Characteristics The state of Hidalgo has significant geographical diversity, featuring an extensive variety of flora and fauna and a wide range of climatic and
geomorphological conditions. From north to south, the state is split into three distinct regions: the
Northern Gulf Coastal Plain, which has the lowest
altitude, the
Eastern Mother Sierra, which has a medium altitude, and the
Neovolcanic Axis, which has the highest altitude in the state. The state has been divided into ten cultural regions that group similar municipalities. The cultural characteristics of each region are influenced by its geographical features, which directly affect the social and economic situation of its inhabitants. The
Huasteca region is located in the coastal plains in the northwestern portion of the state. The
Sierra Madre Oriental is a mountainous region that runs through the center of the state, in a southeast–northwest direction. Municipalities in this central area are grouped into four cultural regions:
Sierra Gorda,
Sierra Alta,
Sierra Baja, and
Sierra de Tenango. The Sierra Alta and Sierra Gorda are known for their very rugged landscape and sharp mountain peaks, compared to the relatively smaller elevations of the Sierra de Tenango (also called Sierra Otomí-Tepehua). The
Altiplanicie pulquera, also known as the
plains of Apan, is a
highland with three lake areas, called the lagoons of
Tochac-Atocha and
Apan. The area is known for its agriculture, and produces a popular agave wine called
maguey pulque. Likewise, the
Tulancingo Valley, the
Mining Region, the
Altiplanicie pulquera, and the
Basin of Mexico are sometimes combined into a single region called the Altiplano Hidalguense. The
Sierra de Tenango can be confused with the slopes that go down to the Huasteca; The Huasteca is a multicultural region that includes the southern part of the state of
Tamaulipas, the north of
Veracruz, the east of
San Luis Potosí, the north of Hidalgo, and the north of
Querétaro. Within Hidalgo the Huasteca comprises the municipalities in the northwest of the state. Some sources extend the borders of the region south, to include the municipalities of
Molango de Escamilla,
Metztitlán,
Zacualtipán de Ángeles, parts of the
municipality of Huasca de Ocampo, and the norther portion of
Sierra de Tenango The
Basin of Mexico is an
endorheic basin formed by a large system of lakes:
Chalco,
Xochimilco,
Texcoco,
San Cristóbal-Xaltocan. The region is made up of four valleys, the
Valley of Mexico,
Valley of Cuautitlán,
Valley of Apan and the
Pachuca-Tizayuca Valley. It comprises four federal entities: the
state of Mexico,
Mexico City, Hidalgo and
Tlaxcala. The Sierra Gorda originates in Hidalgo as a branch of the Sierra Madre Oriental and extends to
San Luis Potosí, after crossing
Querétaro and
Guanajuato. Llanos de Apan.jpg|
Municipality of Apan in the
Valley of Apan Alberto melendez apodaca 30.JPG|
Municipality of Mineral del Chico in the Mining Mine Valle de Tizyuca, Hidalgo, Mexico (1).jpg|
Municipality of Tizayuca in the
Basin of Mexico SFO2.JPG|
Municipality of San Felipe Orizatlán in the Huasteca Santa María desde la Quebradora 1.JPG|
Tlanchinol in the Sierra Alta Panoramica Juarez - panoramio.jpg|
Municipality of Juárez, Hidalgo in the Sierra Baja Calor nenjo - panoramio.jpg|
Municipality of San Bartolo Tutotepec in the
Sierra de Tenango Sierra Madre Oriental - panoramio.jpg|
Municipality of Zimapán in the Sierra Gorda Cerca de la Cima de Togo, Hidalgo - panoramio.jpg|
Cuautepec de Hinojosa in the
Tulancingo Valley TulaRiver.JPG|
Tula de Allende in the
Mezquital Valley ==Climatology==