Which mountain is Mexico’s highest peak and highest volcano, reaching 5,636 metres?

Pico de Orizaba is Mexico’s highest mountain and highest volcano, rising to 5,636 metres.

The volcano is also called Citlaltépetl, a Nahuatl name generally translated as “Star Mountain.” It lies on the boundary between the Mexican states of Veracruz and Puebla and has a snow- and glacier-covered summit cone. Its prominent profile has made it an important landmark in central Mexico.

Pico de Orizaba is a stratovolcano, but it is currently dormant rather than considered extinct. The first recorded ascent was made in 1848 by American soldiers F. Maynard and William F. Raynolds, although the mountain may have been climbed earlier by local people. Its glaciers have retreated significantly, making long-term elevation and ice studies especially important. Popocatépetl is Mexico’s best-known active volcano, but it is lower than Pico de Orizaba.