Mexico Geography

What is the terrain and geography like in Mexico?

Overview

Mexico is located in North America. It borders the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico between Belize and the United States and borders the North Pacific Ocean between Guatemala and the United States. Its land mass covers approximately 1.9 million sq. km and has approximately 9,330 sq. km of beachfront property.

With a climate that varies from tropical to desert, the terrain ranges from high rugged mountains to low coastal plains and high plateaus to desert. Its lowest elevation point is Laguna Salada at 10 meters. The highest point is the Volcano, Pico de Orizaba, at 5,700 meters.

Mexican natural hazards include tsunamis on the Pacific coast, volcanoes and destructive earthquakes at the center and south, and hurricanes on the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean coasts.

Geography - note

Strategic location on the southern border of the United States; corn (maize), one of the world's major grain crops, is thought to have originated in Mexico

Mexico Use of Natural Resources

Geographic Location	North America
Total Area	758,445 Square Miles 1,964,375 Square Kilometers
Land Area	750,557 Square Miles 1,943,945 Square Kilometers
Water Area	7,888 Square Miles 20,430 Square Kilometers
Land Boundaries	2,705 Miles 4,353 Kilometers
Irrigated Land	24,942 Square Miles 64,600 Square Kilometers
Border Countries	Belize 250 km, Guatemala 962 km, United States 3,141 km
Coastline	5,797 Miles 9,330 Kilometers
Geographic Coordinates	23 00 N, 102 00 W
Terrain	High, rugged mountains; low coastal plains; high plateaus; desert
Highest Point	5,700 Meters
Highest Point Location	Volcán Pico de Orizaba 5,700 m
Lowest Point	-10 Meters
Lowest Point Location	Laguna Salada -10 m
Natural Resources	Petroleum, silver, copper, gold, lead, zinc, natural gas, timber
Time Zone	UTC-6 (1 hour behind Washington, DC, during Standard Time) time zone note: Mexico has four time zones
Daylight saving time	DST was permanently removed in October 2022

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