9781422286937

Popocatépetl volcano in Puebla is a popular tourist attraction. The volcano is not only beautiful scenery; each year it also attracts many adventurous vacationers who want to hike up its steep sides.

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The Land W hen Cortés, the Spanish conquistador , returned to Spain and was asked to describe the land of Mexico, he crumpled a paper and tossed it on the ground. The crumpled paper, he said, with its bumps and ridges, deep clefts and creases, was like Mexico. In the central part of Mexico, the creases in the “paper” grow tighter and smaller. Packed into this area are canyons and valleys, small hills and steep volcanoes, hot springs and lowlands bursting with life. The rest of Mexico is thirsty for water, but here are great lakes brimming with fish. The rich, dark soil, enriched by the volcanoes’ minerals, is perfect for growing crops. The mountains of this region are called the Cordillera Neo-Volcanica. This volcanic range connects the Sierra Madre Occidental and the Sierra Madre del Sur. Most of Mexico’s 55 volcanoes are located in this area; a few of them are still active. There are also nine national parks. The small state of Aguascalientes is completely landlocked. It is surrounded to the north by the state of Zacatecas and to the south by Jalisco. The state’s name means “warm waters,” because the land has many hot springs. The Spanish, however, first called the region by another name— perforada , or “perforated,” because of the many catacombs and tunnels that run beneath the

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