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