WHAT ARE THE NATURAL REGIONS OF MEXICO? - GEOGRAPHY - 2024

Mainly, Mexico has five natural regions: the humid jungle, the dry forest, the forest, the bushes and grasslands and finally the marine region. A natural region is defined by certain characteristics such as climate, terrain, presence of water, vegetation, and wildlife.

Worldwide, Mexico is a country with great biodiversity. Biodiversity implies that there are many types of climates, vegetation, and biological life throughout its regions. Thanks to this feature, many types of natural regions can be found in this country.

Image via cibertareas.info

The central plateau of Mexico is probably its most distinctive topographic feature. This area runs from the northeast border of the United States to the south of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec.

This plateau is surrounded by two large mountain ranges: the Sierra Madre Occidental to the west and the Sierra Madre Oriental to the east.

Most of Mexico's highest peaks and dormant volcanoes are found in this region. Almost all of Mexico has frequent seismic activity, and earthquakes are quite common in the capital city.

The natural regions that exist in Mexico

Wet jungle

Rainforests are common on the Atlantic coast, in regions with frequent rains and mild temperatures that allow plants to retain their leaves throughout the year. In turn, the temperature is kept between 23-25 ​​degrees Celsius.

The humid jungle can be found in the regions of Yucatán, Campeche, Quintana Roo, Tabasco, Chiapas and Veracruz.

It is the most abundant area; It has a great variety of plant species. Plants such as banana, mahogany, and orchids can be found.

It is also quite rich in biodiversity, since the abundant humidity causes the climate to be tropical and the rivers always have flows.

This region is home to many mammals, including the jaguar, birds, insects, and reptiles. One of the most famous jungles is La Selva Lacadona, located in a region that runs from Chiapas and Yucatán to Guatemala.

Dry jungle

It is also called the Mexican dry forest. This area includes the dry forests of the coasts of the Mexican Pacific Ocean, from Sinaloa and the southeastern peninsula of Baja California to Guatemala.

Its climate is warm semi-humid. Many species of plants in this region have thorns instead of leaves; the general color observed is grayish brown during the fall and green in the rainy season.

These dry forests are adapted to survive the absence of rain for many months in the year.

Many trees drop their leaves during the dry season, but warmer temperatures help plant life grow, thus supporting many animal species.

This region generally occupies eight Mexican areas: the dry forests of Jalisco, the raft depression and the dry forests of the Chiapas depression, among others.

Variations in altitude have created large diverse habitats for the nearly 1000 different plant species adapted to survive in this environment.

Some animals found in this region include weasels, ducks, chacalacas, turtles, and snakes.

Desert

This region that covers parts of Mexico and the United States is incredibly dry. Most of the plants that exist in this region have developed adaptations to survive a desert climate.

In deserts it hardly rains during the year. The days are hot and the nights quite cold. The Chihuahuas Desert, the Sonoran Desert and the Tehuacán Valley are some of the best known Mexican deserts.

Mexico is known for its great diversity of cacti, which make up almost all the flora of this region. This area is covered in agaves, cacti, sage, and succulents. As for the fauna, it is home to many species of birds, bats and snakes.

Forests

Mexico is home to different types of forests, the best known are the pine forest and the oak forest. These forests can be found in the mountains of Chiapas, the Sierra Madre Oriental, Oaxaca, Baja California, etc.

This area is constantly at risk from forest fires and deforestation, a product of the commercialization of wood. Still, these Mexican forests represent highly biodiverse regions.

The pine forest is of great importance since around 50% of the world-renowned pine trees can be found in this place. Another interesting feature is that the cloud forest is always covered in mist.

In the forests, the cultivation of coffee and fruit trees is practiced, as well as livestock.

Shrublands and grasslands

In these regions grass or grasses abound. Cereals are derived from these plants.

The scrublands and grasslands are home to many animals; many birds, such as quail, mammals such as wild boar, coyote, and prairie dog make this region their home.

This area occupies 10 to 12% of Mexico. The bushes and grasslands can be found in San Luis Potosí, Jalisco, Guanajuato, Aguascalientes, Querétaro, Sinaloa and Baja California, among others.

Marine region

These regions are found in the seas and oceans, they are identified and defined based on their biographical characteristics.

The Mexican marine regions are found on the coasts and in the oceans and seas that surround the Mexican territory. These regions are home to many marine species such as sailfish, swordfish, sharks, branches, etc.

Additionally, you can find numerous curables, mollusks, and sea turtles. The Baja California peninsula and the Yucatan coast are part of the Mexican marine region.

References

1. Our natural regions. Recovered from coursesinea.conveyt.org.mx.
2. List of ecoregions in Mexico. Recovered from wikipedia.org.
3. Lacandon jungle. Recovered from wikipedia.org.
4. Characteristics of the natural regions of the world (2013). Recovered from prezi.com.
5. Baja California Peninsula. Recovered from wikipedia.org.
6. Forests of Mexico. Recovered from wikipedia.org.
7. Land and resources, natural regions. Recovered from countriesquest.com.
8. Chihuahuan desert. Recovered from wikipedia.org.
9. Tehucán valley scrub. Recovered from wikipedia.org.