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BAJA CALIFORNIA
The Baja California Mexican State is located in
the northwest corner of Mexico.
Sharing the Baja California Peninsula with the Mexican
State of Baja
California Sur.
It is considered a North America territory for its location on the northern
part of Mexico.
Before acquiring a 'State' category in 1953 it was named Territorio Norte de
Baja California,
which translates to Northern Territory of Baja California. Baja California has an area of 71,576 km²,
which is about the el 3,57% of the entire country. It borders west with the
Pacific Ocean, the Sea of Cortez or the Californian Gulf and the State of
Sonora to the east, to the south it borders with Baja California Sur and to the
north it borders with California and Arizona, part of the United States of
America.
Baja California's Capital is Mexicali
that along with Tijuana makes the most populated
cities in the state, both bordering with the U.S. Other cities of importance
are: Ensenada,
Tecate, Playas de Rosarito, San Felipe, San Quintín, Los Algodones y La
Rumorosa. Up to 2005, the state had over 2.8 million people. Its ISO 3166-2
code is MX-BCN.
BAJA CALIFORNIA FIRST INHABITANTS
It is believed that over 14,000 years ago the first groups of nomad humans
arrived to the Peninsula through the Pacific
Ocean Routes.
Three well defined tribal groups existed in the prehispanic age: the
Pericúes, Guaycuras and Cochimíes. The Pericúes lived in the southern part of
the peninsula and they extended to the north, from Cabo San Lucas to the middle
part of the peninsula. The Guaycuras where at the middle of the peninsula while
the Cochimíes in the extreme north.
In the same line of the Cochimíes it is noted the
existance of another nomad groups such as the kumiai (k'miai), one of the
native indian families that along with the Cucapá, Paipai, Kiliwa, Cahilla and
Akula populated the northern part of the Baja California penisnula, all part of
the Yumano branch.
THE SPANISH CONQUEST
As of today, Hernan Cortez is considered as the discoverer of the peninsula. Even though the first European that set foot on the Peninsula was the Spanish sailor Fortún Jiménez, that in command of the Concepción was at the time under the orders of Hernán Cortéz. Jimenez divised and visited the peninsula en 1534 but at the time he believed it to be an island.
POLITICAL-ADMINISTRATIVE DIVSION
The Baja California is divided into 5 municipalities, these are divided into delegations. There are currently many towns, ranches and other minor territorial divisions.
Municipalities
- Ensenada
- Mexicali
- Tecate
- Tijuana
- Playas de Rosarito
Main Cities
- Mexicali
- Tijuana
- Ensenada
- Tecate
- Rosarito
- San Felipe
- San Quintín
- Los Algodones
- La Rumorosa
There are numerous islands in Baja California from which the Coronado, Guadalupe, Cedros, Ángel de la Guarda islands stand apart.
The legal sovereignty of the northern group of island is still in dispute.
Main Cities
| Locality |
Northern Latitude |
West Longitude |
msnm Altitude
|
| Ensenada |
31° 52´ |
116° 37´ |
20 |
| Mexicali |
32° 40´ |
115° 28´ |
10 |
| Playas de Rosarito |
32° 21´ |
117° 03´ |
10 |
| Tecate |
32° 34´ |
116° 38´ |
540 |
| Tijuana |
32° 32´ |
117° 03´ |
20 |
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