, with
Picacho del Diablo in the center 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. The mineral-rich mountain range extends southwards to the Gulf of California, where the western slope becomes wider, forming the Llanos del Berrendo on the border with Baja California Sur. The mountain ranges located in the center and southern part of the state include the
Sierra de La Asamblea, Sierra de Calamajué, Sierra de San Luis and the
Sierra de San Borja. '' growing on the
Ensenada Municipality coast, typical of the
California coastal sage and chaparral ecoregion Temperate winds from the Pacific Ocean and the cold
California Current make the climate along the northwestern coast pleasant year-round. As a result of the state's location on the California Current, rains from the north barely reach the peninsula, thus leaving southern areas drier. South of the
El Rosario River, the state changes from a Mediterranean landscape to a desert one. This desert exhibits diverse
succulent species that flourish in part due to the
coastal fog. To the east, the Sonoran Desert enters the state from both California and Sonora. Some of the highest temperatures in Mexico are recorded in or nearby the Mexicali Valley. However, with irrigation from the Colorado River, this area has become a true
agricultural center. The
Cerro Prieto geothermal province is near Mexicali as well (this area is geologically part of a large
pull apart basin); it produces about 80% of the electricity consumed in the state and enough additional power to export to California.
Laguna Salada, a saline lake below sea level lying between the rugged Sierra de Juárez and the Sierra de los Cucapah, is also in the vicinity of Mexicali. The state government has recently been considering plans to revive Laguna Salada. The highest mountain in the Sierra de los Cucapah is Cerro del Centinela or
Mount Signal. The Cucapah are the primary indigenous people from the mountains north to
Yuma, Arizona. , part of the
San Lorenzo Marine Archipelago National Park There are numerous islands on the Pacific shore. Guadalupe Island is located in the extreme west of the state's boundaries and is the site of large colonies of
sea lions. Cedros Island exists in the southwest of the state's maritime region. The Todos Santos islands and Coronado Islands are located off the coasts of Ensenada and Tijuana, respectively. All of the islands in the Gulf of California on the Baja California side belong to the municipality of Mexicali. Baja California obtains much of its water from the Colorado River. Historically, the river drained into the
Colorado River Delta and then flowed into the Gulf of California, but due to large demands for water in the
American Southwest, less water now reaches the Gulf. The
Tijuana metropolitan area also relies on the
Tijuana River as a source of water. Much of rural Baja California depends predominantly on wells, a few dams and even oases. Tijuana also purchases water from San Diego County's Otay Water District. Potable water is the largest natural resource issue of the state.
Climate Baja California's climate varies from
Mediterranean to
arid. The Mediterranean climate is found in the northwestern corner of the state, where the summers are dry and mild and the winters cool and rainy. This climate is observed in areas from Tijuana to
San Quintín and nearby interior valleys. The cold oceanic California Current often creates a low-level marine fog near the coast. The fog occurs along any part of the Pacific coast of the state. The change of altitude towards the Sierra de Baja California creates an
alpine climate in this region. Summers are cool, while winters can be cold with below freezing temperatures at night. It is common to see snow in the Sierra de Juárez, Sierra de San Pedro Mártir and in the valleys in between the two ranges from December to April. Due to
orographic effects, precipitation is much higher in the mountains of northern Baja California than on the western coastal plain or eastern desert plain. Pine, cedar and fir forests are found in the mountains. The mountains produce a
rain shadow to the east of their peaks, creating an extremely arid environment. The Sonoran Desert region of Baja California experiences hot summers and nearly frostless mild winters. The Mexicali Valley (which is below sea level) experiences the highest temperatures in Mexico, frequently surpassing in mid-summer, and exceeding on some occasions. Further south along the Pacific coast, the Mediterranean climate transitions into a desert climate, but it is milder and not as hot as along the gulf coast. Transition climates, from Mediterranean to desert, can be found from San Quintín to
El Rosario. Further inland and along the Gulf of California, the vegetation is scarce and temperatures are very high during the summer months. The islands in the Gulf of California also have a desert climate. Some oases can be found in the desert where few towns are located – for instance,
Catavina, San Borja and Santa Gertrudis.
Flora and fauna Common trees at the higher elevations are the
Jeffrey pine,
sugar pine and
pinon pine.
Understory species include
manzanita. There is a variety of reptiles, including the
western fence lizard, which is at the southern extent of its range. The name of the fish genus
Bajacalifornia is derived from the Baja California peninsula. In the main wildlife refuges on the peninsula of Baja California,
Constitution 1857 National Park and
Sierra de San Pedro Mártir National Park, several coniferous species can be found. The most abundant are Jeffrey pine,
Pinus ponderosa,
Pinus cembroides,
Pinus quadrifolia,
Pinus monophylla,
Juniperus,
Arctostaphylos pringlei subsp. drupacea,
Artemisia ludoviciana and
Adenostoma sparsifolium. Baja California shares many plant species with the
Laguna Mountains and
San Jacinto Mountains in southwest California. The lower elevations of the Sierra de Juárez are characterized by
chaparral and
desert shrub.
Guadalupe Island and its surrounding waters, off the Pacific coast, has been designated the
Guadalupe Island Biosphere Reserve to preserve endangered marine and terrestrial species of animals and plants. The fauna in the parks include a large number of mammals, primarily
mule deer,
bighorn sheep,
cougars,
bobcats,
ringtail cats,
coyotes,
rabbits,
squirrels and more than 30 species of
bats. The park is also home to many avian species like
bald eagles,
golden eagles,
falcons,
woodpeckers,
black vultures,
crows, and several species of
Sittidae and
duck.
2010 earthquakes At 3:40:41 pm PDT on Easter Sunday, 4 April 2010, a 7.2 (on the
moment magnitude scale) magnitude northwest-trending
strike-slip earthquake hit the
Mexicali Valley, with its
epicenter southwest of the city of
Guadalupe Victoria, Baja California. The main shock was felt as far as the
Los Angeles,
Las Vegas,
Phoenix and
Tucson metropolitan areas, and in
Yuma. At least a half-dozen
aftershocks with magnitudes between 5.0 and 5.4 were reported, including a 5.1-magnitude shaker at 4:14 am that was centered near
El Centro. As of 6:31am PDT on 5 April 2010, two people were confirmed dead. ==Government==