MAPIM BASIN

Spanish Bolsn De Mapim, enclosed depression in northern Mexico. Situated in the arid northern plateau region and averaging 3,000 ft (900 m) in elevation, it is structurally similar to the Basin and Range region of Arizona and New Mexico, in the United States. Although once considered unreclaimable desert, with irrigation it supports cotton, wheat, and alfalfa crops. The Laguna District lies in the southern portion of the basin. The chief cities, linked by railroad and highway, include Gmez Palacio, in Durango, and Torren and San Pedro de las Colonias, in Coahuila.