North America > Mexico > Geography

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Area > Comparative slightly less than three times the size of Texas
Area > Comparative to US places slightly less than three times the size of Texas
Area > Land	1,923,040 sq km		[15th of 238]
Area > Land (per capita)	17.489 sq km per 1,000 people		[89th of 227]
Area > Total	1,972,550 sq km		[21st of 250]
Area > Total (per capita)	17.94 sq km per 1,000 people		[91st of 231]
Area > Water	49,510 sq km		[14th of 239]
Area > Water (per capita)	450.273 sq km per million people		[53rd of 225]
Capital city with population	Mexico City - 8,735,400
Climate varies from tropical to desert
Coastline	9,330 km		[21st of 271]
Elevation extremes > Highest point Volcan Pico de Orizaba 5,700 m
Elevation extremes > Lowest point	Laguna Salada -10 m
Forested Land	28.9%		[87th of 193]
Geographic coordinates	23 00 N, 102 00 W
Geography > Note strategic location on southern border of US; corn (maize), one of the world's major grain crops, is thought to have originated in Mexico
highest towns > Town/City	Raíces
Irrigated land	63,200 sq km		[7th of 196]
Irrigated land (per capita)	625.613 sq km per million people		[38th of 167]
Land area > sq. km	1,908,690 km²		[14th of 206]
Land area > sq. km (per capita)	18.515 km² per 1,000 people		[76th of 206]
Land boundaries > Border countries Belize 250 km, Guatemala 962 km, US 3,141 km
Land boundaries > Total	4,353 km		[41st of 166]
Land boundaries > Total (per capita)	39.589 km per million people		[147th of 164]
Land use > Arable land	12.66%		[89th of 258]
Land use > Other	86.06%		[133rd of 258]
Land use > Permanent crops	1.28%		[109th of 258]
Largest city Mexico City
Largest city population	16,562,000		[2nd of 174]
Largest city population (per capita)	0.156 per capita		[86th of 174]
Largest city with population	Mexico City - 8,735,400
Location 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
Map references North America
Maritime claims > Contiguous zone	24 nautical mile		[26th of 83]
Maritime claims > Continental shelf 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
Maritime claims > Exclusive economic zone	200 nautical mile		[44th of 123]
Maritime claims > Territorial sea	12 nautical mile		[119th of 191]
Natural hazards tsunamis along the Pacific coast, volcanoes and destructive earthquakes in the center and south, and hurricanes on the Pacific, Gulf of Mexico, and Caribbean coasts
Natural resources petroleum, silver, copper, gold, lead, zinc, natural gas, timber
northernmost point > Latitude	32°43'N
Population density	52.15 people per sqkm		[141st of 256]
Population density > people per sq. km	54.01 people/m²		[129th of 204]
Precipitation	848 mm		[43rd of 95]
Rural population density > rural population per sq. km of arable land	99.88 people/km² of arable lan		[157th of 188]
Surface area > sq. km	1,958,200 km²		[14th of 206]
Surface area > sq. km (per capita)	18.995 km² per 1,000 people		[78th of 207]
tallest mountains > Mountain	Pico de Orizaba
Terrain high, rugged mountains; low coastal plains; high plateaus; desert

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