Mexican Plateau
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Mexican Plateau
Altiplanicie Mexicana | |
---|---|
Region | |
San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato | |
Coordinates: 24°N 103°W / 24°N 103°W | |
Country | Mexico |
Area | |
• Total | 601,882 km2 (232,388 sq mi) |
Population (2000 [1] ) | |
• Total | 74,900,000 |
• Density | 120/km2 (320/sq mi) |
The Central Mexican Plateau, also known as the Mexican Altiplano (Spanish: Altiplano mexicano), is a large arid-to-semiarid plateau that occupies much of northern and central Mexico. Averaging 1,825 m (5,988 ft) above sea level, it extends from the United States border in the north to the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt in the south, and is bounded by the Sierra Madre Occidental and Sierra Madre Oriental to the west and east, respectively.
A low east-west mountain range in the state of Zacatecas divides the plateau into northern and southern sections. These two sections, called the Northern Plateau (Mesa del Norte) and Central Plateau (Mesa Central), are now generally regarded by geographers as sections of one plateau.
The Mexican Plateau is mostly covered by
In
While the plateau stretches from north to south, the southern east-west arc of the Central Mexican Plateau from Jalisco to Veracruz states historically as well as today has served as the population nexus of the Mexican nation, it is home to its biggest metro areas of
.Geography
The Mesa del Norte or northern plateau averages 1,100 metres (3,600 ft) in elevation
The Mesa Central or southern plateau is higher than its northern counterpart, averaging 2,000 m (6,600 ft) in elevation. The southern plateau contains numerous valleys originally formed by ancient lakes. It extends across the states of
See also
References
- This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain. Country Studies. Federal Research Division.
- Ricketts, Taylor H., Eric Dinerstein, David M. Olson, Colby J. Loucks, et al. (1999). Terrestrial Ecoregions of North America: a Conservation Assessment. Island Press, Washington DC.
External links
- Mexican Plateau, Mexico City Region. Image Science and Analysis Laboratory, NASA-Johnson Space Center. 18 Mar. 2005. Earth from Space - Image Information.