The Geography of Mesoamerica
Mesoamerica is a region located in the southern part of North America, where several pre-Columbian civilizations thrived. The geography of this region played a significant role in the development of these civilizations.
Most of Mesoamerica has a tropical climate with high temperatures and humidity throughout the year. A rainy season runs from May to October. During this period, heavy rains can cause flooding in some areas, especially around lakes and river valleys. The dry season, which lasts from November to April, brings drier weather conditions that can lead to droughts.
The tropical climate and abundant rainfall leads to fertile soil. Civilizations developed advanced agricultural practices, allowing them to sustain large populations. However, the periodic droughts sometimes devastated crops and lead to famine.
The mountains of Mesoamerica also played an important role in shaping the physical geography of the region. This is especially true in South America, where the Inca flourished in the Andes Mountains.
The Sierra Madre is a mountain range that stretches north to south in modern-day Mexico. In the center is the Mexican Plateau and the Valley of Mexico. This is where the Aztec Civilization developed, centered on an island in Lake Texcoco.
There they developed a special farming method known as chinampas, meaning "floating gardens". These man-made floating islands allowed them to grow crops in the shallow lake bed.
The mountains and valleys created natural barriers that separated the different regions of Mesoamerica and influenced the movement of people and goods between them. This led to the development of distinct cultures and traditions in each region. For example, the Maya developed in the lowlands of the Yucatan Peninsula, while the Aztecs lived in the highlands of central Mexico.
To the south of this area in Central America lies a dense rainforest, with the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Gulf of Mexico to the east.
This rainforest kept Mayan city-states somewhat isolated as well. They never truly unified into an empire because the thick jungle was too great an obstacle for them to develop in.
These jungles also featured fresh water sinkholes known as cenotes that provided the civilizations there with drinking water.
The rainforest continued into South America, where the Inca civilization developed with the Amazon jungle to the east, a coastal desert and Pacific Ocean to the west, and Andes Mountains running down the middle.
The Inca built thousands of miles of roads through the mountains, connecting their cities and mines, which provided minerals like gold, silver, and emeralds. This brought them great wealth.