2010 Map of Isla Mesteno

About this map

The Rio Grande snakes through this international border region south of Laredo, defining the physical and political boundary between the United States of America and Mexico. This 2010 survey focuses on the Isla Mesteño area, where the river's meandering course creates distinctive riparian peninsulas and fluvial landforms. The terrain is defined by the shifting hydrology of the border, showing the modern channel as it existed just after the turn of the twenty-first century. While the landscape is largely open, the map documents the critical intersection of natural geography and sovereign limits along the river's edge.