Baja California (; 'Lower California'), officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California ( en, Free and Sovereign State of Baja California), is a state in
Mexico
Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
. It is the northernmost and westernmost of the
32 federal entities of Mexico. Before becoming a state in 1952, the area was known as the North Territory of Baja California (). It has an area of (3.57% of the land mass of Mexico) and comprises the northern half of the
Baja California Peninsula, north of the
28th parallel, plus oceanic
Guadalupe Island
Guadalupe Island ( es, Isla Guadalupe, link=no) is a volcanic island located off the western coast of Mexico's Baja California Peninsula and about southwest of the city of Ensenada in the state of Baja California, in the Pacific Ocean. The ...
. The mainland portion of the state is bordered on the west by the
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...
; on the east by
Sonora
Sonora (), officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Sonora ( en, Free and Sovereign State of Sonora), is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the Administrative divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. The state is d ...
, the U.S. state of
Arizona
Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...
, and the
Gulf of California
The Gulf of California ( es, Golfo de California), also known as the Sea of Cortés (''Mar de Cortés'') or Sea of Cortez, or less commonly as the Vermilion Sea (''Mar Bermejo''), is a marginal sea of the Pacific Ocean that separates the Baja Ca ...
; on the north by the U.S. state of
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
; and on the south by
Baja California Sur
Baja California Sur (; 'South Lower California'), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Baja California Sur ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California Sur), is the least populated state and the 31st admitted state of the 32 federal ent ...
.
The state has an estimated population of 3,769,020 as of 2020,
significantly higher than the sparsely populated Baja California Sur to the south, and similar to
San Diego County, California
San Diego County (), officially the County of San Diego, is a county in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 3,298,634, making it California's second-most populous county and the fi ...
, to its north. Over 75% of the population lives in
Mexicali
Mexicali (; ) is the capital city of the Mexican state of Baja California. The city, seat of the Mexicali Municipality, has a population of 689,775, according to the 2010 census, while the Calexico–Mexicali metropolitan area is home to 1,000, ...
(the state's capital city),
Ensenada, or
Tijuana
Tijuana ( ,["Tijuana"](_blank)
(US) and [< ...]
(the state's largest city). Other important cities include
San Felipe,
Rosarito
Rosarito is a coastal city in Playas de Rosarito Municipality, Baja California, situated on the Pacific Coast of Mexico. As of 2010, the city had a population of 65,278. Located south of the US-Mexico border, Rosarito is a part of the greater S ...
, and
Tecate
Tecate () is a city in Tecate Municipality, Baja California. It is across the Mexico-US border from Tecate, California. As of 2019, the city had a population of 108,860 inhabitants, while the metropolitan area has a population of 132,406 inha ...
. The population of the state is primarily composed of
Mestizos
(; ; fem. ) is a term used for racial classification to refer to a person of mixed European and Indigenous American ancestry. In certain regions such as Latin America, it may also refer to people who are culturally European even though their ...
, mostly migrants from other parts of Mexico, and as with most northern Mexican states, a large population of
Mexicans of Spanish ancestry, and also a large minority group of people with
East Asian
East Asia is the eastern region of Asia, which is defined in both geographical and ethno-cultural terms. The modern states of East Asia include China, Japan, Mongolia, North Korea, South Korea, and Taiwan. China, North Korea, South Korea a ...
, Middle Eastern, and
indigenous
Indigenous may refer to:
*Indigenous peoples
*Indigenous (ecology), presence in a region as the result of only natural processes, with no human intervention
*Indigenous (band), an American blues-rock band
*Indigenous (horse), a Hong Kong racehorse ...
descent. Additionally, there is a large immigrant population from the United States due to its proximity to
San Diego
San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the List of United States cities by population, eigh ...
and the significantly lower cost of living compared to that city. There is also a significant population from Central America. Many immigrants moved to Baja California for a better quality of life and the number of higher-paying jobs in comparison to the rest of Mexico and
Latin America
Latin America or
* french: Amérique Latine, link=no
* ht, Amerik Latin, link=no
* pt, América Latina, link=no, name=a, sometimes referred to as LatAm is a large cultural region in the Americas where Romance languages — languages derived f ...
.
Baja California is the 12th-largest state by area in Mexico. Its geography ranges from beaches to forests and deserts. The backbone of the state is the Sierra de Baja California, where
Picacho del Diablo
('Devil's Peak') is the highest peak on the Baja California peninsula, measuring . It is alternately called , meaning 'Hill of the Enchanted' or 'Hill of the Bewitched'. The peak is located in the Sierra de San Pedro Mártir, a part of the Peni ...
, the highest point of the peninsula, is located. This mountain range effectively divides the weather patterns in the state. In the northwest, the weather is semi-dry and
Mediterranean
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the e ...
. In the narrow center, the weather changes to be more humid due to altitude. It is in this area where a few valleys can be found, such as the
Valle de Guadalupe
The Valle de Guadalupe (Guadalupe Valley) is an area of Ensenada Municipality, Baja California, Mexico that is an increasingly popular tourist destination for wine and Baja Med cuisine. It is located north of the City of Ensenada and southeas ...
, the major wine-producing area in Mexico. To the east of the mountain range, the
Sonoran Desert
The Sonoran Desert ( es, Desierto de Sonora) is a desert in North America and ecoregion that covers the northwestern Mexican states of Sonora, Baja California, and Baja California Sur, as well as part of the southwestern United States (in Arizona ...
dominates the landscape. In the south, the weather becomes drier and gives way to the
Vizcaíno Desert
Vizcaíno may refer to:
*Biscayne (ethnonym), an ethnonym in use in Spanish between the Renaissance and 19th century, meaning a Basque speaking person
Places
*Key Biscayne, originally Cayo Vizcaíno, an island in Florida, USA
*Sebastián Vizcaín ...
. The state is also home to numerous islands off both of its shores. Baja California is also home to
Guadalupe Island
Guadalupe Island ( es, Isla Guadalupe, link=no) is a volcanic island located off the western coast of Mexico's Baja California Peninsula and about southwest of the city of Ensenada in the state of Baja California, in the Pacific Ocean. The ...
, the westernmost point of Mexico. The
Coronado Islands
The Coronado Islands (''Islas Coronado'' or ''Islas Coronados''; en, Islands of the Coronation(s); Kumeyaay: Mat hasil ewik kakap) are a group of islands located off the northwest coast of the Mexican state of Baja California. Battered by the ...
,
Todos Santos islands, and
Cedros Island
Cedros Island (''Isla de Cedros'', "island of cedars" in Spanish) is an island in the Pacific Ocean belonging to the state of Baja California, Mexico. The dry and rocky island had a population of 1,350 in 2005 and has an area of which includes ...
are also on the Pacific shore. On the Gulf of California, the largest island is
Angel de la Guarda Island
In various theistic religious traditions an angel is a supernatural spiritual being who serves God.
Abrahamic religions often depict angels as benevolent celestial intermediaries between God (or Heaven) and humanity. Other roles include ...
, separated from the peninsula by the deep and narrow
Canal de Ballenas
The Ballenas Fault is a transform fault located on the seabed of the Gulf of California, extending through the Canal de Ballenas which separates the Isla Ángel de la Guarda from the Baja California Peninsula. The fault is an integral part of th ...
.
History
Prehistory and Spanish colonial era
The first people came to the peninsula at least 11,000 years ago. At that time, two main native groups are thought to have been present on the peninsula – the
Cochimí
The Cochimí were the indigenous inhabitants of the central part of the Baja California peninsula, from El Rosario in the north to San Javier in the south. Information on Cochimí customs and beliefs has been preserved in the brief observati ...
in the south, and several groups belonging to the
Yuman language family
The Quechan (or Yuma) (Quechan language, Quechan: ''Kwatsáan'' 'those who descended') are a Native Americans in the United States, Native American tribe who live on the Fort Yuma Indian Reservation on the lower Colorado River in Arizona and ...
in the north, including the
Kiliwa,
Paipai,
Kumeyaay
The Kumeyaay, also known as Tipai-Ipai or by their historical Spanish name Diegueño, is a tribe of Indigenous peoples of the Americas who live at the northern border of Baja California in Mexico and the southern border of California in the Unit ...
,
Cocopa
The Cocopah (Cocopah language, Cocopah: Xawitt Kwñchawaay) are Indigenous peoples of the Americas, Native Americans who live in Baja California (state), Baja California, Mexico, and Arizona, United States.
In the United States, Cocopah peop ...
, and
Quechan
The Quechan (or Yuma) (Quechan: ''Kwatsáan'' 'those who descended') are a Native American tribe who live on the Fort Yuma Indian Reservation on the lower Colorado River in Arizona and California just north of the Mexican border. Despite the ...
. These peoples were diverse in their adaptations to the region. The Cochimí of the peninsula's Central Desert were generalized hunter-gatherers who moved frequently; however, the Cochimí on Cedros Island off the west coast developed a strong maritime economy. The Kiliwa, Paipai, and Kumeyaay in the better-watered northwest were also hunter-gatherers, but that region supported denser populations and a more sedentary lifestyle. The Cocopa and Quechan of northeastern Baja California practiced agriculture in the floodplain of the lower
Colorado River
The Colorado River ( es, Río Colorado) is one of the principal rivers (along with the Rio Grande) in the Southwestern United States and northern Mexico. The river drains an expansive, arid drainage basin, watershed that encompasses parts of ...
.
Another group of people was the Guachimis, who came from the north and created much of the
UNESCO World Heritage
A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...
-recognized
Sierra de Guadalupe cave paintings
The Sierra de Guadalupe cave paintings are a series of prehistoric rock art pictographs near Rancho La Trinidad, Mulegé in Baja California Sur, Mexico
Mexico (Spanish language, Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a ...
. Not much is known about them except that they lived in the area between 100BC and 1300AD.
Europeans reached the present state of Baja California in 1539, when
Francisco de Ulloa
Francisco de Ulloa () (died 1540) was a Spanish explorer who explored the west coast of present-day Mexico and the Baja California Peninsula under the commission of Hernán Cortés. Ulloa's voyage was among the first to disprove the cartograph ...
reconnoitered its east coast on the Gulf of California and explored the peninsula's west coast at least as far north as Cedros Island.
Hernando de Alarcón
Hernando de Alarcón (born 1500) was a Spanish explorer and navigator of the 16th century, noted for having led an early expedition to the Baja California Peninsula, during which he became one of the first Europeans to ascend the Colorado River ...
returned to the east coast and ascended the lower Colorado River in 1540, and
Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo
Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo ( pt, João Rodrigues Cabrilho; c. 1499 – January 3, 1543) was an Iberian maritime explorer best known for investigations of the West Coast of North America, undertaken on behalf of the Spanish Empire. He was the firs ...
(or João Rodrigues Cabrilho ) completed the reconnaissance of the west coast in 1542.
Sebastián Vizcaíno
Sebastián Vizcaíno (1548–1624) was a Spanish soldier, entrepreneur, explorer, and diplomat whose varied roles took him to New Spain, the Baja California peninsula, the California coast and Asia.
Early career
Vizcaíno was born in 154 ...
again surveyed the west coast in 1602, but outside visitors during the following century were few.
The
Jesuits
The Society of Jesus ( la, Societas Iesu; abbreviation: SJ), also known as the Jesuits (; la, Iesuitæ), is a religious order (Catholic), religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rom ...
founded a permanent mission colony on the peninsula at
Loreto in 1697. During the following decades, they gradually extended their sway throughout the present state of Baja California Sur. In 1751–1753, the Croatian Jesuit mission-explorer
Ferdinand Konščak
Fernando Consag, known in his native Croatian as Ferdinand Konščak (December 2, 1703 – September 10, 1759), was a Croatian Jesuit missionary, explorer and cartographer, who spent most of his life in Mexico, in Baja California.
Education
Con ...
made overland explorations northward into the state of Baja California. Jesuit missions were subsequently established among the Cochimí at
Santa Gertrudis (1752),
San Borja (1762), and
Santa María (1767).
After the
expulsion of the Jesuits
The suppression of the Jesuits was the removal of all members of the Society of Jesus from most of the countries of Western Europe and their colonies beginning in 1759, and the abolishment of the order by the Holy See in 1773. The Jesuits were ...
in 1768, the short-lived
Franciscan
The Franciscans are a group of related Mendicant orders, mendicant Christianity, Christian Catholic religious order, religious orders within the Catholic Church. Founded in 1209 by Italian Catholic friar Francis of Assisi, these orders include t ...
administration (1768–1773) resulted in one new mission at
San Fernando Velicatá. More importantly, the 1769 expedition to settle Alta California under
Gaspar de Portolà
Gaspar is a given and/or surname of French, German, Portuguese, and Spanish origin, cognate to Casper (given name) or Casper (surname).
It is a name of biblical origin, per Saint Gaspar, one of the wise men mentioned in the Bible.
Notable peo ...
and
Junípero Serra
Junípero Serra y Ferrer (; ; ca, Juníper Serra i Ferrer; November 24, 1713August 28, 1784) was a Spanish Roman Catholic priest and missionary of the Franciscan Order
, image = FrancescoCoA PioM.svg
, image_size ...
resulted in the first overland exploration of the northwestern portion of the state.
![Limites de las Californias](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1c/Limites_de_las_Californias.jpg)
The
Dominicans took over management of the Baja California missions from the Franciscans in 1773. They established a chain of new missions among the northern Cochimí and western Yumans, first on the coast and subsequently inland, extending from
El Rosario (1774) to
Descanso Descanso may refer to:
* Descanso (roadside memorial)
* ''Descanso'' (spider), a genus of jumping spider
* Descanso, California, an unincorporated community in the United States
* Descanso, Santa Catarina, a town and municipality in Brazil
* Des ...
(1817), just south of Tijuana below the
Palóu Line
The Palóu Line was the boundary between Alta California and Baja California, demarcated by Franciscan missionary, Francisco Palóu to distinguish Franciscan and Dominican areas of mission control during the Spanish colonial era.Hendry, George W. ...
.
In 1804, the Spanish crown divided California into
Alta ('Upper') and
Baja ('Lower') California at the line separating the
Franciscan
The Franciscans are a group of related Mendicant orders, mendicant Christianity, Christian Catholic religious order, religious orders within the Catholic Church. Founded in 1209 by Italian Catholic friar Francis of Assisi, these orders include t ...
missions in the north from the
Dominican missions in the south.
The colonial governors were José Joaquín de Arillaga (1804–1805),
Felipe de Goicoechea Don (honorific), Don Felipe Antonio de Goicoechea was born in 1747 in Cosalá, Sinaloa, Mexico. He joined the Spanish military at age 35 as a cadet. In June 1782, was promoted to alférez. In 1783 while serving in the presidial company of Buenavist ...
(1806–1814),
and
José Darío Argüello
José Darío Argüello (1753–1828) was a Querétaro-born Californio politician, soldier, and ranchero. He served as interim Governor of Alta California and then a term as Governor of Baja California.
Biography
José Darío Argüello was born ...
(1814April 11, 1822).
Post-independence, 1821–present
Early republic
Mexican liberals were concerned that the
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
retained too much power in the post-independence period and sought to undermine it by mandating the
secularization of missions in 1833. In the aftermath of the
Mexican American War
Mexican may refer to:
Mexico and its culture
*Being related to, from, or connected to the country of Mexico, in North America
** People
*** Mexicans, inhabitants of the country Mexico and their descendants
*** Mexica, ancient indigenous people ...
(1846–1848) and the
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo ( es, Tratado de Guadalupe Hidalgo), officially the Treaty of Peace, Friendship, Limits, and Settlement between the United States of America and the United Mexican States, is the peace treaty that was signed on 2 ...
, the United States gained sovereignty over territory previously held first by
New Spain
New Spain, officially the Viceroyalty of New Spain ( es, Virreinato de Nueva España, ), or Kingdom of New Spain, was an integral territorial entity of the Spanish Empire, established by Habsburg Spain during the Spanish colonization of the Am ...
and then Mexico, most of which was sparsely settled. Alta California was incorporated into the U.S., and during the
California Gold Rush
The California Gold Rush (1848–1855) was a gold rush that began on January 24, 1848, when gold was found by James W. Marshall at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California. The news of gold brought approximately 300,000 people to California fro ...
, quickly gained enough population to be admitted to the union as a state. Baja California gains control of where is now the cities of
Tijuana
Tijuana ( ,["Tijuana"](_blank)
(US) and [< ...]
,
Mexicali
Mexicali (; ) is the capital city of the Mexican state of Baja California. The city, seat of the Mexicali Municipality, has a population of 689,775, according to the 2010 census, while the Calexico–Mexicali metropolitan area is home to 1,000, ...
, and
Tecate
Tecate () is a city in Tecate Municipality, Baja California. It is across the Mexico-US border from Tecate, California. As of 2019, the city had a population of 108,860 inhabitants, while the metropolitan area has a population of 132,406 inha ...
from Alta California after the treaty and remained under Mexican control. In 1853, soldier of fortune (
mercenary
A mercenary, sometimes also known as a soldier of fortune or hired gun, is a private individual, particularly a soldier, that joins a military conflict for personal profit, is otherwise an outsider to the conflict, and is not a member of any o ...
)
William Walker William Walker may refer to:
Arts
* William Walker (engraver) (1791–1867), mezzotint engraver of portrait of Robert Burns
* William Sidney Walker (1795–1846), English Shakespearean critic
* William Walker (composer) (1809–1875), American Ba ...
captured
La Paz
La Paz (), officially known as Nuestra Señora de La Paz (Spanish pronunciation: ), is the seat of government of the Bolivia, Plurinational State of Bolivia. With an estimated 816,044 residents as of 2020, La Paz is the List of Bolivian cities ...
, declaring himself president of the
Republic of Baja California
The Republic of Baja California was a proposed state from 1853 to 1854, after American private military leader William Walker failed to invade Sonora from Arizona. Walker wanted to appropriate Sonora, and his claims had both the support of tycoo ...
. The Mexican government forced his retreat after several months.
Era of Porfirio Díaz
When liberal army general
Porfirio Díaz
José de la Cruz Porfirio Díaz Mori ( or ; ; 15 September 1830 – 2 July 1915), known as Porfirio Díaz, was a Mexican general and politician who served seven terms as President of Mexico, a total of 31 years, from 28 November 1876 to 6 Decem ...
came to power in 1876, he embarked on a major program to develop and modernize Mexico.
*1884: Luis Huller and
George H. Sisson
George H. Sisson was a nineteenth-century American entrepreneur. He was born in Michigan, and was an early real estate developer in Chicago. He was a mining engineer in Arizona, and with his profits from that operation, purchased a large land co ...
obtain a concession covering much of the present state in return for promises to develop the area.
*1905: The ''
Magonista
Magonism ( es, Magonismo) is an anarchist, or more precisely anarcho-communist, school of thought precursor of the Mexican Revolution of 1910. It is mainly based on the ideas of Ricardo Flores Magón, his brothers Enrique and Jesús, and also ot ...
'' revolution, an
anarchist
Anarchism is a political philosophy and movement that is skeptical of all justifications for authority and seeks to abolish the institutions it claims maintain unnecessary coercion and hierarchy, typically including, though not neces ...
movement based on the writings of
Ricardo Flores Magón
Cipriano Ricardo Flores Magón (, known as Ricardo Flores Magón; September 16, 1874 – November 21, 1922) was a noted Mexican anarchist and social reform activist. His brothers Enrique and Jesús were also active in politics. Followers of ...
and
Enrique Flores Magón
Enrique Flores Magón (13 April 1877 – 28 October 1954) was a Mexican journalist and politician, associated with the Mexican Liberal Party and anarchism. His name is most frequently linked with that of his elder brother, Ricardo Flores Magón, ...
, begins.
*1911: Mexicali and Tijuana are captured by the
Mexican Liberal Party
The Mexican Liberal Party (PLM; es, Partido Liberal Mexicano) was started in August 1900 when engineer Camilo Arriaga published a manifesto entitled ''Invitacion al Partido Liberal'' (Invitation to the Liberal Party). The invitation was addr ...
(, PLM), but soon surrender to Federal forces.
Postrevolutionary Mexico
*1917: On 11 December, "
prominent Mexican, close friend of President
Carranza" offered to
U.S. Senator
The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States.
The composition and powe ...
Henry Ashurst to sell Baja California to the U.S. for "fifty million dollars gold".
*1931: Baja California is further divided into Northern and Southern territories.
*1952: The ''North Territory of Baja California'' becomes the 29th state of
Mexico
Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
, Baja California. The southern portion (below 28°N) remains a federally administered territory.
*1974: The ''South Territory of Baja California'' becomes the 31st state, Baja California Sur.
*1989:
Ernesto Ruffo Appel
Ernesto Ruffo Appel (born 25 June 1952) is a Mexican politician, who served as the 10th Governor of Baja California from 1989 to 1995. A member of the National Action Party (PAN), Ruffo was the first state governor not affiliated with the ruling ...
of the
National Action Party (PAN) becomes the first non-
Institutional Revolutionary Party
The Institutional Revolutionary Party ( es, Partido Revolucionario Institucional, ; abbr. PRI) is a political party in Mexico that was founded in 1929 and held uninterrupted power in the country for 71 years, from 1929 to 2000, first as the Nati ...
governor of Baja California and the first opposition governor of any state since the
Revolution
In political science, a revolution (Latin: ''revolutio'', "a turn around") is a fundamental and relatively sudden change in political power and political organization which occurs when the population revolts against the government, typically due ...
.
Geography
![Devils-Peak Sierra-SanPedroMartir BajaCalifornia Mexico](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/61/Devils-Peak_Sierra-SanPedroMartir_BajaCalifornia_Mexico.jpg)
Baja California encompasses a territory within
the Californias
The Californias (Spanish: ''Las Californias''), occasionally known as The Three Californias or Two Californias, are a region of North America spanning the United States and Mexico, consisting of the U.S. state of California and the Mexican stat ...
region of North America, which exhibits diverse geography for a relatively small area. The
Peninsular ranges
The Peninsular Ranges (also called the Lower California province) are a group of mountain ranges that stretch from Southern California to the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula; they are part of the North American Coast Ranges, which ...
of the California cordillera run down the geographic center of the state. The most notable ranges of these mountains are the
Sierra de Juárez
The Sierra de Juárez, also known as the Sierra Juarez, is a mountain range located in Tecate Municipality and northern Ensenada Municipality, within the northern Baja California state of northwestern Mexico.
It is a major mountain range in the ...
and the
Sierra de San Pedro Mártir
Sierra de San Pedro Mártir ( Kiliwa: ʔxaal haq, en, mountains of Saint Peter the Martyr) is a mountain range located within southern Ensenada Municipality and southern Baja California state, of northwestern Mexico.
It is a major mountain ran ...
. These ranges are the location of forests reminiscent of
Southern California
Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and Cultural area, cultural region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. It includes the Los Angeles metropolitan area, the second most po ...
's
San Gabriel Mountains
The San Gabriel Mountains ( es, Sierra de San Gabriel) are a mountain range located in northern Los Angeles County, California, Los Angeles County and western San Bernardino County, California, United States. The mountain range is part of the Tr ...
. Picacho del Diablo is the highest peak on the peninsula. Valleys between the mountain ranges are located within a climate zone that is suitable for agriculture. Such valleys include the Valle de Guadalupe and the Valle de Ojos Negros, areas that produce citrus fruits and grapes. The mineral-rich mountain range extends southwards to the Gulf of California, where the western slope becomes wider, forming the Llanos del Berrendo on the border with Baja California Sur. The mountain ranges located in the center and southern part of the state include the
Sierra de La Asamblea
The Sierra de La Asamblea, also referred to as San Luis, Sierra de Yuba, or Sierra de Jubai, is an isolated mountain range in Baja California. The range reaches a height of 1,661 metres, and is separated from southernmost end of the Sierra de San ...
, Sierra de Calamajué, Sierra de San Luis and the
Sierra de San Borja
The Sierra de San Borja, also known as Sierra La Libertad is a mountain range on the Baja California Peninsula of Mexico. It is one of the Peninsular Ranges which form the backbone of Baja California. The Sierra de San Borja is located betwe ...
.
![Baja coast](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4a/Baja_coast.jpg)
Temperate winds from the Pacific Ocean and the cold
California Current
The California Current is a cold water Pacific Ocean current that moves southward along the western coast of North America, beginning off southern British Columbia and ending off southern Baja California Sur. It is considered an Eastern boundary ...
make the climate along the northwestern coast pleasant year-round. As a result of the state's location on the California Current, rains from the north barely reach the peninsula, thus leaving southern areas drier. South of the
El Rosario River, the state changes from a Mediterranean landscape to a desert one. This desert exhibits diverse
succulent
In botany, succulent plants, also known as succulents, are plants with parts that are thickened, fleshy, and engorged, usually to retain water in arid climates or soil conditions. The word ''succulent'' comes from the Latin word ''sucus'', meani ...
species that flourish in part due to the
coastal fog
Fog is a visible aerosol consisting of tiny water droplets or ice crystals suspended in the air at or near the Earth's surface. Reprint from Fog can be considered a type of low-lying cloud usually resembling stratus, and is heavily influe ...
.
To the east, the Sonoran Desert enters the state from both California and Sonora. Some of the highest temperatures in Mexico are recorded in or nearby the Mexicali Valley.
[Delta in the northeast recorded on 3 August 1998.] However, with irrigation from the Colorado River, this area has become a true
agricultural center. The
Cerro Prieto
Cerro Prieto ( coc, Wee Ñaay, eng, "Black Hill") is a volcano located approximately 29 km (18 mi) SSE of Mexicali in the Mexican state of Baja California. The volcano lies astride a spreading center associated with the East Pacific R ...
geothermal province is near Mexicali as well (this area is geologically part of a large
pull apart basin
In geology, a basin is a region where subsidence generates accommodation space for the deposition of sediments. A pull-apart basin is a structural basin where two overlapping (en echelon) strike-slip faults or a fault bend creates an area of ...
); it produces about 80% of the electricity consumed in the state and enough additional power to export to California.
Laguna Salada
Laguna Salada (, ''Salt Lake'') is a municipality (''municipio'') of the Valverde province in the Dominican Republic. Within the municipality there are three municipal districts (''distritos municipal''): Cruce de Guayacanes, Jaibón and La ...
, a saline lake below sea level lying between the rugged Sierra de Juárez and the Sierra de los Cucapah, is also in the vicinity of Mexicali. The state government has recently been considering plans to revive Laguna Salada.
[The state is currently (2008) looking at a plan by ]SDSU
San Diego State University (SDSU) is a public research university in San Diego, California. Founded in 1897 as San Diego Normal School, it is the third-oldest university and southernmost in the 23-member California State University (CSU) system ...
Adj. Professor Newcomb (ICATS) to do this using his geothermal desalination system to supply water locally. SEMARNAT
The Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources (in Spanish: ''Secretaría del Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales, SEMARNAT'') is Mexico's environment ministry. Its head, the Secretary of the Environment and Natural Resources, is a member ...
believes this to be the first viable plan presented. The highest mountain in the Sierra de los Cucapah is Cerro del Centinela or
Mount Signal
Mount Signal is a mountain west of Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico, on Mexican Federal Highway 2. The peak is also known as "Weeishpa" by the native community Kumiai or "Cerro del Centinela" or simply: El Centinela (the sentinel) by the Mexica ...
. The Cucapah are the primary indigenous people from the mountains north to
Yuma, Arizona
Yuma ( coc, Yuum) is a city in and the county seat of Yuma County, Arizona, United States. The city's population was 93,064 at the 2010 census, up from the 2000 census population of 77,515.
Yuma is the principal city of the Yuma, Arizona, M ...
.
![Ensenada Grande](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a3/Ensenada_Grande.jpg)
There are numerous islands on the Pacific shore. Guadalupe Island is located in the extreme west of the state's boundaries and is the site of large colonies of
sea lion
Sea lions are pinnipeds characterized by external ear flaps, long foreflippers, the ability to walk on all fours, short and thick hair, and a big chest and belly. Together with the fur seals, they make up the family Otariidae, eared seals. ...
s. Cedros Island exists in the southwest of the state's maritime region. The Todos Santos islands and Coronado Islands are located off the coasts of Ensenada and Tijuana, respectively. All of the islands in the Gulf of California on the Baja California side belong to the municipality of Mexicali.
Baja California obtains much of its water from the Colorado River. Historically, the river drained into the
Colorado River Delta
The Colorado River Delta is the region where the Colorado River flows into the Gulf of California (also known as the Sea of Cortez) in eastern Mexicali Municipality in the north of the state of Baja California in northwesternmost Mexico. The d ...
and then flowed into the Gulf of California, but due to large demands for water in the
American Southwest
The Southwestern United States, also known as the American Southwest or simply the Southwest, is a geographic and cultural region of the United States that generally includes Arizona, New Mexico, and adjacent portions of California, Colorado, N ...
, less water now reaches the Gulf. The
Tijuana metropolitan area
The Tijuana metropolitan area, and in Spanish the Zona Metropolitana de Tijuana, is located by the Pacific Ocean in Mexico. The 2010 census placed the Tijuana metropolitan area as the fifth largest city by population in the country with 1,751,3 ...
also relies on the
Tijuana River
, name_etymology =
, image = Presa Tij 1.jpg
, image_size =
, image_caption = Dam on the Tijuana River in Mexico.
, map = Tijuana River Basin.svg
, map_size = 250
, map_caption ...
as a source of water. Much of rural Baja California depends predominantly on wells, a few dams and even oases. Tijuana also purchases water from San Diego County's Otay Water District. Potable water is the largest natural resource issue of the state.
Climate
![Carignan vineyard](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c5/Carignan_vineyard.jpg)
Baja California's climate varies from
Mediterranean
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the e ...
to
arid
A region is arid when it severely lacks available water, to the extent of hindering or preventing the growth and development of plant and animal life. Regions with arid climates tend to lack vegetation and are called xeric or desertic. Most ar ...
. The Mediterranean climate is found in the northwestern corner of the state, where the summers are dry and mild and the winters cool and rainy. This climate is observed in areas from Tijuana to
San Quintín and nearby interior valleys. The cold oceanic California Current often creates a low-level marine fog near the coast. The fog occurs along any part of the Pacific coast of the state.
![Paisaje con nieve](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/df/Paisaje_con_nieve.jpg)
The change of altitude towards the Sierra de Baja California creates an
alpine climate
Alpine climate is the typical weather (climate) for elevations above the tree line, where trees fail to grow due to cold. This climate is also referred to as a mountain climate or highland climate.
Definition
There are multiple definitions of ...
in this region. Summers are cool, while winters can be cold with below freezing temperatures at night. It is common to see snow in the Sierra de Juárez, Sierra de San Pedro Mártir and in the valleys in between the two ranges from December to April. Due to
orographic
Orography is the study of the topographic relief of mountains, and can more broadly include hills, and any part of a region's elevated terrain. Orography (also known as ''oreography'', ''orology'' or ''oreology'') falls within the broader discipl ...
effects, precipitation is much higher in the mountains of northern Baja California than on the western coastal plain or eastern desert plain. Pine, cedar and fir forests are found in the mountains.
The east side of the mountains produces a
rain shadow
A rain shadow is an area of significantly reduced rainfall behind a mountainous region, on the side facing away from prevailing winds, known as its leeward side.
Evaporated moisture from water bodies (such as oceans and large lakes) is carrie ...
, creating an extremely arid environment. The Sonoran Desert region of Baja California experiences hot summers and nearly frostless mild winters. The Mexicali Valley (which is below sea level) experiences the highest temperatures in Mexico, frequently surpassing in mid-summer, and exceeding on some occasions.
Further south along the Pacific coast, the Mediterranean climate transitions into a desert climate, but it is milder and not as hot as along the gulf coast. Transition climates, from Mediterranean to desert, can be found from San Quintín to
El Rosario. Further inland and along the Gulf of California, the vegetation is scarce and temperatures are very high during the summer months. The islands in the Gulf of California also have a desert climate. Some oases can be found in the desert where few towns are located – for instance,
Catavina, San Borja and Santa Gertrudis.
Flora and fauna
Common trees are the
Jeffrey pine
''Pinus jeffreyi'', also known as Jeffrey pine, Jeffrey's pine, yellow pine and black pine, is a North American pine tree. It is mainly found in California, but also in the westernmost part of Nevada, southwestern Oregon, and northern Baja Califo ...
,
sugar pine
''Pinus lambertiana'' (commonly known as the sugar pine or sugar cone pine) is the tallest and most massive pine tree, and has the longest cones of any conifer. The species name ''lambertiana'' was given by the Scottish botanist David Douglas, ...
and
pinon pine
The pinyon or piñon pine group grows in southwestern North America, especially in New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah. The trees yield edible nuts, which are a staple food of Native Americans, and widely eaten as a snack and as an ingredient in New ...
.
Understory
In forestry and ecology, understory (American English), or understorey (Commonwealth English), also known as underbrush or undergrowth, includes plant life growing beneath the forest canopy without penetrating it to any great extent, but abov ...
species include
manzanita
Manzanita is a common name for many species of the genus ''Arctostaphylos''. They are evergreen shrubs or small trees present in the chaparral biome of western North America, where they occur from Southern British Columbia and Washington to Or ...
. There is a variety of reptiles, including the
Western fence lizard
The western fence lizard (''Sceloporus occidentalis'') is a common lizard of Arizona, New Mexico, California, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington (state), Washington, Northern Mexico, and the surrounding area. As the ventral abdomen of an ad ...
, which is at the southern extent of its range. The name of the fish genus ''
Bajacalifornia
''Bajacalifornia'' is a genus of slickheads. It was described in 1925 by Charles Haskins Townsend and John Treadwell Nichols on the basis of ''Bajacalifornia burragei''Deep sea fishes of the ''Albatross'' Lower California Expedition. Bulletin o ...
'' is derived from the Baja California peninsula.
In the main wildlife refuges on the peninsula of Baja California,
Constitution 1857 National Park
Constitution 1857 National Park is located in the pine forests of the Sierra de Juárez mountain range in the northern part of Baja California, Mexico. The park is an important preserve for many native wild animals like bighorn sheep and mule dee ...
and
Sierra de San Pedro Mártir National Park
Sierra de San Pedro Mártir National Park is a national park in the Mexican state of Baja California. The Park is part of the municipality of Ensenada, Baja California. The area was first explored by Europeans in 1701 by Eusebio Francisco Ki ...
, several coniferous species can be found. The most abundant are Jeffrey pine, ''
Pinus ponderosa
''Pinus ponderosa'', commonly known as the ponderosa pine, bull pine, blackjack pine, western yellow-pine, or filipinus pine is a very large pine tree species of variable habitat native to mountainous regions of western North America. It is the ...
'', ''
Pinus cembroides
''Pinus cembroides'', also known as pinyon pine, Mexican pinyon, Mexican nut pine, and Mexican stone pine, is a pine in the pinyon pine group, native to western North America. It grows in areas with low levels of rainfall and its range extends so ...
'', ''
Pinus quadrifolia
''Pinus quadrifolia'', the Parry pinyon, is a pine
A pine is any conifer tree or shrub in the genus ''Pinus'' () of the family Pinaceae. ''Pinus'' is the sole genus in the subfamily Pinoideae. The World Flora Online created by the Royal Bo ...
'', ''
Pinus monophylla
''Pinus monophylla'', the single-leaf pinyon, (alternatively spelled piñon) is a pine in the pinyon pine group, native to North America. The range is in southernmost Idaho, western Utah, Arizona, southwest New Mexico, Nevada, eastern and souther ...
'', ''
Juniperus
Junipers are coniferous trees and shrubs in the genus ''Juniperus'' () of the cypress family Cupressaceae. Depending on the taxonomy, between 50 and 67 species of junipers are widely distributed throughout the Northern Hemisphere, from the Arcti ...
'',
''Arctostaphylos pringlei'' subsp. ''drupacea'', ''
Artemisia ludoviciana
''Artemisia ludoviciana'' is a North American species of flowering plant in the daisy family Asteraceae, known by several common names, including silver wormwood, western mugwort, Louisiana wormwood, white sagebrush, lobed cud-weed, and gray sag ...
'' and ''
Adenostoma sparsifolium
''Adenostoma sparsifolium'', commonly known as redshanks or less commonly, ribbonwood or ribbon bush, is a multi-trunked tree or shrub native to dry slopes or chaparral of Southern California and northern Baja California.
Description
Shaggy fall ...
''. Baja California shares many plant species with the
Laguna Mountains
The Laguna Mountains are a mountain range of the Peninsular Ranges System in eastern San Diego County, southern California. The mountains run in a northwest/southeast alignment for approximately .
The mountains have long been inhabited by the i ...
and
San Jacinto Mountains
The San Jacinto Mountains (''Avii Hanupach''Munro, P., et al. ''A Mojave Dictionary''. Los Angeles: UCLA. 1992. in Mojave) are a mountain range in Riverside County, located east of Los Angeles in southern California in the United States. The mou ...
in southwest California. The lower elevations of the Sierra de Juárez are characterized by
chaparral
Chaparral ( ) is a shrubland plant community and geographical feature found primarily in the U.S. state of California, in southern Oregon, and in the northern portion of the Baja California Peninsula in Mexico. It is shaped by a Mediterranean c ...
and
desert shrub
Deserts and xeric shrublands are a biome defined by the World Wide Fund for Nature. Deserts and xeric (ancient Greek xērós, “dry") shrublands form the largest terrestrial biome, covering 19% of Earth's land surface area. Ecoregions in this ...
.
Guadalupe Island
Guadalupe Island ( es, Isla Guadalupe, link=no) is a volcanic island located off the western coast of Mexico's Baja California Peninsula and about southwest of the city of Ensenada in the state of Baja California, in the Pacific Ocean. The ...
and its surrounding waters, off the Pacific coast, has been designated the
Guadalupe Island Biosphere Reserve
The Guadalupe Island Biosphere Reserve, (Reserva de la Biosfera Isla Guadalupe in Spanish language, Spanish), is located in the Pacific Ocean and is part of Baja California state of Mexico. The Reserve consists of Guadalupe Island and several sm ...
to preserve endangered marine and terrestrial species of animals and plants.
The fauna in the parks include a large number of mammals, primarily
mule deer
The mule deer (''Odocoileus hemionus'') is a deer indigenous to western North America; it is named for its ears, which are large like those of the mule. Two subspecies of mule deer are grouped into the black-tailed deer.
Unlike the related whit ...
,
bighorn sheep
The bighorn sheep (''Ovis canadensis'') is a species of sheep native to North America. It is named for its large horns. A pair of horns might weigh up to ; the sheep typically weigh up to . Recent genetic testing indicates three distinct subspec ...
,
cougar
The cougar (''Puma concolor'') is a large Felidae, cat native to the Americas. Its Species distribution, range spans from the Canadian Yukon to the southern Andes in South America and is the most widespread of any large wild terrestrial mamm ...
s,
bobcat
The bobcat (''Lynx rufus''), also known as the red lynx, is a medium-sized cat native to North America. It ranges from southern Canada through most of the contiguous United States to Oaxaca in Mexico. It is listed as Least Concern on the IUC ...
s,
ringtail cat
The ringtail (''Bassariscus astutus'') is a mammal of the raccoon family native to arid regions of North America. It is widely distributed and well adapted to disturbed areas. It has been legally trapped for its fur. It is listed as Least Conc ...
s,
coyote
The coyote (''Canis latrans'') is a species of canis, canine native to North America. It is smaller than its close relative, the wolf, and slightly smaller than the closely related eastern wolf and red wolf. It fills much of the same ecologica ...
s,
rabbit
Rabbits, also known as bunnies or bunny rabbits, are small mammals in the family Leporidae (which also contains the hares) of the order Lagomorpha (which also contains the pikas). ''Oryctolagus cuniculus'' includes the European rabbit speci ...
s,
squirrel
Squirrels are members of the family Sciuridae, a family that includes small or medium-size rodents. The squirrel family includes tree squirrels, ground squirrels (including chipmunks and prairie dogs, among others), and flying squirrels. Squ ...
s and more than 30 species of
bat
Bats are mammals of the order Chiroptera.''cheir'', "hand" and πτερόν''pteron'', "wing". With their forelimbs adapted as wings, they are the only mammals capable of true and sustained flight. Bats are more agile in flight than most bi ...
s. The park is also home to many avian species like
bald eagle
The bald eagle (''Haliaeetus leucocephalus'') is a bird of prey found in North America. A sea eagle, it has two known subspecies and forms a species pair with the white-tailed eagle (''Haliaeetus albicilla''), which occupies the same niche as ...
s,
golden eagle
The golden eagle (''Aquila chrysaetos'') is a bird of prey living in the Northern Hemisphere. It is the most widely distributed species of eagle. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. They are one of the best-known bird of p ...
s,
falcon
Falcons () are birds of prey in the genus ''Falco'', which includes about 40 species. Falcons are widely distributed on all continents of the world except Antarctica, though closely related raptors did occur there in the Eocene.
Adult falcons ...
s,
woodpecker
Woodpeckers are part of the bird family Picidae, which also includes the piculets, wrynecks, and sapsuckers. Members of this family are found worldwide, except for Australia, New Guinea, New Zealand, Madagascar, and the extreme polar regions. ...
s,
black vulture
The black vulture (''Coragyps atratus''), also known as the American black vulture, Mexican vulture, zopilote, urubu, or gallinazo, is a bird in the New World vulture family whose range extends from the northeastern United States to Peru, Cen ...
s,
crow
A crow is a bird of the genus ''Corvus'', or more broadly a synonym for all of ''Corvus''. Crows are generally black in colour. The word "crow" is used as part of the common name of many species. The related term "raven" is not pinned scientifical ...
s, and several species of
Sittidae
The nuthatches () constitute a genus, ''Sitta'', of small passerine birds belonging to the family Sittidae. Characterised by large heads, short tails, and powerful bills and feet, nuthatches advertise their territory using loud, simple songs. Mo ...
and
duck
Duck is the common name for numerous species of waterfowl in the family Anatidae. Ducks are generally smaller and shorter-necked than swans and geese, which are members of the same family. Divided among several subfamilies, they are a form t ...
.
2010 earthquakes
At 3:40:41 pm PDT on Easter Sunday, 4 April 2010, a 7.2 (on the
moment magnitude scale
The moment magnitude scale (MMS; denoted explicitly with or Mw, and generally implied with use of a single M for magnitude) is a measure of an earthquake's magnitude ("size" or strength) based on its seismic moment. It was defined in a 1979 pape ...
) magnitude northwest-trending
strike-slip earthquake
In geology, a fault is a planar fracture or discontinuity in a volume of rock across which there has been significant displacement as a result of rock-mass movements. Large faults within Earth's crust result from the action of plate tectonic ...
hit the
Mexicali Valley
Mexicali (; ) is the capital city of the States of Mexico, Mexican state of Baja California. The city, seat of the Mexicali Municipality, has a population of 689,775, according to the 2010 census, while the Calexico–Mexicali, Calexico–Mexical ...
, with its
epicenter
The epicenter, epicentre () or epicentrum in seismology is the point on the Earth's surface directly above a hypocenter or focus, the point where an earthquake or an underground explosion originates.
Surface damage
Before the instrumental pe ...
southwest of the city of
Guadalupe Victoria, Baja California
Guadalupe Victoria, also known as the 43, is a small city in the state of Baja California in northern Mexico. Its population at the 2018 census was 20,222 inhabitants. It is located in the municipality of Mexicali and serves as a borough seat of i ...
. The main shock was felt as far as the
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
,
Las Vegas
Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...
,
Phoenix
Phoenix most often refers to:
* Phoenix (mythology), a legendary bird from ancient Greek folklore
* Phoenix, Arizona, a city in the United States
Phoenix may also refer to:
Mythology
Greek mythological figures
* Phoenix (son of Amyntor), a ...
and
Tucson metropolitan area
, "(at the) base of the black ill
, nicknames = "The Old Pueblo", "Optics Valley", "America's biggest small town"
, image_map =
, mapsize = 260px
, map_caption = Interactive map ...
s, and in Yuma. At least a half-dozen
aftershock
In seismology, an aftershock is a smaller earthquake that follows a larger earthquake, in the same area of the main shock, caused as the displaced crust adjusts to the effects of the main shock. Large earthquakes can have hundreds to thousand ...
s with magnitudes between 5.0 and 5.4 were reported, including a 5.1-magnitude shaker at 4:14 am that was centered near
El Centro
El Centro (Spanish for "The Center") is a city and county seat of Imperial County, California, United States. El Centro is the largest city in the Imperial Valley, the east anchor of the Southern California Border Region, and the core urban are ...
. As of 6:31am PDT on 5 April 2010, two people were confirmed dead.
Government
![Bajacaliforniamapanuevo](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f3/Bajacaliforniamapanuevo.png)
Municipalities of Baja California
Baja California is subdivided into seven ''
municipios
' (, ) and ' () are country subdivisions in Italy and several Hispanophone and Lusophone nations, respectively. They are often translated as "municipality". In the English language, a municipality often is defined as relating to a single city or t ...
'' ('
municipalities
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...
'):
Ensenada,
Mexicali
Mexicali (; ) is the capital city of the Mexican state of Baja California. The city, seat of the Mexicali Municipality, has a population of 689,775, according to the 2010 census, while the Calexico–Mexicali metropolitan area is home to 1,000, ...
,
Tecate
Tecate () is a city in Tecate Municipality, Baja California. It is across the Mexico-US border from Tecate, California. As of 2019, the city had a population of 108,860 inhabitants, while the metropolitan area has a population of 132,406 inha ...
,
Tijuana
Tijuana ( ,["Tijuana"](_blank)
(US) and [< ...]
,
Rosarito
Rosarito is a coastal city in Playas de Rosarito Municipality, Baja California, situated on the Pacific Coast of Mexico. As of 2010, the city had a population of 65,278. Located south of the US-Mexico border, Rosarito is a part of the greater S ...
,
San Quintín and
San Felipe.
Politics
State elections
![Marina del Pilar](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ed/Marina_del_Pilar.jpg)
In Baja California, state elections are held every two years (every three years prior to 2019) for the positions of
state governor
A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political r ...
, 25 state deputies of the
Congress of Baja California
The Congress of the State of Baja California ( es, Congreso del Estado de Baja California) is the legislative branch of the government of the State of Baja California. The Congress is the governmental deliberative body of Baja California, which ...
, and 5 municipal mayors. Of the 25 state deputies, 17 are elected by relative majority in each of the electoral districts, while another 8 are elected by proportional representation. The 17 deputies elected by relative majority may be re-elected for up to four consecutive terms, while the other 8 deputies can only serve one term.
During the 2019 Baja California state election,
Jaime Bonilla Valdez
Jaime Bonilla Valdez (born 9 June 1950) is a Mexican politician and entrepreneur who served as the Governor of Baja California from 2019 to 2021. A member of the National Regeneration Movement party, he has been a Federal Congressman and a Sena ...
of the
Morena
Morena is the headquarter city of Morena district, in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It is governed by a municipality corporation. It is also the administrative headquarters of the Chambal division. It is from Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh.
G ...
-led
Juntos Hacemos Historia
Juntos Hacemos Historia ( en, Together We Make History) is a Mexican electoral alliance formed by the National Regeneration Movement (MORENA), the Labor Party (PT) and the Ecologist Green Party of Mexico (PVEM) to compete in the 2021 legislative ...
coalition won by a margin of 27.58% to become the governor of Baja California. In addition, 21 out of 25 state deputy positions and all 5 municipal mayoral positions were won by candidates aligned with the Juntos Hacemos Historia coalition.
During the 2021 Baja California state election,
Marina del Pilar Ávila Olmeda
Marina del Pilar Avila Olmeda (born 19 October 1985) is a Mexican lawyer, politician, and member of the ''National Regeneration Movement'' (MORENA) political party, currently serving as Governor of Baja California, she is the first woman a ...
of the Morena-led
Juntos Hacemos Historia
Juntos Hacemos Historia ( en, Together We Make History) is a Mexican electoral alliance formed by the National Regeneration Movement (MORENA), the Labor Party (PT) and the Ecologist Green Party of Mexico (PVEM) to compete in the 2021 legislative ...
coalition won by a margin of 17.49% to become the first female governor of Baja California. Of the state's 25 local deputies, 13 were won by Morena-aligned candidates, followed in a distant second place by candidates of the
Solidarity Encounter Party
The Solidarity Encounter Party ( es, Partido Encuentro Solidario, PES) was a political party in Mexico. The party president was Hugo Eric Flores Cervantes.
It was the functional replacement for the Social Encounter Party, a Christian-oriented, ...
(PES),
National Action Party (PAN), and
Labor Party (PT) with 3 seats each. All 5 municipal mayoral positions were again won by Morena-aligned candidates.
The next state elections are scheduled for
2023
Events
Predicted and scheduled events
* January 1
** In the United States, books, films, and other works published in 1927 will enter the public domain, assuming there are no changes made to copyright law.
** Croatia will adopt the eu ...
.
Federal elections
During the
2018 Mexican general election
General elections were held in Mexico on 1 July 2018. Voters elected a new President of Mexico to serve a six-year term, 128 members of the Senate for a period of six years and 500 members of the Chamber of Deputies for a period of three years. ...
, the presidential vote of Baja California was won by a landslide of almost 44% by
Andrés Manuel López Obrador
Andrés Manuel López Obrador (; born 13 November 1953), also known by his initials AMLO, is a Mexican politician who has been serving as the 65th president of Mexico since 1 December 2018. He previously served as Head of Government of Mexico ...
of the
Morena
Morena is the headquarter city of Morena district, in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It is governed by a municipality corporation. It is also the administrative headquarters of the Chambal division. It is from Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh.
G ...
party. Out of the 8 federal deputies representing Baja California in the
Mexican Chamber of Deputies, 5 were won by Morena candidates, 2 were won by
Social Encounter Party
Social Encounter Party ( es, Partido Encuentro Social, PES) was a Mexican conservative political party established on the national level in 2014 and dissolved in 2018. It was part of the coalition ''Juntos Haremos Historia'' with the National R ...
candidates, and 1 was won by a
Labor Party candidate. The next Mexican general election is scheduled for
2024
Predicted and scheduled events
* January 1
** In the United States, books, films, and other works published in 1928 will enter the public domain, assuming there are no changes made to copyright law.
***''Steamboat Willie'', Walt Disney's fi ...
.
During the
2021 Mexican legislative election
Legislative elections were held in Mexico on 6 June 2021. Voters elected 500 deputies (300 in single-member constituencies by first-past-the-post, 200 by proportional representation) to sit in the Chamber of Deputies for the 65th Congress.
On 5 ...
, six of the eight federal deputies representing Baja California in the
Mexican Chamber of Deputies were won by
Morena
Morena is the headquarter city of Morena district, in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It is governed by a municipality corporation. It is also the administrative headquarters of the Chambal division. It is from Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh.
G ...
candidates, with the other two being won by candidates of the
Labor
Labour or labor may refer to:
* Childbirth, the delivery of a baby
* Labour (human activity), or work
** Manual labour, physical work
** Wage labour, a socioeconomic relationship between a worker and an employer
** Organized labour and the labour ...
and
Ecologist Green parties. The next legislative elections are scheduled for
2024
Predicted and scheduled events
* January 1
** In the United States, books, films, and other works published in 1928 will enter the public domain, assuming there are no changes made to copyright law.
***''Steamboat Willie'', Walt Disney's fi ...
.
Demographics
![Pioneros - panoramio](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/06/Pioneros_-_panoramio.jpg)
Although the state is more European in ancestry, it has historically seen sizable East and Southeast Asian immigrant population. Mexicali has a large Chinese community, as well as many
Filipinos
Filipinos ( tl, Mga Pilipino) are the people who are citizens of or native to the Philippines. The majority of Filipinos today come from various Austronesian ethnolinguistic groups, all typically speaking either Filipino, English and/or othe ...
who arrived to the state during the eras of Spanish Philippines and American rule (1898–1946) in much of the 19th and 20th centuries. Tijuana and Ensenada were major ports of entry for East Asians entering the U.S. ever since the first
Asian American
Asian Americans are Americans of Asian ancestry (including naturalized Americans who are immigrants from specific regions in Asia and descendants of such immigrants). Although this term had historically been used for all the indigenous people ...
s were present in California.
According to the 2020 Census, 1.71% of Baja California's population identified as Black,
Afro-Mexican
Afro-Mexicans ( es, afromexicanos), also known as Black Mexicans ( es, mexicanos negros), are Mexicans who have heritage from sub-Saharan Africa and identify as such. As a single population, Afro-Mexicans include individuals descended from both ...
, or of African descent.
Since 1960, large numbers of migrants from southern Mexican states have arrived to work in agriculture (especially the Mexicali Valley and nearby
Imperial Valley
, photo = Salton Sea from Space.jpg
, photo_caption = The Imperial Valley below the Salton Sea. The US-Mexican border runs diagonally across the lower left of the image.
, map_image = Newriverwatershed-1-.jpg
, map_caption = Map of Imperial ...
, California, U.S.) and manufacturing. The cities of Ensenada, Tijuana, and Mexicali grew as a result of migrants, primarily those who sought U.S. citizenship. Those temporary residents awaiting their entry into the United States are called , which is derived from the Spanish word , meaning 'fleet'.
There is also a sizable immigrant community from Central and South America, and from the United States and Canada. An estimated 200,000+ American
expatriates
An expatriate (often shortened to expat) is a person who resides outside their native country. In common usage, the term often refers to educated professionals, skilled workers, or artists taking positions outside their home country, either ...
live in the state, especially in
coastal resort towns such as Ensenada, known for affordable homes purchased by retirees who continue to hold U.S. citizenship. San Felipe, Rosarito and Tijuana also have a large American population (second largest in Mexico after Mexico City), particularly for their cheaper housing and proximity to San Diego.
Some 60,000 Oaxacans live in Baja California. Some 40% of them lack proper birth certificates.
According to a
Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología
Consejo is a village in the north of Corozal District, Belize. Consejo is located on a point of land where the bays of Corozal and Chetumal meet. Consejo is about 8 miles (12.9 km) from the district capital of Corozal Town, and across the wate ...
(Conacyt) investigator, a little under a million people were classified as "poor" in the state, up from 2008 when there were roughly 810,000. Exactly who these people are, whether locals, interstate or international migrants, was not explained.
Education
Baja California offers one of the best educational programs in the country, with high rankings in schooling and achievement.
The state government provides education and qualification courses to increase the workforce standards, such as school–enterprise linkage programs which help the development of a labor force according to the needs of the industry.
91.60% of the population from six to fourteen years of age attend elementary school. 61.95% of the population over fifteen years of age attends or has already graduated from high school. Public school is available in all levels from kindergarten to university.
The state has 32 universities offering 103 professional degrees. These universities have 19 research and development centers for basic and applied investigation in advanced projects related to biotechnology, physics, oceanography, computer science, digital
geothermal technology, astronomy, aerospace, electrical engineering and clean energy, among others. At this educational level, supply is steadily growing. Baja California has developed a need to be self-sufficient in matters of technological and scientific innovation and to be less dependent on foreign countries. Current businesses demand new production processes as well as technology for the incubation of companies. The number of graduate degrees offered, including PhD programs, is 121. The state has 53 graduate schools.
Economy
![Baja Tank ship 16451432420 afa83d8152](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/17/Baja_Tank_ship_16451432420_afa83d8152.jpg)
As of 2005, Baja California's economy represents 3.3% of Mexico's
gross domestic product
Gross domestic product (GDP) is a money, monetary Measurement in economics, measure of the market value of all the final goods and services produced and sold (not resold) in a specific time period by countries. Due to its complex and subjec ...
, or US$21.996 billion.
[
] Baja California's economy has a strong focus on tariff-free export oriented manufacturing (
maquiladora
A (), or (), is a word that refers to factories that are largely duty free and tariff-free. These factories take raw materials and assemble, manufacture, or process them and export the finished product. These factories and systems are present t ...
). As of 2005, 284,255 people are employed in the manufacturing sector.
[ There are more than 900 companies operating under the federal Prosec program in Baja California.
]
Employment
In 2021, Baja California generated 57,550 new jobs, about 15.2 jobs per 1000 inhabitants, making it the 5th highest in the country and the second highest of any border state behind Nuevo León
Nuevo León () is a state in the northeast region of Mexico. The state was named after the New Kingdom of León, an administrative territory from the Viceroyalty of New Spain, itself was named after the historic Spanish Kingdom of León. With a ...
(86,364 new jobs). The majority of these new jobs were generated in and around the cities of Tijuana
Tijuana ( ,["Tijuana"](_blank)
(US) and [< ...]
, Mexicali
Mexicali (; ) is the capital city of the Mexican state of Baja California. The city, seat of the Mexicali Municipality, has a population of 689,775, according to the 2010 census, while the Calexico–Mexicali metropolitan area is home to 1,000, ...
, Ensenada, Playas de Rosarito
Rosarito is a coastal city in Playas de Rosarito Municipality, Baja California, situated on the Pacific Coast of Mexico. As of 2010, the city had a population of 65,278. Located south of the US-Mexico border, Rosarito is a part of the greater S ...
, and Tecate
Tecate () is a city in Tecate Municipality, Baja California. It is across the Mexico-US border from Tecate, California. As of 2019, the city had a population of 108,860 inhabitants, while the metropolitan area has a population of 132,406 inha ...
. Industries that experienced the highest degree of growth in 2021 include transformative industries, transport
Transport (in British English), or transportation (in American English), is the intentional movement of humans, animals, and goods from one location to another. Modes of transport include air, land (rail and road), water, cable, pipeline, an ...
and communication
Communication (from la, communicare, meaning "to share" or "to be in relation with") is usually defined as the transmission of information. The term may also refer to the message communicated through such transmissions or the field of inquir ...
, commerce
Commerce is the large-scale organized system of activities, functions, procedures and institutions directly and indirectly related to the exchange (buying and selling) of goods and services among two or more parties within local, regional, nation ...
, and construction
Construction is a general term meaning the art and science to form objects, systems, or organizations,"Construction" def. 1.a. 1.b. and 1.c. ''Oxford English Dictionary'' Second Edition on CD-ROM (v. 4.0) Oxford University Press 2009 and com ...
.[
As of November 2021, Baja California has the highest ]employment rate
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development defines the employment rate as the employment-to-population ratio. This is a statistical ratio that measures the proportion of a country's working age population (statistics are often ...
of any state in northern Mexico
Northern Mexico ( es, el Norte de México ), commonly referred as , is an informal term for the northern cultural and geographical area in Mexico. Depending on the source, it contains some or all of the states of Baja California, Baja California ...
, with a rate of 96.7%.[
]
Economic investment
As of September 2021, Baja California receives the third highest amount of foreign direct investment
A foreign direct investment (FDI) is an investment in the form of a controlling ownership in a business in one country by an entity based in another country. It is thus distinguished from a foreign portfolio investment by a notion of direct co ...
of any state in Mexico, constituting about 7.7% of the national total and behind only Nuevo León
Nuevo León () is a state in the northeast region of Mexico. The state was named after the New Kingdom of León, an administrative territory from the Viceroyalty of New Spain, itself was named after the historic Spanish Kingdom of León. With a ...
(7.7%) and Mexico City
Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital and largest city of Mexico, and the most populous city in North America. One of the world's alpha cities, it is located in the Valley o ...
(16.5%). About 81.4% of Baja California's foreign domestic investment comes from the United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
, of which 50.3% comes from the construction of natural gas
Natural gas (also called fossil gas or simply gas) is a naturally occurring mixture of gaseous hydrocarbons consisting primarily of methane in addition to various smaller amounts of other higher alkanes. Low levels of trace gases like carbo ...
pipelines and 8.2% comes car and truck manufacturing.
Real estate
The Foreign Investment Law of 1973 allows foreigners to purchase land within the borders and coasts of Mexico by way of a trust handled through a Mexican bank (Fideicomiso). This trust assures to the buyer all the rights and privileges of ownership, and it can be sold, inherited, leased, or transferred at any time. Since 1994, the Foreign Investment Law stipulates that , with the option to petition for a 50-year renewal at any time.
Any Mexican citizen buying a bank trust property has the option to either remain within the trust or opt out of it and request the title in .
Mexico's early history involved foreign invasions and the loss of vast amounts of land; in fear of history being repeated, the Mexican constitution established the concept of the "Restricted Zone". In 1973, in order to bring in more foreign tourist investment, the Bank Trust of Fideicomiso was created, thus allowing non-Mexicans to own land without any constitutional amendment necessary. Since the law went into effect, it has undergone many modifications in order to make purchasing land in Mexico a safer investment.
Highways
*Mexican Federal Highway 1
Federal Highway 1 ( es, Carretera Federal 1, Fed. 1) is a free (libre) part of the federal highway corridors () of Mexico, and the highway follows the length of the Baja California Peninsula from Tijuana, Baja California, in the north to ...
*Mexican Federal Highway 2
Federal Highway 2 ( es, Carretera Federal 2, Fed. 2) is a free part of the Mexican federal highway corridors () that runs along the U.S. border. The highway is in two separate improved segments, starting in the west at Tijuana, Baja Califor ...
*Mexican Federal Highway 3
Federal Highway 3 ( es, Carretera Federal 3, Fed. 3 ) is a tollfree part of the federal highway corridors ( es, los corredores carreteros federales). One segment connects Tecate (and California State Route 188 on the US-Mexico border) t ...
*Mexican Federal Highway 5
Federal Highway 5 ( es, Carretera Federal 5, Fed. 5) is a tollfree part of the federal highways corridors ( es, los corredores carreteros federales), and
follows the northeast length of the state of Baja California from the US-Mexico bord ...
*Mexican Federal Highway 12
Federal Highway 12 ( es, Carretera Federal 12, Fed. 12) is a free part of the federal highways corridors ( es, los corredores carreteros federales) of Mexico. Fed. 12 is set from Fed. 1 in central Baja California to Bahía de lo ...
Media
Newspapers
A newspaper is a periodical publication containing written information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background.
Newspapers can cover a wide variety of fields such as politics, business, sports ...
of Baja California include ''El Centinela'', ''El informador de Baja California'', ''El Mexicano (edición Tijuana)'', ''El Mexicano Segunda Edición'', ''El Sol de Tijuana'', ''El Vigía'', ''Esto de las Californias'', ''Frontera'', ''La Crónica de Baja California'', ''La Voz de la Frontera'', and ''Semanario Zeta''.
See also
* History of the west coast of North America
The human history of the west coast of North America is believed to stretch back to the arrival of the earliest people over the Bering Strait, or alternately along a now-submerged coastal plain, through the development of significant List of pre- ...
* Las Californias
The Californias (Spanish: ''Las Californias''), occasionally known as The Three Californias or Two Californias, are a region of North America spanning the United States and Mexico, consisting of the U.S. state of California and the Mexican stat ...
* List of Baja California cities
This is a list of the largest cities in Baja California
Baja California (; 'Lower California'), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Baja California ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California), is a state in Mexico. It is the northe ...
* Spanish missions in present-day Baja California
Notes
References
Further reading
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External links
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Baja California Sur: Cabo Pulmo Coral Reef in Danger
Interamerican Association for Environmental Defense
Enciclopedia de los Municipios de México
Baja California leads Mexico in overall crime
{{Use dmy dates, date=November 2019
States of Mexico
States and territories established in 1952
1952 establishments in Mexico