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SECTION 1 Physical UNITED STATES G u 30°N l f TEKS 3A, 3B, 3C, 4D, 4E, 4F, 5A, 5B,

Geography

r e 5C, 6A, 6B, 21B, 21C, 22D B v i A . R R J i s R A S u o i R o I q E h i o o What You Will Learn… C a c G R

S f n If lived there... A Y r YOU R B I a

o r L A E a n

C d I C R v F M o e O a R You live on Mexico’s Pacific coast. Sunny weather and good beaches A l A Main Ideas R i f D N o R M I r 25°N A n E MEXICAN A 1. Mexico’s physical features bring tourists year-round. Now you are on your way to visit a cousin ia O D C PLATEAU R include plateaus, mountains, C E I in Puebla, in the highlands. To get there, you will have to take a bus Tr D O opic E R and coastal lowlands. of Ca N ncer I T E 2. Mexico’s climate and vegeta- along the winding roads of the steep Sierra Madre Occidental. This A N L T A tion include deserts, tropical L 90°W rugged mountain range runs along the coast. You have never been Gulf of Mexico Yucatán forests, and cool highlands. R. Channel io o R S c 3. Key natural resources in to the interior of Mexico before. an u n 95°W YUCATÁN 20°N tia a Cozumel g P Mexico include oil, silver, o PENINSULA Island Rio Lerm gold, and scenic landscapes. a Caribbean What landscapes will you see on your trip? Popocatépetl Bay of 17,887 ft (5,452 m) Campeche Sea

N Bals Us 85°W a um S s River IE a The Big Idea RR ISTHMUS OF G ci W E A ri nta MA ja R. DR TEHUANTEPEC lv E D a Mexico is a large country with S EL SUR R PACIFIC iv 15°N e different natural environments in Building Background Mexico is part of Latin America, a region r OCEAN Gulf of CENTRAL its northern, central, and south- Tehuantepec in the Western Hemisphere where Spanish and Portuguese culture AMERICA

115°W ern regions. 105°W 100°W shaped life. Mexico is also part of North America, along with the United States and Canada. Unlike its northern neighbors, Mexico’s Key Terms and Places landscape consists mainly of highlands and coastal plains. Río Bravo (Rio Grande), p. 192 peninsula, p. 192 Baja California, p. 192 Gulf of Mexico, p. 192 Physical Features Yucatán Peninsula, p. 192 Mexico, our neighbor to the south, shares a long border with Sierra Madre, p. 193 the United States. Forming part of this border is one of Mexico’s few major rivers, the Río Bravo. In the United States this river is called the Rio Grande. At other places along the U.S.–Mexico border it is impossible to tell where one country ends and the Use the graphic organizer online other country begins. to organize your notes on Mexico’s HRW Middle School World Geography physical geography. mg7fvs_mexmap003aa Bodies of Water Mexico: Physical Locate Mexico on the map on the following page and see that, Final pass--7/5/05 except for its border with the United States, Mexico is mostly surrounded by water. Mexico’s border in the west is the Pacific Ocean. Stretching south into the Pacific Ocean from northern Mexico is a narrow peninsula, or piece of land surrounded on three sides by water, called Baja California. To the east, Mexico’s border is the Gulf of Mexico. The Gulf of Mexico is separated from the Caribbean Sea by a part of Mexico called the Yucatán (yoo-kah-tahn) Peninsula.

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Mexico: Physical

UNITED STATES G Regions The rugged Mexican u 30°N l f Plateau covers much of Mexico.

r e 1. Name What feature extends B v i A . R R J into the Gulf of Mexico? i s R A S u o i R o I q E h i o o 2. Analyze Where in Mexico C a R c G

S f n A Y R B r I a

o r L A E a n would it be easiest to cross

C d I C R v F M o e O a R A from the Pacific Ocean to the l A R i f D N o R M I r Gulf of Mexico? 25°N A n E MEXICAN A

ia O D C PLATEAU R HRW Middle School World GeographyC E I Tr D O opic E R of Ca mg7fvs_mexmap003ba N ncer I T E A N Mexico Physical Locator L T A L 90°W Final pass – 7/5/05 Gulf of Mexico Yucatán R. Channel io o R S c an u n 95°W YUCATÁN 20°N tia a Cozumel g P o PENINSULA Island ELEVATION Rio Lerm a Caribbean Feet Meters Popocatépetl Bay of 13,120 4,000 17,887 ft (5,452 m) Campeche Sea

6,560 2,000 N Bals Us 85°W a um S s River 1,640 500 IE a RR ISTHMUS OF G ci 656 200 W E A ri nta MA ja R. DR TEHUANTEPEC lv (Sea level) 0 0 (Sea level) E D a S EL SUR R Below Below PACIFIC iv 15°N e sea level sea level OCEAN Gulf of r Tehuantepec CENTRAL 0 150 300 Miles AMERICA

115°W

105°W 100°W 0 150 300 Kilometers Projection: Lambert Conformal Conic Plateaus and ­mountains cover much of Mexico. Here, the volcano HRW Middle School World Geography Popocatépetl rises mg7fvs_mexmap003ca above a mountain Mexico Physical Legend valley. Many people Replacement Final pass – 7/13/05 live and farm in the Plateaus and Mountains mountain Much of the interior landscape of Mexico valleys. consists of a high, mostly rugged region called the Mexican Plateau. The plateau’s lowest point is more than a half mile above HRW Middle School World Geography sea level. Its highest point is close to two mg7fvs_mexmap003aa miles above sea level. The entire plateau Between the two ranges in the south FOCUS ON Mexico: Physical spreads between two mountain ranges lies the Valley of Mexico. Mexico City, READING Final pass--7/5/05 that rise still higher. One range, the Sierra the country’s capital, is located there. The What do you think the text will Madre Oriental, lies in the east. The other, mountains south of Mexico City include discuss next? the Sierra Madre Occidental, lies in the towering, snowcapped volcanoes. Volcanic west. Together, these two mountain ranges eruptions, as well as earthquakes, are a and another shorter one in southern threat there. The volcano Popocatépetl Mexico make up the Sierra Madre (syer-rah (poh-puh-cah-te-pet-uhl) near Mexico City mah-dray), or “mother range.” has been active as recently as 2010.

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Coastal Lowlands Climate and Vegetation From the highlands in central Mexico, the From snowcapped mountain peaks to land slopes down to the coasts. Beautiful, warm, sunny beaches, Mexico has many sunny beaches stretch all along Mexico’s different climates. You can see Mexico’s eastern and western coasts. The plain that climate regions on the map below. This runs along the west coast is fairly wide great variety of climates results in several in the north. It becomes narrower in the different types of vegetation. south. On the east side of the country, the ACADEMIC In some areas, changes in elevation VOCABULARY Gulf coastal plain is wide and flat. The soils cause climates to vary widely within a vary to be and climate there are good for farming. short distance. For example, the areas of different Locate the Yucatán Peninsula on the high elevation on the Mexican Plateau map on the previous page. As you can see can have surprisingly cool temperatures. this region is also mostly flat. Limestone At times, freezing temperatures reach as far rock underlies much of the area. Erosion south as Mexico City—even though it is there has created caves and sinkholes, located in the tropics. Mexico’s mountain steep-sided depressions that form when valleys generally have mild climates, and the roof of a cave collapses. Many of these many people have settled there. sinkholes are filled with water. The valleys along Mexico’s southern coastal areas also have pleasant climates. Reading Check Summarizing What are Warm temperatures and a summer rainy Mexico’s major physical features? season support the forests that cover about 25 percent of Mexico’s land area. Tropical Mexico: Climate rain forests provide a home for jaguars, monkeys, anteaters, and other animals. Climate Types While most of southern Mexico is Humid tropical Tropical savanna warm and humid, the climate in the Desert northern part of the Yucatán Peninsula is Steppe hot and dry. The main vegetation there is Highland Gulf of California scrub forest. 0 200 400 Miles

25°N 0 200 400 Kilometers

Tropic of Cancer Projection: Lambert Conformal Conic HRW-MS Geography Maps Gulf of PACIFIC OCEAN Mexico mg7fvs_mexmap005ba20°N A Tropical Climate Mexico Climate Map Locator N A tropical savanna climate Final pass – 7/5/05 supports lush vegetation W E along Mexico’s southern S 15°N beaches.

100°W

95°W

110°W 105°W

HRW-MS Geography Maps mg7fvs_mexmap005ca Regions Mexico’s climate regions range fromMexico dry to tropical.Climate Legend 1. Locate Where is Mexico’s desert climate located?Final pass – 7/22/05 2. Interpret What part of Mexico probably gets the most rain?

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HRW-MS Geography Maps mg7fvs_mexmap005aa Mexico Climate Map Final pass--7/5/05 DO NOT EDIT--Changes must be made through “File info” CorrectionKey=TX-A

Like the Yucatán Peninsula in the Another important resource is water. south, most of northern Mexico is dry. The The refreshing water surrounding Mexico deserts in Baja California and the northern draws many tourists to the country’s sce- part of the plateau get little rainfall. Desert nic beaches. Unfortunately, water is limit- plants and dry grasslands are common in ed in many parts of Mexico. Water scarcity the north. Cougars, coyotes, and deer live is a serious issue. in some areas of the desert. Reading Check Finding Main Ideas What Reading Check Analyzing Why does is one of Mexico’s most important resources? Mexico City sometimes experience freezing temperatures even though it is in the tropics? SUmmary and PReview The natural environments of Mexico range from arid Natural Resources plateaus in the north to humid, forested Mexico is rich in natural resources. One of mountains in the south. Next, you will its most important resources is petroleum, study the history and culture of Mexico. or oil. Oil reserves are found mainly under the southern and Gulf coastal plains as well Section 1 Assessment ONLINE QUIZ as offshore in the Gulf of Mexico. Mexico sells much of its oil to the United States. Reviewing Ideas, Terms, and Places Before oil was discovered in Mexico, 1. a. Describe What is the interior of Mexico like? minerals were the country’s most valuable b. Analyze Locate Mexico on the climate map in this sec- resource. Some gold and silver mines that tion. Do you think the Yucatán Peninsula is a good place for farming? Use your notes and the map to explain your answer. were begun many centuries ago are still in 2. a. Recall What is the climate like in the northern part of operation. In addition, new mines have the Yucatán Peninsula? been developed in Mexico’s mountains. b. Explain Why can climates sometimes vary widely within Today Mexico’s mines produce more silver a short distance? than any other country in the world. c. Elaborate How do you think climate and vegetation Mexican mines also yield large amounts of affect where people live in Mexico? 3. a. Identify Where are Mexico’s oil reserves located? copper, gold, lead, and zinc. b. Make Inferences What problems might water scarcity cause for Mexican citizens? c. Geographic Questions Look at the physical map in this section. Pose and answer a question about Mexico’s ­physical features. Critical Thinking

4. Categorizing Draw a chart Geography like the one here. Using your Northern Mexico notes, list the geographical Southern Mexico features found in northern Mexico and southern Mexico.

Focus on Writing

5. Telling What Mexico Looks Like Locate major physical geographic features of places and regions in Mexico on the physical map in this section. What features will you include in your “I Am” poem? Write notes about the physical features, ­climate and vegetation, and natural resources of Mexico.

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