=== Conflict with the Netherlands over the BoerVoortrekker States ===

Additionally, Spain borrowed money from GenoanGenoese and British banks to rebuild after the war but defaulted on the payments within a year, which led to an economic crisis. Learning González's declaration of a Mexican Empire, the King was furious and pledged to retake the colony, leading to the Mexican Independence Crisis. The Spanish army set out several expeditions to retake Mexico in 1881 and 1882, but they were repelled by the newly formed Mexican army and navy each time. With a mounting economic crisis, guerilla fighting in the nation, and the inability to militarily take back New Spain, the Spanish crown recognized the Mexican empire in 1884.

The Mexican Empire under Emperor González sought to centralize control over all of New Spain's former holdings and embarked on a wave of reforms to consolidate power in Mexico city and in the military. In 1887 the Mexican government sent the military to crush the Central American rebellions centered in Guatemala and Honduras. They also sought to build economic and political relationships with other nations in the region including Saint-Domingue, Colombia and South Tussenland. During the 1890's Mexico became a important funder of the proposed GenoanGenoese Panama canal project.

=== TheDutch Mexican-Dutch Boer War (1901-1903) ===

[[File:AftermathRTL ofDutch the Dutch-Mexican Boer War (1903)Map.pngjpg|alt=|left|thumb|394x394px413x413px|Territorial Changes after the [[Dutch-Mexican Dutch Boer War (Treaty of Williamsburg)]].]]

In western North America, the fledgling Mexican Empire had a lot of potential in the region as a great power. Heavily religious and autocratic, it wanted to centralize its authority and display its might. In 1897, Mexico abolished home rule for the autonomous Voortrekker (or Boer) states. The Kingdom of the Netherlands, which was generally sympathetic to the Boers, saw this as an affront to their authority in North America and issued an ultimatum to Mexico: restore self-governance for the Dutch Boers states else they will attack Mexico. Mexico refused, and in 1901 the Dutch declared war, known as the [[Dutch-Mexican-Dutch Boer warWar]]. At the onset of the war, the former Dutch colony of the New Netherlands joined the war on the Dutch Kingdom's side.

Emperor González overestimated his new empire's might. TheIn Mexicana series of military engagements, Mexican forces made advancesterritorial ongains into Tussenland, butyet they were ultimately thwarted and pushed back by the combined Tussenlander and New Netherlander force eventually repelled itforces. Additionally, the Mexican navy was not able to match the newly modernized Dutch navy.

Throughout the latter half of the war, the Dutch had managed to occupy the land they had lost to Spain (Mizoerie and Acansa) during the [[2nd Dutch-Spanish War|2nd ofDutch-Spanish War (1850-1855)]]. However, they were only able to liberate only two of the five Voortrekker Republics (Westerzee and Kimoeënim). Things soon came to a stalemate, and in 1903 both parties agreed to meet in the neutral Republic of Virginia to settle matters, with the war ending in ''uti possidetis.''

The Treaty of Williamsburg, signed by both parties in the City of Williamsburg (Virginia), ended the war. Under this treaty, the land lost in the 2nd Dutch-Spanish war would be retroceded back to Tussenland. As for the Voortrekker Republics under Dutch control, the Kingdom of the Netherlands decided that it was impractical to annex them into Tussenland, as they already had their own unique blend of ''Dutch-Hispanic'' culture (as well as a large proportion of Catholics, proselytized by Spain and Mexico during 75 years of combined Spanish and Mexican rule). They were granted their fully-sovereign and (partially) unified state: the ''Amerikaense Vrystaët, or the'' Amerikaanse[[Amerikaens Free State'']]. The rest of the Voortrekker Republics that the Dutch were unable to occupy were allowedpermitted to remaincontinue under MexicoMexican sovereignty, asunder longthe ascondition that they guaranteemaintain self-rule to these regions ingovernance mattersover concerningtheir internal affairs.

=== The RepublicMexican ofRevolution Mexico(1909) ===

The enddefeat ofat the Mexican-Dutch-Mexican warWar was a blow to Emperor Jorge Gonzales's prestige and legitimacy. The nascent republicanRepublican and liberalLiberal movements within Mexico pounced at the chance to get rid of the emperorEmperor. InThey 1909started theto Mexicanorganize senatefor waschange occupiedwith bymuch greater republicans,ferocity and aftertenacity a(under massivesuppression popularby protestMexican thatImperial shut down Mexico city, Emperor González abdicatedauthorities). After a brief constitutional crisis, the Mexican Republic was declared.

=== EconomyList of Leaders ===