Mexico Physical Features

Mexico shares a long border with the United

States. Part of this border is formed by a river

called the Río Bravo, known as the Rio Grande in

the United States. Mexico’s western border is the

Pacific Ocean, where a long peninsula called Baja

California stretches south from northern Mexico.

In the east, the Yucatán Peninsula separates the

Gulf of Mexico from the Caribbean Sea.

Underline the names of

Mexico’s two peninsulas.

The country’s capital,

Mexico City, lies at the southern end of the

plateau in the Valley of Mexico. The city has

earthquakes, and to the south there are active

volcanoes.

Where is Mexico City

located?

The Yucatán Peninsula is mostly flat. The

limestone rock there has eroded to form caves

and steep depressions called sinkholes, many of

which are filled with water.

How is the terrain in the

Yucatán Peninsula different

from that of the Sierra

Madre?

Mexico has many climates with different types of

vegetation. The mountains and plateaus are cool,

and freezing temperatures can reach all the way

to Mexico City. The mountain valleys are mild,

and the southern coast is also pleasant. Summer

rains support tropical rain forests, where animals

such as jaguars, monkeys, and anteaters live. The

Yucatán Peninsula is hot and dry, supporting

only scrub forests. The north is also dry, much of

it covered by desert.

Describe the many climates

of Mexico.

In the Yucatán Peninsula, erosion of limestone rock has created many

caves and sinkholes.

• True

• False

The climate in southern Mexico is mostly warm and humid, or

'peninsula'.

• True

• False

Baja California is a narrow plateau that stretches into the Pacific

Ocean.

• True

• False

The Gulf of Mexico is Mexico’s eastern border.

• True

• False