Mexico’s ten largest cities (2009)

Mexico’s ten largest cities (2009 population) are:

1. Mexico City          19,982,000 (Metropolitan Area)
2. Guadalajara          4,365,000
3. Monterrey             3,986,000
4. Puebla                  2,647,000
5. Tijuana                 1,784,000
6. Toluca                  1,775,000
7. León                     1,555,000
8. Cuidad Juárez      1,408,000
9. Torreón                1,187,000
10. San Luis Potosí   1,037,000

[Figures taken from Table 21.2 of Geo-Mexico: the geography and dynamics of modern Mexico.]

Teaching idea:
1. Plot the location of these cities on a blank map of Mexico
2. Show the relative sizes of the cities in a way which is clear to the viewer. Use some form of proportional representation, and justify your choice.
3. Describe the resulting pattern of Mexico’s ten largest cities. (For instance, are they mainly in the central part of the country, the south, the north, or…?)
4. Suggest some possible reasons for the pattern you have described.