Which part of America is Mexico in?

As a geographer with a keen interest in the political and physical divisions of the world, I am often asked about the geographical relationships between countries and continents. The question you've asked is quite interesting and touches upon the complexities of geographical categorization.

Geographically, Mexico is a country located in North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States, to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean, to the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea, and to the east by the Gulf of Mexico. Mexico is the third largest country in the Americas, after the United States and Brazil, and the eleventh largest in the world, covering almost two million square kilometers.

The continent of North America is traditionally defined as comprising three major regions: North America, Central America, and the Caribbean. North America includes the United States, Canada, and Greenland, which is an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark. Central America is a narrow region of the Americas that stretches from Mexico in the north to Colombia in the south. It is made up of seven countries: Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama. The Caribbean is a region of the Americas that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands, and the surrounding coasts.

The distinction between North and South America is generally made along the imaginary line of the Panama Canal, which separates the Isthmus of Panama from the rest of the South American continent. However, this is a modern geopolitical division and does not reflect the natural geographical boundaries.

The term "Central America" is often used to describe a region rather than a continent. It is similar to how the Middle East is a region that spans across parts of Western Asia and North Africa but is not considered a continent itself. Central America, like the Middle East, is a cultural and geopolitical designation rather than a strict geographical one.

In terms of the countries you mentioned, Guatemala, Belize, and Nicaragua are indeed part of Central America. However, Central America is considered part of North America as a whole. This means that these countries are geographically located in North America, even though they are culturally and politically distinct from the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

It is also important to note that the categorization of continents can be somewhat fluid and is often influenced by cultural, political, and historical factors. For example, Greenland, which is part of North America, is politically associated with Europe due to its status as a territory of Denmark.

In summary, Mexico is a country in North America, and Central American countries such as Guatemala, Belize, and Nicaragua are also geographically part of North America, despite being culturally and politically distinct. The division between North and South America is a modern geopolitical construct, and the term "Central America" refers to a region within North America.

Mexico is a part of North America [1]. What is less obvious is whether Guatemala, Belize, Nicaragua, etc, would fall into N or S America. Central America is a region, like the Middle East, but is not its own continent.