Baja California, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Baja
California, number 29, of the thirty-one states that, together
with Mexico City, make up Mexico. Its capital is Mexicali and
its most populated city is Tijuana, head of the municipality.
homonymous, the most populated in the country. It is divided
into seven municipalities.
It is located in the northern
part of the Baja California peninsula in the northwest region of
the country. It limits to the north with the state of
California, to the east with the states of Arizona and Sonora
and with the Gulf of California, to the south with the state of
Baja California Sur and to the west with the Pacific Ocean. With
71,450 km², it represents 3.6% of the national territory, being
the twelfth largest federal entity in the country.
Its
population according to the 2020 Census is 3,769,020
inhabitants, which represents 3% of the Mexican population,
being the fourteenth most populated entity in the country, close
to the average position of seventeenth. It is also the
fourteenth least densely populated entity, also close to the
middle position.
Its Human Development Index (HDI) is one
of the highest in Mexico, the fourth nationally, rated as very
high. It is also the twelfth entity by gross domestic product
(GDP) and thirteenth in competitiveness according to IMCO data.
. Due to its geographical position—adjacent to the United
States—it allows an area of commercial and cultural connection.
It is also one of the most visited states in the country. The
Guadalupe Valley (Ensenada) is the largest wine producer in
Mexico, recognized internationally.
In 1931 the Territory
of Baja California—which had been established since 1824—was
divided and the Northern Territory of Baja California was
formed. Said federal territory was elevated to a free and
sovereign state on January 16, 1952.
1 Mexicali — The state capital is a popular destination for visitors
from California, just across the border.
2 Camalu — A coastal town
between Colonet and El Rosario, about 2 hours south of Ensenada.
3
Cataviña — Nearby there are some cave paintings and a field of giant
rocks, mixed with desert vegetation.
4 Ensenada — "The Beautiful
Cinderella of the Pacific" is an important commercial, fishing and
cruise port.
5 Puerto Nuevo — "Lobster Capital of Baja California"
6 Rosarito Beach — Beautiful coastline, sandy beaches, cliffs, beautiful
weather.
7 San Felipe — A tourist destination with a spectacular
tide: the sea recedes up to 2 km.
8 Tecate — A border city best known
for Tecate beer.
9 Tijuana — Baja California's largest city and
gateway to Mexico, just south across the border from San Diego.
1 Bahía de los Ángeles — This sport fishing hot spot provides access
to the numerous islands in this part of the northern Gulf of California
2 Cañon de Guadalupe — Thermal oasis in the middle of nature.
3
Guadalupe Island — A remote island that is a destination for diving
excursions to see great white sharks.
4 Valle de Guadalupe — The best
wine region in Mexico.
5 Constitución de 1857 National Park — Remote
park with a mountain lake in the middle of a pine forest.
6 San
Lorenzo Marine Archipelago National Park — Remote marine environment
with five islands in the Sea of Cortez.
7 Sierra de San Pedro Mártir
National Park — Rugged mountain park, home to bighorn sheep and condors.
By plane
By far the largest airport is in Tijuana. In addition to
numerous domestic American connections, there are also flights from
North America and Asia. The airport in Mexicali has some connections to
Guadalajara and Mexico City.
By train
There is no cross-border
rail service for passengers between the United States and Mexico.
However, you can reach San Diego by train and take the San Diego Trolley
(Blue Line), a type of tram, to within a few hundred meters of the
border and then cross it on foot.
On the street
There are
about half a dozen border crossings between California and Baja
California, but the mega border crossing at San Ysidro between San Diego
and Tijuana is notorious for long traffic jams. At the small transitions
such as B. Tecate is more tranquil. When taking a vehicle with you,
please note that special insurance must be taken out for Mexico (US
insurance does not cover the Mexico risk). For tourists from Europe,
traveling by car is generally not an option, as US car rental companies
usually prohibit taking the vehicle into Mexico.
By car
Mexican federal highways 1 and 1D are the main north-south
highways in Baja California.
Milestone markers mark the distance
along Fed 1 through Baja California in four separate and enhanced
segments. The first of these is the 109 km (68 mi) length from Tijuana
to Ensenada, which is informally known as Mex 1 Libre to distinguish it
from Fed 1D, the parallel toll road. The second part of the signposted
highway runs 196 km from Ensenada to San Quintín. The third segment
covers 128 km (80 mi) from San Quintín to the Parador Punta Prieta
intersection. A final segment extends 128 km (80 mi) from Punta Prieta
to the border of the state of Baja California Sur, near Guerrero Negro.
The total route of Fed 1 in Baja California is 713 km (443 mi). Mexican
federal highway (Hwy) 1D is a 4-lane highway ('highway type') that
serves as the main toll highway between Tijuana and Ensenada, while Hwy
1 runs along it serving as a 'free' highway with access to multiple
local side streets.
Mexican Federal Highway 5 begins in the
border city of Mexicali, at the western border crossing. From there it
has four lanes until approximately km 80. At this point it becomes a
two-lane highway (with little or no shoulders in most areas) until km
160, about 18 km (11 mi) south of the junction with Mexican Federal
Highway 3, and about 40 km (24 mi) north of San Felipe. From there, the
highway is a wide four-lane divided highway with a median and wide
shoulders, until it ends in San Felipe.
from Mexican Federal Highway
2 is the main east-west route along the US-Mexico border from the
Mexican side. It connects Tijuana with Highway 15 in Santa Ana, Sonora
(110 km south of the border in Nogales) through Tecate, Mexicali, San
Luis Río Colorado and Sonoyta.
By bus
The main bus companies
that connect the towns and cities along the Transpeninsular Highway (MX
Hwy 1/1D) between Tijuana and San José del Cabo are:
Baja California
Motor Transport (ABC)
Aguila Motor Transport
In addition to
the above, the following offer east-west service between Tijuana,
Mexicali, San Luis Río Colorado and intermediate points on Highway 2 in
Mexico and between San Diego, Calexico and Yuma on I-8 in the United
States:
White Star Group. ☎ +0800-507-5500 (domestic). It
connects the North Terminal of Mexico City with Tijuana via Guadalajara,
Tepic, Mazatlán, Cualican, Hermosillo, Mexicali and intermediate points
along highways 2 and 15. The Elite, TNS (Transportes Norte de Sonora)
brands operate; Chihuahuanese, Pacifico, TF (Transportes Frontera); and
the Estrella Blanca brand. They have a collaboration agreement with
Greyhound Lines to travel to the United States and vice versa.
ETN
Turistar. ☎ +0800-8000-386 (domestic). Connect Tijuana and Mexicali with
the Mexican continent in Deluxe class for 20% more than the 'first
class' service
Greyhound Lines & Cruises USA. It connects San Diego
with Yuma through Calexico on the US side and from San Diego with
Tijuana.
Tufesa. ☎ +52 644 4102444. Connects Tijuana and Mexicali
with multiple locations in Jaliscos, Nayarit, Sinaloa and Sonora on the
Mexican mainland and with Las Vegas and Los Angeles in the US. Click on
this link to learn about their operations in the US. USA
Picacho del Diablo Hill. This is one of the many high peaks in Baja California. The mountains of the region are very similar to those of the Sierra Nevada in California.
Although Mexico is not typically seen as a wine-consuming country,
wine production has been increasing in both quality and quantity since
the 1980s, and the Baja California area produces 90% of Mexico's wine.
The "Wine Route" connects the wine-growing areas of the municipality
of Ensenada, such as the Guadalupe Valley, the Llano Colorado Valley,
the Santo Tomás Valley and the San Vicente Valley with the port city of
Ensenada and the border cities of Tijuana and Tecate. The Route connects
more than fifty wineries, along with luxury restaurants, hotels, museums
and other attractions in this part of the state of Baja California. The
route is marked with "Wine Route" signs on roads and highways to promote
the area for wine tourism purposes, especially from the border with the
United States.
Another great tourist attraction is the Harvest
Festival, which is celebrated in Ensenada and Valle de Guadalupe every
year in August. The festivities include wine tastings and contests,
winery tours, fishing tournaments, cooking contests, gourmet food and
concerts. These events are sponsored and/or organized by area wineries.
Taking place in summer, afternoon temperatures can be around 38°C
(100°F). Some of the events are the "Noche de Cofradía en Ensenada",
which offers wine and food tastings from around thirty wineries and
restaurants, pairing local wines with culinary specialties from the
area.
The name California already existed before the discovery of America
or the first exploration of European lands as the name of a fictitious
and paradisiacal country. The relation of such appellation to the
similar "Califerne", name of a non-Christian queen of the Song of
Roland, whose etymology is different (from the French "calife"), is
doubtful. In the chivalric novel Las sergas de Esplandián, published in
1510 in Seville (Spain), the name as we know it today is cited for the
first time, perhaps coming from "Cálida fornax" or 'hot oven' plus the
suffix of country -ia.
"Know that on the right hand of the Indies
there is an island called California very close to one side of the
Earthly paradise; and it was populated by black women, without a man
existing there, because they lived in the manner of the Amazons. They
were beautiful and robust bodies, fiery courage and great strength.
Their island was the strongest in the entire world, with its steep
cliffs and its stony coasts. Their weapons were all of gold and of the
same metal magical ponies were the harnesses of the wild beasts that
They used to tame them to ride them, because in the entire island there
was no other metal than gold."
However, according to Fernando
Jordán in his book "The Other Mexico" he says:
Christopher Columbus,
who upon discovering the continent [...] Since then, that unknown and
unapproachable island of the Amazons would be called California. The
name, moreover, was not new; Montalvo found it and took it when reading
The Song of Roland. "My nephew is dead who conquered so many lands, and
now the Saxons rebelled against me, and the Hungarians, and the
Bulgarians and so many others, the Romans, those of Pulla and those of
Palermo and those of Africa and those of California."
In a remote antiquity calculated at fourteen thousand years, the
first nomadic human groups, with a subsistence economy, arrived to
the peninsula along the route along the coasts of the Pacific Ocean.
The Yumano-Cochimí languages constitute a linguistic family of
Amerindian languages spoken in California and Arizona, United
States; and the Baja California peninsula and northwestern Sonora in
Mexico. It was included among the Hokan languages by Voegelin and
Haas, and as Hoka-Sioux, according to Edward Sapir.
There
were three perfectly defined tribal groups in pre-Hispanic times;
the pericúes, guaycuras and cochimíes. The Pericúes inhabited the
southern part of the peninsula and extended northward, from Cabo San
Lucas to the middle part of the peninsula. The Guaycuras lived in
the middle part and the Cochimíes in the extreme north.
Parallel to the Cochimíes, the existence of other nomadic groups
such as; The Kumiai (K'miai), one of the indigenous families that
together with the Cucapá, Paipái, Kiliwa, Cahilla and Akula
populated the north of the Baja California peninsula, all belonging
to the Yuman trunk.
Baja California was originally populated
by the Kumiai (K'miai), one of the indigenous families that along
with the Cucapá, Pai Pai, Kiliwa, Cahilla and Akula populated the
north of the Baja California peninsula.
Hernán Cortés is currently considered the conqueror of the peninsula,
although the first European who landed in what is now the Baja
California peninsula was the Spanish pilot and navigator Fortún Jiménez
who, in command of the ship Concepción, whose skipper was Hernán Cortés,
He sighted and visited the peninsula in 1534, which he thought was an
island.
The first European to set foot in what is now the state
of Baja California was the navigator Francisco de Ulloa, who traveled
both coastlines of the Baja California peninsula between 1539 and 1540,
as well as the coast of what is now the state of Sonora.
Hernán
Cortés, who had already sponsored three exploration voyages in the South
Sea (Pacific Ocean) and which had ended in failure, decided to send a
fourth exploration voyage to the South Sea under the command of
Francisco de Ulloa in 1539. The expedition from the port of Acapulco on
July 8 of the aforementioned year aboard the ships Santo Tomás, Santa
Águeda and Trinidad, at the height of the Marías Islands they were
forced to abandon the ship Santo Tomás, so they continued the journey of
exploration on the two remaining vessels.
They entered the Gulf
of California and visited the abandoned town of Santa Cruz, currently
known as La Paz, on the round trip. They arrived at the northern end of
the Gulf of California on September 28, at what is currently known as
the mouth. of the Colorado River and called the mouth of the river
"Ancón de San Andrés", a brief record was drawn up whose text is
transcribed:
I, Pedro de Palencia, public notary of this army,
give faith and true testimony to all the gentlemen who see this, whom
God our Lord keeps from harm, as on the twenty-eight days of the month
of September of five hundred and thirty-nine years, the very magnified
Lord Francisco de Ulloa, lieutenant governor and captain of this fleet
by the most illustrious Lord Marquis of the Valley of Guajaca, took
possession of the Ancón de San Andrés and Mar Vermeja, which is on the
coast of New Spain towards the North, which It is at a height of
thirty-three and a half degrees, by the said Mr. Marquis del Valle in
the name of the Emperor our king of Castile, actually and truly, putting
his hand to the sword, saying that if there was any person who
contradicted him, that He was ready to defend it, cutting trees with it,
uprooting grass, moving stones from one place to another, and drawing
water from the sea; all in sign of possession. Witnesses who were
present to what was said are the reverend parents of Mr. San Francisco,
Father Fray Raymundo, Father Fray Antonio de Mena, Francisco de
Terrazas, Veedor Diego de Haro, Gabriel Márquez. Date, day, month and
year mentioned above. And I, Pedro de Palencia, public notary of this
army, wrote to him as he passed before me; Therefore I fixed here this
sign of mine, which is such, as a testimony of truth.
Pedro de
Palencia, public notary. Frater Ramundus Alilius, Frater Antonius de
Mena, -Gabriel Márquez. -Diego de Haro. -Francisco de Terrazas.
After having disembarked and taken possession of the lands at the
northern end of the Bermeja Sea (Gulf of California), the name they gave
it because of the reddish color of the waters that were dyed by the
waters from the Colorado River, they began their return to the town of
the Santa Cruz, they doubled Cabo San Lucas and entered the Pacific
Ocean, through the current Magdalena Bay, they spent December 5 without
having entered because Ulloa was wounded, due to a skirmish he had with
the natives. On April 5, 1540, he sent Cortés from Cedros Island a
report of the events of the exploration in one of the two ships, in the
other he continued with the exploration, Francisco de Ulloa and his
followers were never heard from again. sailing companions.
On June 24, 1542, three ships left the port of Navidad Colima,
Mexico, accompanied by Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo, sailors, soldiers,
Indians, a priest, food for two years, live animals and merchandise.
Cabrillo commands the small fleet aboard the flagship San Salvador that
he built himself.
After setting sail, it travels along the coast
of Colima and heads towards the Baja California peninsula, which it had
in sight on July 3. It arrived in San José del Cabo, Baja California
Sur, and there it was supplied with water on the 13th of the same month.
He discovers Magdalena Bay, which he names as such. On August 5, they
enter the waters of what is now the state of Baja California and
rediscover Cedros Island, where they remain until the 10th of the same
month. They continue their journey along the coast. the Baja California
peninsula and drawing up maps, on Tuesday, August 22, 1542, they entered
the Bay of San Quintín, which they baptized with the name “Puerto de la
Possession”, because it was there where they made their first takeover.
in the name of the Spanish crown.
Rodríguez Cabrillo had been
sent by the first viceroy of New Spain, Don Antonio de Mendoza, to map
the northern Pacific coast of little-known California. Rodríguez
Cabrillo had problems: one of the ships was leaking and in such
circumstances he led the first meeting between Hispanics and natives of
the land, most likely Kiliwas (although this may be wrong given the high
social mobility of the pre-Hispanic world in these lands). Rodríguez and
his crew had to repair the ship's failure and in these pressing
circumstances his priority was to find wood and begin the repair that
would last 5 days: Until the following Sunday. The natives reported with
very interesting data. The expedition replenished its freshwater
reserves (surely its men hunted in the wetlands). Rodríguez flew the
colors of Spain and it was in San Quintín where Hispanics set foot on
the land of what is now Baja California for the first time. On September
17, they arrived at what is now the port of Ensenada, which they named
San Mateo. From there Cabrillo continued sailing north until entering
the waters of what is now the state of California, where he died.
After the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire and the Mesoamerican area, a little more than a century passed trying to do the same on the peninsula, until 1683, when the Jesuits founded the San Bruno Mission to the south. The history of the Baja Californian missions can be divided into three periods, determined by the presence of many other religious groups that, to a greater or lesser extent, imposed their own stamp on missionary organization and life: Jesuits, Dominicans and Franciscans. First they were the Jesuits (1697-1768) who took charge of the tasks of evangelization of the Californian peoples. In what is now Baja California they founded the missions of Santa Gertrudis and San Borja. Then, after the Company was estranged, the missions were entrusted to the Franciscan fathers of the Colegio de San Fernando de México (1768-1772).
On March 2, 1804, Ensign José Manuel Ruiz asked Governor Joaquín de
Arrillaga for land near the bay of Ensenada de Todos los Santos. The
land covered two large cattle sites, equivalent to about 3,510 hectares,
which were limited to the west by the Pacific coast, to the east by the
mountains, to the south by what is now Maneadero, and to the north by
the Arroyo del Carmen, which It is currently the city of Ensenada.
With the proclamation of the constitution of 1824, the territory of
Baja California was established, made up of the current states of Baja
California and Baja California Sur. In 1829, almost at the end of the
missionary era and 9 years after Independence was consolidated, José
María Echendía, governor of the Californias, granted Santiago Argüello
Moraga an area of six cattle sites, equivalent to 10,000 hectares, which
would be called "Rancho Tía Juana". The mission was secularized by the
Mexican government in 1834, and most of the mission lands were granted
to former soldiers. Beyond the city of San Diego, ranches were formed
that served to increase the local economy. Some of those that occupied
part of what is now Tijuana are Rancho San Antonio, Rancho Cerro
Colorado, Rancho Cuero de Venados and Rancho San Isidro.
In 1846,
due to the Mexico-United States War, the United States Navy began the
invasion of Las Californias. The fight that broke out forced Mexico to
negotiate how to end the catastrophe; The dilemma was to accept peace or
continue the war. Once the armistice was signed, attention focused on
setting the new limits. Mexico, after consulting Congress and the
governments of the Republic, was forced to sign the Treaty of
Guadalupe-Hidalgo on February 2, 1848, losing more than half of its
territory, including Alta California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. .
On April 12, 1849, Congress divided the territory of Baja California
into two parties, called North and South. A year later it was
established that its political representation would be by a deputy and a
political leader.
The region suffered an invasion on November 29,
1853 by William Walker and his companions who wanted to form an
independent Republic of Mexico with the name of Sonora-Baja California,
but the heroic Antonio Meléndrez and the Ensenadense ranchers managed to
expel them to the border line. On December 2, 1855, it was established
that the Northern Party of the Territory of Baja California is comprised
of a single municipality: Santo Tomás de la Frontera.
At the
beginning of 1873, gold was discovered at the site called Japa, 50
kilometers east of Real del Castillo. This caused a displacement of
several of its inhabitants to that point and of people of Mexican origin
from Alta California. North American gold seekers crossed and the few
settlers of Baja California migrated to the nascent place. By August,
the place had more than 400 Gambusinos looking for the precious
material. Thanks to that, merchants from the port of San Diego opened
their stores in the town and stagecoach lines ran between San Diego Bay
and the mines. The place had more than 1,500 inhabitants by 1875. Over
time, Ensenada became the entry route for goods and supplies from San
Diego and San Francisco, destined for the mining centers. However, three
years later the mines declined and the fame of Real del Castillo
declined.
May 15, 1882 is said to be the official date of the
founding of Ensenada, by decree of President Don Porfirio Díaz declaring
that the head of the northern district of Baja California passes from
Real del Castillo to Ensenada de Todos Santos. Given the growing rise of
the Territory of Baja California, by presidential decree of General
Díaz, of December 14, 1887, the peninsula was divided into two
districts: South and North, and Ensenada was designated the head of the
latter.
To the north, on July 11, 1889, the agreement was signed
that concluded the litigation, which the heirs of Don Santiago Argüello
held for a long time on the land of Rancho Tía Juana. A plan dated June
15 of the same year was attached to said agreement, with the name Map of
the town of Zaragoza projected to be located on land of the Tijuana
ranch. However, on February 10, 1891, the area where the town was
originally located was completely devastated due to the torrential
waters of the rains that fell for five days, so its location was moved
to the southeast, removed from the bed. from the river. On June 5 of
that same year, Congress decreed the official limits of the northern
territory, starting from the 28th Parallel to the south, to the border
with the United States to the north, and the Colorado River to the east.
In 1911, during the events of the Mexican Revolution, the political
and military leadership was located in Ensenada, which was also the most
populated city in the Northern District with 2,000 inhabitants, so all
political decisions in the territory were made in the city. (In this
period the municipality of Ensenada had the name of Municipality of La
Frontera and covered the entire territory of the District).
During the revolution from 1911 to 1914, it had 9 political leaders.
Discontent was beginning to emerge in Mexicali, since after it was taken
over by Maderista groups, the inhabitants had had to take refuge for 6
months during the time the occupation lasted. Finally, the discontent
was so great that the inhabitants of Mexicali demanded to have their own
municipality and after a series of accusations they requested that: "the
section of Mexicali, which today depends on the Ensenada city council,
be erected as a municipality" and on the 4th of November 1914, Baltazar
Avilés, Political Head of the Northern District of Baja California,
decreed the creation of the second municipality, Mexicali, and its city
council entered on January 1, 1915, date on which also, by orders of
Colonel Esteban Cantú , the district capital moved from Ensenada to
Mexicali.
From January 1, 1915, until 1920, Esteban Cantú was
appointed governor of the Northern District of Baja California, ratified
by Venustiano Carranza until Álvaro Obregón arrived, who was exiled as a
result.
On March 11, 1917, the creation of the municipalities of
Tecate and Tijuana, previously belonging to Ensenada, was decreed. On
January 2, 1923, after Tecate had already been declared a municipality,
Governor José Inocencio Lugo decreed its suppression and disappearance
to incorporate it back into the municipality and administration of
Mexicali. But this lasted until October 15, 1925, when the fourth
municipality, Tijuana, was created, as Tecate was annexed to the
jurisdiction of the new municipality.
The new legal concept of
municipalities worked until 1929, when Abelardo L. Rodríguez by decree
abolished the town councils on April 31 so that municipal councils could
be formed. For this reason, the free municipalities became municipal
delegations and the delegations became subdelegations, so that the
Northern District of Baja California was made up of 3 delegations:
Ensenada, Mexicali and Tijuana.
On September 1, 1951, President
Miguel Alemán announced in his report that the Northern Territory of
Baja California satisfies the conditions required by the second section
of article 73 of the General Constitution of the Republic. From that
date the executive began to promote the creation of the new state of
Baja California.
On January 16, 1952, Miguel Alemán published the
decree (approved by Congress on December 31, 1951), through which
articles 43 and 45 of the Constitution were reformed, giving way to the
creation of the new state of Baja California, whose territory is the
former Northern Territory of Baja California.
On September 23,
1952, a series of complementary provisions for the constitution of the
State of Baja California were sent to the Chamber of Deputies.
Alfonso García González is appointed provisional governor of the new
state. On December 31, 1952, the call for the election of the seven
constituent deputies was launched. And the first electoral districts are
created, which are formed as follows: Mexicali, 1st. and 2nd.; Mexicali
Valley 3rd.; Tecate and part of the Mexicali valley, 4o.; Tijuana 5 and
6o. and Ensenada 7o.
On January 16, 1952, the Northern District
of Baja California ceased to be a federal territory to become the Free
and Sovereign State of Baja California, made up of 4 municipalities:
Ensenada, Mexicali, Tecate and Tijuana.
The first state elections
were held on March 29, 1953, for the election of the seven constituent
deputies. The contending parties were the PRI, the PAN, the FPP
(Federation of People's Parties and the UNS (National Synarchist Union).
The last three presented common candidates. The winners of this election
were the seven PRI candidates.
The Political Constitution of the
State of Baja California was promulgated on August 16, 1953.
The
state's first gubernatorial election was held on October 25, 1953, as
well as the 1st. Legislature in the state. The participating
gubernatorial candidates were Francisco Cañedo Lizárraga for the PAN,
Braulio Maldonado for the PRI and Maurilio Vargas for the FPP; The PRI
candidates were winners, both in the governorship and in the deputies.
It should be noted that due to the constitutional reform of 1953, Aurora
Jiménez de Palacios is the first woman from Baja California to the
Congress of the Union. They were also the first elections in Mexico in
which women voted.
On December 1, 1953, Braulio Maldonado Sández
took office as governor of the State.
Baja California has two coastlines. To the west it borders the
Pacific Ocean and to the east with 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 along its long stretch it has
different names; The most important are the Sierra de Juárez and the
Sierra de San Pedro Mártir, in which the Pico de la Encantada is located
- the highest on the peninsula. From Pico de la Encantada you can see a
large part of the Upper Gulf of California and the San Felipe Desert.
Among these mountain ranges you can find some fertile valleys such
as those of Guadalupe and the Valle de Ojos Negros. The temperate
climate makes this area excellent for growing grapevines and some citrus
fruits. The area is also rich in minerals. To the south of the state,
the Sierra approaches closer to the Gulf of California and moves away
from the Pacific, forming a plain to the south called the Llanos del
Pronghorn.
Pacific winds and the California Ocean Current make
the climate in the extreme northwest mild almost all year round. The
coastal cities of Playas de Rosarito and Ensenada have one of the best
climates in Mexico. But due to this same cold ocean current, rains from
the north rarely reach the peninsula and this makes the climate become
drier and more arid as you go south. To the south of the town of El
Rosario, the landscape becomes desert. This desert, however, is rich in
endemic plants such as Cardón, Cirio and Ocotillo, among others. These
plants survive in part thanks to the coastal fog common in the area. The
desert landscape can be seen in all its splendor when driving along the
MX-1 transpeninsular highway.
There are numerous islands on the
Pacific coast. The remote Guadalupe Island is the habitat of large
colonies of sea lions. On Cedros Island there is a small community
dedicated mainly to fishing. The Todos Santos Islands are visited by
people dedicated to surfing, since its waves are some of the largest in
the world.
To the east of the territory, the Sonoran Desert
dominates the panorama. Some of the highest temperatures in the country
are recorded in the Mexicali Valley. However, with the irrigation
mechanisms of the Colorado River, this place has become an agricultural
emporium. Near Mexicali is the geological area of Cerro Prieto, which
produces about 80% of the electricity that Baja California requires and
can even export the surplus to California. Laguna Salada, which is
located between the Sierras de Juárez and the Cucapá, is also located
near Mexicali. The highest point in the Cucapá mountain range rises 1087
m above sea level. n. m. but its most famous mountain is Cerro del
Centinela, 781 m above sea level. n. m., for being a regional symbol and
part of the shield of the city of Mexicali.
Many beaches are
located on the eastern coast. Some fishing and tourist towns, such as
San Felipe and Bahía de Los Ángeles, are a great attraction among those
seeking adventure, good beaches and fresh seafood. The area south of San
Felipe is almost undeveloped. Likewise, you can find many bays with
excellent beaches. All of the islands in the Gulf of California
belonging to the state are located adjacent to the municipalities of
Mexicali and San Quintín.
The largest hydrological sources in the
state are the Colorado and Tijuana rivers. The Colorado River ends its
long channel in the Delta of the Gulf of California and its waters are
used for irrigation of the Mexicali Valley and for the supply of water
to the state capital. The rest of the state depends on groundwater, some
dams and even some oases located on the peninsula.
Baja
California's climate is very diverse; varies from Mediterranean to arid.
The Mediterranean climate is located in the northwest part of the
state, with its dry summers and cool, rainy winters. This type of
climate can be found from Tijuana to the interior valleys. The cold
California current generally creates fog near coasts. This fog can be
seen anywhere in the state bordering the Pacific Ocean.
The
change in altitude towards the Sierra de Baja California causes an
alpine climate in this region. Summers are cool and winters can be very
cold. Snowfall is common in the Sierra de Juárez (for example, in La
Rumorosa and Laguna de Hanson) and in the Sierra de San Pedro Mártir
(and in the interior valleys between these mountain ranges) from
December to April.
Rainfall is scarce in the mountains, causing
arid climates. The Sonoran Desert is characterized by having very warm
summers and moderate winters. The Mexicali Valley (which is below sea
level) experiences the highest temperatures in the country.
Further south along the coast of the Pacific Ocean, the climate also
becomes desert-like; but it is not as extreme and hot as on the Gulf of
California coast. Transitional climates (from Mediterranean to desert)
can be found from San Quintín to El Rosario. Towards the East and near
the Gulf, the vegetation is very scarce and temperatures are very high
in the summer. The desert climate is also found on all the islands of
the Gulf of California. Some oases are located in towns such as
Cataviña, San Borja and Santa Gertrudis.
Many of the terrestrial or marine species that inhabit the Baja
California peninsula are native there. Recently, Guadeloupe has
positioned itself as one of the best places in the world for great white
shark sightings. The island has been a sanctuary for wildlife since
1975.
The fauna of Baja California is rich and varied, and the
following can be counted as the main animals, grouped by species:
Mammals: gray whale, Guadalupe fur seal, fur seal, squirrel, wild
sheep, pronghorn, ibex, sea otter, cacomixtle, rabbit, coyote, guinea
pig, wild cat, wild boar, hare, ounce, puma, kangaroo rat, badger,
ocelot, deer, xoloitzcuintle, fox and skunk.
Birds: snipe, harrier,
lark, gannet, owl, roadrunner, huitlacoche, chachalaca, coot, water hen,
heron, sparrowhawk, gull, sandgrouse, mourning hawk, hawk, flybird,
wallhopper, dove, quail, California condor.
Fish: tuna, totoaba,
carp, kingfish, dorado, mojarra, white shark. Aquaculture: tilapia,
rainbow trout
As for the flora, the plant called the candle tree
(Fouquieria columnaris) stands out, endemic to the peninsula.
The
saguaro has a characteristic columnar stem, which can reach a height of
15 m and a diameter of 65 cm. It presents branches that can be found in
a number greater than 7; and may in turn present new ramifications. The
number of facets on the stem (the ribs) is between 12 and 24 and they
are obtuse. The areolas are brown, and are about 2 cm apart. In the
apical area the distance is less and they appear covered by a brown
felt. The radial spines can be 12 or more, and the central ones between
3 and 6, up to 7 cm in length. They are brown in color and turn gray as
the plant ages. The flowers, with short petals, appear at the top of the
stems. They are of a striking white color and are 12 cm in diameter. The
fruit is red and also edible; matures in summer. Flowering is in spring;
The flowers open during the night and remain open part of the next day.
Very slow growing, it is estimated that 1 meter of saguaro needs
about 30 years in the best conditions of dryness and light. The maximum
speed it can reach in some vigorous branching is about 10 cm per year.
The largest specimens that exist in the part of the desert that
corresponds to Arizona may be 200 or 300 years old. There is also the
cachanilla, it can be seen in many places in the Mexicali Valley,
although today it can be seen in smaller quantities unlike what it was
in the 20th century.
At 3:40:41 p.m. m. PDT on Easter Sunday, April 4, 2010, a 7.2 Mw (on the moment magnitude scale) earthquake trending northwest struck the Mexicali Valley, with its epicenter 26 km (16 mi) southwest from the city of Guadalupe Victoria, Baja California. The main shock was felt as far as the metropolitan areas of Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Phoenix and Tucson, as well as in Yuma, where at least half a dozen aftershocks with magnitudes between 5, 0 and 5.4, including a magnitude 5.1 shock at 4:14 a.m. centered in El Centro. At 6:31 a.m. PDT on April 5, 2010, the death of two people.
The main economic activities in the state of Baja California are the
manufacturing industry, hospitality and tourism; Agricultural, livestock
and fishing production are also part of these. Regarding the
communications sector, the state has good and modern roads that link the
main destinations inside and outside the state, as well as railways,
seaports and airports.
Currently, the fruit and vegetable sector
is one of the most successful activities in Mexicali, the state capital;
Onion and green asparagus are among the most important crops, cotton and
wheat are still cultivated. There is an annual agribusiness fair in
March of interest throughout Mexico and the United States called
Agrobaja.
The 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement, which
eliminated most restrictions on trade between the two nations, puts Baja
California in an economy tied to that of its American neighbor. Mexicali
is considered among the most prosperous cities in Mexico for its
resources and attachment to the United States border.
Tijuana,
the most populated city in the state, was considered the world capital
of televisions, due to the enormous number of televisions and PC
monitors that are manufactured (14 million a year according to
Businessweek). There are currently many companies dedicated to the
assembly of electronic items. Light and medium industry is considerable.
Two vehicle assemblers are setting up shop in the region. Some companies
with plants established in Tijuana include Avery Dennison, Sony, Toyota,
Samsung, Kodak, Matsushita/Panasonic, Medtronic, Nabisco, COVIDIEN
Healthcare, Philips, Pioneer, Plantronics, Pall Medical, Tara, Sanyo,
Hubbell Lighting, Vimay, Medical Systems Alaris (Beckton Dikinson),
Fresinius Healthcare, Baxter, Thermo Fisher and Fisher and Paykel
Healthcare.
In 2005, Baja California's economy represented 3.3%
of Mexico's gross domestic product, that is, $21,996 million.26 Baja
California's economy focuses on tariff-free export-oriented
manufacturing (maquiladora) . In 2005, 284,255 people worked in the
manufacturing sector. There are more than 900 companies operating under
the federal Prosec program in Baja California.
The film and television industry has an important presence in Baja California in the recording of films and television series. Baja Studios is located south of Rosarito and has the largest recording sets and water tanks in the world.
Baja California offers one of the best educational programs in the
country, with high marks in schooling and performance.
The state
government offers education and training courses to raise workforce
standards, such as school-business linkage programs that help develop a
workforce in line with industry needs.
91.60% of the population
between six and fourteen years old attends primary school. 61.95% of the
population over fifteen years of age attends or has already graduated
from high school. Public school is available at all levels, from
kindergarten to college.
The state has 32 universities offering
103 professional degrees. These universities have 19 research and
development centers for basic and applied research in advanced projects
related to biotechnology, physics, oceanography, computer science,
digital geothermal technology, astronomy, aerospace, electrical
engineering and energy. clean, among others. At this educational level,
the offer is increasing. Baja California has developed the need to be
self-sufficient in terms of technological and scientific innovation and
to be less dependent on foreigners. Today's companies demand new
production processes, as well as technology for business incubation. The
number of graduate degrees offered, including doctoral programs, is 121.
The state has 53 graduate schools.
The list of governors can be seen at Governors of Baja California.
Baja California was the scene of political movements even before its
creation as a federative entity. During the Mexican Revolution in 1911,
a group of Magonistas staged the Taking of Tijuana, trying to
consolidate a socialist republic in Mexico, which if achieved, would
have been the first in the world even before Soviet Russia in 1917.
Decades Later and with the growth of its cities, in the 40s and early
50s, the inhabitants of the Territory of Baja California sought
recognition as a free and sovereign state, achieving this status in
1953. At the end of the 60s, A group of men and women took to the
streets to defend their vote, led by the opposition party, the PAN,
demanding that the Institutional Revolutionary Party respect the results
of the elections held in 1968, which declared the candidates the winner
in Tijuana and Mexicali. PAN members. After demonstrating in Mexico
City before President Díaz Ordáz, the local Congress determined to
resolve the political crisis by installing a Municipal Council that
would later hold elections again.
Almost two decades after
fighting by the opposition, in 1980 they managed to obtain the first 3
local opposition deputies (PAN and PCM). Three years later, Ensenada
would obtain the first mayor from a party other than the PRI, a fact
that would be repeated in 1986 with the victory of Ernesto Ruffo Appel
for mayor of Ensenada. The well-known "ruffomania" would lead, in 1989,
the then mayor to become the first opposition governor to win an
election, marking Baja California as the cradle of Mexican democracy.
From there, a stage of bipartisanship would begin between the PAN and
the PRI, especially in the mayoralties and legislative seats. In 2019,
after 30 years of PAN governments, Jaime Bonilla Valdez wins the
governorship, ceding power to the National Regeneration Movement. Said
election would be tainted by the aspirations of the governor-elect to
extend his mandate from 2 years - as Congress had established in 2014 -
to 5 years, to end in 2024, at the same time as the federal elections.
Therefore, there were those who considered that there was a political
crisis in Baja California in 2019.
The political parties with the
greatest presence in the state are the following:
National
Regeneration Movement: Its popularity increased in the state after the
2018 federal elections in Mexico. In 2019, he achieved victory in the
five city councils, the 17 local electoral districts and the
governorship, thus breaking with 3 decades of PAN governments. In 2021,
he managed to retain the governorship.
Encuentro Solidario Party: In
the 2021 state and federal elections it managed to be the second
political force, in some districts third. Within his constituency, BC
gave him almost half of the votes.
National Action Party: Since 1989
it became the first political force, having some alternations in the
municipal government. He maintained the alternation of power in the city
councils with the PRI, governing mainly the municipalities of Tijuana,
Playas de Rosarito and Mexicali. In 2021, even making an alliance with
the PRI and the PRD, it fell to being the third political force.
Other parties with less presence are:
Institutional Revolutionary
Party: Since 1989 the party has not been able to return to the state
government, however, it maintained its political strength in Congress
and some city councils, especially in Ensenada and Tecate. In 2010 he
managed to govern the 5 city councils and have 13 deputies from 17
electoral districts, however, later he became the 5th political force.
In 2021 they became the fourth political force.
Citizen Movement: The
social democratic party has not been able to obtain the presence in the
state as it has in Jalisco or Nuevo León,38 however, it has managed to
participate without alliances in the elections and obtain political
positions in councils and Congress.39 In 2021, although it did not
manage to improve its numbers, it maintained the state record and
consolidated itself as the 5th political force.
Baja California, as one of the 32 federative entities of the country,
is autonomous in terms of its internal regime, which, according to its
local constitution and in synchrony with the federal Magna Carta, is
republican, representative, democratic, secular and popular. ; made up
of 7 municipalities. According to its fundamental law, sovereignty and
public power are the origin and correspondence of the people, and it is
the people who decide to exercise it through a system of separation of
powers: Head of Government (Executive), local Congress (Legislative) and
a Judicial Power, deposited in different institutions, whose head is the
Superior Court of Justice.
Regarding the Congress of the Union,
Baja California is represented on equal terms with any other state. In
the Senate it is represented by 3 senators, two elected by relative
majority and one assigned to the first minority; and in the Chamber of
Deputies by the number of districts according to their population size.
In 2019, 13 federal deputies were elected.
The governor of Baja California is the head of executive power in the
entity. He is elected by direct and universal vote. Once elected, he
takes office on November 1 of the year of the election. His term lasts a
period of six years, with no possibility of re-election; not even in the
case of having served as interim, provisional or substitute. The
position can only be resigned for serious reasons, which must be
qualified by the Local Congress. In the event of death, dismissal or
resignation, he immediately and provisionally assumes the position, the
secretary of government, then, with the reservations contemplated in the
local constitution, it is up to Congress to appoint a substitute or
interim.
The current local Constitution provides for this
position in its fourth title, second chapter, and is addressed by the
various points and subsections that make up article 49. They specify the
obligations, powers, requirements and restrictions of the position;
specifications that range from the command of the City's public force
(local police and assigned national guard); the ownership of economic,
social development and public security policies; the promulgation and
execution of laws issued by the legislative branch; propose appointments
to positions that require approval by Congress or the Superior Court of
Justice; and various prerogatives granted in other articles of the same
Magna Carta and local laws.
The governor is the head of the local
public administration and is assisted by a cabinet made up of several
secretariats, local agencies, decentralized organizations and general
directorates, which are in charge of various public interest portfolios,
in addition to different advisors assigned to the office. of government.
The Congress of Baja California is the body responsible for legislative power in this federal entity. Formed as a unicameral assembly, it is made up of 25 deputies, of which 17 are elected by popular vote and 8 by the principle of proportional representation. Its members are elected by universal vote under the two principles already mentioned; the first directly and the others according to the multi-member list system established by federal law. The duration of the position is three years with the option of immediate re-election, as long as it is representing the party or coalition that originally nominated the deputy. For each regular deputy, a substitute is elected; This being the one who will make up for the temporary or permanent absences of his running mate.
The Judicial Branch of the Entity is made up of the Superior Court of Justice (which has a Constitutional Chamber), a Council of the Judiciary and the local Courts and specialized Courts. Its foundations are found in Title IV, Chapter II of the Political Constitution of Baja California and the Organic Law of the Judiciary of Baja California. The administration, surveillance and discipline of the Judiciary, with the exception of the Superior Court of Justice, is the responsibility of the Judicial Council. In this power and its set of bodies, the power to administer justice in all institutional aspects of the city is deposited; the application of legal norms and principles in conflict resolution; and in all areas of the application of Law and the interpretation of laws in society (civil, criminal, constitutional, commercial, labor, administrative, fiscal, procedural, etc.), as long as none is contemplated exclusively for the Power Federal Judicial.
According to the Intercesal Survey carried out by the National
Institute of Statistics and Geography in 2015, the state of Baja
California until then had a total of 3,315,766 inhabitants. Of this
amount, 1,650,341 were men and 1,665,425 were women. The average annual
growth rate for the entity during the period 2010-2015 was 1.3%.
Baja California is a state inhabited by a heterogeneous population,
composed mostly of migrants who have arrived from throughout the Mexican
Republic, especially residents of states such as Sinaloa, Chiapas,
Jalisco and the State of Mexico. The ethnic variety and its consequent
cultural diversity are the hallmarks of this border area, where the two
largest cities of the entity are located, Tijuana and Mexicali. This
unique characteristic has given rise to profound social phenomena whose
effects and manifestations are continually studied in prestigious
Mexican and American institutions. More than a state that marks
differences, it is a point of union between cultures. Its capital
Mexicali, one of the youngest cities in the Republic, was born when
irrigation works began on the Colorado River, and it grew economically
based on agriculture, especially in the valley area.
That small
town from the beginning of the century is now a city with hundreds of
thousands of inhabitants thanks to the fertility of the Mexicali Valley,
the commercial exchange with the United States and the industrialization
that began around 1985 when the primarily agricultural profile of the
city It was modified by the industrial one.
Over the course of a
few years, factory parks with North American and Asian capitals were
opened, giving a dynamic character to the economic activities and
cultural mixes of this city, headquarters of the executive, legislative
and judicial branches of the state.
In the state there are 5 indigenous indigenous peoples, which remain
isolated from urban communities and surprisingly have survived
maintaining their language, customs and ancestral traditions, these
peoples are; the Kiliwas, the Cucapah, the Paipái, the Cochimíes and the
Kumiai, which are related to the Yumana tribes that live in the United
States.
The Cochimí spoke a language from the now extinct
Yumano-Cochimí family called Cochimí Laymón. They populated the central
area of the California peninsula, south of the current state. Currently,
there is a population of only 116 inhabitants (2019), established mainly
in La Huerta; They sporadically make rag dolls, the stick for hunting
rabbits similar to a boomerang, figures carved in wood and ceramic with
modern techniques, as well as pyrography on leather. Of course, none of
the people speak that language anymore.
The Kiliwa live in the north of the state, established in the Valle de la Trinidad, in Ensenada, located between the mountains of San Miguel, San Pedro Mártir and the San Felipe desert. Their language seems to belong to the Hokana family. According to the Ministry of Culture, the population was, in 2019, just 11 people; Before, there were only 5 inhabitants registered. They were the only native settlers of Baja California who never agreed to submit to the activities of the missionaries.
At the postgraduate level, there are two important CONACyT centers:
the Center for Scientific Research and Higher Education of Ensenada
(CICESE) and the Colegio de la Frontera Norte (COLEF). Tijuana has the
Digital Technology Research Center (CITEDI), which is a unit of the
National Polytechnic Institute. The Center for Nanosciences and
Nanotechnology and the Institute of Astronomy are also located in
Ensenada, both dependent on the National Autonomous University of
Mexico.
The most important public university in the State of Baja
California is the Autonomous University of Baja California (UABC). The
UABC also has the new Valle de las Palmas CITEC campus (Engineering and
Technology Center.)
There is also the system of Regional
Technological Institutes in Ensenada, Mexicali (ITM) and the
Technological Institute of Tijuana, as well as the Polytechnic
University of Baja California (UPBC) in Mexicali and the "Technological
University of Tijuana", giving an important bias to the system. public
in higher education. In upper secondary education there are the most
outstanding high schools at the state level such as the College of High
School Students of the State of Baja California COBACHBC, College of
Scientific and Technological Studies of the State of Baja California
CECYTEBC, College of Technical Professional Education of Baja California
CONALEPBC. As well as at the national level DGB (Lázaro Cárdenas Federal
High School), DGETI (CBTIS, CETIS), DGETA (CBTA), DGECyTM (CETMar),
among others.
There are several Private Universities in the
State, some of them are the Center for Technical and Higher Education
(CETYS University), the Catholic Technological University of Baja
California, the University of Professional Development, the University
of the Valley of Mexico Campus Mexicali, the Universidad Iberoamericana
Tijuana (belonging to the Jesuit University System), Univer Noroeste,
the Xochicalco University, the University of Las Californias (UDC),
ESCOMEX Higher School of Foreign Trade (http://www.escomex.edu.mx/),
among others.
In addition to those mentioned above, in Baja
California you can find Normal Schools in each municipality, these
dedicated to the training of preschool, primary, physical education and
special education teachers. The most important is the Benemérita Escuela
Normala Urbana Federal Fronteriza, located in Mexicali, founded in 1940
(BENUFF) that currently offers 3 bachelor's degrees: Bachelor's degree
in primary education, and in two branches of special education: motor
area, and learning problems .
The gastronomy in Baja California derives from a mixture of culinary
styles, a product in turn of the different groups of people who migrate
to the state bringing with them the recipes of each of their cultures.
As a northern state, meats are one of the main ingredients in their
dishes, although not the traditional one, as in the states of Sonora and
Nuevo León. Pork and chicken generate complements for the typical dishes
of the new urban cuisine, such as hamburgers, cakes, donkeys and salads.
Roast beef tacos are the most popular dish in Tijuana cuisine, also
called Asaderos in Mexicali, and steam tacos are popular in the town of
La Rumorosa. There are everything from street stalls to establishments.
The flavors vary with styles exported from other places in the country
such as adobada tacos (variant of Tacos al Pastor), birria, head,
chorizo, suadero, among others.
Baja Med cuisine is a fusion of
Mediterranean ingredients, using mainly vegetables that are harvested in
the state, as well as seafood. Some examples of this gastronomic style
are: tempura fish tacos, Shrimp with fried needle, miniature tomatoes,
chives and sauce made from local cheeses, Beet carpaccio with blue
cheese and mint dressing, duck with licorice skewers sprinkled with
guava, Risotto with nopalitos and charred octopus and Ribs bathed in fig
syrup over a black mole sauce, to name a few. Caesar Salad is one of the
main traditional recipes of Baja California cuisine, originally from
Tijuana, created in the first decades of the 20th century by the chef of
Italian descent
In the Mexicali Valley area, Chinese food is
already a tradition. The main ingredients used are soy sauce, oyster
sauce and black beans. Popular dishes include fried rice, chop suey,
wonton soup and Peking duck, which is traditionally prepared by steaming
and then baking in a charcoal oven, topped with molasses to give it a
crispy texture. fur; This is one of the favorite dishes of Mexicans.
Other dishes that are also popular are red carnitas, chicken with
pineapple, fried rice and specialty dishes, such as Chinese-style
steamed fish with ginger.
In the coastal area, the most popular
dishes are lobster, in Puerto Nuevo; fish tacos, abalone chorizo and
tomato jam in Ensenada and other seafood dishes, such as fish, shrimp or
octopus ceviche tostadas. In fact, Ensenada is the only municipality in
Baja California to be part of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network and was
the first Mexican city to be recognized in the gastronomic field by this
world organization, thanks to the great diversity and quality of its
natural products. In addition, the Guadalupe Valley in Ensenada is one
of the most important gastronomic destinations in the country and is one
of the main destinations for Baja Med cuisine.
As for desserts,
local cuisine has been influenced by the surrounding northern states,
such as Sonora and Sinaloa, with the traditional sweet bread, Coyotas,
Coricos, wafers and empanadas. In Tecate, sweet bread is internationally
recognized and a tourist site for all travelers from southern
California.
Finally, in beverages, Ensenada remains the original
city of the popular Margarita, in addition to being the main wine
producer in Mexico, in the Guadalupe Valley. Tijuana, Mexicali and
Ensenada have achieved great popularity in the production of craft beer,
in fact, Tijuana is considered "the capital of craft beer in Mexico" and
Ensenada hosts the largest craft beer festival in the country "Ensenada
Beer Fest". For its part, Tecate gave its name to the famous Cuauhtémoc
Brewery brand. Other drinks are prepared sangria, Cubalibre and prepared
Clamato.
The state of Baja California is a very active state in sports. It has
football, baseball, basketball, bowling, swimming, etc. clubs. It has 3
High Performance Centers (CAR) in Ensenada, Tijuana and Mexicali. It
also has stadiums in almost all cities.
Cove
Ensenada Mariners
(Baseball)
Pescadores De Ensenada FC (Soccer)
CF Diablos de
Ensenada (Soccer)
Atlético Ensenada (Soccer)
Mexicali
Soles
de Mexicali, play at the State Auditorium (Basketball)
Águilas de
Mexicali, play at the B'Air Stadium (Baseball) formerly known as "The
Eagles' Nest"
Aguiluchos de Mexicali, play at the B'Air Stadium
(Baseball) formerly known as "The Eagles' Nest"
Mexicali FC, play at
the Ciudad Deportiva Stadium (Football)
Tijuana
Club Tijuana
Xolos de Tijuana, play at the Caliente Stadium (Soccer)
Tijuana
Bulls, play at the Chevron Stadium (Baseball)
Tijuana Zonkeys, play
at the Zonkeys Auditorium (Basketball)
Toritos de Tijuana, play at
the Chevron Stadium (Baseball)
Saint Quentin
Freseros de San
Quintín (Baseball)
Rosarito
Rosarito Lobsters (Baseball)
Tecate
Tecate Brewers (Baseball)
Newspapers from Baja California include El Centinela, El Informer de Baja California, El Mexicano (Tijuana Edition), El Mexicano Second Edition, El Sol de Tijuana, El Vigía, Esto de las Californias, Frontera, La Crónica de Baja California, La Voz de la Frontera, and the Semanario Zeta.