Mexico is situated south of the USA bordering on the states of Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California. To the south lie the Central American countries of Guatemala and Belize. The Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea are off the east of the country with the Pacific Ocean on the west. The long narrow peninsula of Baja California extends into the Pacific.

Mexico City is the capital of Mexico, with Guadalajara ranking as the second city. Other important cities are Ciudad Juarez, Mazatlan, Mexicali, Monterrey, Puebla, Merida, San Luis Potosi, Tampico, Torreon and Veracruz.

Much of Mexico is tableland which rises up to 2,440 m above sea level. There are mountain ranges along the sides of the plateau separating it from the coastal lowlands.

A number of the mountain peaks are of volcanic origin: a volcanic area crosses Mexico from the Atlantic to the Pacific. There is still some volcanic activity and earthquakes are common especially along the coast of the Pacific Ocean.

The climate varies depending upon the height of the land above sea-level. The coastal lowlands are hot and the plateau is cool with frosts in some areas. The rainy season occurs in the Mexican summer between June to October.