Map of Mexico (1831)

This map of Mexico was published by Anthony Finley as part of his 1831 atlas, ten years after the country's independence and five years before it was recognised by Spain.

At that time, the border between the United States and Mexico was still marked by the Adams-Onís Treaty, signed by Spain and the United States in 1821. With this, Mexico enjoyed an area of almost three million square kilometres, including the current states of Texas, California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico and Colorado, as well as part of the states of Wyoming, Kansas and Oklahoma.

The territorial division shown on the map corresponds to that established in the 1824 Constitution. A total of 19 states and 4 federal territories were declared, although some of the names vary. This is the case of Yucatán, which still appears on the map as Intendencia de Mérida.

Interestingly, the map refers to New Albion in the upper left corner. This territory was discovered by Francis Drake and claimed for the British Empire, although it was never specifically defined or colonised. Even so, it appeared frequently on many maps published during the 17th, 18th and early 19th centuries.

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