DASNR
International
Student of the Week
Home Country:
Mexico
Courtesy of David: Basaseachic Falls in Chihuaha Mexico
Mexico: The United Mexican States is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bounded on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the North Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of Mexico. The United Mexican States comprise a federation of thirty-one states and a federal district, the capital Mexico City, which is one of the world's most populous cities.
Covering almost 2 million square kilometers, Mexico is the fifth-largest country in the Americas by total area and the 14th largest in the world. With an estimated population of 109 million, it is the 11th most populous country and the most populous Spanish-speaking country in the world.
As a regional power and the only Latin American member of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) since 1994, Mexico is firmly established as an upper middle-income country.
Mexico is the 12th largest economy in the world by gross domestic product (GDP), on par with countries like Canada and Spain, even though income inequality is still high. The economy is strongly linked to those of its North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) partners. Elections held in July 2000 marked the first time that an opposition party won the presidency from the Institutional Revolutionary Party (Partido Revolucionario Institucional: PRI) which had held it since 1929, culminating the political alternation at the federal level, which had begun at the local level during the 1980s.
Agriculture's contribution to GDP fell from 15.1% in 1960 to 10.7% in 1970 and 4% in 2001—yet agriculture employs about 22% of the labor force. Only about 13% of Mexico's total land area is suitable for cultivation, and only 6% is cultivated with permanent crops; over 6.5 million hectares (16 million acres) are irrigated.
In 1960, Mexico became self-sufficient for the first time in corn; it continues to be self-sufficient in beans, rice, sugar, and most fruits and vegetables and fluctuates between being either a net importer or self-sufficient with wheat and corn. The government continues to protect agriculture and to ensure domestic consumption through import and export duties and controls. The government supports the prices of corn, wheat, beans, and fresh eggs and then sells these and other farm products at minimal prices through retail stores operated by the National Corporation for Public Subsidies.
In 1999, the principal crops' production totals (in tons) were as follows: sugarcane, 46,000,000; corn, 18,324,000; sorghum, 6,297,000; wheat, 3,072,000; dry beans, 1,085,000; soybeans, 132,000; rice, 399,000; and barley, 469,000. Principal exports are coffee, cotton, fresh fruit, sugar, tobacco, and tomatoes. In 2001, the value of agricultural exports amounted to $7,631 million, with tomato exports $540.8 million. (Source: Wikipedia)
Jesus David Ramos Sagarnaga
February 16, 2009
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From the Department of Animal Science
In the photo above: Claudia and David This week’s international student of the week is Jesus David Ramos Sagarnaga, well know as David Ramos. He is a Masters degree student in Animal Science with a specialization in Meat Science. David is originally from Chihuahua Mexico. He speaks Spanish and English.
David's Children: Monserrat (6), Mariana Alejandra (8), David, and Claudia Paulina (11) David is a Doctor in Veterinary Medicine with a Graduate Certificate in Small Animals in Mexico. He is a member of the OSU Animal Science Graduate Student Association, the OSU Meat Science Association, and the American Meat Science Association (AMSA). In his free time David likes watching movies, playing video games (sports and racing), and also playing with his kids in the park. David is married to Claudia since eleven years ago; they have three beautiful girls: Claudia Paulina, Mariana Alejandra, and Monserrat. David stated that his wife has been his inspirations for all these years and that without her he does not know how his life would turn. David comes from a family of Vets, he, his parents, and siblings own a company named PETZEL which is located in the city of Chihuahua. This company is similar to the brand PetCo here in the States; although, it is smaller in its size it is the only one of its type in Northern Mexico. They also run a veterinary clinic.
David's short term plans are to finish his thesis and to graduate sometime in 2009. Then he wants to find a job to apply the knowledge acquired during his studies and also to improve himself and be a better person for himself and his family. Advisor: Dr. J.B. Morgan David's advice to students: “My advice is that is does not matter what you’re studying or how hard it is, don’t give up, keep on walking and moving forward, at the end all the trouble will be for the best, and don’t look back !! You are here make the most of it.’
Lake Arareco in Chihuahua, Mexico Interview by Sandra Rodriguez
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