Mexican Plateau

The Mexican Plateau is a vast elevated region of central and northern Mexico between the Sierra Madre Occidental and Sierra Madre Oriental. It includes broad basins, valleys, and mountain ranges.

Sierra Madre Occidental: A long mountain range running along western Mexico, from the United States border toward central Mexico. Its eastern slopes form the plateau’s western boundary.
Mexican Plateau uplift: The tectonic and volcanic processes that raised Mexico’s interior to high elevation. Uplift accounts for the plateau’s altitude and broad relief.
Mexican population distribution: The geographic pattern of population across Mexico’s regions and settlements. The plateau’s mild highland climate and basins support dense settlement.
Mesa del Norte: The northern, generally drier division of Mexico’s central plateau. Its expansive basins and arid climate define the plateau’s northern half.
Sierra Madre Oriental: A mountain range extending southeast through eastern Mexico, roughly parallel to the Gulf of Mexico. It forms much of the plateau’s eastern rim.
Subduction: The descent of one tectonic plate beneath another at a convergent plate boundary. Subduction beneath western Mexico contributes to regional volcanism and mountain building.
Mexico City: The capital of Mexico, located in the Basin of Mexico at high elevation. Its immense urban area occupies the plateau’s largest metropolitan basin.
Mesa Central: The southern division of Mexico’s central plateau, characterized by higher elevations and numerous valleys. Its densely settled highlands contrast with the northern plateau’s drier expanses.
Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt: A volcanic mountain belt crossing central Mexico from the Pacific coast to the Gulf of Mexico. Its high volcanoes mark the plateau’s southern edge.
Central Mexican Volcanic Belt: The volcanic arc crossing central Mexico, also called the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt. Its volcanic activity helped build highlands along the plateau’s southern margin.

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