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Mexico
Geography, Weather, & Wildlife
WARNING: Parts of Mexico are unsafe, please read this travel warning before going!
Location & Geography
Puerto Vallarta
Mexico is located in the middle of North America, just north of what is commonly known as "Central America" and south of the United States of America. The country stretches from the Pacific Ocean in the west to the Caribbean Sea in the east. In the north Mexico borders the United States and in the south it borders both Guatemala and Belize.
Cabo San Lucas
Most of Mexico is at elevation or mountainous. The landscape jumps straight out of the Pacific Ocean into mountains and these mountains, the Sierra Madre Chain run north and south along nearly the entire height of the country. Moving east the elevation drops substantially and the eastern coast along the Caribbean Sea and the Yucatan Peninsula are fairly flat, as most of the population lives in these lower elevated areas.
Weather
Isla Mujeres
Mexico's coasts shift temperature from hot to hotter and humid, however this heat is why most people visit the country to begin with so there's no real bad time to visit unless you mistakenly arrive in Cancun on college spring break (and that's not your intention). Parts of the country's interior are quite mountainous and hence substantially cooler.
The coasts average about 86° F (30° C) in most places during July-August including Puerto Vallarta and Cancun. During the winters, the coasts dip a bit, to about 74° F (23° C). The inland mountains get much cooler. In Mexico City temperatures range from about 62° F (17° C) in summer to about 53° F (12° C) in the winter.
Wildlife
Popocateletl Volcano
The wildlife in Mexico is quite impressive and it boasts one of the most diverse ranges of reptiles in the world. However the diversity covers all animals and the number of mammals, both large and small is incredible. Mexico is home to deer, sheep, bears, jaguars, bobcats, and more large mammals. There are also numerous smaller mammals such as monkeys, bats, anteaters, and tapirs. The mammals don't end at the land though; the waters surrounding Mexico are home to numerous whales and manatees. These waters and the inland lakes and rivers also host thousands of fish and shellfish.
The bird diversity is nearly as impressive as Mexico has parrots, owls, eagles, hawks, and numerous sea birds and migratory birds, including geese and cranes. Among the reptiles and amphibians are crocodiles, turtles, snakes, lizards, frogs, lizards, and iguanas. Finally, there are thousands of insects, most notably the butterflies, many of which migrate to Mexico each year to breed.
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This page was last updated: March, 2013