A Land Defined By Mountains

• Mountains dominate Mexico’s physical setting

• Sierra Madre Occidental- largest mountain range; extends along the western coast

• Sierra Madre Oriental- 2nd largest; extends along the eastern coast/.

• B/w these 2 ranges lies the Central Plateau– Nation’s largest region– Contains important cities, rich soil, and plenty

of rainfall– 4/5 of population lives here

• Baja California- a peninsula, or strip of land, that juts into the Pacific Ocean

Central Plateau

• Geographically unstable– Pg 43 sows that Mexico is located at the

intersection of 4 tectonic plates-NA plate, Caribbean Plate, Pacific Plate, and the Cocos Plate

– 1985 a quake killed 7,000 people and caused $4.1 billion in damage

Why do people live here?

• Climate- although the southern region is located in the tropics, it does not have a tropical climate– An elevation of over 7,000 ft. keeps the

temperatures mild and pleasant all year – Mexico City avg. temp. in July 74 degrees F

and 66 degrees F in January

Population Problems

• This climate has drawn large amounts of people to the city

• Mexico City is now encircled by ciudadas peridas or “lost cities” – Many of the inhabitants of these “cities” are

underemployed- working, but making little money

– families live on around $4 a day– Schools and electricity are now available to

many in the area

Coastal Regions

• Northern Pacific Coast– Dry, hot, and sparsely populated– yet has some of the country’s best farmland

- due to irrigation made possible by dam construction

– Tijuana is just across the California/Mexico border and is one of the nation’s fastest growing cities

• Southern Pacific Coast– Dominated by the Sierra Madre del Sur– Little farmland, but the region has a tropical

climate and setting which brings $ from tourism

– Acapulco, Mazatlan, and Puerto Vallarta draw thousands of visitors per year

• Gulf Coastal Plain– important o the economy because of

petroleum and natural gas deposits– has become one of the world’s major oil

producing areas

• Yucatan Peninsula– Flat with a limestone bedrock base

• Rain water seeps through limestone and forms underground caverns- when this happens the roof often collapses creating a sinkhole- the Mayans used these as wells

• population is sparse here• Tourism along eh Caribbean coast has helped

develop cities such as Cancun and San Miguel• Mayan ruins also attract tourists