Longest rivers of Mexico
| # | Name | Mouth | Length | States |
| 1 | Rio Grande (Río Bravo del Norte or Río B ... | Gulf of Mexico 25°57′22″N 97°08′43″W / ... | 3,108 km 1,931 mi | Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, Chihuahua, ... |
| 2 | Colorado River | Gulf of California 31°48′57″N 114°48′22″ ... | 2,337 km 1,452 mi | Colorado, Utah, Arizona, Nevada, Califor ... |
| 3 | Grijalva – Usumacinta Rivers | Bay of Campeche 18°35′20″N 92°41′20″W ... | 1,911 km 1,187 mi | Petén, Chiapas, Tabasco |
| 4 | Nazas – Aguanaval Rivers | Bolsón de Mapimí 25°12′00″N 104°12′00″W ... | 1,081 km 672 mi | Durango, Zacatecas, Coahuila |
| Rank | Major Rivers in Mexico | Total Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rio Grande | 1,896 miles (shared with United States of America) |
| 2 | Colorado | 1,450 miles (shared with United States of America) |
| 3 | Usumacinta | 621 miles (shared with Guatemala) |
| 4 | Culiacán | 544 miles |
What are the three biggest rivers in Mexico?
Rivers flowing into the Gulf of Mexico
- Río Bravo, the name of the Rio Grande in Mexico San Juan River Pesquería River Salinas River Salado River Sabinas Hidalgo River Candela River Sabinas River Conchos River Chuviscar River ...
- San Fernando River (Conchos River)
- Soto La Marina River (Santander River) Purificación River
What is the most important river in Mexico?
Geography of Mexico
- Total 1,972,550 km 2 (761,610 sq mi)
- Land 98.96%
- Water
What are two major rivers do the US and Mexico share?
The two principal rivers shared by the U.S. and Mexico are the Colorado River, which is predominantly in the United States and crosses the Mexican border on its way to the Gulf of California (Figure 1), and the Rio Grande, with major tributaries in the United States and Mexico and whose riverbed is the U.S.-Mexican border in Texas (Figure 2).
What are Mexico's main rivers?
- San Juan River Pesquería River Salinas River
- Salado River Sabinas Hidalgo River Candela River Sabinas River
- Conchos River Chuviscar River Sacramento River San Pedro River Florido River Parral River Balleza River (San Juan River)
What are the 5 major rivers in Mexico?
Top 10 Famous Rivers in MexicoRio Grande.Riviera Maya.Rio Secreto.Colorado River.Grijalva River (Tabasco River)Culiacán River.Balsas River (Atoyac River)Rio Lerma.More items...•
What are Mexico's three major rivers?
List of longest rivers of Mexico#NameWatershed area1Rio Grande (Río Bravo del Norte or Río Bravo)466,939 km2 180,286 mi22Colorado River630,783 km2 243,547 mi23Grijalva–Usumacinta Rivers128,390 km2 49,570 mi24Nazas–Aguanaval Rivers89,239 km2 34,455 mi222 more rows
How many rivers are there in Mexico?
This is a list of rivers of Mexico, listed from north to south. There are 246 rivers on this list. Alternate names for rivers are given in parentheses.
What is the name of Mexico river?
Rio Grande, Spanish Río Grande del Norte, or (in Mexico) Río Bravo, or Río Bravo del Norte, fifth longest river of North America, and the 20th longest in the world, forming the border between the U.S. state of Texas and Mexico.
How many rivers are in Mexico City?
45 riversOver the following decades, rivers began to be put underground. Between 1947 and 1952 most of Mexico City's 45 rivers were channeled into giant tubes, buried and paved over . Today, these rivers are visible only in the names of the streets that run over them : Rio Mixcoac Avenue, Rio Churubusco Avenue and others.
What river runs through Mexico City?
The most populous city in North America has only one living river not confined to underground pipes: the fragile Río Magdalena. The forest ecosystem that nurtures it is the same one that supports the majority of Mexico City's water sources, including the vital Cutzamala reservoir system.
Which is the largest lake in Mexico?
Lake ChapalaResting in a tectonic basin south of Guadalajara, Lake Chapala is the largest lake in Mexico. The lake and other wetlands in the Río Lerma watershed are important sites for migratory, rare, and endemic (found nowhere else) waterfowl, and the lake is part of a regional pattern of endemic fish species.
Where is the Rio Grande river?
The Rio Grande flows out of the snowcapped Rocky Mountains in Colorado from its headwaters in the San Juan Mountains, and journeys 1,900 miles to the Gulf of Mexico. It passes through 800-foot chasms of the Rio Grande Gorge, a wild and remote area of northern New Mexico.
What is Mexico known for?
Mexico is known for its rich culture, ancient ruins, dazzling beaches, and incredible cuisine. Tour Mayan temple ruins by day and indulge in fantastic food while listening to the rhythms of live music by night. Lounge on tropical beaches and explore the vibrant corals and marine life of the underwater world.
What is the name of the river that borders Texas and Mexico?
The Rio GrandeThe Rio Grande is a major water supply for the border communities of Texas and for Mexico.
What is the Rio Grande river?
The Rio Grande River is 1,896 miles long and, depending on how it's measured, ranks as the USA's fourth or fifth-longest river. Its two main sources are both in the San Juan Mountains in Colorado, and flows through Texas before meeting its end at the Gulf of Mexico.
Who owns Rio Grande river?
The United States and Mexico share the waters of the Colorado River and the Rio Grande. A bilateral water treaty from 1944 (the 1944 Water Treaty) and other binational agreements guide how the two governments share the flows of these rivers.
Which river flows into Mexico?
Three rivers in this list cross international boundaries or form them. The Colorado and the Rio Grande (Río Bravo del Norte or Río Bravo) begin in the United States and flow into Mexico, while the Usumacinta begins in Guatemala and flows into Mexico.
How long is the longest river in Mexico?
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Among the longest rivers of Mexico are 26 streams of at least 250 km (160 mi). In the case of rivers such as the Colorado, the length listed in the table below is solely that of the main stem.
How many streams are there in Mexico?
Mexico’s longest rivers comprise of 26 streams with some rivers crossing the international boundaries into other countries such as the US and Guatemala. The longest rivers in Mexico are looked at below.
How many tributaries does the Rio Grande have?
The Rio Grande has twelve tributaries with the largest being Rio Conchos. Parts of Rio Grande, in Texas and The New Mexico, have been designated as National Wild and Scenic Rivers System while the US designated the entire river as American Heritage River. The waters are shared between Mexico and the US under treaties and agreements enforced by ...
Where is the Usumacinta River located?
The Usumacinta River flows in the southeastern part of Mexico and the northwestern part of Guatemala, defining part of the border between Mexico’s state of Chiapas and Guatemala. The river, which originates from the junction of Pasion River and Salinas River in Guatemala, enters Mexico through Tabasco State where it forms the Wetland of Centla. Usumacinta River’s total length measures 621 miles and is a favorite destination for archaeologists, travelers, birders, and tourists. The river is home to diverse biodiversity including large reptiles, several species of birds, and hundreds of plant species. Usumacinta River has also offered a crossing border for Guatemala refugees getting into Mexico. The wildlife around the river has been threatened by illegal logging, poaching, and looting.
How many tributaries does the Colorado River have?
The river has 25 major tributaries with Green River being the largest by the amount of discharge and the length. Colorado River discharges an average of 20.1 cubic kilometers of water into the Gulf of California annually, translating to an average flow rate of 640 cubic meters per second.
Where does the Colorado River flow?
The river originates from Rocky Mountains in the US and flows through Colorado Plateau, Grand Canyon, Lake Mead in the US, and through Colorado River Delta in Mexico with a total length of 1,450 miles. Most of the Colorado River water is consumed by the large agricultural industries while the river also suffers pollution from the effects of pesticide used by these industries. The river has 25 major tributaries with Green River being the largest by the amount of discharge and the length. Colorado River discharges an average of 20.1 cubic kilometers of water into the Gulf of California annually, translating to an average flow rate of 640 cubic meters per second.
What is the border between Mexico and the United States?
The United States of Mexico borders the United States, Pacific Ocean, Caribbean Sea, Guatemala, Belize, and the Gulf of Mexico. The country covers a total area of 2 million square kilometers, the world’s 13 th largest independent nation.
What is the longest river in Mexico?
Mexico’s Rio Lerma is the longest interior river in the country and one of its most important, beginning in the State of Mexico and emptying into Lake Chapala in the state of Jalisco. This river has been a necessary water and irrigation resource from long before the arrival of the Spanish and many farmers and cities (including Mexico’s capital) ...
What is the name of the river that runs through Guerrero and Michoacan?
Rio Balsas. Balsas is one of the country’s longest rivers and takes its course through the southern states of Guerrero and Michoacan to end in the Pacific Ocean. Rio Balsas is formed by three main rivers, the Atoyac, the Mixteco and the Tlapaneco.
What is the Grijalva River?
The Grijalva river passes through the state of Chiapas and into the state of Tabasco where it figures prominently into the urban landscape of Villahermosa, the state’s capital city. Along the way, the river is used to create hydroelectric power and as a source of water and irrigation for many of the communities along its route. Like most of the rivers on this list, the Grijalva has its own problems with pollution and loss of biodiversity due to human impact.
What is the river that dumps into the Gulf of California?
The river is well known for its high levels of contimination believed to be the result of illeal gray water dumping by rural communities upriver and within the city limits as well. This river dumps into the Gulf of California, an important habitat for marine life and mating grounds of the California Grey Whales.
What river is known for illegal immigration?
Rio Bravo. A monster river that winds more than 3,000 kilometers along the US – Mexico border, the Rio Bravo (Called the Rio Grande by English speakers), is one of North America’s most important river systems and notorious around the world for its role in illegal immigration.
Why are rivers important?
Rivers have an important place in our collective memory and in our national and global ecosystems. Mexico, which many imagine as a dry, dusty desert is actually blessed with many important rivers throughout its territory. Many are threatened by the human activity that goes on around them, but they remain symbols of the past and future ...
Why is the Nazas River endangered?
Many of the rivers species are endangered due to over-fishing and river pollution from the cities and communities the river passes along its route.
How many rivers are there in Mexico?
The Mexican territory is made up of nearly 150 rivers, with most (two-thirds) flowing into the Pacific Ocean and the remainder into the Gulf of Mexico or the Caribbean Sea.
What are the major mountains and rivers in Mexico?
The major Mountains and Rivers of Mexico. Mexico is crossed from north to south by two major mountain ranges the Sierra Madre Oriental (extends approx. 1,350 km) and Sierra Madre Occidental (extends approx 5,000 kilometers) which are the extension of the Rocky Mountains. The median elevation of both mountain ranges is 2,200-2,250 meters ...
What percentage of Mexico's population lives in areas with less than 10 percent water?
Oddly, 60% of Mexico's population reside in areas which have less than 10 % of the country's water resources, which is the northern and central Mexico accounting for 47% of the national area.
Overview
Rivers flowing into the Gulf of Mexico
• Río Bravo, the name of the Rio Grande in Mexico
• San Fernando River (Conchos River)
• Soto La Marina River (Santander River)
• Pánuco River
Rivers flowing into the Pacific Ocean
• Tijuana River
• San Vicente River
• San Antonio River
• Del Rosario River
• San Andres River
Endorheic basins
• Salton Sea in California
• Guzmán Basin in northern Chihuahua
• Bolsón de Mapimí
See also
• List of rivers of the Americas by coastline
External links
• "Atlas del Agua en México (Regiones hidrológicas)" (PDF/52.6MB). agua.org.mx (in Spanish). Secretaría de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales, Comisión Nacional del Agua. 2016.