Mexico Geography

Mexico Geography

Welcome to Mexico, Everyone!

Mexico!

Mexico is a land of extremes, with high mountains and deep canyons in the center of the country, sweeping deserts in the north, and dense rain forests in the south and east. Mountains cover much of Mexico.

Mexico City is the Capital of Mexico!

The population of the city is 21,782.000.

General Information about Mexico!

• It is the 3rd largest country in Latin America

• It has 31 states and one federal district.

• Some of the languages spoken in this country are Spanish, different types of Mayan, Nahuatl, and other indigenous languages.

• The currency of Mexico is the Mexican Peso.

• Exports of Mexico: Manufactured goods, oil and various oil products, silver, fruits, vegetables, coffee, and cotton.

• Mexico's Population: 127,575,529.

• Mexico's Major Industries: Food and beverages, Tabaco, various chemicals, iron and steel, petroleum, mining, textiles, clothing, automobiles, and tourism.

Mexico's States.

General Information about Mexico!

• County's total size: 1,972,550 square kilometers---Slightly smaller than three times the size of Texas.

• The type of terrain found in this country: High rugged mountains.Low coastal plains. High Plateaus. Desert.

• The highest point in Mexico: Volcan Pico De Orizaba at 5,700 meters.

• The Lowest Point in Mexico: Laguna Salada at 10 meters.

• Major Landforms: The Sierra Madre Occidental Mountains, Trans-Mexico Volcano Belt, Sierra Madre Oriental, Sierra Madre del Sur, Mexican Plateau, Baja Peninsula, Yucatan Peninsula, Pico de Orizaba.

• Major water bodies: Rio Grande, Grijalva River, Usumacinta River, Culiacan River, Lake Chapala, Lake Texcoco, Gulf of California, Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean Sea, and the Pacific Ocean.

• Natural Resources found within Mexico: Petroleum, Silver, Copper, Gold, Lead, zinc, natural gas, and timber.

The Gulf of Mexico.

The Gulf of Mexico can be found on the Eastern border of Mexico.

Pacific Ocean

The Pacific Ocean borders the West side of Mexico.

Rio Grande

The blue line toward the right hand bottom side is the Rio Grande river which also serves as a border between the U.S. and Mexico in some parts.

The Gulf of California

On the West side of Mexico the Gulf of California can be seen if you look very closely.

The Sierra Madre Mountains.

Where you can see the tan/brown coloring going down the middle of Mexico is the Sierra Madre Mountains. These mountains cover much of Mexico as you can see.

Trans-Mexico Volcano Belt.

As you can see in the picture you can see the Trans-Mexico Volcano Belt in Red on the Map.

Mexican Plateau

The Mexican Plateau, also known as the Mexican Altiplano, is a large arid to semiarid plateau that occupies much of northern and central Mexico. If you look on the map it is the dark gray spot between the light brown areas on the map.

Baja Peninsula

A peninsula in North America, separating the Gulf of California from the Pacific Ocean. The peninsula is a Mexican territory and bordered to the north by the US. It extends approximately 1,247 kilometers and comprises two Mexican states; Baja California Sur and Baja California. The peninsula is characterized by a unique landscape and rich marine life, making it one of Mexico’s most visited destinations. 

Yucatan Peninsula

The Yucatán Peninsula separates the Gulf of Mexico from the Caribbean Sea, encompassing 3 Mexican states, plus portions of Belize and Guatemala.

Mexico's Climate.

• Mexico's climate varies from arid to tropical, with a defined split. The Tropic of Cancer divides the country into two so one part is temperate and the other, tropical. Therefore, land to the north has cooler temperatures during the winter months while more southerly regions see temperatures remain constant year-round.

• Mexico has a range of climate zones that include deserts, steppes, savannas, and tropical rain forests.

• Mexico has two main climate seasons: rainy (May to mid-Oct) and dry (mid-Oct to Apr). The rainy season can be of little consequence in the dry, northern regions of the country. Southern regions typically receive tropical showers, which begin around 4 or 5pm and last a few hours.

Multiple Choice

A plateau is...

• An area of low and flat land

• An area of rugged and hilly land

• An area of high and flat land

• An area of high mountains and hills

Multiple Choice

______________________ dominate Mexico’s physical setting.

• Plains

• Mountains

• Grasslands

• Hills

Multiple Choice

What is the capital of Mexico?

• Venezuela

• Rio Grande

• Mexico City

Multiple Choice

Mexico is _________ all year.

• warm

• cold

• windy

Multiple Choice

What landform is this?

• The Baja Peninsula

• The Canadian Shield

• The Mexican Plateau

• The Panama Canal

Multiple Choice

What landform is this?

• The Baja Peninsula

• The Yucatán Peninsula

• The Great Plains

• Candy Land

Multiple Choice

What landform is this?

• The Mexican Plateau

• The Great Plains

• The Canadian Shied

• Baja California / The Baja Peninsula

Multiple Choice

What body of water is this?

• The Rio Grande

• The Ohio River

• Baker Creek

• The Panama Canal

Multiple Choice

What body of water is this?

• Lake Erie

• Great Bear Lake

• Hudson Bay

• Gulf of Mexico

Multiple Choice

What body of water is this?

• Pacific Ocean

• Arctic Ocean

• Lake Michigan

• Gulf of Mexico

Multiple Choice

The climate of Mexico is generally ________ than that of the US and Canada because it is located closer to the ________.

• warmer, Equator
• colder, North Pole
• warmer, Arctic Circle
• colder, Tropic of Cancer

Multiple Choice

What language is spoken in Mexico?

• Portuguese 
• English
• Spanish
• Roman

Multiple Choice

The body of water on the Eastern side of Mexico is:

• Pacific Ocean
• Lake Ontario
• Gulf of Mexico
• Gulf

Multiple Choice

Mexico shares its southern border with the United States. 

• True 
• False

Multiple Choice

The large body of water on the the West side of Mexico is:

• Pacific Ocean
• Gulf of Mexico
• Gulf of California
• Rio Grande

Multiple Choice

The National capitol city of all of Mexico is:

• Guadalajara
• Mexico City
• Rio Grande
• Monterrey