9781422286890

Mexico’s Gulf States

The Spanish castle of San Juan de Ulúa overlooks the harbor at Veracruz. It was built in 1528 to protect the harbor from Caribbean pirates. Veracruz was the first city founded by Europeans on the American mainland. Today, it is Mexico’s largest and most important seaport.

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history. The land is a dry plain to the north but green and tropical to the south where abundant lakes and rivers flow. Thick rainforest covers the south and eastern parts of the state. The water along the coast is filled with barracuda, swordfish, tuna, and dolphins. Bird watchers can enjoy flamingos, parrots, and herons. A short distance from the coast, small hills give rise to low mountains. Yucatán is covered with a flat, porous, limestone surface. There are no rivers on