WHAT IS THE RELIEF OF VERACRUZ LIKE? - ENVIRONMENT - 2024

The relief of Veracruz, in Mexico is quite diverse. You can find volcanoes, ravines, plains and hills. The mountains occupy around 20.38% of the state, the beaches 1.8%, the hills 37.15%, the plains 35.58%, the valleys 3.67%, and the plateaus 1.33%.

The highest peak in Mexico, the Pico de Orizaba Volcano with a height of 5,610 meters above sea level, is located in the state of Veracruz.

Playa Villa del Mar, is a famous and traditional beach in the city of Veracruz. In the background and to the right is the aquarium.

This area is made up of a large area of ​​hills located throughout the landscape. These hills are mostly to the north and toward the center of the state.

However, there are some valleys and some plains extended well to the north and south of Veracruz.

Towards the west of the state, you can find the mountains; specifically in the regions of Hidalgo and Puebla.

In the Chiapas area, to the south, there are also mountains. The so-called Sierra de los Tuxtlas is located on the southern coast of the region. The Tamiahua lagoon is located to the north.

Geography, topography and relief of Veracruz

Natural geography can be categorized into nine regions: the Sierra Zongolica, the Tecolutla Region, the Huayacocotla Region, the Metlac River area, the Tuxtlas region, the Central Region, the Laguna del Castillo Region, the Pueblo Viejo Region- Tamiahua, and the region of Laguna de Alvarado.

The topography varies constantly, rising from the narrow planes of the coast to the highlands of the Sierra Madre del Este.

The elevation varies, from sea level to Pico de Orizaba. The coast consists of low sandy strips interposed with lagoons and tides. Much of the coast is narrow and sandy, with unstable dunes and small changing lagoons.

The South Gulf Coastal Plain comprises 47.9% of the surface. It has plains and mountains; the Veracruz Coastal Plain and the Sierra de los Tuxtlas are located in that area.

The North Gulf Coastal Plain occupies 30% of the state. The physiographic subprovinces located in this region include the Plains and Lomeríos, which refer to valleys, plains, mountains, hills and bars.

The mountains are located in the Sierra Madre Oriental and in the Transversal Volcanic Axis. Mountains include the Sierra de Topila, the Sierra de Otontepec, the Sierra de Huayacocotla, the Sierra de Coxquihui, the Sierra de Chiconquiaco, the Sierra de Jalacingo, the Sierra de Axocuapan, the Sierra de Huatusco, the Sierra de Zongolica and the Sierra from Los Tuxtla.

The most important peaks include the Pico de Orizaba, the Cofre de Perote, the Cerro de Tecomates, the Cerro del Vigía Alta, and the Cerro de 3 Tortas. The most important valleys include the Acultzingo, the Córdoba, the Maltrata, the Orizaba and the San Andrés.

In the region, more than 40 rivers and tributaries deposit water in the valleys and coastal areas. All the rivers and streams that cross the state begin in the Sierra Madre Oriental or the Mesa Central, flowing east from the Gulf of Mexico.

The most important include: the Actopan River, the Acuatempan River, the Cazones River, the Jamapa River, the Pánuco River, the Papaloapan River, the Tonolá River, the Tuxpan River and the Xoloapa River. Several of them are navigable; others are highly contaminated.

In Veracruz there are also ten large waterfalls and ten coastal lagoons. There is only one major lake, Lake Catemaco. On the coast are the islands of Lobos, Sacrificios, Pájaros and Burros, among others.

Main elevations of Veracruz

Pico de Orizaba volcano

It is the highest mountain in Mexico and the third highest in North America. It rises 5,636 meters above sea level, in the city of Orizaba, on the border of Veracruz and Puebla. The volcano is inactive but not extinct.

It is one of the three Mexican volcanoes that contains glaciers and is home to the largest glacier in Mexico: the Great North Glacier.

Perote's Chest

It is an extinct volcano. It is located at the point where the Transversal Volcanic Axis joins the Sierra Madre Oriental. It is wide and shaped like a shield. It rises to 4,282 meters above sea level.

El Cofre de Perote is located in the national park of the same name and many people use it for camping and hiking.

Tepozteca Hill

It is a mountain located 2,566 meters above sea level. It has a foot elevation above the surrounding area, with a small summit and steep slopes. Its vegetation is mainly of the Encino Forest and Coniferous Forest.

Sierra de los Tuxtlas

This mountain chain and volcanic belt are located in the southeast of Veracruz. The Biosphere de los Tuxtlas includes the coastal and high elevations of the Sierra de los Tuxtlas.

The peaks located in this region include the Santa Marta Volcano and the San Martín Tuxtla Volcano, both rising above 1,700 meters.

The San Martín Tuxtla Volcano is the only recent active volcano in the belt (it last erupted in 1793). Its peak is one kilometer; Hundreds of slag cones are prevalent around the Sierra.

References

1. Relief of the state of Veracruz. Recovered from paratodomexico.com
2. Veracruz: one of Mexico's most diverse states. (2011) Recovered from geo-mexico.com
3. Pico de Orizaba. Recovered from peakbigger.com
4. Perote's chest. Recovered from wikipedia.org
5. Cerro Tepozteca. Recovered from es.getamap.net
6. Cerro Tepoztecatl. (2016) Recovered from senderosdeveracruz.com
7. Sierra de los Tuxtlas. Recovered from wikipedia.org
8. State of Veracruz. Recovered portal.veracruz.gob.mx