Culturally, I would consider Mexico to be a part of Latin America, which is closely associated with Central America. Obviously Mexico is part of the continent of North America, but the cultural divide between Canada and the United States, and Mexico, is significant enough to merit categorizing them differently.
Culturally, I would consider Mexico to be a part of Latin America, which is closely associated with Central America. Obviously Mexico is part of the continent of North America, but the cultural divide between Canada and the United States, and Mexico, is significant enough to merit categorizing them differently.
For what it's worth, I'm an Anglo who speaks fluent Spanish and spends a lot of time in Mexico. (I have property there and in a couple more years I'll be eligible for dual citizenship.) I also lived in South America during some of my college years. I only agree with part of the above.Geographically Mexico is part of North America and there is definitely a cultural divide between Mexico and the US/Canada. It's also fair to say Mexico is culturally part of Latin America. I would not, however, say Mexico is closely associated with Central America or any other region of Latin American.Mexicans and the peoples of Central America do not get along. Mexico goes so far as to run what Central Americans call "death trains" to keep out Central Americans. Central Americans found to be in Mexico illegally are promptly deported--in a most unpleasant manner--if they survive. The Mexican army has been known on numerous occasions to shoot on sight Central Americans caught illegally entering Mexico. If you're into Latin American culture you'll see numerous cultural and linguistic differences between Mexico and Central America, Mexico and South America, etc. Mexico is something like a distant cousin within the family of Latin American countries.
I think I will stay out of this one. Way too politically charged. I would just say for political borders refer to the 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo and the border stones that exist from the survey called for in that document.
Would you consdier Mexico to be in North America or Central America, or seperate altogether??
Academically, Mexico is considered part of Middle America, so I'll go with that standard.
The definitions are murky. --Middle America is usually considered to be the southern part of North America.--Middle America is usually considered to contain both Mexico and Central America. --Central America is usually considered to be the nations located between Mexico and Columbia.--Geopolitically, Mexico is generally not considered part of Central America.--Mexico is part of Latin America.
Wikipedia: MexicoThe geography of Mexico entails the physical and human geography of Mexico, a country situated in the Americas. Comprising much of southern North America or of Middle America, Mexico is bounded to the north by the United States (specifically, from west to east, by California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas), to the west and south by the Pacific Ocean, to the east by the Gulf of Mexico, and to the southeast by Belize, Guatemala, and the Caribbean Sea. The northernmost constituent of Latin America, it is the most populous Spanish-speaking country in the world.Almost all of Mexico is on the North American Plate, with parts of the Baja California Peninsula in the northwest on the Pacific and Cocos Plates. Some geographers include the portion east of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec including the Yucatan Peninsula within North America. This portion includes the five states of Campeche, Chiapas, Tabasco, Quintana Roo, and Yucat?n, representing 12.1% of the country's total area. Alternatively, the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt may be said to delimit the region physiographically on the north. Geopolitically, Mexico is generally not considered part of Central America.[Emphasis mine.]Britannica Concise Encyclopedia: Central AmericaSouthern portion of North America (pop., 2006 est.: 40,338,000). It extends from the southern border of Mexico to the northwestern border of Colombia and from the Pacific Ocean to the Caribbean Sea. It includes Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama. Some geographers also include five states of Mexico: Quintana Roo, Yucat?n, Campeche, Tabasco, and Chiapas.[Emphasis mine.]Encarta: Central AmericaCentral America, region of the western hemisphere, made up of a long, tapering isthmus that forms a bridge between North and South America. Central America, which is defined by geographers as part of North America, has an area of about 521,500 sq km (about 201,300 sq mi) and includes the countries of Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama. The region has a population of approximately 36.4 million (2000 estimate).[Emphasis mine.]Wikipedia: Latin AmericaIn most common contemporary usage, Latin America refers only to those territories in the Americas where the Spanish or Portuguese languages prevail: Mexico, most of Central and South America, plus Cuba, the Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico in the Caribbean. Often, particularly in the United States, the term may be used to refer to all of the Americas south of the U.S., including such countries as Belize, Jamaica, Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, Antigua and Barbuda, St. Lucia, Dominica, Grenada, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and the Bahamas, in all of which English prevails.[Emphasis mine.]
Central America, which is defined by geographers as part of North America,
I just go by how de Blij and Muller define it. The Middle American realm consists of the regions of Mexico, the Central American nations, and the Caribbean Islands.
I just go by how de Blij and Muller define it. The Middle American realm consists of the regions of Mexico, the Central American nations, and the Caribbean Islands.
Mexico is indeed part of Middle America. The points I tried to clarify above are:--Middle America is the southern part of North America.--Middle America contains both Mexico and Central America.--Mexico is not part of Central America.