Agriculture is still a main industry in rural Mexico. In the early 1900s. about 8,000 haciendas operated as farms. After the Mexican Revolution, the very large estates got broken up into smaller parcels of land. These pieces of land were divided among the peasants who had fought for revolution. The government gave a lot of the land away as ejidos, which is farmland that is owned collectively by several members of small communities. These communities only grow enough crops to meet their families’ needs.
In addition to collective farming, individuals and companies own latifundios, which provide an income. There are huge commercial farms in Mexico that raise crops for profit. Corn, sugarcane, coffee, and fruit are grown on these farms. Still, about 3 to 4 million Mexican families do not own land. They often become migrant workers and travel from place to place to cultivate and harvest crops on other farms. Many migrant workers also cross and the United States during harvest season.
Three-quarters of the population of Mexico live in the cities. Mexico City is one of the largest urban areas in the world and its population growth is not slowing. Mexicans are moving to cities in search of better opportunities especially when land is hard to come by. People in Mexico are also flocking to the cities for education, exposure to the arts, and access to exciting amenities.
The people living in Mexico’s urban areas are mostly part of the lower and working class. There is a growing middle-class that includes people who work in the government and in professional trades.
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