| A | B |
|---|
| land bridge | narrow strip of land that connects two larger landmasses |
| peninsula | piece of land surrounded by water on three sides |
| latitude | location north or south of the equator |
| altitude | height above sea level |
| Isthmus of Tehuantepec | narrowest part of Mexico between Pacific Ocean and Gulf of Mexico |
| Baja California | long, thin peninsula of western Mexico |
| Yucatan Peninsula | extends into the Gulf of Mexico from southern Mexico |
| Sierra Madre Occidental | Mexico's mountain range near the Pacific Ocean |
| Sierra Madre Oriental | Mexico's mountain range in eastern Mexico |
| Sierra Madre del Sur | mountain range in southwestern Mexico |
| Rio Grande | forms part of the northern border of Mexico with the United States |
| maquiladora | factory that assembles parts shipped from other countries |
| industrialized | When a country's economy is based primarily on factories and cities it is said to be |
| Pacific Ocean | ocean to the west of Mexico |
| Caribbean Sea | body of water to the east of Mexico |
| Baja California | long peninsula along Mexico's west coast |
| Plateau of Mexico | large, flat center region of Mexico's landmass |
| Central Region | the "Heartland" of Mexico; more than half of all Mexican live in this region |
| North Region | Region that includes:Ranching, Monterrey, maquiladoras and mining |
| South Region | poorest region includes subsistence farms, plantations and tourism |
| vaqueros | Mexican cowhands who developed the tools and methaods for herding, roping, and branding cattle |
| Guadalajara | large industrial city of Central Mexico |
| NAFTA | North American Free Trade Agreement |
| Popocatepetl | El Popo - vocano that erupted in 2000 |
| Mexico City | capital of Mexico |
| Pacific Coastal Plain | western plain located between the Sierra Madre Occidental and the Gulf of California |
| Gulf Coastal Plain | eastern plain located between the Sierra Madre Oriental and the Gulf of Mexico |
| tierra caliente | altitude zone: the "hot land" of the coastal plains |
| tierra templada | altitude zone: the "temperate land" of the middle altitides |
| tierra frio | altitude zone: "cold land" of the higest altitudes |
| hurricanes | fierce tropical storms that form over warm waters |
| Monterrey | major industrial city of the North |
| Tijuana and Ciudad Juarez | two northern cities that feature maquiladoras that produce over half of Mexico's manufactured exports |
| subsistence farms | small plots of land where farmers grow only enough to feed their families |
| plantations | large farms that grow a single crop for sale |
