Learn the Mexican States & Capitals in Spanish!
Combining Spanish Vocabulary with a Geography Lesson
Our neighbor to the south, Mexico, has 31 separate states and a national capital. This article is a vocabulary and geographical resource for Spanish instructors who wish to give a quick lesson on Los Estados Unidos Mexicanos y sus estados individuales (the United Mexican States and its individual states).
A List of Mexican States by Geographical Region
National Capital: Ciudad de México, D.F. (Distrito Federal )
North West Mexico
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State: Baja California
Capital: Mexicali
Factoid: Just south of California, USA. Famous for resort city of Tijuana. Lowest populated state.
State: Baja California Sur (South Baja California)
Capital: La Paz
Factoid: Home of resort Cabo San Lucas
State: Sinaloa
Capital: Culiacán
Factoid: Long Pacific coast state with scenic coastal plains, rivers and inland mountains.
State: Durango
Capital: Durango
Factoid: Land-locked state with second lowest population density.
State: Sonora
Capital: Hermosillo
Factoid: Huge coastline of over 1200 miles touches the Sea of Cortes.
State: Chihuahua
Capital: Chihuahua
Factoid: Largest state in Mexico by area. Home of the scenic Copper Canyon.
Southwest Mexico
State: Chiapas
Capital: Tuxtla Gutiérrez
Factoid: Southermost state of Mexico.
State: Oaxaca
Capital: Oaxaca
Factoid: Historic home of the Zapotec and Mixtec people. Home of Mexican Presidents Benito Juarez and Porfirio Diaz.
State: Guerrero
Capital: Chilpancingo
Factoid: Home of resort city of Acapulco.
North Central Mexico
State: Aguascalientes
Capital: Aguascalientes
Factoid: Founded in 1575 as a postal rest stop. Known for its aguas calientes (hot springs).
State: Querétaro
Capital: Querétaro
Factoid: State’s name is thought to come from the Otomi “place of the great city.”
State: Guanajuato
Capital: Guanajuato
Factoid: In the central highlands of Mexico. Home of famous muralist Diego Rivera and former President Vincente Fox.
State: Zacatecas
Capital: Zacatecas
Factoid: Located in the great central plateau of Mexico (average elevation 7,700 feet), this landlocked state has no large rivers. Its chief industry is mining. Over $800 million in silver has been extracted from the hills of this state.
State: San Luis Potosí
Capital: San Luis Potosí
Factoid: Mean elevation is 6,000 feet. Great climate.
West Mexico
State: Colima
Capital: Colima
Factoid: One of the smallest states in Mexico.
State: Nayarit
Capital: Tepic
Factoid: Has hundreds of miles of mountainous rain forest along with varied wildlife, including jaguars and mountain lions.
State: Jalisco
Capital: Guadalajara
Factoid: Fourth most populated state in Mexico and most culturally developed, with a very high standard of living.
State: Michoacán
Capital: Morelia
Factoid: High population of native Amerindians (95%).
North East Mexico
State: Nuevo León
Capital: Monterrey
Factoid: Borders Texas. Has an extreme climate with very little rainfall.
State: Coahuila
Capital: Saltillo
Factoid: Shares 318-mile border with Texas.
State: Tamaulipas
Capital: Ciudad Victoria
Factoid: Bordering southeast Texas, this area is known to have been inhabited for 8,000 years.
East Mexico
State: Hidalgo
Capital: Pachuca
Factoid: In central Mexico. Home of the ancient Toltec ruins at Tula. Named after Mexican independence leader Father Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla.
State: Puebla
Capital: Puebla
Factoid: Formal name is Heroica Puebla de Zaragoza (Heroic Puebla of Zaragoza). Named after Ignacio Zaragoza, who led the Mexican army in its defeat of the French on May 5, 1862 (battle commemorated during the Cinco de Mayo celebration).
State: Tlaxcala
Capital: Tlaxcala
Factoid: In 1521 over 6,000 warriors from Tlaxcala joined Cortés to help defeat the Aztecs.
State: Veracruz
Capital: Xalapa
Factoid: Formal name is Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave (True cross of Ignacious of the Key). Vera Cruz has been the traditional entry point for conquerors of Mexico from Cortés to American General Winfield Scott in the Mexican-American War of 1849.
South Central Mexico
State: Mexico
Capital: Toluca
Factoid: State in the center of Mexico. Home of pre-Columbian city of Teotihuacan.
State: Morelos
Capital: Cuernavaca
Factoid: Second smallest state. Named after José María Morelos, a leader of the Mexican War of Independence.
Southeast Mexico
State: Quintana Roo
Capital: Chetumal
Factoid: Home of the famous resort city of Cancún.
State: Tabasco
Capital: Villahermosa
Factoid: This gulf coast state was the first to be subjugated under Spanish rule.
State: Campeche
Capital: Campeche
Factoid: One of the least populous states of Mexico.
State: Yucatán
Capital: Mérida
Factoid: Home of ancient Mayan archaeological site at Chichen Itza.
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Keep learning! Try practicing your vocabulary with these helpful articles:
Teaching Spanish: Vocabulary Practice with Country Names
Teaching Spanish: Vocabulary Practice with European Countries