| A | B |
|---|
| land bridge | narrow strip of land that connects two larger landmasses |
| peninsula | piece of land surrounded by water on three sides |
| basin | broad, flat valley surrounded by mountains |
| 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 |
| Plateau of Mexico | large, flat region in central Mexico |
| Rio Grande | forms part of the northern border of Mexico with the United States |
| tierra caliente | hot land |
| tierra templada | temperate land |
| tierra fria | cold land |
| service industry | business that provides services instead of making goods |
| maquiladora | factory that assembles parts shipped from other countries |
| subsistence farm | farmers grow enough to feed their family |
| plantation | large farm that raises a single crop for money |
| industrialized | country primarily of factories and cities |
| smog | fog mixed with smoke and chemicals |
| colony | overseas territory |
| mestizo | person of mixed European and Native American heritage |
| adobe | sun-dried clay brick |
| Tenochtitlan | capital of the Aztec empire |
| vaquero | Mexican cowhand |
| Monterrey | steel and cement production |
| hieroglyphics | writing with signs and symbols |
| mural | wall painting |
| hacienda | a large ranch |
| federal republic | type of government in Mexico |
| plaza | a public square in center city |
| migrant worker | travels from place to place to find work |
