Baja California Info

Baja California is located in the northwest corner of Mexico and is a hugely popular Mexican vacation destination for American tourists.  It shares the peninsula of Baja California with the Mexican state of Baja California Sur. Before reaching state level in 1952, it was known as the Northern Territory of Baja California. It has an area of 71,576 km 2, ie 3.57% of the country. Bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean, east by the Gulf of California, south by the state of Baja California Sur and north by the U.S. state of California.

Its capital is Mexicali but Tijuana is the most populated city in the state next to the border with the United States. Other important cities include Ensenada, Tecate, Playas de Rosarito, San Felipe, San Quintin, Ciudad Guadalupe Victoria, and the Los Algodones Rumorosa. The state has just over 2.8 million inhabitants (2005). After the Federal District and Nuevo Leon, is the entity with the highest Human Development Index. Toponymy.

Geography

Baja California has two coastlines. To the west it borders the Pacific Ocean and to the east the Gulf of California. The geography of the state is very diverse. The Sierra de Baja California is located in the middle of the peninsula and its long stretch has different names, the most important are the Sierra de Juarez and Sierra San Pedro Martir and Pico de la Encantada which is highest in the peninsula. From Pico de la Encantada you can see much of the Upper Gulf of California and the San Felipe Desert.

These saws can be found in the fertile valleys of Guadalupe and Valle de Ojos Negros. The temperate climate makes this area excellent for growing grapes and citrus. The area is also rich in minerals. South of the state, Sierra is closer to the Gulf of California and away from Pacific forms a plateau called the Plains south of Berrendo.

Pacific winds and ocean current makes California climate in the northwest benign most of the year. The coastal towns of Playas de Rosarito and Ensenada have one of the best climates in Mexico. But because of this ocean current, cold rain seldom reaches the northern peninsula and makes the climate become more arid and dry as it moves south. South of the village of El Rosario, the landscape becomes desert. This desert, however, is rich in endemic plants such as Cardon, Cirio and Ocotillo amongst others. These plants survived in part thanks to frequent coastal fog in the area. The desert landscape can be seen at its best when driving on the highway Transpeninsular MX-1.

There are many islands on the Pacific coast. The remote island of Guadeloupe is home to large colonies of sea lions. On the island of Cedros there is a small community devoted to fishing. Las Islas de Todos Santos are visited by people dedicated to surfing, because the waves are some of the largest in the world.

On the east, the Sonoran Desert dominates the landscape. Some of the highest temperatures in the country are recorded in the Mexicali Valley.  However, the mechanisms of irrigation from the Colorado River, has made this place become an agricultural empire. Mexicali is located near a geological area of the Cerro Prieto, which produces about 80% of electricity needs for Baja California and even exports the surplus to California.  Laguna Salada, which lies between the Sierra de Juarez and Los Cucapah, is also located near Mexicali.  The highest point in the Sierra de Los Cucapah is the Cerro del Centinela.

On the east coast there are many beaches.  Some fishing villages and tourist attractions such as San Felipe and Bahia de Los Angeles are a great attraction for those looking for adventure, good beaches and fresh seafood.

The area south of San Felipe is almost undeveloped.  Also, you can find many bays with excellent beaches. All the islands of the Gulf of California are located within the municipality of Mexicali.

The major sources of water are the in the state of Colorado and Tijuana Rivers.  The Colorado River ends its long runway in the Delta of the Gulf of California and its waters are used for irrigation of the Mexicali Valley and to supply water to the state capital.  The rest of the state depend on the groundwater and some dams.