Mesoamerica is a wide <em>diverse area that includes Central Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica. </em>Being such a wide territory, geographic, natural and climate factors were decisive to these civilizations dominance in that area.
For example, one big civilization was The Olmec, they lived in a short area of 125 by 50 miles southern Mexico that had a diverse natural habitat, they grew rubber trees and harvest rubber. They had a strong cultural influence in that region.
The Mayas were one of the most famous civilizations of that area. They had big cities that covered southern Mexico, Guatemala, and Honduras. Because of their big knowledge of astronomy and mathematics, they built pyramids and huge cities that are still there. Different from The Olmec, they had poor soil and no large rivers.
The Teotihuacán in the highlands of Mexico surrounded by mountains had several lakes. They had a big agricultural village.
The Aztecs settled in an island on the shore of a lake. they built food production creating floating islands of soil. They ruled most of the Mesoamerica and mixed their traditions with The Olmecs.