path of a comet. Bits of rock and ice left
behind by the comet plunge through
Earth’s atmosphere, creating meteors.
Occasionally large meteorites strike
Earth and create pits called craters. For
example, Meteor Crater in the U.S. state
of Arizona is 4,000 feet (1,200 meters)
across. It was formed when a meteorite
crashed into the ground thousands of
years ago. Meteorite crashes also make
craters on other planets and moons.
#More to explore
Asteroid • Atmosphere • Comet
Mewuk
#see Miwok.
MexicanWar
From 1846 to 1848 the United States
fought a war with Mexico. North
Americans now know the conflict as the
MexicanWar. As a result of the war, the
United States took over the land that
later became New Mexico, Utah,
A meteorite formed the huge pit called
Meteor Crater in the U.S. state of Arizona.
108 Meteor and Meteorite BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA
Nevada, Arizona, California, Texas, and
western Colorado.
Background
In 1845Mexico and the Republic of
Texas both wanted the same piece of land.
(At the timeTexas was an independent
country.) The land they both wanted was
north of the river called the Rio Grande.
The United States soon joined the quarrel
becauseTexas was about to become a
state. Both sides sent soldiers to the area.
InMay 1846 the United States declared
war againstMexico.
War
The United States attacked from several
directions. General Zachary Taylor
crossed the Rio Grande and won
victories in Mexico. In February 1847
he defeated a major Mexican force at
the battle of Buena Vista.
GeneralWinfield Scott marched across
the Gulf of Mexico area. He captured
the important seaport of Veracruz. Scott
then marched inland. In September
1847 he captured Mexico City, the capital
of Mexico.
Colonel Stephen Kearny easily took
New Mexico. Kearny, Commodore Robert
F. Stockton, and Lieutenant Colonel
John C. Fremont conquered California.
In January 1847 the last areas were
under U.S. control.
Results
The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo formally
ended the war. The United States
and Mexico signed it on February 2,
1848. The treaty gave the United States
more than 500,000 square miles
(1,300,000 square kilometers) of Mexican
territory—from the Rio Grande
west to the Pacific Ocean. The United
States paid Mexico 15 million dollars in
return.
General Taylor was considered a hero for
his actions during the war. As a result he
was elected president of the United
States in 1848.
Taylor and the U.S. Congress then had
to deal with the question of allowing
slavery in the new areas. Congress had
allowed Texas to have slavery. But in
1850 it let California ban slavery. It gave
other territories the right to vote on
whether to have slavery. Still, arguments
over slavery continued, and both sides
grew more apart. The disagreement over
slavery finally led to the American Civil
War in 1861.
#More to explore
Fremont, John Charles • Mexico
• Taylor, Zachary • Texas
General Zachary Taylor is pictured on a
white horse at the battle of Buena Vista during
the Mexican War.
BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Mexican War 109
Mexico
Mexico is a large country that sits
between the United States and Central
America. Mexico has a rich mixture of
European and American Indian cultures.
The capital, Mexico City, is one of the
largest cities in the world.
Geography
Mexico takes up the southern part of
North America. It shares borders with
the United States, Guatemala, and Belize.
The Pacific Ocean lies to the west,
beyond a peninsula called Baja California.
The Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean
Sea are to the east of Mexico.
Most of the land is a plateau, or raised
flat area, surrounded by mountains. The
nation’s highest peak is a volcano called
Citlaltepetl. It rises 18,701 feet (5,700
meters). Near the coasts are low plains.
A major river, the Rio Bravo del Norte
(called the Rio Grande in the United
States), forms part of the border between
Mexico and the United States.
Mexico’s climate depends on the height
of the land. The lowlands are hot yearround.
Temperatures are milder at the
middle heights and cold at the highest
peaks. Much of northern Mexico is dry.
The southern mountains and the coastal
plains get the most rain. Earthquakes are
common in Mexico.
Plants and Animals
Cacti and yuccas grow in the dry
regions. Rain forests and grasslands grow
in the south and the east. Some of the
mountains have evergreen forests. Mangrove
swamps are common on the
southern coast.
Monkeys, parrots, and jaguars live in the
southern forests. Deer, pumas, coyotes,
The remains of the ancient city of Teotihuacan
in Mexico include pyramids, temples,
and palaces. The city reached its peak in AD
500.
110 Mexico BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA
rabbits, snakes, and armadillos live in
the dry north.
People
More than half of the people in Mexico
are mestizos. They have both American
Indian and European ancestors.
American Indians form the next largest
group. White Europeans form a smaller
group.
Most Mexicans are Roman Catholics.
The main language is Spanish. More
than 50 Indian languages are also spoken.
Most Mexicans live in cities.
Economy
Services such as transportation, education,
and health care make up a large
