Baja California | |
---|---|
Free and Sovereign State of Baja California Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California (Spanish) | |
Anthem: "Canto a Baja California" | |
Coordinates: 30°00′N 115°10′W / 30.000°N 115.167°W | |
Country | Mexico |
Capital | Mexicali |
Largest city | Tijuana |
Largest metro | Greater Tijuana |
Before statehood | North Territory of Baja California |
Admission | 16 January 1952[2] (29th) |
Government | |
• Governor | Marina del Pilar Ávila |
• Legislature | Congress of Baja California |
• Senators | Jaime Bonilla Valdez Alejandra León Gastélum Gina Cruz Blackledge |
• Deputies | |
Area | |
• Total | 71,450 km2 (27,590 sq mi) |
• Rank | 12th |
Population (2020)[4] | |
• Total | 3,769,020 [1] |
• Rank | 14th |
• Rank | 19th |
Demonym | Bajacaliforniano(a) |
GDP | |
• Total | MXN 1.082 trillion (US$53.9 billion) (2022) |
• Per capita | (US$14,185) (2022) |
Time zone | UTC-8 (PST) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC-7 (PDT[a]) |
Postal code | 21, 22 |
Area code | |
ISO 3166 code | MX-BCN |
HDI | 0.811 very high Ranked 2nd of 32 |
Website | Official website |
^ a. 2010 and later. Baja California is the only state to use the U.S. DST schedule state-wide, while the rest of Mexico (except for small portions of other northern states) observes standard time year-round.[6] ^ b. The state's GDP was 294.8 billion pesos in 2008,[7] an amount corresponding to 23.03 billion United States dollars, with US$1 valued at 12.80 pesos (value of 3 June 2010).[8] |
Baja California[note 1] (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈbaxa kaliˈfoɾnja] ; 'Lower California'), officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California (English: Free and Sovereign State of Baja California), is a state in Mexico. It is the northwesternmost of the 32 federal entities of Mexico. Before becoming a state in 1952, the area was known as the North Territory of Baja California (Territorio Norte de Baja California). It has an area of 70,113 km2 (27,071 sq mi) (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. The mainland portion of the state is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean; on the east by Sonora, the U.S. state of Arizona, and the Gulf of California; on the north by the U.S. state of California; and on the south by Baja California Sur.
The state has an estimated population of 3,769,020 as of 2020,[1] significantly higher than the sparsely populated Baja California Sur to the south, and similar to San Diego County, California, and Imperial County, California to its north. Over 75% of the population lives in Mexicali (the state's capital city), Ensenada, or Tijuana (the state's largest city). Other important cities include San Felipe, Rosarito, and Tecate.
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, 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. 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 major wine-producing area in Mexico. To the east of the mountain range, the Sonoran Desert dominates the landscape. In the south, the weather becomes drier and gives way to the Vizcaíno Desert. The state is also home to numerous islands off both of its shores. Baja California is also home to Guadalupe Island, the westernmost point of Mexico. The Coronado Islands, Todos Santos islands, and Cedros Island are also on the Pacific shore. On the Gulf of California, the largest island is Angel de la Guarda Island, separated from the peninsula by the deep and narrow Canal de Ballenas.
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