childrens_illustrated_encyclopedia_template_US_layer_v1
Tropic of CancerTropic of Cancer(^) Bay
of Campeche^
Yucatan
(^) Cha
nne
l
Gulf of
Tehuantepec
G
u
lf
(^)
(^)
of
(^)
(^)
C
a
li
fo
rn
ia
G u l f o f
M e x i c o
P A C I F I C O C E A N
(^) R
io
Gr
an
de
(^) Rio
(^) G
ran
de
Balsa
s
Co
nch
os^
Ya
qu
i
Isla
Magdalena
Isla
Cozumel
Isla Cedros
Isla Ángel
de la Guarda
(^) Is
la
s (^) T
res
M
ar
ía
s
BELiZE
UN
it
ED
stat
Es (^) O
F
aM
E
R
ic
a
GU
a
t
E
M
a
L
a
M E X i c O
L o w e r C a l i f o r n i a
Y u c a t a n
P e n i n s u l a
(^) Sie
rra (^) M
adre (^) del Sur
San Lucas Cape
Popocatépetl
5452m
Volcán Iztaccihuatl 5230m
Volcán El Chichónal
1060m
S
ie
rr
a
(^)
(^) M
a
d
re
(^)
(^) O
ri
en
ta
l
S
i
e
r
r
a
(^)
M
a
d
re
(^)
O
c
c
i
d
e
n
t
a
l
Comitán
Minatitlán
Poza
Rica
Ciudad Victoria
Guamúchil
Nuevo Laredo
Gómez
Palacio
Coatzacoalcos
Puerto Vallarta
Tapachula
Tuxtla
Oaxaca
Villahermosa
Veracruz Carmen
Cancún
Tepic
Aguascalientes
Mazatlán Durango
Culiacán
Saltillo
Torreón
Los Mochis
Matamoros
Reynosa
Monclova
Ciudad
Obregón
Hermosillo
Tijuana
Mexicali
Xalapa
Tampico
Campeche
acapulco
Puebla
Guadalajara
León
Monterrey
ciudad Juárez
chihuahua
san Luis
Potosí
Querétaro
Morelia
Mérida
MEXicO citY
Mexico
344
0
0 200 400
200 400
scaLE BaR
km
miles
N
S
W E
Sierra Madre
The main mountain system
of Mexico, the Sierra Madre, runs
1,500 miles (2,400 km) southeast
from the border with the United
States. There are three ranges—in
the east, south, and west—and they
enclose Mexico’s central plateau.
Mexico’s third-highest mountain,
Volcán iztaccihuatl (right), is in the
Sierra Madre del Sur, the southern range.
The mountain has three separate summits,
and its name means “White Woman” in the aztec
language, because the peaks resemble
a woman wearing a hood.
GUaNaJUaTO
Spanish prospectors searching for gold
founded Guanajuato (below) in 1554.
The town is the capital of Guanajuato
state in the mountains of Central Mexico
and rises more than 6,726 ft (2,050 m)
above sea level. it is built in a ravine and
has steep, winding streets.
MeXiCaN fabriCS
The Mexican people have
been expert weavers since
ancient times. They are skilled at
producing brightly colored fabrics, with
bold, geometric designs, like the striped skirt
worn by the girl on the left. Today most Mexican
fabrics are mass-produced in large factories.
baJa
CalifOrNia
Baja California
is also called
Lower California.
The peninsula is
in Mexico, and is
not part of the US
state with which
it shares a name.
The tallest
peak of Volcán
Iztaccihuatl rises to
17,159 ft (5,230 m).
POPUlaTiON
Most of northern Mexico is sparsely populated
because of the hot, dry climate and lack of good
farmland. as people have migrated from the
countryside in search of work, the cities have grown
dramatically; almost 80 percent of Mexicans now
live in urban areas. Mexico City is home to almost
one-quarter of the population and is one of the
world’s largest cities. rapid, unplanned growth has
led to poor sanitation and water supplies.
riO GraNde
The Rio Grande
flows from Colorado
in the United States
and forms much
of Mexico’s
northern border.
It crosses
a vast arid region
on its way to the
Gulf of Mexico.
statistics
area: 758,450 sq miles
(1,964,375 sq km)
Population: 121,737,000
capital: Mexico City
Languages: Spanish,
Nahuatl, Maya, Zapotec,
Mixtec, Otomi, Totonac,
Tzotzil, Tzeltal
Religions: roman Catholic,
Protestant
currency: Mexican peso
Main occupations:
Subsistence farming,
manufacturing, oil
production
Main exports: Oil, cotton,
machinery, coffee
Main imports: Machinery,
vehicles, chemicals
Volcano Mountain Capital
city
Large
city/
town
Small
city/
town
Ancient
monument
US_344_Mexico_2.indd 344 22/01/16 11:11 am