Geography of Mexico

The Mexico is a country of North America, dividing its borders with the the United States (3 326 km) in North, and the Belize (250 km) and the Guatemala (962 km) in the South.

It also has 10.143 km of maritime frontages:

7.338 km in the west, with the Pacific Ocean and the Gulf of California,
2.805 km in the east, with the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico.

The total surface area of the country is of 1.972.550 km ² (approximately 3,5 times France) by including approximately 6.000 km ² islands, such as for example Guadalupe and Revillagigedo. The surface of the interior Eaux is approximately 49.510 km ².

The exclusive economic Zone (ZEE) Mexican extends on 370 km starting from each coast and adds up approximately 2,7 million km ².

It has as geographical coordinates.

Mountains

Mexico is crossed by two principal assembly lines: The Western Sierra Veined and the Eastern Sierra Veined. The Western Sierra Veined in the West is the prolongation of the Sierra Nevada of California and the Eastern Sierra Veined in the East is the prolongation of the Rocky Mountains of the New Mexico and the Texas. Between the two principal assembly lines is the Mexican plate.

the Western Sierra Veined extends on 1.250 km to 50 km in the south from the border with the the United States and joined the Neovolcanique cordillera after the Rio Santiago . The Neovolcanique cordillera crosses of is in west the center of Mexico. At North, the Western Sierra Veined is located at approximately 300 km of the Western coasts but near the Neovolcanique cordillera it is not any more but to 5 km of the peaceful coast. The Western Sierra Veined rises to approximately 2.250 m of altitude with tops reaching 3.000 Mr.

the Eastern Sierra Veined starts at the border between Texas and Mexico and continuous on 1.350 km until reaching the Trunk of Perote one of the principal tops of the Neovolcanique cordillera. As for the Western Sierra Veined, the Eastern Sierra Veined gradually joined the coasts while approaching the southern end. Indeed it is not located any more whereas at 75 km of the Gulf of Mexico. The Eastern Sierra Veined rises to approximately 2.200 m of altitude with tops reaching 3.000 Mr.

the Mexican plate also extends him from the border with the United States to the Neovolcanique Cordillera and occupies a vast surface between the Western and Eastern Sierra Veined.

The plate was divided in the past between the Mesa del Norte and the Mesa Centra , nevertheless today the geographers regard these two parts as pertaining to the same plate.

the north of the plate rises to approximately 1.100 m of altitude and extends from the Rio Bravo until the State de Zacatecas and the State of San Luis Potosí. The area takes into account many depressions of which largest is the Bolsón de Mapimi .

the south of the plate is higher since it amounts to approximately 2.000 Mr. It comprises many valleys which were formed by old lakes. Several of the most important Mexican cities like the town of Mexico City or Guadalajara are located in these valleys.

Another assembly line important is the Californian assembly line. The Mexican part of the Californian assembly line extends on 1.430 km from the border with the United States until the southern end from the Basse California. The tops rise to 2.200 m in the North of California Mexicaine and to only 250 m close to La Paz in the South.

the neovolcanic Cordillère is a belt of 900 km length and 130 km broad which extend from the Pacific Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico. The cordillera starts in Rio Bravo and continuous until the south of Colima where it goes towards the east while following the 19th parallel to finish in the center of the State of Veracruz. The area is characterized by an important seismic activity and counts the volcanic tops highest. The Cordillera has three tops exceeding the 5.000 m of altitude: Pico de Orizaba or Citlatépetl which is the 3rd more high summit of North America, the Popocatépetl and the Iztaccíhuatl which are both close to Mexico City City. The neovolcanic Cordillera is regarded as geological division between North America and the Central America.

In the South and Western South/of Mexico of other important assembly lines dominates the landscape.

the Sierra Veined LED On extends on 1.200 km along the coast on the basis of south from the Neovolcanique cordillera to the isthmus from Tehuantepec. Sierra Veined LED On rises on average to 2.000 m of altitude on 100 km broad but is extended to 150 km in the State of Oaxaca.

the Sierra Veined of Oaxaca starts starting from Pico de Orizaba and extends in direction from the south/is on 300 km until reaching the isthmus of Tehuantepec. Sierre Madre of Oaxaca rises on average to 2.500 m of altitude with certain tops exceeding the 3.000 Mr.

the Sierra Veined of Chiapas is located at the South of the isthmus of Tehantepec and extends on 280 km along the peaceful coast starting from the border between the Mexican States from Oaxaca and Chiapas to the border between Mexico and Guatemala. Even if average altitude is only of 1.500 m, one of the tops, the Volcano of Tacuma, exceeds the 4.000 m of altitude.

Lastly, the Meseta Central of Chiapas extends on 250 km through the center from Chiapas to Guatemala. Average altitude on the level of Meseta Central of Chiapas is of 2.000 Mr. the central valley of Chiapas separates Meseta Central from Chiapas and the Sierra Veined of Chiapas.

Climate

The Tropic of Cancer divides the country into two zones, one moderate and the other tropical one. In the north of the parallel 24e know colder temperatures during the winter months. In the south of the parallel 24e, the temperatures are relatively constant along the year. They vary nevertheless according to altitude.

Zones in the south of the parallel 24e:

Up to 1.000 m (coasts and the peninsula of the Yucatan): have an average temperature ranging between 24°C and 28°C. The temperature remains high all the year with only 5°C of difference between the averages of temperatures of winters and summer.
Between 1.000 and 2.000 m: have an average temperature ranging between 16°C and 20°C. The cities and villages at this altitude in the south of the parallel 24e enjoy a relatively constant climate and pleasant temperatures throughout the year whereas the areas in north have a climate more marked according to the various seasons.
With the top of 2.000 m: an average temperature ranging between 8°C and 12°C in the neovolcanic Cordillère have. Perched to 2.300 m, the town of Mexico City has an average temperature of 15°C with a pleasant summer and a soft winter. The high and low daily averages for May (hottest) are of 26°C and 12°C. The high and low daily averages for January (coldest) are of 19°C and 6°C.

The rains vary much according to the geographical location and the seasons. Arid or semi-arid in Low California, the North/Western of the State de Sonora, plates of North and part of the plates of the South. It rains in these areas on average between 300 and 600 millimetres per annum. In the plates of the South and in particular the area most populated (like Mexico City and Guadalajara) it rains on average between 600 and 1000 millimetres. The lowlands along the Gulf of Mexico receive more than 1.000 millimetres of rains at the year. The area in the south/is of Tabasco roughly receives 2 00 millimetres of rains at the year! It snows occasionally on some of the plates of the north and the high summits of the Western Sierra Veined and the Eastern Sierra Veined.

Mexico knows a wet Saison (or rain season) and a Saison dries marked. The rain season lasts, for the major part of the country, from June to mid-October. It rains definitely less the remainder of the year. February and July are respectively the driest months and wettest. For example, the town of Mexico City, has 5 millimetres of rains in February and 300 millimetres of rains in July. The coastal regions, and especially that of the Gulf of Mexico have the quantity the most important in September. Tabasco records more than 300 millimetres of rains during this month.

A small portion of the northern/western coast of Mexico around Tijuana has a Mediterranean Climat with important fogs and a rain season in winter.

Mexico is located in the belt of the hurricanes and all the coastal regions are likely to undergo one of these storms from June to November. The hurricanes of the peaceful coast are less frequent and often less violent one that those which affect the east coast of the country. Several hurricanes strike each year the coasts of and the Caribbean Sea Gulf of Mexico, with strong winds which can exceed 200 km/h and cause major damage with the hotels and dwellings of the area but also put in danger the life of the inhabitants.

Cities

Its capital is Mexico City. The country counts approximately 100 million inhabitants, of which 20 million lives in the capital often shortened in DF ( districto federal ) in Mexico. It is of a Federal state made up of 31 States and about a federal district ( distrito federal or DF). The country counts 2394 municipalities.

74,2% of the population live in the cities (1999)

Cities of Mexico
Population of Mexico

Others

List of extreme points of Mexico
List of the reserves of biosphere in Mexico
Earthquakes

Sources

Library of the American Congress (public domain)
FAQ of the CIA (public domain)

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