Mexican Plateau

The Mexican Plateau is a vast, high-altitude region in northern and central Mexico. It is also known as the Mexican Altiplano. This large landform occupies a significant portion of the country's territory. It stretches from the United States border in the north to the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt in the south. The plateau is bounded by mountain ranges on its western and eastern sides. Geologically, it is one of six distinct sections of the Basin and Range Province. This province belongs to a larger category called the Intermontane Plateaus.

Geographers often divide the plateau into two distinct sections. A low mountain range located in the state of Zacatecas acts as a divider. The northern section is called the Mesa del Norte. The southern section is known as the Mesa Central. While they were once viewed as separate, geographers now generally see them as one continuous plateau. The Mesa Central is higher in elevation than the Mesa del Norte. Both sections contribute to the unique landscape of the Mexican Altiplano.

The Mesa del Norte covers a very large area in the north. It extends south from the Rio Grande through several states. These states include Chihuahua, Coahuila, Durango, Zacatecas, and San Luis Potosí. The terrain here features many narrow, isolated ridges. You can also find numerous depressions scattered across the region. The largest of these depressions is the Bolsón de Mapimí. Much of this northern area is composed of internal drainage basins. This means the water in these basins does not flow out to the sea.

Water management and drainage vary greatly across the plateau. In the northern section, the Río Bravo del Norte and the Río Conchos drain certain parts. The Río Pánuco and its tributaries drain the southeastern corner toward the Gulf of Mexico. In the southern Mesa Central, the drainage patterns change. The Río Grande de Santiago and the Río Lerma flow west into the Pacific Ocean. Other tributaries of the Río Pánuco drain the eastern portion of the southern plateau.

The vegetation and climate of the plateau are mostly arid or semi-arid. The northern portion is largely covered by the Chihuahuan Desert. In the central part of the north, the Meseta Central matorral grows. The southern plateau is mostly covered by the Central Mexican matorral. In the lower parts of the Lerma–Río Grande de Santiago basin, you will find subtropical Bajío dry forests. As the elevation increases, the plants change significantly. Higher altitudes feature pine–oak woodlands and oak forests. Near the volcanic tree lines, you will find mixed pine–oak and conifer forests.

Human history and settlement are closely tied to the geography of the south. The southern east–west arc from Jalisco to Veracruz is a major population nexus. This area has historically been the center of the Mexican nation. It contains many of the country's largest metropolitan areas. Major cities located in the valleys of the southern plateau include Guadalajara and León. Other important cities are Querétaro, Morelia, Mexico City, Toluca, Cuernavaca, and Puebla. These cities thrive in the valleys that were originally formed by ancient lakes.

The plateau also features unique biological patterns. Some interior mountain ranges host pine-oak forests that act as "sky islands." These are isolated patches of forest surrounded by different environments. In terms of phytogeography, the Sonoran Desert is part of the Sonoran Floristic Province. This province is located within the Madrean Region of southwestern North America. This entire area is part of the Holarctic realm. This realm covers the northern part of the Western Hemisphere.