Mr. Burton 7.1 Notes Please grab out a blank sheet of paper and a writing utensil.

Big Idea Mexico is a large country with different natural environments in its northern, central, and southern regions.

Rio Bravo Mexico shares a long border with the southern United States. The Río Bravo, called the Rio Grande in the U.S., runs along part of this border. The Río Bravo is one of Mexico’s few major rivers.

Bodies of Water Bordered by the Pacific Ocean in the West and the Gulf of Mexico in the east Stretching south from northern Mexico is a peninsula, or piece of land surrounded by water on three sides, called Baja California. The Yucatán Peninsula separates the Gulf of Mexico from the Caribbean Sea.

Plateaus and Mountains Much of interior is a region called the Mexican Plateau. Two mountain ranges, the Sierra Madre Oriental in the east and the Sierra Madre Occidental in the west, are part of the Sierra Madre, or “mother range.” The Valley of Mexico, where Mexico City is located, lies between these two ranges in the south. The mountains south of Mexico City include volcanoes. Volcanic eruptions and earthquakes are a threat to that region.

Coastal Lowlands The land slopes down to the coast from highlands in central Mexico. The Gulf coastal plain is wide and flat. ▫This region has good soils and climate for farming. The Yucatán Peninsula is mostly flat. ▫Erosion of limestone created caves and sinkholes that are often filled with water.

Mexico’s climate and vegetation include deserts, tropical forests, and cool highlands. The great variety of climates produces different vegetation. Changes in elevation cause climates to vary within short distances. The Mexican Plateau can have cool temperatures. The southern coastal areas have warm temperatures and summer rainy seasons that support tropical forests that cover 25 percent of Mexico. The climate in the Yucatán Peninsula is hot and dry, supporting scrub forest. Most of northern Mexico is dry and made up of deserts and grasslands.

Natural Resources Mexico has rich natural resources. The southern and coastal plains and the Gulf of Mexico have oil. Mexico’s mines yield gold, silver, copper, lead, and zinc. Mexico produces more silver than any other country in the world.