Tijuana is the center of the Tijuana metropolitan area, which incorporates the entirety of Baja California.
Baja California , -LRB- Lower California -RRB- , officially the Free and Sovereign State of Baja California -LRB- Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California -RRB- , is a state in Mexico .. State. States of Mexico. Mexico. Mexico. California. California. It is the northernmost and westernmost of the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico .. Mexico. Mexico. 32 Federal Entities. Political divisions of Mexico. Before becoming a state in 1952 , the area was known as the North Territory of Baja California -LRB- El Territorio Norte de Baja California -RRB- .. California. California. It has an area of 70113 km2 , or 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 .. Mexico. Mexico. Baja California Peninsula. Baja California Peninsula. 28th parallel. 28th parallel north. Guadalupe Island. Guadalupe Island. California. California. 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 -LRB- also known as the `` Sea of Cortez '' -RRB- , and on the south by Baja California Sur .. State. States of Mexico. Sonora. Sonora. Arizona. Arizona. Gulf of California. Gulf of California. Baja California Sur. Baja California Sur. California. California. Its northern limit is the U.S. state of California .. California. California. The state has an estimated population of 3,315,766 -LRB- 2015 -RRB- much more than the sparsely populated Baja California Sur to the south , and similar to San Diego County , California on its north .. Baja California Sur. Baja California Sur. California. California. San Diego. San Diego. Over 75 % of the population lives in the capital city , Mexicali , in Ensenada , or in Tijuana .. Mexicali. Mexicali. Tijuana. Tijuana. Ensenada. Ensenada, Baja California. Other important cities include San Felipe , Rosarito and Tecate .. San Felipe. San Felipe, Baja California. Rosarito. Rosarito Beach. Tecate. Tecate. The population of the state is composed of Mestizos , mostly immigrants from other parts of Mexico , and , as with most northern Mexican states , a large population of Mexicans of Spanish ancestry , and also a large minority group of East Asian , Middle Eastern and indigenous descent .. Mexico. Mexico. Mestizos. Mestizos. Spanish. White Mexican. East Asian. East Asian. indigenous. Indigenous peoples in Mexico. Additionally , there is a large immigrant population from the United States due to its proximity to San Diego and the cheaper cost of living compared to San Diego .. San Diego. San Diego. There is also a significant population from Central America .. Many immigrants moved to Baja California for a better quality of life and the number of higher paying jobs in comparison to the rest of Mexico and Latin America .. Mexico. Mexico. California. California. Latin America. Latin America. Baja California is the twelfth largest state by area in Mexico .. Mexico. Mexico. California. California. Its geography ranges from beaches to forests and deserts .. The backbone of the state is the Sierra de Baja California , where the Picacho del Diablo , the highest point of the peninsula , is located .. California. California. Picacho del Diablo. Picacho del Diablo. This mountain range effectively divides the weather patterns in the state .. In the northwest , the weather is semi-dry and mediterranean .. mediterranean. mediterranean ( climate ). 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 .. Mexico. Mexico. Valle de Guadalupe. Valle de Guadalupe, Baja California. To the east of the mountain range , the Sonoran Desert dominates the landscape .. Sonoran Desert. Sonoran Desert. In the south , the weather becomes drier and gives way to the Vizcaino Desert .. The state is also home to numerous islands off both of its shores .. In fact , the westernmost point in Mexico , the Guadalupe Island , is part of Baja California .. Mexico. Mexico. Guadalupe Island. Guadalupe Island. California. California. The Coronado , Todos Santos and Cedros Islands are also on the Pacific Shore .. Coronado. Coronado Islands. Todos Santos. Isla Todos Santos. On the Gulf of California , the biggest island is the Angel de la Guarda , separated from the peninsula by the deep and narrow Canal de Ballenas .. Gulf of California. Gulf of California. California. California. Angel de la Guarda. Angel de la Guarda Island. Canal de Ballenas. Ballenas Fault