Mexican Geography
A look at the population, landscapes, and climate of Mexico.
Mexico is a North American nation bordering the United States, Belize, and Guatemala. Its eastern coastline stretches along the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea. To the west, it meets the North Pacific Ocean and the Gulf of California. Mexico covers an overall land area of 750,561 square miles or 1,943,945 square kilometers. It is home to several large cities, most notably its capital, Mexico City (approx. pop. 21.581 million). Other major population centers include Guadalajara (5.023 million), Monterrey (4.712 million), and Puebla (3.097 million.) Its total population is an estimated 124,574,795.
The landscape of Mexico undergoes dramatic changes from north to south. Along the border of the United States, the climate is arid to semi-arid. Its northern border is largely defined by the Rio Grande. The Mexican Plateau runs through its northern and central regions, cradled between the volcanic Sierra Madre mountains. Farther south, the nation grows wetter and warmer with tropical jungles, low-lying lagoons, and dry forests.
Mexico, from the CIA World Factbook.
The Flora and fauna of Mexico are as diverse as the climates that shape their habitat. Cacti, creosote, acacia, and ironwood trees, among others, grow in deserts like the Sonoran and Chihuahuan. They support desert animals such as coyotes, deer, wolves, puma, rattlesnakes, lizards, and birds of prey. Wetter areas see more lush vegetation like palms, flowering trees, passion fruit vines, mango, and papaya. Wildlife here includes spider monkeys, jaguars, parrots, toucans, anteaters, ocelots, coatls, and iguanas.
References
Aguilar-Moreno, Manuel. Handbook to Life in the Aztec World. Oxford University Press. 2006.
Beezley, William. The Oxford History of Mexico. Oxford University Press. 2010.
Foster, Lynn. Handbook to Life in the Ancient Maya World. Oxford University Press. 2002.
Koch, Peter. The Aztecs, the Conquistadors, and the Making of Mexican Culture. McFarland & Co. 2006.
Long-Solis, Janet and Luis Alberto Vargas. Food Culture in Mexico. Greenwood Press. 2005.
Ruiz, Ramon Eduardo. Triumphs and Tragedy: A History of the Mexican People. W. W. Norton & Company. 1993.
“The World Factbook: Mexico.” Central Intelligence Agency, Central Intelligence Agency, 7 June 2018, www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/mx.html.
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