Florida Mountains
Encyclopedia
The Florida Mountains are a small 12-mi (19 km) long, mountain range
in New Mexico
. The mountains lie in southern Luna County
about 15 mi southeast of Deming
, and 20 mi north of Chihuahua state, Mexico
; the range lies in the north of the Chihuahuan Desert
region, and extreme southwestern New Mexico.
The Florida Mountains are east and adjacent to New Mexico State Road 11
, the north-south route to Chihuahua; it becomes Highway 23 in Chihuahua and connects to Mexican Federal Highway 2, the major east-west route of the north Chihuahuan Desert adjacent the U.S.-Mexico border.
Most of the land surrounding the prominent rise of the mountain range are flatlands. Deming, and its suburbs directly south, form the northwest and west border of the range's minor foothills. Populated flatlands are northeast, with open flatlands to the east and southeast.
New Mexico 193 lies at the range's north and northeast, the location of Rockhound State Park
. The park is nestled between the Florida Mountains, and a 3-mi (4.8 km) long mountain range called the Little Florida Mountains.
have been introduced into the region
, and have an established population.
Florida Mountains
Mountain range
A mountain range is a single, large mass consisting of a succession of mountains or narrowly spaced mountain ridges, with or without peaks, closely related in position, direction, formation, and age; a component part of a mountain system or of a mountain chain...
in New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
. The mountains lie in southern Luna County
Luna County, New Mexico
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*77.7% White*1.1% Black*1.3% Native American*0.5% Asian*0.0% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*2.6% Two or more races*16.8% Other races*61.5% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
about 15 mi southeast of Deming
Deming, New Mexico
Deming is a city in Luna County, New Mexico, United States, located 60 miles west of Las Cruces. The population was 14,116 at the 2000 census. Deming is the county seat and principal town of Luna County.-History:...
, and 20 mi north of Chihuahua state, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
; the range lies in the north of the Chihuahuan Desert
Chihuahuan Desert
The Chihuahuan Desert is a desert, and an ecoregion designation, that straddles the U.S.-Mexico border in the central and northern portions of the Mexican Plateau, bordered on the west by the extensive Sierra Madre Occidental range, and overlaying northern portions of the east range, the Sierra...
region, and extreme southwestern New Mexico.
The Florida Mountains are east and adjacent to New Mexico State Road 11
New Mexico State Road 11
New Mexico State Road 11 is a north–south road that travels from the United States–Mexico border crossing in Columbus to Deming.-Route description:...
, the north-south route to Chihuahua; it becomes Highway 23 in Chihuahua and connects to Mexican Federal Highway 2, the major east-west route of the north Chihuahuan Desert adjacent the U.S.-Mexico border.
Description
The Florida Mountains are a small, compact range about 12-mi long, with various peaks from 5000 to 7000 ft. The range highpoint is Florida Peak, 7295 feet (2,224 m), which lies near the north. Other high peaks in the center-south, are Gym, Baldy, and South Peak. Four other peaks are in the extreme northwest; besides Florida Peak, the tallest of the other four is Capitol Dome, at 5962 feet (1,817 m).Most of the land surrounding the prominent rise of the mountain range are flatlands. Deming, and its suburbs directly south, form the northwest and west border of the range's minor foothills. Populated flatlands are northeast, with open flatlands to the east and southeast.
New Mexico 193 lies at the range's north and northeast, the location of Rockhound State Park
Rockhound State Park
Rockhound State Park is a state park of New Mexico, USA, located southeast of Deming. It is named for the abundance of minerals in the area, and visitors can search for quartz crystals, geodes, jasper, perlite, and many other minerals...
. The park is nestled between the Florida Mountains, and a 3-mi (4.8 km) long mountain range called the Little Florida Mountains.
Environment and ecology
The Siberian IbexSiberian Ibex
The Siberian Ibex or Common ibex is a species of ibex that lives in central and northern Asia. It has traditionally been treated as a subspecies of the Alpine Ibex, and whether it is specifically distinct from other ibex is still not entirely clear...
have been introduced into the region
Introduced species
An introduced species — or neozoon, alien, exotic, non-indigenous, or non-native species, or simply an introduction, is a species living outside its indigenous or native distributional range, and has arrived in an ecosystem or plant community by human activity, either deliberate or accidental...
, and have an established population.
External links
PeaksFlorida Mountains
