Childrens Illustrated World Atlas

Tropic of Cancer

Tropic of Cancer

Chichén-Itzá

Uxmal

Palenque

Monte Alban

Bay of

Campeche^

Yuc

atán^ C

hannel

Gulf of

Tehuantepec

Laguna de

Tamiahua

Bahía

(^) Seb

astí

an

(^) V

izc

aín

o

Bahía

de La

Paz

Gulf of

Mexico

G u l f o f C a l

i

f

o

r

n

i

a

C

a

r

i

b

b

e

a

n

S

e

a

P A C I F I C O C E

A

N

Isla Santa Margarita

Isla Magdalena

Isla

Cozumel

Isla Cedros

Isla

Tiburón

Isla Ángel

de la Guarda

Isla Guadalupe

Islas

Marías

oC

lo

ra

do

R

ive

r^

Río

Usu

ma

cin

ta

(^) R
io
(^) G
ra
nd
e
(^) R
io
Gr
an
de
(^) Ri
o (^) B
rav
o (^)
del
(^) No
rte
Río^ Balsas

R

ío

C

on

ch

os

(^) R
ío
(^) Y
aq
ui
(^) R
ío
(^) B
av
is
pe

Presa de la

Angostura

Laguna de

Términos

B

E

LI

Z

E

G

U

A

T

E

M

A

L

A

U N I T E D S T A T

E S

(^) O
F A M E R I C A
MEXICO
(^) S

ie

rr

a

(^) d

e

la

(^) G

ig

an

ta

(^) S
ie
rr
a
S
a
n
(^) P
ed
ro
(^) M
á
rt
ir
(^) De

sier

to (^) d
e (^) A

lta

r B a j a C a l i f o r n i a

Yucatán

Peninsula

Istmo (^) de Tehuantepec
Popocatépetl 17,887ft (5452m)
Santa Genoveva
7894ft (2406m)
S i e r r a M a d r e O r
i
e
n
t
a
l
S i e r r a M a d r e O c c i
d
e
n
t
a
l
Ciudad Hidalgo
Huixtla
Escuintla
Pijijiapán
Puerto Escondido Puerto
Angel
Arriaga
Pinotepa Nacional Miahuatlán
Ixtepec
Chiapa de
Corzo
Ocozocuautla
Matías Romero
Tecpan
Teapa
Ixtapa
Macuspana
Huajuapan
Comalcalco
Frontera
Fransisco Escárcega
Zacatepec
Aguililla
Alvarado
Tuxpan
Felipe Carrillo
Puerto
Zapotiltic
Tekax
Peto
Oxkutzcab
Ticul
Umán
Tequila
Motul
Tizimín
Yahualica
Progreso
Rio Lagartos
Tuxpan
Pánuco
Acaponeta
Escuinapa
Río Grande
Miraflores
Miguel Asua
Juan Aldama
El Dorado
Navolato
Guasave
Matamoros
Loreto
Ciudad
Miguel Alemán
Sabinas
Hidalgo
Santa Barbara
Huatabampo
San Francisco
del Oro
Jiménez
Esperanza
Guerrero Negro
San Ignacio
Empalme
Cuauhtémoc
Ojinaga
Boquillas
San Miguel
Samalayuca
El Sueco
El Sáuz
Caborca Magdalena
Cumpas
San Pedro
de la Cueva
Cananea
Agua Prieta
Rosarito
Tuxtepec
Jalpa
Villanueva
San Pedro
San Blas
Zamora de
Hidalgo
Salina Cruz
Comitán
Tehuantepec Juchitán
San Cristóbal
de Las Casas
Iguala
Chetumal
Champotón
Ciudad Guzmán
Teziutlán
Valladolid
Tamazunchale
Guamúchil
Ciudad Lerdo
Hidalgo
del Parral
Nueva Rosita
Villa Acuña
Perote
Tecomán
Guadalupe
Ciudad Camargo
Lázaro Cárdenas
Río
Bravo
Sabinas
Nuevo
Casas Grandes
Tapachula
Tuxtla
Oaxaca
Villahermosa
Tehuacán
Veracruz Carmen
Uruapan
Campeche
Pachuca
Puerto Vallarta
Tlaquepaque
Cancún
Lagos de
Moreno
Tepic
Aguascalientes
Ciudad Valles
Mazatlán
Durango
Torreón Saltillo
Los Mochis
Matamoros
Reynosa
Monclova
Ciudad
Obregón
Hermosillo
Irapuato
Tulancingo
Zacatecas
Fresnillo
Dolores
Hidalgo
Guanajuato
Xalapa
Tampico
La Paz
Guaymas
Nogales
Manzanillo Colima
Gómez Palacio
Delicias
Piedras Negras
Nuevo Laredo
Montemorelos
Linares
Ciudad Madero
Ciudad Mante
Río Verde
Chilpancingo
Tlaxcala
Papantla
Poza Rica
Tuxpán
San
Andrés
Tuxtla
Córdoba
Taxco
Ciudad Victoria
Minatitlán
Navojoa
San Luis Río Colorado
Ensenada
Coatzacoalcos
Acapulco
Puebla
Guadalajara
León
Monterrey
Ciudad Juárez
Chihuahua
Querétaro
Toluca
Cuernavaca
Morelia
Cuautla
Mérida
San Luis Potosí
Culiacán
Tijuana
Mexicali
MEXICO CITY
(MÉXICO)

A

B

B

C

C

D

D

E

E

F

F

G

G

H

H

I

I

2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

ALONG THE BORDER

In 1994, Mexico signed the

North American Free Trade

Agreement (NAFTA), which

effectively bound its economy

to that of the US. A large

industrial area has developed

along the Mexican border

with the US.

Mexico

Once home to the great Aztec and Mayan civilizations

and then the focus of Spanish conquistadors who came in

search of wealth, Mexico today reflects its colorful past

through its culture and architecture. The majority of Mexicans

is mestizo (mixed race), of Spanish

and native Indian descent.

Mexico City, site of the

ancient Aztec capital, is

today one of the largest

cities in the world, with

a population of around

21 million. Despite oil and natural

gas reserves, and a plentiful supply

of labor, large numbers of Mexicans

are still poor, especially in the rural

areas and the urban slums.

DAY OF THE DEAD

One of the biggest festivals in

Mexico is the Day of the Dead.

It is believed that once a year

the souls of the dead can come

back and visit their loved ones.

In celebration of this, special

food is prepared to welcome

the souls, and offerings of

flowers, candles, and incense

are made at the gravesides.

LIFE IN THE CITY

Mexico City is the political, economic, and cultural

hub of the country, and is home to some 16 million

people. Its site, in a basin surrounded by mountains,

means that expansion is difficult. Air pollution

from factories and cars cannot escape, so on

most days a thick layer of smog builds up

over the city. Attempts to deal with the

pollution, including banning cars

from some parts, have had

limited success.

Mexico City

is contained

within a ring

of mountains.

WORKING ON THE LAND

Agriculture employs 6.5 million people – about

one-eighth of Mexico’s work force. However,

only 12 percent of the land is suitable for

farming because it is so mountainous

and dry. The peasant communities of

the south rely on farming for their

food, while communities

in the north are more

industrialized. Here, the

agave plant is being

harvested near the

town of Tequila.

The volcano

Popocatépetl is

the highest peak

around the city.

North America

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