The word mesa is derived from the Spanish word for tabletop. The word is used in geography to describe a specific type of landform. These landforms, named mesas by the early Spanish explorers because of their table like appearance, are mountains, or hills, that have a large flat top region and have developed steep sides, which in many cases are cliffs. They get their form from water erosion over many years washing away the softer rocks located around the sides of the structure, while harder rock, making up the top of the structure, remains present. In most cases, a mesa is found in a dry climate, which allows rock layers to develop in a horizontal manner allowing the flat top to form. Currently, the largest mesa in the world is considered to be the Grand Mesa located in the state of Colorado in the United States.
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