Geography of Mexico

Yucatan Channel

This is a channel that separates the Yucatan Peninsula from Cuba. It connects the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, and the resort city of Cancun is situated on its coast.

Sonoran Desert

This is a desert in northwestern Mexico that extends into the states of Arizona and California. It makes up the western part of the border between Mexico and the United States, and its western portion contains the large Colorado River. This desert contains many endemic species including the saguaro cactus, and is a popular point for illegal border crossings into the United States.

Gulf of Tehuantepec

This is a gulf on the southern coast of Mexico, bordered to the north by a low isthmus of the same name. It lies between the Sierra Madre del Sur and the Sierra Madre de Chiapas, and is the source body of water for many Pacific hurricanes.

Bay of Campeche

This is a large bay that makes up the southern part of the Gulf of Mexico. It is bounded on the west by the Yucatan Peninsula and on the east by mainland Mexico, and it is a large breeding ground for Atlantic hurricanes during June and July.

Chihuahuan Desert

This is a large desert in northern Mexico that extends into the United States, primarily the states of Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona. It consists primarily of dry basins broken by small mountain ranges that create "sky islands" of cooler, wetter climate, and it is a rain shadow desert located mainly between the Sierra Madre Oriental and the Sierra Madre Occidental. This desert may be the most biologically diverse in the world, and its largest cities are Cuidad Juarez, Torreon, and a city of the same name as this desert.

Gulf of California

This is a large gulf in western Mexico that feeds into the Pacific Ocean. It is surrounded by Baja California and mainland Mexico, and is thought to be one of the most diverse bodies of water on the planet. This gulf was the mouth of the Colorado River before it stopped reaching the sea, and parts of it are designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Gulf of Mexico

This is a large gulf that makes up the eastern and northern coasts of mainland Mexico and the northern and western coast of the Yucatan Peninsula. It flows into the Atlantic Ocean through the Straits of Florida, and into the Caribbean Sea through the Yucatan Channel. The major Mexican city of Tampico is situated on this gulf that the Bay of Campeche is an arm of.

Sierra Madre Oriental

This is a large mountain range that covers much of the northern and eastern Mexico. It runs roughly from the border between Coahuila and Texas to the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt, and it is separated from the Gulf of Mexico by the country's Gulf Coastal Plain. This mountain range is part of the vast American Cordillera that makes up the "backbone" of the Americas, and it is known for its abundant biodiversity that ranges from species in the dry north to the wetter south.

Sierra Madre Occidental

This is a large mountain range that covers much of the western and northwestern parts of Mexico. It runs roughly from the Mexico-United States border at Arizona to the Sierra Madre del Sur, and acts as a major source of water to the otherwise arid environment it runs through. This mountain range is part of the vast American Cordillera that makes up the "backbone" of the Americas and there are many silver mines in its Copper Canyon.

Baja California Peninsula

This is a long peninsula in western Mexico that extends between the Gulf of California and the Pacific Ocean. In the north, this peninsula is separated from mainland Mexico by the Colorado River, and is popular with tourists for its natural beauty and pristine environment. This peninsula has about 65 islands around its coasts, and much of its land is covered by xeric shrublands.

Balsas River

This is a major river of southern central Mexico. It flows from its source near the major city of Peubla southwest, flowing around the western end of the Sierra Madre del Sur and into the Pacific Ocean. The valley of this river was possibly one of the earliest maize growing sites in Mexico, and several dams have been built on it for hydroelectric power as it is not navigable.

Conchos River

This is a major tributary of the Rio Grande. It flows from its source in the Sierra Madre Occidental through the state of Chihuahua and the Chihuahuan Desert, and it joins the Rio Grande near Big Bend National Park. This river contains the only free-flowing large river environment left in the Rio Grande drainage basin, and has been included in the Global 200 Freshwater Ecoregions assessment of the WWF.

Sierra Madre de Chiapas

This is a mountain range in southeastern Mexico that extends eastward through Guatemala and other Central American countries. It runs along the coast of the Pacific Ocean, and forms the main drainage divide between the Pacific and Atlantic in the region that it runs through. This range is known by many regional names throughout its course, and it is part of the massive American Cordillera that is the "backbone" of the continent.

Sierra Madre del Sur

This is a mountain range in southern and southwestern Mexico that extends from the state of Michoacan to the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. The Balsas River flows around its western end, and they run close to the coast of the Pacific Ocean. This mountain range is notable for its very high biodiversity and large number of endemic species.

Yucatan Peninsula

This is a peninsula in eastern Mexico that extends in between the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea. It was home to a large part of the ancient Maya civilization, and today it is popular with tourists who come to see ruins such as Chichen Itza and also to the large resort town of Cancun. This peninsula is composed of a large karst landscape, and due to this there are no rivers or lakes in its northern half; instead, there are many sinkholes, or cenotes, that the people of this peninsula use for water.

Usumacinta River

This is a river that flows across the part of Mexico between the Isthmus of Tehuantepec and the Yucatan Peninsula. It forms part of the border between Mexico and Guatemala, and flows into the Gulf of Mexico. This river and its tributaries were important trade routes for the Maya, and a large wetland called the Wetlands of Centila is formed near this river's mouth when the Grijalva River drains into it.

Rio Grande

This is a river that makes up the entire border between Mexico and the state of Texas. It has its source in Colorado and its mouth in the Gulf of Mexico, and one of its major tributaries is the Conchos River flowing through northern Mexico. The major Mexican cities of Cuidad Juarez, Nuevo Laredo, and Matamoros, and there is an important agricultural area in the northeast corner of Mexico that is heavily irrigated by this river.

Caribbean Sea

This is a sea that makes up the eastern coast of the Yucatan Peninsula. It is surrounded by the West Indies and Central America, and is a part of the Atlantic Ocean. The island of Cozumel is located in it, and the Gulf of Mexico partially drains into it.

Isthmus of Tehuantepec

This is an isthmus in southeastern Mexico that makes up the geographical separation between Central America and the rest of North America. It is 120 miles across at its narrowest part, and is the lowest region in Central America. This isthmus has some of the best wind resources in Mexico, and its populatoin is almost wholly indigenous.

Pacific Ocean

This is an ocean that makes up the western coast of Mexico. The Gulf of California flows into it, and it lies between North America and Asia.

Mexico City

This is the capital and largest city in Mexico, located in the southeastern central part of the country. It is situated in the Valley of Mexico on the dry lakebed of Lake Texcoco, and its main landmarks are the Angel of Independence and The National Palace. This city is both the oldest capital in the Americas and one of only two founded by Amerindians, as it was originally the city of Tenochtitlan on an island of Lake Texcoco.

Mexican peso

This is the currency of Mexico.

Puebla

This is the fifth largest city in Mexico, located in the southeastern central part of the country. It is situated on the Atoyac River, and it is very close to Popocatepetl and Itzaccihuatl volcanoes, which gives it magnificent views of their snow-covered peaks. This city is the capital of a state of the same name, and it was chosen to become a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its cultural and historic value. Several famous things associated with this city include mole poblano, chiles en nogada, and Talavera pottery.

Guadalajara

This is the fourth largest city in Mexico, located in the western central part of the country. It is situated just north of Lake Chapala, and is a cultural center for Mexico that is considered to be the home of mariachi music. This city is the capital of Jalisco, and its historic center contains much colonial architecture.

Pico de Orizaba

This is the highest mountain in Mexico, at 18,491 feet. It is located in the southeastern central part of the country, and is a volcano that is currently dormant but not extinct. This mountain is situated in the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt, and is home to the largest glacier in Mexico, Gran Glaciar Norte.

Lake Chapala

This is the largest lake in Mexico, located in the western central part of the country. It lies just south of Guadalajara, and the Lerma River flows into it. That river is responsible for many of the pollution problems that this lake has faced for years, as well as shrinking levels due to diversion of its water for human use.

Monterrey

This is the ninth largest city in Mexico, located in the central northeastern part of the country. It is situated on the Santa Catarina River north of the foothills of the Sierra Madre Oriental, and Cerro de la Silla, or Saddle Mountain, dominates the city's eastern view and is a major symbol of it. This city is the capital of Nuevo Leon, and is one of the most developed and wealthiest cities in Mexico.

Popocatepetl

This is the second highest mountain in Mexico, located in the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt. It is situated in the southern central part of the country, and can easily be seen from Mexico City on a clear day. This mountain is an active volcano that last erupted for several months during 2016, and it used to have glaciers but they have disappeared due to warmer temperatures.

Tijuana

This is the seventh largest city in Mexico, located at the northwestern tip of the country on the border with the state of California. It is situated on the Pacific Ocean at the mouth of a river of the same name, and lies across the border between Mexico and the United States from San Diego. This city's largest border crossing station is the busiest land border crossing in the world, and has recently become the medical device manufacturing center of North America.

Cuidad Juarez

This is the sixth largest city in Mexico, located in the northern part of the country on the border with the state of Texas. It is situated on the Rio Grande across from the city of El Paso, and is also known as Paso del Norte, or "pass of the north" in English. This city has a growing industrial center made up largely by over 300 maquiladoras (assembly plants), and at one point several years ago it had the highest rate of homocides in the world.

Leon

This is the tenth largest city in Mexico, located in the northwest central part of the country. It is situated in the Central Mexican Plateau in the state of Guanajuato, and it has a strong leather industry that offers products to both national and international markets. This city is considered to be one of the most environmentally friendly in Mexico, and has a high number of cyclists due to its extensive system of bicycle paths.