Map of Baja California
Baja California is a first-level division of Mexico. Its largest mapped city is Tijuana, with about 1.55 million people in the metropolitan area. The interactive map below is centred on Baja California, and the tables list its 7 mapped cities along with the mountains, ports, World Heritage Sites nearest to them.
- Cities Mapped
- 7
- Largest City
- Tijuana
- Country
- Mexico
- Highest Point Mapped
- 3,069 m
Interactive Map of Baja California
About Baja California
Baja California, officially the 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 square kilometers (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 and the northern Gulf of California, on the south by Baja California Sur, and by the north is the United States with the US States of California to the north and Arizona slightly to the east.
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, 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.
Summary adapted from Wikipedia: Baja California (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Baja California in Depth
History
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 in the south, and several groups belonging to the Yuman language family in the north, including the Kiliwa, Paipai, Kumeyaay, Cocopa, and Quechan. 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.
Geography
Baja California encompasses a territory within the Californias region of North America, which exhibits diverse geography for a relatively small area. The Peninsular Ranges of the California cordillera run down the geographic center of the state. The most notable ranges of these mountains are the Sierra de Juárez and the Sierra de San Pedro Mártir. These ranges are the location of forests reminiscent of Southern California's San Gabriel Mountains. 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.
Economy
As of 2005, Baja California's economy represents 3.3% of Mexico's gross domestic product, or US$21.996 billion. Baja California's economy has a strong focus on tariff-free export oriented manufacturing (maquiladora). 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.
In 2021, Baja California generated 57,550 new jobs, about 15.2 jobs per 1,000 inhabitants, making it the 5th highest in the country and the second highest of any border state behind Nuevo León (86,364 new jobs). The majority of these new jobs were generated in and around the cities of Tijuana, Mexicali, Ensenada, Playas de Rosarito, and Tecate.
Demographics
Although the state is predominantly European in ancestry, it has historically seen a sizable East and Southeast Asian immigrant population. Mexicali has a large Chinese community, as well as many Filipinos 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 Americans were present in California.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Baja California (CC BY-SA 4.0).
History of Baja California: Empires and States
The atlas records 5 polities whose mapped territory included part of Baja California, from The Spanish Empire in 1769 CE to 2024 CE. They are listed in the order they first appear.
| Polity | Period here |
|---|---|
| The Spanish Empire | 1769–1821 CE |
| Federated Republic of Mexico | 1824–1864 CE |
| Centralist Mexico | 1836–1845 CE |
| Mexico | 1868–2024 CE |
| United States of America | 1890–2024 CE |
Historical Maps of Baja California
Baja California on the world map in each year one of these states held it:
Derived by testing mapped cities against dated territorial polygons. Dates are when the polygons cover this place, not the polity's whole lifespan, and polities absent from the source dataset are not listed.
Largest Cities in Baja California
7 cities mapped. Ranked by metropolitan population. A port city's harbour is written up on the page of its sea.
| # | Name | Population | Region | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tijuana | 1.55 million | Baja California | Populated place |
| 2 | Mexicali | 885,000 | Baja California | Admin-1 capital |
| 3 | Ensenada | 256,565 | Baja California | Populated place |
| 4 | San Felipe | 20,750 | Baja California | Populated place |
| 5 | Vicente Guerrero | 12,829 | Baja California | Populated place |
| 6 | San Quintín | 5,433 | Baja California | Populated place |
| 7 | Punta Prieta | 527 | Baja California | Populated place |
Highest Mountains in Baja California
1 mountain mapped. Ranked by summit elevation above sea level. A summit on a border is listed under both countries. Assigned by the nearest mapped city, so features near the boundary may belong to a neighbouring division.
| # | Name | Elevation | Feet | Region |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Picacho del Diablo | 3,069 m | 10,069 ft | North America |
Ports in Baja California
2 ports mapped. Ranked by approach channel depth, the figure that limits which ships can call. Harbours link to their write-up on the page of the sea or coast they lie on. Assigned by the nearest mapped city, so features near the boundary may belong to a neighbouring division.
UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Baja California
1 World Heritage Site mapped. Listed by year of inscription, earliest first. Sites shared with another country appear under each. Assigned by the nearest mapped city, so features near the boundary may belong to a neighbouring division.
| # | Name | Inscribed | Type | Criteria |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | El Pinacate y Gran Desierto de Altar Biosphere Reserve | 2013 | Natural | (vii) (viii) (x) |
Baja California: Quick Answers
- Where is Baja California?
- Baja California is a first-level division of Mexico, in North America. Its mapped cities centre on 31.1756° N, 115.7371° W.
- What is the largest city in Baja California?
- Tijuana is the largest city mapped in Baja California, with a metropolitan population of about 1.55 million.
- How many cities are in Baja California?
- YearMaps maps 7 cities and towns in Baja California, with a combined metropolitan population of about 2.73 million. This counts mapped settlements, not every municipality.
- What is the highest mountain in Baja California?
- The highest summit mapped in Baja California is Picacho del Diablo at 3,069 m.