Tourism resources of Mexico. natural resources of mexico
Mexico has always fascinated me and I hope one day I will see this country with my own eyes. In the meantime, it remains for me to read and watch programs about it, so I know the features of this camp quite well. Today I will talk about the natural wealth of Mexico.
Minerals of Mexico
The abundance of underground wealth in this country is due to geological factors. First of all, these are volcanoes, and some are still active. As you know, most of the rare minerals are of a volcanic nature, and therefore the places of outpouring of magma become rich deposits. Volcanism is a manifestation of active geological processes, which leads to the formation of geological structures different nature, which also contain valuable elements. Mexico is rich in such geological units as:
- folding;
- blocks;
- deflections.
The largest are folding areas composed of volcanic rocks. They are rich in silver and gold, zinc, lead, copper and other elements. In general, Mexico can be called a country that has reserves of almost all minerals. I will especially note the large oil and gas basin of the Gulf of Mexico.
Mexico: natural resources of the country
the main problem- scarce water resources, but groundwater is many times greater than surface water. Actually, due to this, it is possible to somehow stabilize the water supply. Water problems have become an obstacle to the plowing of new lands, so much of the center and south remain untouched.
Forests cover up to a fifth of the territory of Mexico, but are concentrated in that part of the country that is located in the tropics. The wood is exported to other countries and used in the domestic market, but the main wealth of the local forests is chicle juice, the main component of chewing gum. More than 85% of this raw material is produced in Mexico.
I would like to note the huge energy potential of Mexico in the field of alternative energy supply. Today, projects are being implemented that will help to implement it in the near future.
Mexico(United Mexican States) is a country in North America. The population of Mexico is 120 million people. The capital of the state is the city of Mexico City. Other big cities- Mexico City, Guadalajara, Monterrey, Puebla de Zaragoza, Chihuahua, Ciudad Juarez, Tijuana, Leon, Nezahualcoyotl, Zapopan, Acapulco. These cities have a population of over 1 million people. The largest city in the country is Mexico City (13 million people). It is the second largest city in the world (after Tokyo) in terms of population. Mexico is located in three time zones. The first zone is 6 hours behind the universal time, the last (third) is 8 hours behind.
Mexico has land borders: in the north - with the United States, in the south - with Guatemala and Belize. From the west, Mexico is washed by the Pacific Ocean, from the east by the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea.
Mexico is the most populous Spanish speaking country. Mexico is a mountainous and desert country, it also has high mountains, and large deserts. The whole country is located in two climatic zones - subtropical and tropical.
Forests occupy one fifth of the country's territory. 60% of the total forested area is occupied by coniferous and mixed forests, the rest is tropical forests.
Mexico is considered a mountainous country. There is a wide variety of mountain ranges and ranges: the Eastern Sierra Madre mountains, the Western Sierra Madre mountains, the Cordilleras of North America, the Sierra Madre de Chiapas, the Southern Sierra Madre mountains, the Trans-Mexican volcanic belt. The highest point in Mexico is Orizaba. The height of this peak is 5700 meters. There are also many volcanoes in Mexico: Nevado de Colima (height 4339 m), Paricutin (height 2774 m), Nevado de Toluca (height 4577 m), Popocatepetl (height 5452 m), Istaxihuatl (height 5286 m), La Malinche (altitude 4461 m), Cofre de Perote (altitude 4282 m) and Sierra Negra (altitude 4580 m). Many of these volcanoes are active or even active.
The largest river in Mexico is the Rio Grande (it also flows through the United States). The length of the riverbed through the territory of Mexico is 3000 km. Other major Mexican rivers are Usumacinta (length 560 km), Balsas Panuco (length 724 km), Grijalva (length 480 km), Rio Conchos (length 910 km). The largest lake in Mexico is Chapala. Other famous and picturesque lakes are Montebello, Cempoala, Arareco, Colina, Camecuaro.
Administratively, the country is divided into 31 states and one federal district. States: Aguascalientes, Veracruz, Guerrero, Guanajuato, Durango, Hidalgo, Campeche, Queretaro, Quintana Roo, Coahuila, Colima, Mexico City, Michoacán, Morelos, Nayarit, Baja California, Baja California Sur, Nuevo Leon, Oaxaca, Puebla, Zacatecas , San Luis Potosi, Sinaloa, Sonora, Tabasco, Tamaulipas, Tlaxcala, Jalisco, Chihuahua, Chiapas, Yucatan.
Federal (capital) district: Mexico City. Mexico has no overseas territories or possessions.
Map
Roads
Mexico has a dense network railways, however, there is no intercity passenger service. Commuter traffic operates only in the Mexico City area. All roads are dominated by freight traffic, with several lines leading to the US.
Mexico has its own excellent autobahns. Of all the roads, the roads leading from Mexico City to other major cities and to the US border are in the best condition. The rest of the roads require major repairs.
Story
The country has gone through an original rather difficult history. The main periods of the historical path of Mexico:
a) Prehistoric Mexico - the appearance of the first people on the territory of modern Mexico (15 thousand years BC), the Clovis culture (10 - 9 thousand years BC), the Folsom culture (9 - 8 thousand years BC), the emergence of agriculture (7 thousand years BC), the emergence of permanent settlements (about 2500 BC), the emergence of Indian tribes (2000 BC), the Olmec civilization (2000 BC - 400 AD), civilization Aztecs, Maya civilization (2000 BC - 1000 AD);
b) Medieval Mexico (since 1000) - the decline of the Mayan culture, the Toltec civilization (1000 - 1300 years), the Aztec civilization,
c) Colonial Mexico (since the 15th century) - the Spanish reconnaissance expeditions of Francisco Hernandez de Cordoba (1517) and Juan de Grijalva (1518), the landing of the Spanish conquistadors (1519), the uprising of the Indians (1520), the capture of the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan (the future Mexico City ) (1521), the fall of the Aztec empire, the beginning of the Spanish colonial rule (1521), the formation of New Spain (1522);
d) Independent Mexico - the beginning of the Mexican War of Independence (1810 - 1813), the defeat of Spain, the proclamation of the independence of Mexico (1813);
e) Mexico during the period of Spain's attempts to restore the colonial system - the emergence of a partisan movement and a partisan war with the Spanish colonists (1815 - 1820), the signing of the Treaty of Cordoba in 1821, recognizing the independence of Mexico;
f) Mexican Empire (1821-1822);
g) The Republic of Mexico (since 1822) - the uprising in Veracruz (1822), the fall of the Mexican monarchy, the proclamation of Mexico as a republic (1823), the separation from Mexico of some future southern states of the United States (Texas, California), the Mexican-French War (1838 year);
h) Mexico during the reign of the dictator Santa Anna (since 1841) - an armed coup and the overthrow of the republican form of government in the country (1841), the Mexican-American war (1846), the American occupation (1847), the loss of all northern states and their accession to the United States, the loss of state independence;
i) Mexico during the second reign of Santa Anna (since 1853) - the Mexican Revolution of 1854 and the overthrow of the regime of Santa Anna (1854), the restoration of the republican form of government;
j) Mexico during the Anglo-Franco-Spanish intervention of 1861 - the defeat of England, France and Spain in the war;
k) Mexican-French war of 1864-1865 - French occupation;
l) Restoration of the Republic - since 1867;
m) Mexico during the reign of the military dictatorship of Diaz (since 1876) - a military coup in the country and the coming to power of the Mexican general Porfirio Diaz, the establishment of diplomatic relations with Russia (1891);
o) The Mexican Revolution of 1910-1917. - the overthrow of the dictatorship of Diaz, the coming to power of his rival in the elections - Francisco Madero (1910), a military coup (1913), the removal of Madero from power and the coming to power of Huerta, military operations in Mexico, the removal of Huerta from power (1914) ), American intervention (1915), end of the American occupation of Mexico (1917), presidential elections (late 1917);
o) Mexico in the period of presidential rule (since 1920) - the coming to power of Alvaro Obregon (1920), the construction of the economy and the industrialization of the country, the removal of the church from government, the Cristeros uprising of 1927, agrarian reform;
p) Mexico in World War II (1939 - 1945) - policy declaration
neutrality, the declaration of war on Germany (1942), the participation of the Mexican air squadron in battles with the Japanese in the Pacific (1945);
c) Mexico after the war during a period of intensive economic growth (since 1945) - industrialization, road construction, development Agriculture, student riots (1968) demanding changes in political system countries, liberal reforms, armed uprising of Mexican Indians (1994) and its suppression;
r) Mexico's "Cactus Revolution" (2006) - protests against the rigged results of the presidential elections, the inauguration of the President of Mexico, Felipe Calderon.
Minerals
Mexico is a country rich in minerals. The country has deposits of coal, oil and natural gas. However, the country does not have enough gas and Mexico imports the missing part of the blue fuel from the USA and Canada. As in the United States and Canada, there are a sufficient number of gold and silver mines in Mexico that are being actively developed.
Bismuth, fluorites, graphite, antimony, lead, zinc, cadmium, copper, iron, sulfur, manganese, barites, tin, pyrites, rock salt, arsenic, and talc are mined from other minerals in the country.
Climate
On the territory of Mexico, there are two types of climate - tropical and subtropical, and the border between them is very conditional. In the mountainous part of the country, winters are slightly colder, and summers are cooler. In the desert part and in the tropical forest zone, it is almost always warm, the change of seasons is symbolic there - winters are warm and snowless, and summers are dry and hot (in the rainforest area it is more humid).
Mexico is the second most populous country in Latin America; occupies an exceptional geostrategic position, located between two oceans and two continents: North and South America. In the north it borders on the United States, in the south - on Belize and Guatemala.
Natural conditions and resources. The nature of Mexico is diverse.
This is largely due to the complex geological history country and landforms.
Relief. Mexico is a mountainous country; more than half of its territory lies at an altitude of over 1000 m above sea level; about 2/3 is occupied by the Mexican Highlands, bordered on the west, south and east by mountain ranges.
The coastal lowlands are located along the Gulf of Mexico; the largest in area is the karst lowland of the Yucatan Peninsula. The country has many volcanoes.
The complexity of geological structures and volcanic activity determine the richness and diversity mineral.
Mexico has numerous reserves of ore minerals confined to the world's largest Pacific ore belt. She firmly holds the first place in the world in the extraction of silver, the abundance of which at one time so struck and attracted the Spanish conquistadors; the main deposits are Las Torres (Guanajuato state) and Lampasos (Sonora state).
Mexico is one of the world's leading producers of polymetallic, copper ores, and mercury. The richest deposits of lead-zinc and copper ores are located in the north of the country; Mexico is one of the world's leading exporters of zinc and lead. Reliable and probable reserves of iron ore with iron content above 60% are 350 million tons.
The main fields under development are Las Truchas (Michoacan), Cerro de Mercado (Durango) and La Perla (Chihuahua). There are gold resources in the country. From non-metallic ores, it has large reserves of sulfur (Tehuantepek Isthmus), fluorspar ores (Musquis deposit, Coahuila state); graphite, bismuth, antimony.
The presence of balneological and hydrothermal resources is associated with volcanic activity. But the largest natural wealth Mexico are oil and natural gas. With the opening in the 70s of the XX century. the largest oil fields in the states of Chiapas and Tabasco, offshore in the Gulf of Campeche, Mexico has taken one of the leading places in the world in terms of oil reserves and production. Its reliable and probable reserves are estimated at 14 billion tons; Mexico concedes in Latin America only to Venezuela (17 billion tons).
Coal reserves are estimated at 3 billion tons. Coal deposits are covered by sediments formed as a result of marine transgressions and regressions, which makes it difficult to exploit deposits. The main coal deposit - Sabinas - is located in the northern part of the country. Sabinas coal contains a lot of ash and other impurities, but it is suitable for burning coke.
Several significant uranium deposits have been explored (the states of Chihuahua, Nuevo Leon, Durango).
In terms of antimony reserves, Mexico in the Western Hemisphere is second only to Bolivia.
According to mercury reserves, estimated at 250 thousand tons.
m, Mexico in the capitalist world is second only to Spain and Italy. There are over 200 mercury deposits, most of which are located in the northern part of the country.
Political system. Mexico is a federal republic. The head of state is the president, who is directly elected for a term of 6 years.
The constitution prohibits the re-election of the president. Legislature carried out by the National Congress, consisting of two chambers - the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies.
Administratively, Mexico is divided into 31 states and a federal capital district.
General characteristics of the economy. Mexico is one of the most economically developed countries not only Latin America, but also of the entire "third world", which has a diversified economy and a rich mineral resource base.
It ranks second in Latin America (after Brazil) in terms of GDP, although in terms of its size per capita it is inferior to a number of countries on the continent (Argentina, Venezuela, Chile).
The GDP is distributed as follows: 6% falls on agriculture and forestry, 33% on industry and construction, and 61% on services.
Some features of economic development distinguish Mexico from other Latin American countries. Mexico is the only country in Latin America in which, as a result of the bourgeois-democratic revolution of 1910-1917. a fairly radical agrarian reform was carried out. It did not abolish large landownership, but cleared the way for the development of capitalism in agriculture.
Mexico is one of the first Latin American countries to embark on the path of nationalizing natural resources and creating a public sector. According to the constitution of 1917, the state's ownership of the land, its subsoil and water was proclaimed.
- Mexico (Spanish Mexico.) The official name of the United Mexican States is a country in North America, bordered in the north by the United States of America, in the southeast by Belize and Guatemala in the northwestern waters of the Gulf of California and the Pacific Ocean in the east - the waters of the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean pool.
- The supreme legislative body is the parliament. This is called the National Congress, which consists of two houses: the Senate, which lasts 6 years (two senators from each state and federal district) and popularly elected electoral commissions, elected for 3 years. All citizens over the age of 18 have the right to vote. The government consists of the president, ministers, attorney general and heads of 4 departments.
- Mexico has a fairly strong army. Bodies are very active foreign policy in many international and regional organizations. In particular, he actively participates in the work of the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations, UNESCO, FAO, ILO and other UN specialized agencies. Mexico's foreign policy has traditionally focused on strengthening the country's political and economic independence, in particular from its northern quarter.
- The characteristics of the terrain due to the presence in Latin America in its geological structure of two different structural elements are determined: the ancient South American platform and the younger one actively developed until the modern era of the mobile Cordillera group (the so-called Andes in South America), a subsidiary of which the Antilles arc. The first match of the ancient mountains and plateaus - Guyana, Brazil and Patagonia (in places where the foundation platform rises) and the lowland and plain zones - Llanos in the Orinoco, Gran Chaco, Pampas and other occupying the deformation area. Among them is the largest Amazon rainforest in the world. The Cordillera - Andi is the world's longest mountain, and the matrix of the system extends almost to Meridia from North America through Mexico, Central America, and then along the Pacific coast South America up to 11,000 km. This system reaches a height of 6,960 m (Aconcagua is the highest point in the Western Hemisphere). The southern part of the mountain edifice, in the Cordillera Andes region, is often subject to devastating earthquakes (similar to those that caused severe damage in Mexico in 1985) and active volcanism; The last major outbreak occurred in Colombia in 1985-1986. (Volcan Ruiz). Mexico is a mountainous state, more than 50% of its territory is located at an altitude of more than 1000 meters above sea level. The only plane is the Yucatan Peninsula, and narrow plains stretch along the coasts of the sea. Reefs of the Mexican Highlands, the Sierra Madre and the Sierra Sierra volcano with a number of active volcanoes, incl. the highest point of the country - Orizaba (5700 m), Popocatepetl (5452 m), etc.
Geographic location and natural resources of Mexico
Until the reforms of the 80-90s of this century, Mexico stood out in Latin America for the strong position of the public sector and its active participation in the economic life of the country, especially in the oil industry. Mexico was the first in the capitalist world to nationalize the oil industry (in 1938); the PEMEX oil company has become the backbone of the public sector.
This is especially important because of the high role of the oil factor in the economic history of the country.
Mexico ranks second in Latin America (after Brazil) in terms of industrial potential, and, together with Brazil and India, is one of the "three" developing countries with the largest and most diversified industry. Its share in the industrial production of Latin America is about 1/4 and continues to grow. Mexico has a fairly diverse industry based on a rich raw material base and has a large reserve of cheap labor.
In the 1980s and 1990s, its scientific and technical component increased significantly.
The structure of Mexican industry is characterized by a relatively high proportion of extractive industries. Over 70% of the cost of industrial production falls on heavy industry; its main industries are oil refining and petrochemical, as well as metallurgy and mechanical engineering. These sectors are dominated by large enterprises equipped with modern technical equipment.
Most of them belong to foreign capital (mainly the USA, Japan, Germany).
But in Mexico there are many small and medium-sized enterprises owned mainly by national capital, and this is one of the features of the Mexican industry, due to the demographic factor: they provide a significant number of jobs and help solve the employment problem, therefore they have always enjoyed state support.
In addition, the problem of small industry is closely related to the need to decentralize production.
In the Mexican industry, the position of the public sector has always been strong, but in connection with the new reforms, many enterprises have been transferred to private hands.
A specific phenomenon in the Mexican industry has become the so-called "maquiladoras" - enterprises for the export processing of semi-finished products from the United States in the north of the country. They are based on American capital and Mexican cheap labor force: in the USA capital-intensive complex operations are carried out, in Mexico - labour-intensive.
These are mainly enterprises producing components for automobiles, electrical household appliances, electronics, as well as footwear, clothing, and furniture industries.
Nearly 90% of their products go to the US market. Mexico is the largest partner of the United States in assembly operations, which is primarily due to its geographical location.
Agriculture. Natural and climatic conditions in most of Mexico are unfavorable for agriculture.
About 40% is occupied by deserts and semi-deserts, 40% - by mountains and forests, on the rest of the land, agriculture is possible almost exclusively with artificial irrigation.
In terms of the area of irrigated land - more than 6 million hectares - Mexico occupies one of the leading places in the world (over 1/4 of the sown area, constituting 23 million hectares, in 1994).
A characteristic feature of the agrarian system in Mexico is the combination of large landownership with communal.
In this respect, it differs from other Latin American countries. Communal land ownership was inherited from the Indians. In communities - echidos - land, water and forests are in common use; cultivated land can only be inherited, while pastures and forests are shared.
Mexican agriculture developed under the influence of agrarian reform 1910-1917, as a result of which the positions of large landownership were undermined, part of the land was transferred to the echidal sector.
But at the present stage, echidal farms cannot compete with capitalist farms, whose importance is growing in the agricultural production of the country. They became the basis for the creation of the agro-industrial complex. The capitalist structure occupies a dominant position in modern Mexican agriculture.
United Mexican States
1. Natural recreational resources - geographical location, relief, climate, water resources, types of landscapes and their characteristics, protected areas.
Their appreciation for tourism and recreation.
2. Socio-economic tourism and recreational resources - population (size, characteristics of reproduction, ethnic composition, religious composition, population settlement patterns, level of urbanization, customs, traditions, social and demographic problems), world heritage sites and their geography.
third Tourist centers of the country and their specialization.
4. List of used literature.
Natural recreational resources
Mexico (Spanish Mexico.) The official name of the United Mexican States is a country in North America, bordered in the north by the United States of America, in the southeast by Belize and Guatemala in the northwestern waters of the Gulf of California and the Pacific Ocean in the east - the waters of the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean pool.
Administratively, Mexico is divided into 29 countries, a federal district and 2 territories.
Mexico is a federal republic. The current constitution was adopted on February 5, 1917. The head of state and government is the president, who appoints senior officials, governors and the federal district, decides all important issues of domestic and foreign policy, and is the commander of the armed forces.
The supreme legislative body is the parliament.
This is called the National Congress, which consists of two houses: the Senate, which lasts 6 years (two senators from each state and federal district) and popularly elected electoral commissions, elected for 3 years. All citizens over the age of 18 have the right to vote. The government consists of the president, ministers, attorney general and heads of 4 departments.
Between sessions of the National Congress, the Standing Committee consists of 29 members. Of these, 15 are deputies and 14 are senators, appointed by the relevant assembly in the last session before the collapse. Members of Parliament cannot be re-elected for another term.
Each country has its own constitution and a unicameral congress (legislative assembly), executive bodies governed by a governor and courts.
The current president is Felipe Calderón (elected in 2006)
Mexico has a fairly strong army.
Bodies are a very active foreign policy in many international and regional organizations. In particular, he actively participates in the work of the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations, UNESCO, FAO, ILO and other UN specialized agencies. Mexico's foreign policy has traditionally focused on strengthening the country's political and economic independence, in particular from its northern quarter.
The geographical position of the state
Mexico is one of the largest countries in Latin America. Its territory is equal to 1958.2 thousand square kilometers. In the territory between the countries of the Western Hemisphere, Mexico ranks fifth. Mexico is the northernmost state in Latin America and the most populous country.
The state washes the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean. The country borders the United States to the north and Belize and Guatemala to the southeast.
relief
The characteristics of the terrain due to the presence in Latin America in its geological structure of two different structural elements are determined: the ancient South American platform and the younger one actively developed until the modern era of the mobile Cordillera group (the so-called Andes in South America), a subsidiary of which the Antilles arc.
The first match of the ancient mountains and plateaus - Guyana, Brazil and Patagonia (in places where the foundation platform rises) and the lowland and plain zones - Llanos in the Orinoco, Gran Chaco, Pampas and other occupying the deformation area.
Among them is the largest Amazon rainforest in the world. The Cordillera - Andi is the world's longest mountain, and the matrix of the system extends almost to Meridia from North America through Mexico, Central America, and then along the Pacific coast of South America up to 11,000 km.
This system reaches a height of 6,960 m (Aconcagua is the highest point in the Western Hemisphere). The southern part of the mountain edifice, in the Cordillera Andes region, is often subject to devastating earthquakes (similar to those that caused severe damage in Mexico in 1985) and active volcanism; The last major outbreak occurred in Colombia in 1985-1986.
(Volcan Ruiz). Mexico is a mountainous state, more than 50% of its territory is located at an altitude of more than 1000 meters above sea level. The only plane is the Yucatan Peninsula, and narrow plains stretch along the coasts of the sea. Reefs of the Mexican Highlands, the Sierra Madre and the Sierra Sierra volcano with a number of active volcanoes, incl.
the highest point of the country - Orizaba (5700 m), Popocatepetl (5452 m), etc.
Complexity geological structure and the presence of structures of different ages in it determine the richness and diversity of minerals in Latin America.
climate
Latin America is located in the subtropical, tropical and subequatorial bands of the Northern Hemisphere; equatorial dog; subequatorial, tropical, subtropical and temperate zones in the southern hemisphere.
Due to its geographic location, especially at low latitudes (with the largest land near the equator), Latin America receives a lot of solar heat - 120-160 kcal / cm per year. Consequently, in most regions, hot climate types are characterized by average monthly temperatures over +20 °C, and seasonal change climate is mainly reflected in changes in precipitation, not in temperatures.
Grand-Chicago is the hottest temperature in South America (+48.9°C in January). The predominance of a hot climate creates favorable conditions for year-round vegetation of plants and allows the cultivation of all tropical plantations and consumer goods.
Seasonal temperature fluctuations are pronounced only in the extreme north and south of Latin America, landed in subtropical and temperate latitudes (in Santiago, Chile, for example, the average temperature of the warmest month is +20 ° C, the coldest +8 C, and in Tierra del Fuego - respectively + 11 and +2 C), as well as in the mountainous regions of predominantly tropical zones.
Frosts are annual in the north of the Mexican Highlands, and flights are also carried out in Patagonia. Short-term sharp drops in temperature are observed in the case of an invasion from high latitudes of cold air (which is mainly due to the meridian influence of mountain ranges). For example, cold diaper winds can cause frost in southern South America to the southern tropics.
There are large differences in the amount of precipitation and its distribution during the seasons between the individual regions of Latin America.
They are caused by the general laws of air circulation (the location of high and low pressure, the predominance of individual winds), the influence of ocean currents is constant (for example, warm Brazil, cold Peru), the nature of the relief and other reasons.
On the Pacific slope of the equatorial means (in Colombia and Ecuador) and adjacent coasts, the annual rainfall, for example,
mm, and in the Atacama Desert - one of the most uninhabited in the world in the world - -1-5 mm. If the rainy season in the Amazon lasts almost the entire year, in the extreme northeast of Brazil, it is no more than 3-4 months, and on the Pacific coast of Peru and northern Chile, no rain is heard.
Areas of insufficient moisture typically include at least 20% of Latin America. Agriculture depends on artificial irrigation.
The climatic conditions of Latin America had a significant impact on the process of its settlement and economic development. Today and to this day, there are significant difficulties in the development of new territories, for example, in the Amazon basin.
Water resources
The reconstructing network is denser in the southeast, very rare in the northwest.
In parts of the Aryan Highlands of Mexico, as well as the Yucatán Peninsula, which is embedded in limestone, there is no surface drainage. In the southeast, the rivers are short, have a fast flow, a significant amount of water, especially in summer, and have large energy reserves. The rivers in the northwest are longer, but shallow, most of them, due to the dry climate, reduce the flow of water in the lower reaches and are used for irrigation. Their regime depends on irregular rainfall.
The largest rivers: the United States borders the Rio Grande (Rio Bravo del Norte) with a tributary of the Conchos, the Lerma downstream (at the exit from Lake Chapala) is called the Rio Grande de Santiago, the Balsas Grijalva - Usumacinta system.
The largest lake is Chapala.
Mexican waters in the northwest are dotted with the waters of the Gulf of California and the Pacific Ocean, and in the east with the waters of the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea.
Rivers in Mexico:
The Balsas is a river in North America that forms large basins in central southern Mexico.
This is one of the most long rivers in Mexico (724 km). It begins in the southern part of the Mexican plateau at the confluence of the San Martin and Zahuapan rivers in the state of Puebla. It runs southwest and then west through the state of Guerrero, which forms the border with the state of Michoacán.
It takes place in the Pacific Ocean near the city of Lazaro Cardenas.
Coatzacoalcos - The Mexico River flows from south to north in the Tehuantepec Strait. The river is located 201 km from the mouth. The name of the river, which translates from nahuatl as "the place where the serpent of serpents" is associated with the legend that the river is the Aztec god Quetzalcoatl.
The Colorado is a river in the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, about 2330 km long, originating from the arid regions of the slopes of the Western rocky mountains. It penetrates into the Gulf of California, but due to the excessive consumption of water for agricultural needs, the water does not always reach the sea.
The Rio Grande is a river in North America, leading the border between the United States and Mexico (in Mexico, the river is called the Rio Bravo, or rather the Rio Bravo del Norte).
The Rio Grande is the third (3,034 km) longest river in the United States. (Photo 1)
Usumachinta - The Usumachinta River is located near Piedras Negras. On the left is Mexico, on the right is Guatemala. The name in the local Indian language means "Monkey River". Its length is 560 km, and the river belongs to the fullest flowing river in Central America.
There are ruins on the coast of the village of Usumasinta ancient city Maya Yashchilyan.
The water is blue-green, very pleasing to the eye.
Above the stony rocky shores is a thick wall of shrubs.
Landscape types
Mexico is a vast mosaic of ecosystems: after all, it is the fourth most biodiverse country in the world. In Mexico, there are 58 national parks and biosphere reserves, not so many beautiful corners of nature.
The large central plateau contains one of the highest peaks on the continent. Every winter, ten million royal butterflies fly to Mexico to escape northern colds.
Natural conditions and resources of Mexico
Only one of its reserves, located near Zitacuaro (Michoacán), is allowed to visit.
South of Mexico is the largest rainforest region north of the Amazon. There, the entire Yucatan Peninsula is a miracle of nature. Rainforests and pastures are close to the Caribbean Sea, here is the second largest coral reef in the world.
protected areas
There are more than 50 national parks in the country with a total area of about 800 thousand people.
hectares, including the world-famous parks of the Boschenevs and Cambres de Monterrey from mountain spruce forests in La Molinche and Pico de Orizaba to famous volcanoes, a natural reserve of rare birds and other celestums.
South of Mexico is the largest rainforest region north of the Amazon.
There you can visit the biosphere reserve in Montes Azules (Blue Mountains), explore the city of Tenosica (Tabasco) or Palenque. Don't miss the opportunity to go to Montebello Lagoon or take a trip to the archaeological site of Chiapa de Corso in the Sumidero Gorge (Chiapas). This is nothing like the dark cloud forest of the El Triunfo Biosphere Reserve, located near the city of Escuintla, Chiapas. This is one of the few places where you can see the bird's quetzal - the most beautiful in the world.
The entire Yucatan Peninsula is a real miracle of nature.
Rainforests and pastures are close to the Caribbean Sea, here is the second largest coral reef in the world. All these ecosystems are located in the Sian Kaan Biosphere Reserve (State of Quintana Roo), south of Tulum.
In the Cancun area, the Garrafon, Contoy, Shel-Ha underwater national parks and Chankanab lagoon and Crocotown "Crocodile Park" are a protected area inhabited and reproduced by Yucatan crocodiles, pink flamingos and many other species of animals and birds.
Shel-Kha (or Kel-Kha, 122 km.
from Cancun) national park, a natural aquarium that naturally appeared in mountain cave, partly waste sea water, partly fresh water from underground rivers. Amazingly clean and pure water allows you to see exotic fish from unusual colors, and lush vegetation affects the range of hues.
Eco Park Shkart (Ashkarat) is located 72 km. from Cancun to the bay. This is a well-equipped recreation center with many tropical animals, beaches, a zoo, water rides, underground rivers, aquariums, caves, bars and restaurants, a small museum and much more.
One of the main "nursed" Scale is one of the best pavilions in the world.
The Canyon del Rio Blanco National Park is located in the heart of the Veracruz region in Mexico (east of Toledo), about 5 km from the city of Orizaba. The part of the canyon covered by the park borders extends from the slopes of the Cambrys de Acultzing to Fortin. The walls of the canyon are very steep and high, their most high altitude- 1311 m. The tracks of the Rio Blanco canyon are covered with rather dense vegetation, the diversity of which is simply impressive.
You can find many groups of plants at different heights. Among them, the most important cocoa nurseries, avocado, guava, giant fern.
Water resources of Mexico
Mexico in the northwest is washed by the waters of the Gulf of California and the Pacific Ocean, in the east by the waters of the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea.
Rivers of Mexico:
The Balsas is a river in North America that forms a vast basin in central southern Mexico.
It is one of the longest rivers in Mexico (724 km). It begins in the southern part of the Mexican Highlands at the confluence of the San Martin and Zahuapan rivers in the state of Puebla. It flows southwest, then west through the state of Guerrero, forming a border with the state of Michoacán. It flows into the Pacific Ocean near the city of Lazaro Cardenas.
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Coatzacoalcos- a river in Mexico, flows from south to north along the isthmus of Tehuantepec.
The river is navigable for 201 km from the mouth. The name of the river, which is translated from the Nahuatl language as “the place where the snake hides,” is associated with a legend according to which the Aztec god Quetzalcoatl sailed along the river on a raft made of snake skin.
Colorado- a river in the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, about 2330 km long, originates in the arid regions of the western slopes of the Rocky Mountains. It flows into the Gulf of California, but due to the excessive use of water for agricultural needs, the water of the river does not always reach the sea.
Rio Grande- a river in North America, along which the border between the United States and Mexico runs (in Mexico, the river is called the Rio Bravo or, more precisely, the Rio Bravo del Norte).
The Rio Grande is the third (3034 km) longest river in the United States. (photo 1)
Usumacinta The Usumacinta River flows near Piedras Negras. On the left is Mexico, and on the right is Guatemala.
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The name in the language of the local Indians means "monkey river". Its length is 560 km, the river itself is one of the most full-flowing rivers in Central America. On the banks of the Usumacinta are the ruins of the ancient Mayan city of Yashchilan.
The water is blue-green, very pleasing to the eye. Above the rocky stone shores, a forest thicket stands like a solid wall.
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Geography of Mexico: relief, soil, vegetation and animal life
Mexico is located in the south of North America and occupies most of Central America.
In the north of Mexico, it borders on the United States (with the states of California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas), the length of the border is 3141 km. East of the city of Ciudad Juarez to the Gulf of Mexico, the border runs along the winding Rio Grande. Several natural and artificial markers established the border with the United States in the west of Ciudad Juarez to the Pacific Ocean.
From the west and south of Mexico, the Pacific Ocean was washed out, and in the east - the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea.
In the southeast of Mexico, it borders Guatemala (871 km) and Belize (251 km). Mexico is the northern part of Latin America and the most populous Spanish-speaking country.
Almost all of Mexico is on the North American plate, only Baja California is on the Pacific plate and the coconut plate.
In terms of physical geography, in the area east of the Tehuantepec Strait, which makes up 12.1% of the country's territory and consists of five Mexican states Campeche, Chiapas, Tabasco, Quintana Roo and Yucatan, located in Central America. From the point of view of the geological structure, the transboundary volcanic belt separates the northern region of the country. Geopolitically, Mexico is considered a North American country.
The total area of Mexico is 1,972,550 square meters.
km, including about 6 thousand square meters. km of islands in the Pacific Ocean (including the island of Guadeloupe and the Revilla Hichedo archipelago), in California and the Gulf of Mexico and in the Caribbean. Mexico ranks 14th in Mexico.
Mexico's coastline is 9,330 km long - 7,338 km from the Pacific side and 2,805 km from the Atlantic Ocean.
Exceptional economic zone Mexico, which extends 370 km from both coasts, covers an area of 2.7 million square meters. km. The Mexican land width decreases as it moves south of the US border and then turns north in the shape of the Yucatan Peninsula for 500 kilometers, so the capital of the Yucatan city of Mérida lies just north of Mexico City and Guadalajara.
Relief of Mexico
Iztaxihuatl is a volcano located near Mexico. Mexico is crossed from north to south by two mountains, the Sierra Madre Oriental and the Sierra Madre Occidental, which is a continuation of the Rocky Mountains of North America.
From east to west in the center of the country is a transboundary volcanic belt, also known as the Sierra and Sierra Nevada transverse volcanoes.
These are the highest mountains in Mexico: Orizaba peak (5700 m), Popocatepetl (5462 m), Istaxiatl (5286 m) and Nevado de Toluca (4577 m).
The Mexican Highlands are located between the western and eastern Sierra Madre regions, from the US borders in the north to the transverse Sierra volcano in the south.
A low ridge divides the high mountains into two parts - the northern and central grids. V has employees from North Mesa in Zacatecas and San Luis Potosi, with an average height of this part of the Highlands - 1100 m. North Mesa Plateau, crossing narrow individual reefs and depressions, the largest of which are -. Mapimi Bolson. The height of the central Mesa is 2000 m, and on its territory there are many valleys formed by old lakes.
In the valleys of the central Mesa, the largest cities in Mexico are Mexico City and Guadalajara.
Mexico statistics
(since 2012)
See all statistics for Mexico...
The reefs of the Baja California peninsula extend along the coast of California to the southern end of the peninsula for a distance of 1430 km.
The height of the mountain is from 2200 m in the north to 250 m in the south, near the city of La Paz.
There are several large mountainous regions in the south and southeast of the country. The Sierra Madre South extends for 1,200 kilometers along the southern coast of Mexico in the southwestern part of the Transco-Volcanic Belt to almost straight straits at Tejuantepec. The average height of the ridge of the mountain -. 2000 m south of the strait, the Sierra Madre de Chiapas stretches for 280 km along the Pacific coast from the border of the states of Oaxaca and Chiapas to the border of Guatemala.
The average height of the ridge is 1500 m, the maximum height is 4000 m (Takuma volcano)
Geological structure and seismic activity of Mexico
Mexico lies almost entirely on the North American plate.
The Mexican territory is located on three large lithospheric plates and is one of the most seismically active areas on the planet. The movement of the plates is caused by earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.
The North American Plate, on which most of Mexico is located, is moving west. The Pacific Ocean floor south of Mexico lies on the Cocos Plate and heads north.
Natural resources in Mexico
In the event of a collision, the heavy ocean floor sinks under the lighter granitic rocks in the country, creating a deep medieval trough located along the southern coast of Mexico. The North American plate is slowing down and breading that forms the mountain ranges of southern Mexico.
The duplication of the coconut slab causes frequent earthquakes in southern Mexico. As it falls, the ocean floor melts and then pushes through the lamellar faults that create the volcanoes of the cross-volcanic belt in central Mexico.
The coast of the Gulf of California, including the lower California peninsula, is moving towards the Pacific Northwest on the Pacific plate. Moving against each other, the Pacific and North American plates form a turning curve, which is the southern extension of California's San Andreas fault.
The continuous movement of this error was in the Gulf of California, which separates Baja California from the continent and is the source of earthquakes in western Mexico.
There have been many devastating earthquakes and volcanic eruptions in the history of Mexico.
In September 1985, an earthquake of 8.3 on the Richter scale, whose epicenter was in the subduction zone near Acapulco, claimed more than 4,000 people. People in Mexico City located more than 300 km away. The Colima volcano south of Guadalajara is the most active volcano in Mexico, its last outbreak in 2005 to force the evacuation of nearby villagers. In 1943, the Parikusin volcano appeared in the northwestern part of the country, which formed in a corn field, and within 10 years it grew to a height of 2700 m.
Popocatepetl and Iztaccihuatl ("smoking warrior" and "white lady" in Nahuatl) rest and occasionally emit smoke, reminding the people of Mexico City of any outbreaks. Popocatepetl continued operations in 1995 and 1996, causing residents and seismologists and the government to conduct evacuations to comprehensively study possible outbreaks.
Mexico Hydrography
River basin in Mexico: Blue colour indicates the Pacific Ocean, Brown indicates the Gulf of Mexico and the Yellow Caribbean Sea. Gray indoor (drainage) pools are marked.
About 150 rivers flow in Mexico, two-thirds of which flow in the Pacific Ocean, while the rest are in the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean.
Despite the apparent abundance water resources and their distribution throughout the country, it is very uneven. Five rivers - Usumacinta, Grijalva, Papaloapan, Coatzacoalcos and Panuco - account for 52% of the average annual surface water volume, with four of them (with the exception of Panuco) flowing into the Gulf of Mexico and located in southeastern Mexico (15% of the territory and 12% population).
The northern and central parts of the country (47% of the territory and almost 60% of the Mexican population) have access to less than 10% of the water resources.
The Balsa basin, located in the south of the country, is home to about 10% of the total Mexican population. The largest freshwater lake in Mexico is Chapala, located 45 km southeast of Guadalajara.
Prior to this, Lake Texcoco had a large area, but was released in 1967 due to constant flooding.
Yucatan has a large number of so-called cenotes - natural wells that occur during the erosion of rainwater from the limestone crust, which then merges with underground rivers.
Climate of Mexico
Tropical cancer divides Mexico into tropical and temperate zones. Temperatures in areas north of the 24th parallel are colder in winter (average temperature between 20°C and 24°C), while in the area below the temperature is relatively constant and depends mainly on altitude - at an altitude of 1000 m (the southern part of the two coastal plains and Yucatan Peninsula), the average temperature is between 24 and 28 °C.
At an altitude of 1000-2000 m, the average temperature is from 16 to 20 ° C.
Above 2000 meters the temperature drops to 8 °C to 12 °C. In Mexico City, located at an altitude of 2300 m, the average temperature is 15 °C. Precipitation in Mexico is highly dependent on the season and area.
Dry climate: Baja California, northwestern Sonora, north and part of the southern highlands. Precipitation levels in these regions are 300-600 mm/year or less. In most populated areas of the southern highlands, including Mexico and Guadalajara, the average annual rainfall is 600-1000 mm/year.
The low coastal regions of the Gulf of Mexico receive more than 1000 mm of precipitation per year.
In the wettest region - in the southeastern part of the country of Tabasco - about 2000 mm of precipitation falls annually. In the north of the plateau and in the mountains of the eastern and western Sierra Madre, heavy snow sometimes occurs.
Mexico is located in the hurricane zone and all coastal areas are affected from June to November.
On the Pacific side, hurricanes are not as frequent and not very strong. Several hurricanes ply the east coast of Mexico every year, resulting in high winds, rain and destruction. Hurricane Gilbert passed directly over Cancun, destroyed many hotels, and then in September 1988 reached the northeast coast and caused flooding in the city of Monterrey, resulting in loss of life.
Soil, flora and fauna of Mexico
In the north and northwest of Mexico there are deserts (Chihuahua, Sonora) with primitive sierras.
Wetlands have gray-brown soils suitable for irrigated agriculture. Growth: creosote shrub, various acacias and mimosas, several hundred species of cacti, 140 species of agave and yucca, sedum, dasirion and other succulents. typical shape vegetation - chaprar.
The wind of the southern parts of Central Mesa is the fertile red-brown, brown, red and red-black earth grown in traditional consumer crops: beans, corn, tomatoes and sesame seeds, peanuts and others.
Prior to this, the region was dominated by conifers, which were very thin. Currently, the soil on the Middle Messe is subject to intense erosion, which threatens up to 90% of agricultural land in general.
On the mountain ranges around the plateau, mixed and coniferous forests of the subtropical type grow.
At an altitude of 1200-1400 m below, oak forests grow mainly from evergreen species, over 1700 m various types of pines predominate. In stony forests at altitudes up to 4000 m, fir trees, cypresses and the well-known Montezuma blueberry long pine grow. There are black bears, lynxes and other animals in the mountain forests. Alpine meadows bloom above the forests on the volcanoes.
The forests in the highlands and the Yucatán Plains in the eastern Strait of Tehuantepec have been the best preserved in Mexico, despite the decline in the most valuable species, better slash burning, and an increase in plantation area.
These forests make up 15% of the territory of all forests in the country (before the arrival of the Spaniards, they were about 70%).
In the southern forests and forests, predominantly neutrophilic animals live.
There are monkeys, jaguars, tapir, anteater, marsupial opossum, and in the north, raccoons and porcupines. The world of birds is especially rich: hibiscus, colorful parrots, tucans, parasol, hawks and many others. Also numerous reptiles are iguanas, turtles and snakes.
Vir - http://en.wikipedia.org/
Other products
Minerals of Mexico
1. General characteristics
1.2 - 2.5 g/t
Potassium salts, million tons in terms of K 2 O
2. Certain types of minerals
Oil and gas. Detected approx. 350 births. oil and 200 - gas, concentrated g.h. in the Gulf of Mexico oil and gas basin. Childbirth. in the main small, 2 genera are known. with reserves of more than 500 million tons (Bermudez and Cantarelle) and 12 genera. from the beginning explored reserves of more than 100 million tons of oil and 100 billion m 3 of gas. Oil and gas deposits of the Paleocene, Eocene, Oligocene, Miocene, Cretaceous and Jura. The most limestones of the Cretaceous are deep. 350-6500 m. Oil density 778-980 kg/m3, sulfur content 0.1-5.84%.
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Mexico is located in the south of North America and occupies most of Central America. In the north, Mexico borders on the United States (namely, the states of California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas), the length of the border is 3141 km. East of the city of Ciudad Juarez to the Gulf of Mexico, the border runs along the meandering Rio Grande. Several natural and man-made markers define the border with the United States west of Ciudad Juarez to the Pacific Ocean.
From the west and south, Mexico is washed by the Pacific Ocean, and from the east by the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea. In the southeast, Mexico borders Guatemala (871 km) and Belize (251 km). Mexico is the northern part of Latin America and the most populous Spanish-speaking country.
Almost all of Mexico is on the North American Plate, only Baja California is on the Pacific Plate and the Cocos Plate. In terms of physical geography, the area east of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, which makes up 12.1% of the country's territory and consists of the five Mexican states of Campeche, Chiapas, Tabasco, Quintana Roo, and Yucatan, is located in Central America. In terms of geological structure, the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt separates the northern region of the country. Geopolitically, Mexico is considered a North American country.
The total area of Mexico is 1,972,550 sq. km, including about 6 thousand square meters. km of islands in the Pacific Ocean (including the island of Guadalupe and the Revilla-Hihedo archipelago), the Gulf of California and the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea. In terms of area, Mexico ranks 14th in the world.
The coastline of Mexico is 9330 km - 7338 km from the Pacific side and 2805 km from the Atlantic. The exclusive economic zone of Mexico, which extends for 370 km from both coasts, covers an area of 2.7 million square meters. km. The width of the Mexican landmass decreases as it moves south of the US border, and then curves northward into the 500-kilometer Yucatan Peninsula, so that the capital of the Yucatan state, Merida, is further north than either Mexico City or Guadalajara.
Relief of Mexico
Istaxiuatl volcano, located near Mexico City. Mexico is crossed from north to south by two mountain ranges, the Sierra Madre East and the Sierra Madre West, which are a continuation of the Rocky Mountains of North America. Running from east to west in the center of the country is the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt, also known as the Transverse Volcanic Sierra and the Sierra Nevada. It contains the highest mountains of Mexico: the peak of Orizaba (5700 m), Popocatepetl (5462 m), Istaxihuatl (5286 m) and Nevado de Toluca (4577 m).
The Mexican Highlands lie between the Western and Eastern Sierra Madre ranges, stretching from the US border in the north to the Transverse Volcanic Sierra in the south. A low ridge divides the highlands into two parts - Northern and Central Mesa. The states of Zacatecas and San Luis Potosi are located on the territory of Northern Mesa, the average height of this part of the highlands is 1100 m. The plateau of Northern Mesa is crossed by narrow individual ridges and depressions, the largest of which is Bolson Mapimi. The height of the Central Mesa is 2000 m, on its territory there are numerous valleys formed by ancient lakes. In the valleys of the Central Mesa are the largest cities in Mexico - Mexico City and Guadalajara.
Statistical indicators of Mexico
(as of 2012)
The ridges of the Baja California peninsula stretch along the coast of California to the southern end of the peninsula for a distance of 1430 km. The height of the mountains is from 2200 m in the north to 250 m in the south, near the city of La Paz.
Several large mountain ranges are located in the southern and southeastern parts of the country. The Sierra Madre South stretches for 1200 km along the southern coast of Mexico from the southwestern part of the Trans-volcanic belt to the almost flat isthmus of Tehuantepec. The average height of the mountains of this ridge is 2000 m. To the south of the isthmus, the Sierra Madre de Chiapas ridge begins, which stretches 280 km along the Pacific coast from the border of the states of Oaxaca and Chiapas to the border with Guatemala. The average height of the ridge is 1500 m, the maximum is 4000 m (Takuma volcano)
Geological structure and seismic activity of Mexico
Mexico lies almost entirely on the North American Plate. The territory of Mexico is located on three large lithospheric plates and is one of the most seismically active areas on the planet. Plate movements lead to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.
The North American Plate, on which most of Mexico is located, is moving westward. The Pacific Ocean floor south of Mexico lies on the Cocos Plate and moves north. Upon impact, the heavy ocean floor sinks under the lighter granitic landmasses, creating the deep Central American Trench along the southern coast of Mexico. The N American Plate is slowing down and crumpling, forming the mountain ranges of southern Mexico. The subduction of the Cocos Plate causes frequent earthquakes in southern Mexico. As it sinks, the rock from the ocean floor melts and is then pushed through plate faults, creating the volcanoes of the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt in central Mexico.
The coasts of the Gulf of California, including the Baja California peninsula, are moving in a northwesterly direction on the Pacific Plate. Moving along each other, the Pacific and North American plates form a transform fault, which is the southern continuation of the Californian San Andreas Fault. Continuous movement along this fault formed the Gulf of California, separating Baja California from the mainland, and is the source of earthquakes in western Mexico.
There have been many devastating earthquakes and volcanic eruptions in the history of Mexico. In September 1985, an earthquake measuring 8.1 on the Richter scale, whose epicenter was in the subduction zone near Acapulco, claimed the lives of more than 4 thousand people in the city of Mexico City, which is located at a distance of more than 300 km. Volcano Colima south of Guadalajara is the most active volcano in Mexico, its last eruption in 2005 forced the evacuation of the surrounding villages. The Paricutin volcano in the northwestern part of the country appeared in 1943, formed in a cornfield, and in 10 years rose to a height of 2700 m. throw out clouds of smoke, reminding residents of Mexico City about possible eruptions. Popocatepetl resumed activity in 1995 and 1996, forcing residents to evacuate and seismologists and the government to think about possible consequences large scale eruption.
Hydrography of Mexico
River basins in Mexico, with blue for the Pacific Ocean, brown for the Gulf of Mexico, and yellow for the Caribbean. Inner (endorheic) basins are marked in gray.
About 150 rivers flow in Mexico, 2/3 of which flow into the Pacific Ocean, and the rest into the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea. Despite the obvious abundance of water resources, their distribution across the country is very uneven. Five rivers - Usumacinta, Grijalva, Papaloapan, Coatzacoalcos and Panuco - account for 52% of the average annual surface water volume, and four of them (with the exception of Panuco) flow into the Gulf of Mexico and are located in southeastern Mexico (15% of the territory and 12% of the population of the country ). The northern and central parts of the country (47% of the territory and almost 60% of the population of Mexico) have access to less than 10% of water resources.
About 10% of the total population of Mexico lives in the Balsas River Basin, which is located in the south of the country. The largest freshwater lake in Mexico, Chapala, is located 45 km southeast of Guadalajara. Lake Texcoco used to have a large area, but was drained in 1967 due to constant flooding.
On the Yucatan Peninsula there are a large number of so-called cenotes - natural wells formed when the limestone crust is eroded by rainwater, which then merges with underground rivers.
Climate of Mexico
The Tropic of Cancer divides Mexico into tropical and temperate zones. Temperatures in areas north of the 24th parallel are lower in winter (average annual temperatures range from 20 °C to 24 °C), while in areas south the temperature is relatively constant and depends mainly on altitude - at an altitude of 1000 m ( southern parts of both coastal plains and the Yucatan Peninsula) average temperatures range between 24°C and 28°C.
At altitudes from 1000 to 2000 m, the average temperature ranges from 16 °C to 20 °C. Above 2 thousand meters, the temperature drops to the range of 8 °C - 12 °C. In Mexico City, which is located at an altitude of 2300 m, the average temperature is 15 °C. Precipitation in Mexico is highly dependent on the time of year and area. Dry areas: Baja California, northwestern Sonora, northern and part of the southern highlands. The precipitation level in these regions is 300-600 mm/year and less. In most populated areas of the southern highlands, including Mexico City and Guadalajara, the average annual rainfall is 600-1000 mm / year.
The low coastal regions on the Gulf of Mexico receive more than 1000 mm of precipitation per year. In the most humid region - the southeastern part of the state of Tabasco - about 2000 mm of precipitation falls annually. In the north of the plateau and in the mountains of the Eastern and Western Sierra Madre, heavy snow sometimes falls.
Mexico is located in the hurricane belt, and all coastal areas are affected from June to November. On the Pacific side, hurricanes are rare and not very strong. Several hurricanes a year pass along the east coast of Mexico, bringing with them strong winds, rain and destruction. Hurricane Gilbert in September 1988 passed directly over the city of Cancun, destroying many hotels, after which it reached the northeast coast and caused flooding in the city of Monterrey, which caused loss of life.
Soils, flora and fauna of Mexico
In the north and northwest of Mexico there are deserts (Chihuahua, Sonora) with primitive gray soils. Wetter places have grey-brown soils suitable for irrigated agriculture. Grow: creosote bush, various acacias and mimosa, several hundred species of cacti, 140 species of agave, as well as yucca, sedum, dasilirion and other succulents. The characteristic form of vegetation is chaparral.
The wetter southern regions of Central Mesa have fertile red-brown, brown-red, and reddish-black soils on which traditional consumer crops are grown: legumes, corn, tomatoes, as well as sesame, peanuts and others. Previously, this area was dominated by coniferous-hard-leaved forests. Currently, the soil of Central Mesa is subject to intense erosion, which threatens up to 90% of the country's agricultural land as a whole.
On the mountain ranges around the plateau, mixed and coniferous forests of the subtropical type grow. Up to a height of 1200-1400 m, low-growing oak forests grow mainly from evergreen species, above 1700 m various types of pines dominate. In coniferous forests at altitudes up to 4,000 m, fir, cypress, and the well-known Montezuma long-coniferous pine grow. In the mountain forests there are black bear, lynx and other animals. Alpine meadows bloom above the forests on the cones of volcanoes.
The best preserved forests in Mexico are in the mountain ranges and on the plains of Yucatan east of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, despite the felling of the most valuable species, slash-and-burn agriculture and the increase in plantation areas. These forests make up 15% of the territory of all forests in the country (before the arrival of the Spaniards, they were about 70%).
In the southern forests and light forests live mainly neotropical animals. There are monkeys, jaguars, tapir, anteater, marsupial possum, raccoons and porcupines come from the north. The world of birds is especially rich: hummingbirds, colorful parrots, toucans, umbrella birds, vultures and many others. There are also many reptiles - iguanas, turtles and snakes.
Source - http://ru.wikipedia.org/
