Editing Geography of Mexico (section)

==Physical features==
===Mountain ranges and elevations===
[[File:Mexico tectonic plates.png|thumb|left|Mexico rests mostly in the [[North American Plate]]]] 
Beginning approximately {{convert|50|km|mi}} from the United States border, the [[Sierra Madre Occidental]] mountain range extends about {{convert|1250|km|mi}} south to the Río Santiago,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://countrystudies.us/mexico/48.htm|title=Mexico - Topography and Drainage|website=countrystudies.us|access-date=22 March 2018}}</ref> where it merges with the [[Cordillera Neovolcánica]] range that runs east–west across central Mexico. The Sierra Madre Occidental lies approximately {{convert|300|km|mi}} inland from the west coast of Mexico at its northern end but approaches to within fifty kilometers of the coast near the Cordillera Neovolcánica. The northwest coastal plain is the name given the lowland area between the Sierra Madre Occidental and the [[Gulf of California]]. The Sierra Madre Occidental averages {{convert|2250|m|ft}} in elevation, with peaks reaching {{convert|3000|m|ft}}.

[[File:MountainIztaccihuatlMexico01.jpg|thumb|[[Iztaccíhuatl]] mountain near Mexico City. It is characterized by its snow-capped summit and rugged terrain, including steep slopes and [[glacier]]s.]]
[[File:Pico_de_Orizaba_desde_Hidalgo,_Puebla.jpg|thumb|right|[[Pico de Orizaba]], also known as Citlaltépetl, is the highest mountain in Mexico and the third highest peak in [[North America]], after Denali in Alaska and Mount Logan in Canada. ]]

The [[Sierra Madre Oriental]] mountain range starts at the Big Bend region of the border with the U.S. state of Texas and continues {{convert|1350|km|mi}} until reaching [[Cofre de Perote]], one of the major peaks of the Cordillera Neovolcánica. As is the case with the Sierra Madre Occidental, the Sierra Madre Oriental comes progressively closer to the coastline as it approaches its southern terminus, reaching to within {{convert|75|km|mi}} of the [[Gulf of Mexico]]. The northeast coastal plain extends from the eastern slope of the Sierra Madre Oriental to the Gulf of Mexico. The median elevation of the Sierra Madre Oriental is {{convert|2200|m|ft}}, with some peaks at {{convert|3000|m|ft}}.

The [[Mexican Altiplano]], stretching from the United States border to the Cordillera Neovolcánica, occupies the vast expanse of land between the eastern and western sierra madres. A low east–west range divides the altiplano into northern and southern sections. These two sections, previously called the Mesa del Norte and Mesa Central, are now regarded by geographers as sections of one altiplano. The northern altiplano averages 1,100 meters in elevation and continues south from the Río Bravo del Norte through the states of [[Zacatecas]] and [[San Luis Potosí]]. Various narrow, isolated ridges cross the plateaus of the northern altiplano. Numerous depressions dot the region, the largest of which is the [[Bolsón de Mapimí]]. The southern Altiplano is higher than its northern counterpart, averaging {{convert|2000|m|ft}} in elevation. The southern altiplano contains numerous valleys originally formed by ancient lakes. Several of Mexico's most prominent cities, including [[Mexico City]] and [[Guadalajara, Jalisco|Guadalajara]], are located in the valleys of the southern Altiplano.

[[File:Mexico watersheds.jpg|left|thumb|Watersheds of Mexico. Basins in blue drain to the Pacific, in brown to the Gulf of Mexico, and in yellow to the Caribbean Sea. Grey indicates [[endorheic basin|interior basins]] that do not drain to the sea.]]

One other significant mountain range, the [[Peninsular Ranges]], cuts across the landscape of the northern half of Mexico. A southern extension of the California coastal ranges that parallel California's coast, the Mexican portion of the Peninsular Ranges extends from the United States border to the southern tip of the Baja California Peninsula, a distance of {{convert|1430|km|mi}}. Peaks in the California system range in altitude from {{convert|2200|m|ft}} in the north to only {{convert|250|m|ft}} near [[La Paz, BCS|La Paz]] in the south. Narrow lowlands are found on the Pacific Ocean and the Gulf of California sides of the mountains. The Cordillera Neovolcánica is a belt {{convert|900|km|mi}} long and {{convert|130|km|mi}} wide, extending from the Pacific Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico. The Cordillera Neovolcánica begins at the Río Grande de Santiago and continues south to Colima, where it turns east along the nineteenth parallel to the central portion of the state of Veracruz. The region is distinguished by considerable seismic activity and contains Mexico's highest volcanic peaks. This range contains three peaks exceeding {{convert|5000|m|ft}}: Pico de Orizaba (Citlaltépetl)&mdash;the third highest mountain in North America—and Popocatépetl and Iztaccíhuatl near Mexico City. The Cordillera Neovolcánica is regarded as the geological dividing line between North America and Central America.

Several important mountain ranges dominate the landscape of southern and southeastern Mexico. The [[Sierra Madre del Sur]] extends 1,200 kilometers along Mexico's southern coast from the southwestern part of the Cordillera Neovolcánica to the nearly flat [[isthmus of Tehuantepec]]. Mountains in this range average 2,000 meters in elevation. The range averages 100 kilometers wide, but widens to 150 kilometers in the state of [[Oaxaca]]. The narrow southwest coastal plain extends from the Sierra Madre del Sur to the [[Pacific Ocean]]. The [[Sierra Madre de Oaxaca]] begins at Pico de Orizaba and extends in a southeasterly direction for 300 kilometers until reaching the isthmus of Tehuantepec. Peaks in the Sierra Madre de Oaxaca average 2,500 meters in elevation, with some peaks exceeding 3,000 meters. South of the isthmus of Tehuantepec, the Sierra Madre de Chiapas runs 280 kilometers along the Pacific Coast from the [[Oaxaca]]-[[Chiapas]] border to Mexico's border with [[Guatemala]]. Although average elevation is only 1,500 meters, one peak&mdash;[[Volcán de Tacuma]]&mdash;exceeds 4,000 meters in elevation. Finally, the Meseta Central de Chiapas extends 250 kilometers through the central part of Chiapas to Guatemala. The average height of peaks of the Meseta Central de Chiapas is 2,000 meters. The Chiapas central valley separates the Meseta Central de Chiapas and the Sierra Madre de Chiapas.

===Rivers and other bodies of water===
[[File:Lago_de_Chapala.jpg|thumb|[[Lake Chapala]], Mexico's largest freshwater lake.]]
Mexico has nearly 150 rivers, two-thirds of which empty into the Pacific Ocean and the remainder of which flow into the [[Gulf of Mexico]] or the [[Caribbean Sea]]. Despite this apparent abundance of water, water volume is unevenly distributed throughout the country. Indeed, five rivers—the [[Usumacinta River|Usumacinta]], [[Grijalva River|Grijalva]], Papaloapán, [[Coatzacoalcos River|Coatzacoalcos]], and [[Pánuco River|Pánuco]]—account for 52 percent of Mexico's average annual volume of surface water. All five rivers flow into the Gulf of Mexico; only the [[Río Pánuco]] is outside southeastern Mexico, which contains approximately 15 percent of national territory and 12 percent of the national population. In contrast, northern and central Mexico, with 47 percent of the national area and almost 60 percent of Mexico's population, have less than 10 percent of the country's water resources.

In 2024, a team of oceanographers discovered the world's deepest blue hole, [[Taam Ja' Blue Hole|Taam Ja]], meaning 'deep waters' in [[Mayan languages|Mayan]], in Chetumal Bay, [[Mexico]]. Due to technical limitations, the actual depth of the hole is still unknown. However, the findings suggest the presence of a complex labyrinth of underground caves and tunnels, which could shed new light on the site and the diversity of life within it.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Cohen |first=Li |date=2024-05-01 |title=Researchers found the planet's deepest under-ocean sinkhole — and it's so big, they can't get to the bottom - CBS News |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/deepest-blue-hole-ocean-sinkhole-mexico-chetumal-bay/ |access-date=2024-05-12 |website=www.cbsnews.com |language=en-US}}</ref>