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328 of the plateau of Yucatan. It has a mean altitude above the sea-level of 5,000 feet.

The Sierra Madre, which is a prolongation of the Andes of South America, traverses the country from southeast to northwest, at a distance from the Pacific coast varying between 30 and 50 miles. The mean height of the range is 7,000 feet. The greatest altitude is in the western portion, which bears the local name of the Cuchumatanes

Mountains. The descent of the Sierra Madre on the southern side is abrupt, while on the northern side it is gradual until it subsides into the plain.

The Cordillera is divided into four sections, viz.: The Sierra de las Minas; The Sierra de Santa Cruz; The Sierra de Chamd; and The Sierra del Merendon. 1. The Sierra de las Minas is bounded on the north by