You’re probably familiar with the general Mexico Geography (or not!) So, let’s start with some key features about Mexican Geography, a subject about which most Americans are woefully unprepared.

Your Mexico meanderings won’t get you very far unless you’ve got a grasp of Mexico’s extraordinary geography. Let’s start with some basic points for you to consider:

• Mexico has 32 states, including its newest “Ciudad de Mexico” or CDMX. The smallest state is tiny Tlaxcala, the largest is colossal Chihuahua.
• Mexico touches FOUR major oceans and seas: Pacific, Sea of Cortes, Gulf of Mexico, and the Caribbean. Mexico has its “own” sea! And it’s the most bio-diverse body of water on the whole planet.
• Over half of Mexico’s territory stands higher than 5,000 feet (that’s 1,524 meters; better get cozy with metric measurements for distance).
• Mexico stretches west to east from California to the Florida panhandle. There are four time zones across 32 states.
• Two jutting peninsulas give Mexico its’ “horn of plenty” shape. The 1,247 km (775 miles) of cactus, sandy beaches, whale breeding sanctuaries, mountains and two seacoasts make the Baja remarkable. On the other side of Mexico, the thumb-like Yucatan is home to the Mayan heartland, while Caribbean Mexico coastal resorts of Cancun and the Riviera Maya are global tourism brands.