Middle America, bordering the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of
Mexico, between Belize and the US and bordering the North Pacific
Ocean, between Guatemala and the US

23 00 N, 102 00 W

North America

total: 1,972,550 sq km
land: 1,923,040 sq km
water: 49,510 sq km

slightly less than three times the size of Texas

total: 4,538 km
border countries: Belize 250 km, Guatemala 962 km, US 3,326 km

9,330 km

contiguous zone: 24 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm

varies from tropical to desert

high, rugged mountains; low coastal plains; high plateaus;
desert

lowest point: Laguna Salada -10 m
highest point: Volcan Pico de Orizaba 5,700 m

petroleum, silver, copper, gold, lead, zinc,
natural gas, timber

arable land: 12%
permanent crops: 1%
permanent pastures: 39%
forests and woodland: 26%
other: 22% (1993 est.)

61,000 sq km (1993 est.)

tsunamis along the Pacific coast, volcanoes and
destructive earthquakes in the center and south, and hurricanes on the
Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean coasts

natural fresh water resources scarce and
polluted in north, inaccessible and poor quality in center and extreme
southeast; raw sewage and industrial effluents polluting rivers in
urban areas; deforestation; widespread erosion; desertification;
serious air pollution in the national capital and urban centers along
US-Mexico border

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life
Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship
Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol

strategic location on southern border of US