As the United States’ southern neighbor, Mexico is perhaps unsurprisingly home to a number of U.S. states that border it. In fact, there are 41 different states that have a direct land border with Mexico as of 2018, according to Business Insider. But what about all the other states? How many of them don’t border Mexico? These are just some of the questions you might ask yourself if someone mentions something related to any state and its proximity to Mexico or Canada—which also has its own set of states that border it. Keep reading for more information on how many U.S. states share a border with Mexico and its northern neighbor Canada and how many don’t!
How Many States Share A Border With Mexico?
There are three US states that share a border with Mexico – Texas, California, and New Mexico. There are also six Mexican states that share a border with the US – Baja California Norte, Baja California Sur, Sonora, Chihuahua, Coahuila de Zaragoza, and Nuevo León.
What Are The Borders Of Texas, California, And New Mexico?
- Texas: Texas has a border with Mexico, but it doesn’t have a border with Canada. It shares its northern border with New Mexico, which is the only state that shares a land border with both of these countries.
- California: California has a border with both Mexico and Canada, and it doesn’t share any borders with either country.
- New Mexico: New Mexico shares its northern border with both Texas and Canada and doesn’t share any borders with either country.
- Colorado: Colorado has a border with both Mexico and Canada, but it doesn’t share any borders with these countries.
- Arizona: Arizona shares its southern border with Mexico, and it doesn’t share any borders with the country.
- Nevada: Nevada shares its southern border with Mexico but doesn’t share any borders with the country.
- Utah: Utah shares its western border with Canada, but it doesn’t share any borders with the country.
- Wyoming: Wyoming shares its northern border with Canada, but it doesn’t share any borders with the country.
What Is The History Of The Us-Mexico Border?
The U.S. and Mexico share a border
The United States and Mexico share a land border that stretches for more than 2,000 miles. The two countries’ borders are separated by the Rio Grande River, which was the U.S.-Mexico border in 1848 when Texas was admitted as a state to the union. The river is also sometimes called the Border River, which is its name in Texas, according to Business Insider. However, this distinction isn’t always clear or easily understood by people who aren’t familiar with both countries’ names for the river or their respective border states.
It was established as part of the Mexican-American War
This history lesson comes from PBS Learning Media, but it will give you a good overview of what happened during this period in American history: “The 1846-48 war between the United States and Mexico began when American settlers revolted against Mexican rule in Texas and California. The war ended with the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, signed on February 2, 1848, in Mexico City. The treaty ended the war and established the U.S.-Mexico border as it is today.”
The Mexican-American War was a result of two events: Texas’ annexation and California’s independence
Texas was given its independence from Mexico in 1836 after being annexed by the United States in 1845, according to PBS Learning Media. But this wasn’t enough for some Texans—the state had gained a lot of land from Mexico after winning its independence from Spain, but it still wanted more land from Mexico. So in 1846, Texas declared itself an independent republic called the Republic of Texas and its president was elected to be president of the country. This was an issue that angered some Americans who were opposed to Mexican rule over Texas because they didn’t want a separate nation on American soil (which is36. In the same year, California declared itself independent from Mexico and was admitted as a state to the union in 1849. The Mexican-American War was started in an effort to annex Texas into the United States and for California to become a state.
At that time, most of what is now called Texas was part of Mexico
The rest of what is now called Texas wasn’t officially part of the United States until 1848 when it was annexed by force by American troops under President Zachary Taylor as part of his campaign to annex all land north of the Rio Grande River. This ensured that what is now Texas would be a state in America’s union instead of being a territory under Mexico after the war ended.
What Challenges Do Border States Face?
1. Drug Trafficking
Drug trafficking is a serious issue that not only affects the southern border states of the U.S. but also threatens their economy and health. As Business Insider notes, “In 2015, more than half of all heroin seized in the U.S. came from Mexico, according to a report by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).” This means that drug trafficking often comes from Mexico into the United States and also from Canada into both states, as well as California in particular.
2. Immigration
While immigration has been an issue for some time along the southern border of the U.S., it has become increasingly problematic in recent years due to illegal immigration—which is a term used for people who enter a country without permission and without following proper procedures in order to be granted residency or citizenship—as well as drug trafficking and other related issues. In fact, according to The New York Times, “The number of people apprehended at [the southern] border has quadrupled since 2010 when more than 400,000 people were apprehended.”
3. Poverty
Poverty is also a serious issue that many border states face, especially those in the southern part of the country. According to The New York Times, “The poverty rate in Texas is higher than the national average. In Arizona and California, it is nearly double the national average. And in New Mexico and Nevada—both states along the Mexican border—it is significantly higher than the national average as well.” This means that poverty and other related issues are much more prevalent in these states than they are across the rest of the country.
4. Crime
Crime is also common along all U.S.-Mexico borders because of drug trafficking and illegal immigration into both countries from Mexico and Canada respectively, as well as other related issues that have been discussed throughout this article such as poverty and crime rates in border states being much higher than those of other in the southern border region is nearly three times the national average, and half of all children in that region live in poverty.” This means that many people living in these states are not only affected by poverty, but also by issues like drug trafficking and illegal immigration.
Conclusion
As you can see, there are a total of four states in the United States that share a border with Mexico. These states are California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas. If you live in any of these states, or if you’re planning on visiting any of them soon, be sure to check out all the amazing attractions that Mexico has to offer!
