WHY ARE THE OCEANS THAT SURROUND MEXICAN TERRITORY IMPORTANT? - ENVIRONMENT - 2025

The oceans that surround the Mexican territory are important due to economic, social and climatic reasons. The Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific delimit the Mexican borders and give it a benefit on a geopolitical level, but also on an economic level, due to the benefits it generates thanks to fishing and tourism.

The importance of the seas and oceans that surround nations is not so evident to us until we become aware of their influence in all aspects that directly or indirectly affect a nation.

Mexico is no exception to this statement. There are various reasons why the importance of the great bodies of water that surround the Mexican nation should be considered, among which economic, geopolitical, social and climatic reasons stand out.

Reasons why the oceans that surround the Mexican territory are important

There are really many reasons why importance should be given to the oceans that surround the Mexican territory, but we can point out four of them as among the most prominent, namely: economic, geopolitical, social and climatic reasons

1- Economic reasons

Mexico has an eastern coast made up of the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, connected to the Atlantic Ocean, and to the west it has an extensive coastline along the Pacific Ocean.

Both coasts total 11,592 kilometers and delimit a marine area of ​​more than 2,945,685 square kilometers called the Exclusive Economic Zone.

This huge body of water contains a great diversity of tropical or subtropical marine ecosystems, rich in species in high demand for food consumption by the Mexican population.

Fishing in Mexican territorial waters is an important generator of income for the country. It not only contributes to the nutritional sustenance of the population but it is also a significant source of jobs.

These jobs provide sufficient financial means to be able to acquire necessary goods and services, which directly or indirectly generates more wealth.

2- Geopolitical reasons

As Mexico has easy access to two different oceans, it has strategic advantages of great value over other countries, including its neighbors.

On the one hand, the possibility of access to the Atlantic Ocean via the Gulf of Mexico and from there to the Caribbean Sea, greatly facilitates communication with the east coast of the US, and is also an express channel on maritime routes to Europe, South America and Africa..

On the other hand, the ports located on the western maritime border with the Pacific Ocean are an open door for exports and imports of products with destination or origin in Asian countries.

In military terms, the location of Mexico between two oceans is equally important, since in the event of a hypothetical confrontation with another state it would facilitate the mobilization of troops and supplies by sea.

The maritime movements would be complemented with the land mobilization or by taking advantage of it, taking into account the mountainous and inhospitable characteristics of a good part of the Mexican territory.

3- Social reasons

The seas and oceans provide Mexico with wealth and development, the latter being a primary factor in the context of its society.

The creation of urban centers, food and commercial industries related to the exploitation of marine and mineral resources (such as salt, for example), oil exploitation, tourism, maritime transport for the mobilization of people and goods, cultural manifestations or Even the sciences studious of marine biodiversity, are indisputably an important factor for Mexico and that undoubtedly define its identity as a society.

4- Climatic reasons

The influence generated by the seas and oceans that surround Mexico in its climatic diversity is enormous, especially in the coastal plains that border the Gulf of Mexico and the western coast of the Pacific, the northern territory of Chiapas, the Isthmus of Tehuantepec and even the Yucatan peninsula.

The type of climate in these large areas is classified from warm-humid to sub-humid.

The temperature stored by the waters of both the Gulf of Mexico and those of the Pacific coast are responsible for their relatively stable temperature between 22 and 26 degrees Celsius.

It is a range considered optimal for the development of wildlife and comfortable or tolerable for the establishment of human settlements in these regions.

References

1. Gracia Gasca, A., UNAM. (December 7, 2006). "The sea has strategic importance for Mexico." Recovered from noticias.universia.net.mx
2. Bibliotecadigital.ilce.edu.mx (no date). "II. Fishing in Mexico." Recovered from Bibliotecadigital.ilce.edu.mx
3. importance.org. (without date). Importance of the Oceans. Recovered of importance.org
4. universia.es. (no date). «Study in Mexico - Climate». Recovered from importance.org
5. monographs.com (May 1, 2014) by Geografía de México (page 2). Recovered from monogramas.com
6. importance.org. (without date). Importance of Geopolitics. Recovered from importance.org