Mexico Geography

Area

Climate

ranges from tropical to arid

Terrain

elevated, rugged mountain ranges; low-lying coastal plains; elevated plateaus; arid regions

Land use

Location

North America, situated between the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of America, between Belize and the United States, and adjacent to the North Pacific Ocean, between Guatemala and the United States

Coastline

9,330 km

Elevation

Irrigated land

59,910 sq km (2022)

Major aquifers

Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plains Aquifer

Map references

North America

Land boundaries

Maritime claims

Natural hazards

tsunamis along the Pacific shoreline; volcanic activity and severe earthquakes in the central and southern regions; hurricanes affecting the Pacific, Gulf of America, and Caribbean coastlines

volcanism: volcanic activity is prevalent in the central-southern areas of the nation; the volcanoes located in Baja California are primarily dormant; Colima (3,850 m) is recognized as Mexico's most active volcano, frequently necessitating the evacuation of nearby residents; it has been classified as a Decade Volcano by the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior, considered significant for research due to its explosive history and proximity to populated areas; Popocatepetl (5,426 m) poses a risk to Mexico City; other historically active volcanoes include Barcena, Ceboruco, El Chichon, Michoacan-Guanajuato, Pico de Orizaba, San Martin, Socorro, and Tacana; refer to note 2 under "Geography - note"

Geography - note

note 1: strategically located on the southern border of the United States; Mexico is one of the nations situated along the Ring of Fire, a region encircling the Pacific Ocean that contains nearly 75% of the globe's volcanoes and up to 90% of its earthquakes

note 2: the Sac Actun cave system, measuring 348 km (216 mi), holds the title of the longest underwater cave worldwide and is the second longest cave overall, following Mammoth Cave in the United States (see "Geography - note" under United States)

note 3: the notable Yucatán Peninsula, which separates the Gulf of America from the Caribbean Sea, is jointly occupied by Mexico, Guatemala, and Belize; on the northern coastline of Yucatán, near Chicxulub, lies the site of a colossal asteroid or comet impact crater approximately 150 km (93 mi) in diameter extending into the Gulf of America; this event is thought to have triggered a global climatic upheaval that led to the extinction of 75% of the Earth's flora and fauna, including non-avian dinosaurs

Natural resources

petroleum, silver, antimony, copper, gold, lead, zinc, natural gas, timber

Area - comparative

slightly less than three times the area of Texas

Geographic coordinates

23 00 N, 102 00 W

Population distribution

the majority of the population resides in the central region between the states of Jalisco and Veracruz; about a quarter of the populace is located in and around Mexico City

Major lakes (area sq km)

Major watersheds (area sq km)

Major rivers (by length in km)

Rio Grande river mouth (shared with US [s]) - 3,057 km; Colorado river mouth (shared with US [s]) - 2,333 km

note: [s] following the country name signifies river source; [m] following the country name signifies river mouth