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85-584: Before becoming a state on 8 October 1974, the area was known as the El Territorio Sur de Baja California ("South Territory of Lower California"). It has an area of 73,909 km (28,536 sq mi), or 3.57% of the land mass of Mexico, and occupies the southern half of the Baja California Peninsula , south of the 28th parallel , plus the uninhabited Rocas Alijos in the Pacific Ocean. It

170-530: A gullibility test, going on until the listener(s) catch on and the group starts to laugh. This behavior ultimately reinforces bonds between fishermen by manipulating boundaries of inclusion. Exaggerations about fishing accomplishments are lies rather than jokes and are used to maintain their reputations as successful fishermen. This is socially acceptable and even expected from peers. Profit-oriented deceptions during fish sales involve tipping scales toward extra profit when fisheries weigh their catch and understating

255-468: A Guaycuran language family, but this seems to have been based purely on their geographic proximity. The archaeological record for Pericú territory extends at least as far back as the early Holocene , about 10,000 years ago, and perhaps into the late Pleistocene . The distinctive hyperdolichocephalic (long-headed) skulls found in Cape Region burials have suggested to some scholars that the ancestors of

340-458: A Mexican territory when Alta California was ceded to the United States (see 1854 map). In 1931, Baja California Territory was divided into northern and southern territories. In 1952, the " Territory of Baja California Norte " became the 29th State of Mexico as Baja California . In 1974, the " Territory of Baja California Sur " became the 31st state as Baja California Sur . The northern part

425-570: A map of California depicting it as an island, supposedly on a misconception of reports by Spanish navigators Juan de Fuca and Martin d'Aquilar. A copy of this map was sent to Spain and was seized by the Dutch on its way and then reproduced in the Netherlands, and eventually found its way to Henry Briggs in London who widely disseminated this misinformation. The first printed map showing California as an island

510-673: A reason for such a mistake could have originated in the secret in which the Spaniards held their cartography from other European powers' eyes. The final blow to the notion of California as an island was struck by an influential map created by Italian Jesuit priest Eusebio Kino during his mission in the Pimería Alta . It was titled Paso por tierra a la California y sus confinantes nuevas Naciones y Misiones nuevas de la Compañía de JHS [Jesús] en la América Septentrional ("Overland Passage to California and its Contiguous New Nations and New Missions of

595-497: Is Cabo San Lucas . The municipality is one of the most important tourist destinations in Mexico. The municipality borders that of La Paz to the north, with the rest defined by the Pacific Ocean and the Gulf of California. The municipality of Loreto is in the center of the state, with the city of Loreto as its seat. It borders the municipalities of Mulegé and Comondú with the Gulf of California to

680-601: Is a peninsula in northwestern Mexico . It separates the Gulf of California from the Pacific Ocean . The peninsula extends from Mexicali , Baja California , in the north to Cabo San Lucas , Baja California Sur , in the south. With a length of 1,247 km (775 miles), its width ranges from 40 km (25 miles) at its narrowest to 320 km (200 miles) at its widest point and has approximately 3,000 km (1,900 miles) of coastline and approximately 65 islands. The total area of

765-464: Is a prominent volcanic activity area . Volcanoes of the peninsula and adjacent islands include: Researchers from Scripps Institution of Oceanography have found a 2,000-year-old layer of non-decomposed roots, or peat , up to 4 metres (13 ft) under the desert mangroves. The peat layer acts like a sponge for stored atmospheric carbon, a record of sea-level-rise is also recorded in the peat layer. The desert mangroves restricted to rocky inlets on

850-527: Is a small bay located west of the Canal de las Ballenas which separates the Baja California peninsula from the large island of Isla Ángel de la Guarda in the Gulf of California. The peninsula is home to several distinct ecoregions . Most of the peninsula is deserts and xeric shrublands , although pine-oak forests are found in the mountains at the northern and southern ends of the peninsula. The southern tip of

935-400: Is bordered to the north by the state of Baja California , to the west by the Pacific Ocean , and to the east by the Gulf of California . The state has maritime borders with Sonora and Sinaloa to the east, across the Gulf of California. The state is home to the tourist resorts of Cabo San Lucas and San José del Cabo . Its largest city and capital is La Paz . The state is named after

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1020-607: Is converted into various types of knives. Commerce and services account for 69.5% of the GDP. La Paz was ranked 31st in Mexico by the World Bank and the International Finance Corporation in ease of doing business and 23rd as a place to open a business. Major activities of this type include hotel and food service (16.43%) and housing sales and rentals (10.67%), which along with other activities (17.65%) account for 58.37% of

1105-680: Is its capital. The Baja California peninsula was once a part of the North American Plate , the tectonic plate of which mainland Mexico remains a part. About 12 to 15 million years ago the East Pacific Rise began cutting into the margin of the North American Plate, initiating the separation of the peninsula from it. Spreading within the Gulf of California consists of short oblique rifts or ridge segments connected by long northwest trending transform faults , which together comprise

1190-690: Is known for its production of breads. As of 2011, the state has 5,651 km of highway, eleven ports (five of which are international), and four international airports. The peninsula's main transport artery is Mexican Federal Highway 1 , which runs from the southern end of the peninsula at Cabo San Lucas to the United States-Mexico border at San Ysidro . Mexican Federal Highway 19 provides an alternate route between Cabo San Lucas and La Paz . A toll road, Mexican Federal Highway 1D , provides an alternate route from Los Cabos International Airport to Cabo San Lucas. There are also ferries from

1275-681: Is now the bay of La Paz, which he named the Santa Cruz Port and Valley. This event is celebrated in La Paz as its founding. However, he did not remain. Despite various explorations, the remoteness of the region impeded efforts at colonization until the 17th century. In 1697, Jesuit missionary Juan María de Salvatierra established the Nuestra Señora de Loreto Conchó Mission , the first permanent one of its kind in Baja California Sur. From there

1360-500: Is on a narrow peninsula that broke away from the mainland about two million years ago due to tectonic activity. The territory is primarily mountains or mountain ranges and coastal plains. The mountain ranges parallel the coastline and are of volcanic rock. The local name for the main mountain range is the Sierra de la Giganta and the highest peak is the Sierra de la Laguna at 2080m above sea level. The coastal plains are significantly wider on

1445-466: Is one of five areas in the world with important concentrations of cave paintings. These paintings have an identifiable style and tend to be on a monumental scale with some figures as tall as 4 metres (13 ft). Most of the animals are painted in silhouette and depicted in movement, often being hunted by people. The best known site is the Great Mural Rock Art, which dates from 1700 BCE, located in

1530-471: Is that it was disputed ground between the Pericú and Guaycura throughout the early historic period. The Pericú language is extinct and unattested. Evidence concerning the language spoken by the Pericú is limited to a handful of words plus fewer than a dozen place names. Jesuit missionaries recognized Pericú as a language distinct from Guaycura . Massey suggested that Pericú and Guaycura had together constituted

1615-499: Is the Los Cabos region, classified as semi-moist because of Pacific hurricane activity affecting the region. In the spring, prevailing winds are from the west and in the summer from the south and southwest. In the fall, they are from the northwest and in the winter from the north and northwest. Most of the surface water is in the form of seasonal streams, which are fast-flowing and only active during stormy weather. Most of these drain into

1700-621: Is the high mountain areas with significant tree cover, some species of which are commercially valuable. The Vizcaíno Desert runs along the Pacific coast around the Ojo de Liebre and San Ignacio lagoons; it contains lower mountain ranges such as the San Francisco, San Alberto, Las Tinajas de Murillo and El Serrucho, along with the El Azufre and Las Vírgenes volcanos. The Magdalena Plains is a large, flat area near

1785-406: Is the southern part of the Baja California Peninsula , located in the northwest of Mexico, part of the larger The Californias region of North America . With a territory of 73,909 km, it is about 750 km long and averages about 100 km wide. The state is divided into five municipalities. Comondú is located in the center of the state with its seat at Ciudad Constitución . It borders

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1870-562: Is the state of Baja California . It is sometimes informally referred to as Baja California Norte , to distinguish it from both the Baja California peninsula and the adjacent state Baja California Sur. The citizens of Baja California are named bajacalifornianos ("Lower Californians" in English). Mexicali is the capital. The southern part, below 28° north, is the state of Baja California Sur . The citizens of Baja California Sur are named sudcalifornianos ("South Californians" in English). La Paz

1955-458: The Guaycura were chronic. Fragments of Pericú mythology were recorded in the early 1730s. Shamans claimed to be able to effect supernatural cures of the sick. Mortuary and mourning observances were particularly elaborate. The people believed in an all-powerful master named Niparaya, creator of heaven and earth. His wife is Amayicoyondi and they had three sons. One is called Quaayayp, who created

2040-741: The Gulf of California Rift Zone . The north end of the rift zone is located in the Brawley seismic zone in the Salton Sea basin between the Imperial Fault and the San Andreas Fault . The Baja California peninsula is now part of the Pacific Plate and is moving with it away from the East Pacific Rise in a north northwestward direction. Along the coast north of Santa Rosalia, Baja California Sur

2125-622: The North Pacific and Gulf of California give it a reputation for sports fishing . Since 1967, the peninsula has hosted the Baja 1000 , an off-road race that begins in Ensenada and ends in La Paz . Peric%C3%BA The Pericú were Indigenous peoples of Mexico . They lived in the Cape Region, the southernmost portion of Baja California Sur . They have been linguistically and culturally extinct since

2210-423: The 1530s and early 1540s. In 1539, explorer Francisco de Ulloa proved that Baja California was a peninsula rather than an island, and named the water separating it from the mainland the "Vermillion Sea" (sometimes referred to as the "Red Sea"). The Spaniards gave the name Las Californias to the peninsula and lands to the north, including both Baja California and Alta California , the region that became parts of

2295-711: The Baja California peninsula is 143,390 km (55,360 sq mi). The peninsula is separated from mainland Mexico by the Gulf of California and the Colorado River . There are four main desert areas on the peninsula: the San Felipe Desert, the Central Coast Desert, the Vizcaíno Desert , and the Magdalena Plain Desert. The name of California existed as a myth among European explorers before it

2380-676: The Cape Region since 1985, has carbon-dated remains from the Babisuri Shelter on the Isla Espíritu Santo to 40,000 years ago, placing the earliest habitation date in the Archaic period , though the majority of remains indicate indigenous people have constantly occupied the area from between 10,000 and 21,000 years ago. Evidence of early human habitation is found in primitive rock and cave paintings dating to 1700 BCE, created by hunting and gathering societies that lived in rock shelters. The state

2465-507: The Cape Region was interrupted. The Pericú themselves suffered most, however, with combat deaths added to the already devastating effects of Old World diseases. By the time the Spanish crown expelled the Jesuits from Baja California in 1768, the Pericú seem to have been culturally extinct, although some of their genes may survive in local mestizo populations. The Pericú are known primarily through

2550-534: The Mexican government invited foreign enterprises to enter the country to develop it. In Baja California, these included mining operations including a major French mine called El Boleo (near Santa Rosalia) and the establishment of maritime routes. This president also divided the peninsula into two parts, each with its own government. The south of the peninsula was not involved in the Mexican Revolution until after

2635-791: The Pacific Ocean, with a number flowing south into the Bahía de Ballenas. The main geological feature of the state is its coastline, which measures 2230 km, making it Mexico's longest with 22% of the total. It also has the most islands, mostly in the Gulf of California. There are three in the Pacific, Natividad, Magdalena and Santa Margarita (the largest). In the Gulf of California, they include San Marcos, Coronados, Carmen, Montserrat, Santa Catalina, Santa Cruz, San Diego, San Jose, San Francisco, Partida, Espiritu Santo and Cerralvo. Major bays include Sebastian Vizcaino, Magdalena, La Paz, Asunción, Ballenas, Concepcion and San Carlos. Estuaries and lagoons including those at Puerto Escondido, Nopoló, Balandra as well as

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2720-461: The Pacific coast, and the Los Cabos region is distinguished by microclimates determined by the geologic change in the area and rain patterns. The climate of the state is dry, with an average annual temperature of 18–22 °C and average annual rainfall of less than 200mm. The lower elevations are the driest and hottest, with summer daytime temperatures above 40 °C; wintertime temperatures may fall below freezing. The exception to desert conditions

2805-522: The Pacific side, averaging about 40 km, with much wider plains such as those of Santa Clara, Berrendo and Magdalena y Hiray. These areas are dominated by sedimentary rock, especially limestone of marine origin. The state is divided into five regions: Central Desert, La Serranía, the Vizcaíno Desert , the Magdalena Plains and Los Cabos. The Central Desert has desert plants, with vegetation springing up during short and irregular rains. The La Serranía

2890-573: The Pacific, just north of Punta Eugenia. Onshore southeast of the bay is the Desierto de Vizcaino , an extensive desert lying between the Sierra Vizcaino to the west, and the Tres Virgenes range which runs along the Gulf of California to the east. The largest bays along the coastline of the Gulf are Bahia de La Paz where the city of La Paz is located, and Bahia Concepcion . The Bahía de los Ángeles

2975-597: The Pericú were either trans-Pacific immigrants or remnants of some of the New World's earliest colonizers. The distinctive Las Palmas burial complex , involving secondary burials painted with red ochre and deposited in caves or rockshelters, was particularly noted. The continued use of the atlatl and dart alongside the bow and arrow as late as the 17th century, long after their replacement in most of North America, has been used to argue for an exceptional degree of isolation in southern Baja California. Harumi Fujita has traced

3060-711: The San José estuary at Cabo Colorado, the San Ignacio Lagoon and the Ojo de Liebre. The ecological system here is considered to be recently evolved with a number of endemic species. The lower elevations are dominated by desert and arid condition plants. This includes the world's largest species of cactus, the cardón cactus , which can reach heights of 15m. Other plant species include mesquite , chironola , lechuguilla , nopal and barrel cactus, choyas, paloadan and pitahaya . The higher elevations have forests of pine and holm oak with some deciduous forests, with leaves falling in

3145-620: The Society of Jesus in Northern America"). Originally, in 1695, it depicted California as a peninsula but based on the presence of blue abalone shells (most likely Haliotis fulgens ) from the Pacific coast in the Pimería Alta, the information from natives, and his own travels and sightings, Eusebio Kino redrew the map in 1701. The map was printed in 1707 in Hamburg and Leipzig and became one of

3230-611: The Spanish arrived, there were four main ethnic groups: the Pericúes in the south between Cabo San Lucas and La Paz, the Guaycuras in the area north of the Pericú to Loreto, the Monquis near Loreto and Cochimí in the middle of the peninsula. All were hunter/gatherers without agriculture or metalworking, but produced pottery. They also fished, but only the Pericúes had rafts. The first Spaniard in

3315-721: The Triunfo-San Antonio mine), manganese (in Santa Rosalia and Punta Concepción Bay) and chrome (in San SebastiánVizcaíno and Magdalena bays). There are other minerals not yet routinely mined such as titanium , tungsten , and cobalt . There is some possibility of offshore hydrocarbons. The state also produces salt of 99.7% purity, mostly in the area around Guerrero Negro. There are two major industrial/technology parks: Parque Tecnológico BioHelis and Parque Industrial La Paz Sur. Traditional handcrafts can be found throughout

3400-430: The accounts of early European visitors. The most detailed of these were left by English privateers who spent time at Cabo San Lucas in 1709–1710 and 1721. The Pericú are best known for their maritime orientation, harvesting fish, shellfish, and marine mammals from the waters of the southern Gulf of California. Terrestrial resources such as agave, the fruit of cacti, small game, and deer were also important. Agriculture

3485-662: The amount of gasoline or bait used to deflate the debt to their patrons in an effort to pad their earnings. Buyers are aware that contending with these lies is part of the process so they are often seen as harmless. One of the reasons for these jokes/lies is a commitment to harmony because they are methods to diffuse conflicts including those over fishing resources. Their ambiguity allows social interventions that go awry to be played off and their humor could be used to ease tensions. Baja California Peninsula The Baja California peninsula ( Spanish : Península de Baja California , lit.   'Lower California peninsula')

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3570-480: The area is believed to be Fortún Ximénez , arriving in 1533. He and his crew did not remain long because they sacked the area's pearls and abused the women, prompting a violent confrontation with the natives, who killed Ximénez. The remaining crew returned to Mexico City with the pearls and stories of riches. In 1535, Hernán Cortés navigated into the Gulf of California, which he called the Sea of Cortés . He landed in what

3655-487: The assassination of Francisco I. Madero , when troops were organized in opposition to Victoriano Huerta , his successor under Félix Ortega. These troops defeated federal troops in 1914 and took over La Paz. From the end of the Mexican Revolution to 1974, the territory had ten governors appointed by the federal government. The division of the peninsula was further formalized in 1931, with a highway extending its length

3740-543: The best-known maps of northern New Spain. A notable colleague of Eusebio Kino who accompanied him on one of his major travels (in 1694) and acted as the intermediary in the publication of this map and dissemination of Kino's knowledge in Europe was Carniolan priest Marcus Antonius Kappus  [ es ] . The province of the Californias was united until 1804, in the Spanish colonial Viceroyalty of New Spain , when it

3825-523: The changing patterns in the exploitation of marine resources and in settlement within the prehistoric Cape Region. According to Fujita, after about AD 1000, four major centers of socioeconomic and ceremonial importance emerged in the Cape Region: near Cabo San Lucas, at Cabo Pulmo, at La Paz, and on Isla Espíritu Santo. Spanish contacts with the Pericú began in the 1530s, first when Fortún Ximénez and mutineers from an expedition sent out by Hernán Cortés ,

3910-462: The conqueror of central Mexico, reached La Paz, followed shortly afterwards by an expedition under Cortés himself. Sporadic encounters, sometimes friendly and sometimes hostile, linked the Pericú with a succession of European explorers, privateers, missionaries, Manila galleons , and pearl hunters throughout the 16th, 17th, and early 18th centuries. The Jesuits established their first permanent mission in Baja California at Loreto in 1697, but it

3995-523: The country to support the Conservative cause, and Governor Felix Gilbert recognized Emperor Maximilian . However, Mexican forces under Benito Juarez forced the French out, with Coronel Clodomiro Cota, recapturing the peninsula from the French. The division of the peninsula into north and south occurred in 1888 by the federal government under Porfirio Diaz . During the regime of Porfirio Diaz (1876 to 1910),

4080-403: The dry season, generally no taller than fifteen meters. Wildlife in the desert areas is restricted to birds, reptiles and small-to-medium mammals such as rabbits and coyotes. Upper elevations with more vegetation can have wild sheep, pumas and other wild cats, raccoons, deer, and foxes. Marine species include whales, seals, dolphins, gray whales, manta rays and sea turtles. Baja California Sur has

4165-401: The east coast of the peninsula to the mainland, with most going to Mazatlán in the state of Sinaloa . This trip takes about thirteen hours. The state's main airports are Los Cabos International Airport and Manuel Márquez de León International Airport . Newspapers of Baja California Sur include: El Peninsular , El Periódico , El Sudcaliforniano , and Tribuna de los Cabos. Three of

4250-472: The east. Traditionally based mostly on tourism, sport fishing, salt production, and mining, in 2012 the GDP of the state accounted for only 0.73% of the country's GDP, but grew 3.13% in comparison to the year prior. In 2013, this growth increased to 7.8%. Unemployment in 2013 was 5.1% with employment shifting away from agriculture and fishing to mining and industry (up 19.9%) and commerce (up 4.9%). Today, agriculture, fishing and forestry account for only 3.89% of

4335-717: The expansion north. In 1773 they were replaced by the Dominicans. A number of these mission churches still survive, including the Loreto Mission, the La Paz Cathedral , the San José del Cabo Mission and the San Javier Mission . The missions' influence had waned by the start of the nineteenth century, with most closing. However, many of the mission facilities became the centers for ranching operations and some agriculture. Without

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4420-679: The indigenous cultures remain, the Cochimí , the Guaycura and the Pericú . Traditional music is usually played by trios playing an accordion and two guitars in bands called "cochi", in styles such as corridos , waltzes, polkas and mazurkas along with norteño . Traditional dress for women includes a semicircular red skirt decorated with local flora, along with a flowered blouse. This is most often seen at festivals where traditional dances such as Las Pitahayas, El Conejo, El Apasionado, El Chaverán, La Yuca, La Cuera, Las Calabazas and El Tupé are performed. Because of

4505-546: The islands located in Baja California Sur coastline on the Pacific Ocean and the Gulf of California are protected under Pacific Islands of the Baja California Peninsula Biosphere Reserve with Baja California, and Islands of the Gulf of California Protection Area of Flora and Fauna, which shares with the states of Baja California, Sinaloa and Sonora. 59% of the state's population are mestizos, 40% are whites, and 1% are indigenous. As of 2010, 86% of

4590-570: The largest protected surface area in Mexico, 38.3% of the state in 10 official protected areas: Bahía de Loreto National Park (510,472.2 acres), Cabo Pulmo National Park (17'570 acres), Espíritu Santo Archipelago National Park (120,228.70 acres), El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve (6,293,255.76 acres), Ojo de Liebre Lagoon Bioshere Reserve (196,026.15 acres), Sierra de la Laguna Biosphere Reserve (277,838.05 acres), Balandra Protection Area of Flora and Fauna (6,209.09 acres) and Cabo San Lucas Protection Area of Flora and Fauna (9,874.42 acres). Also,

4675-449: The late 18th century. The Pericú are also known as Pericues, Cora, and Edues. The Pericú people's territory was along the southern edge of the Baja California Peninsula , from Cabo San Lucas east to Cabo Pulmo , together with the large Gulf of California Islands of Cerralvo, Espíritu Santo, La Partida, and San José. William C. Massey thought that the eastern portion of the Cape Region, including Bahía las Palmas and Bahía Ventana ,

4760-413: The long coastline, much of the state's cuisine is based on seafood, including species not normally eaten in other parts of Mexico such as manta rays. Oregano and a local herb called damiana are common seasonings. The latter is also used as a flavoring for a local liquor. Traditional dishes include breaded and fried clams, machaca and generally accompanied by flour tortillas. In a fishing village that

4845-401: The map Maris Pacifici from 1589, in the first half of the 17th century the idea of California as an island spread again; this persisted well into the 18th century, and was included in many erroneous maps that did not have the knowledge of the Spanish sailors about the Pacific coast of North America. It is believed to have originated with Carmelite friar Antonio Ascension, who around 1620 drew

4930-484: The municipalities of Mulegé , Loreto and La Paz with the Pacific Ocean to the west. Mulegé is in the north of the state with its capital in Santa Rosalía , with two other important population centers at Guerrero Negro and Mulegé . It borders the municipalities of Comondú and Loreto with Baja California to the north, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Gulf of California to the east. It accounts for almost 45% of

5015-533: The north of the state. Other important sites include Cueva de Palma, San Gregorio, Santa Teresa, Guadalupe, San Francisco, Cabo Pulmo, Santiago and San Borjita. The most important concentrations are in twelve square kilometer zone in the north of the state, centered on the Sierra de San Francisco. In sites near Comondú, Las Palmas and Cocheros, there are also arrowheads, utensils and petroglyphs. Las Palmas contains secondary burials of human bones painted with red ochre. When

5100-470: The order spread through most of the current state, founding sixteen missions in territory of the current state to work among the Pericú , Guaycura and Cochimí peoples. During the 18th century, more colonists arrived, bringing diseases that caused a significant decrease in the indigenous population. In 1768, the Jesuits were expelled from New Spain and the Franciscans took over the missions, continuing

5185-639: The peninsula during the Mexican–American War and wanted it as part of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo , but the Mexican government succeeded in keeping control of the territory. In 1853, William Walker and 45 other Americans captured La Paz . However, due to lack of official U.S. support they were quickly driven out by Mexican forces. During the Reform War , Liberal forces under General Manuel Marquez de Leon and others captured La Paz. French forces then invaded

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5270-422: The peninsula on which it is found, Baja (Lower) California, with the term "Sur" meaning "south". The name California applied to this peninsula along with the area now known as the state of California in the United States. The coat of arms emphasizes the state's connection to the sea, including images of silver fish, a silver shell and a blue background. Japanese archaeologist Harumi Fujita , who has been excavating

5355-416: The peninsula, which was formerly an island, has many species with affinities to tropical Mexico. The peninsula is known colloquially as Baja by American and Canadian tourists, and is known for its natural environment . It draws ecotourists who go whale watching for migrating California gray whales as well as tourists that arrive to the resorts on the southern tip of the peninsula. Its location between

5440-449: The peninsula. The two most prominent capes along the Pacific coastline of the peninsula are Punta Eugenia , located about halfway up the coast, and Cabo San Lázaro , located about a quarter of the way north from Cabo San Lucas. The Sebastián Vizcaíno Bay , the largest bay in Baja, lies along the Pacific coast halfway up the peninsula. The large Cedros Island is situated between the bay and

5525-403: The population lived in urban areas. According to the 2020 Census, 3.3% of Baja California Sur's population identified as Black, Afro-Mexican , or of African descent. The average years of schooling for those over 15 years of age is 9.6, above the national average of 8.9. It has a low illiteracy rate of 3%, lower than that of the country (6.1%). Institutions of higher education include: The state

5610-400: The present-day U.S. states of California , Nevada , Utah , Arizona , and parts of Colorado and Wyoming . Over time the name "Sea of Cortez" replaced Vermillion Sea, and today the term "Gulf of California" is used by some. Although cartographers such as Abraham Ortelius showed the Baja as an extensive peninsula in his Theatrum Orbis Terrarum , published in Antwerpen in 1589, and on

5695-419: The protection of the monks, and the lack of governmental control, the indigenous peoples of this time were abused by the ranchers. In the early 19th century, Baja California was divided into four municipalities, Loreto, San José del Cabo, San Pedro Mártir and Santa Gertrudis. The southern peninsula's isolation kept it out of the fighting during the Mexican War of Independence . Although this war ended in 1821,

5780-429: The remoteness of the area allowed the Spanish to maintain control of the southern peninsula until 1822. Afterwards, it was divided into four municipalities by Guadalupe Victoria and governor José María Echendía. Loreto was the original capital of the peninsula until 1830, when destruction of the town by heavy rains forced the government's relocation to La Paz, which has been the capital since. The United States invaded

5865-422: The rugged coast of Baja California have been growing over their own root remains over thousands of years to compensate for sea-level rise, accumulating a thick layer of peat below their roots. However, mangroves in flat coastal floodplains have accumulated a thinner peat layer. The Peninsular Ranges form the backbone of the peninsula. They are an uplifted and eroded Jurassic to Cretaceous batholith , part of

5950-493: The same original batholith chain which formed much of the Sierra Nevada mountains in U.S. California. This chain was formed primarily as a result of the subduction of the Farallon Plate millions of years ago all along the margin of North America. Climate The climate of Baja California peninsula is predominantly a hot desert climate , with the northern parts featuring a Mediterranean climate, and contains some dots of Mediterranean and hot semi arid climate along all of

6035-409: The same year. Infrastructure development remained a priority for the area, with the establishment of schools including the first teachers' college in 1942, and projects to provide water and electricity. The southern territory became a state on 8 October 1974, with three municipalities: La Paz, Comondú and Mulegé. Two others have been carved out since then, Los Cabos (1981) and Loreto (1992). The state

6120-639: The southern tip of the peninsula. A highway known as the Corridor links the two towns. Other attractions include deep sea fishing, golf, tennis, motorcycling, scuba diving and snorkeling, with windsurfing at Medano Beach and surfing at Todos Santos, Pescadero East Cape and Scorpion Bay. Other important activities include fishing and fish farming, alternative energy production, mineral and salt extraction, film production, information and communication technologies, and biotechnology. Local fruits include dates, green papaya in syrup, along with guavas and pitahaya. Santa Rosalia

6205-837: The state GDP. Commercial species include tuna, sardines, anchovies, clams, snails, oysters, shark, lobsters, abalone , shrimp, and crabs, which are sold both nationally and internationally. Commercial fishing harvests lobster, shrimp, tuna, abalone, and clams. Major crops include garbanzo beans, sorghum , tomatoes, alfalfa , wheat, corn and green chili peppers. Livestock includes pigs, cattle, goats and chickens. Mining, construction and utilities account for 26.61%. Mining includes plaster (mainly on San Marcos Island), limestone (in Todos los Santos), phosphorus (in San Juan de La Costa and Adolfo LópezMateos, Comondú), copper (in Santa Rosalía), gold and silver (in

6290-418: The state and include articles made with seashells, palo chino, choya and cardon cactus. Baskets and other items are woven from palm fronds especially in el Triunfo Los Planes and the Sierra de los Dolores as well as fishing nets. Another important craft is leatherwork, especially the making of gear for horseback riding such as saddles, holsters and chaps along with belts and carrying bags. In addition, scrap metal

6375-427: The state's territory. The municipality of La Paz is in the south of the state. It is the second largest municipality, accounting for just over 27% of the territory of the state. It borders the municipalities of Comondú and Los Cabos and extends from the Pacific Ocean to the Gulf of California. The municipality of Los Cabos is at the southern tip of the state, with its seat at San José del Cabo, and its most populous city

6460-507: The total GDP. The most dynamic aspect of the economy is tourism, with a number of natural resources suited for this purpose, such as the grey whales that come to the area to breed and the natural rock arch at Land's End is frequently photographed. Tourist attractions are divided into three regions: north (Guerrero Negro to Ciudad Constitución), center (La Paz to Todos Santos ), and south (Los Barriles to Cabo San Lucas). There are two main resort areas, Cabo San Lucas and San José del Cabo, both in

6545-485: The women wore skirts of fiber or animal skins and both sexes adopted various forms of adornment. The division of labor among the Pericú was evidently based primarily or exclusively on sex and age. They were variously reported as being either monogamous or polygamous. Communities seem to have been politically independent. Leadership positions were hereditary and were sometimes held by women. Inter-community and inter-ethnic warfare seems to have been frequent, and conflicts with

6630-593: Was discovered. The earliest known mention of the idea of California was in the 1510 romance novel Las Sergas de Esplandián by Spanish author Garci Rodríguez de Montalvo . The book described the Island of California as being west of the Indies , "very close to the side of the Terrestrial Paradise; and it is peopled by black women, without any man among them, for they live in the manner of Amazons ". The Baja peninsula

6715-544: Was divided into Alta (upper) and Baja (lower) California. The two Californias division was kept after Mexican independence in 1821. The Spanish Baja California Province became Mexican Baja California Territory , and remained a separate territory until 1836. In 1836, the Siete Leyes constitutional reforms reunited both Californias in the Departamento de las Californias . After 1848, the Baja California peninsula again became

6800-491: Was more than two decades later that they felt prepared to move into the Cape Region. Missions serving the Pericú, at least in part, were established at La Paz (1720), Santiago (1724), and San José del Cabo (1730). A dramatic reversal came in 1734 when the Pericú Revolt began, resulting in the most serious challenge the Jesuits experienced in Baja California. Two missionaries were killed, and for two years Jesuit control over

6885-483: Was not practiced. The Pericú were one of the few aboriginal groups on the California coasts to possess watercraft other than tule balsas, making use of wooden rafts and double-bladed paddles. Nets, spears or harpoons, darts, and bows and arrows were tools for procuring fish and meat. Bags, baskets, and gourds were used for carrying, since pottery was not made. The requirements for shelter and clothing were minimal, although

6970-611: Was occupied by a Guaycura group known as the Cora. Subsequent reexamination of the ethnohistoric evidence suggests that Cora was synonymous with Pericú. The status of the La Paz area is uncertain. Massey assigned it to two Guaycura groups, the Cora and the Aripe. W. Michael Mathes argued that it had belonged to the Pericú in the 16th and 17th centuries but was taken over by the Guaycura some time between 1668 and 1720. An alternative interpretation

7055-515: Was originally believed by the first Spanish sea explorers to be an island, and acquired the name California, after the mythical paradise inspired by the historic Califor region in Floptropica. Following Hernán Cortés 's conquest of Mexico , the search for the fabled Strait of Anián connecting the Atlantic to the Pacific helped motivate him to send several expeditions to the west coast of New Spain in

7140-588: Was published by Briggs in 1622 (this map was also included in Hakluytus Posthumus by Samuel Purchas , 1625), where it was written that it was sometimes supposed to be a peninsula, but had since been shown by the Dutch to be an island. The idea was warmly accepted by cartographers and presented even in c. 1720 on Carte Nouveelle de la Mer du Sud , published in Amsterdam by Andries and Hendrik de Leth  [ nl ] . Garcia and Jorge opined in 2023 that

7225-734: Was the subject of Siegelman, Haenn, and Basurto’s ethnographic research, jokes/lies, called mentiras (meaning jokes, lies, teases, etc. based on context), were used as a social tool to build group solidarity, distinguish between insiders and outsiders, and encourage exclusivity in resource extraction. This is a masculine practice, connected with machismo , that is person- and context-specific. Three general categories of these jokes/lies were identified: jokes between men, exaggerations about fishing accomplishments, and profit-oriented deceptions during fish sales. The jokes between men are bragging stories and half-jokes used for self-aggrandizement and comic relief. Prolonged versions of these jokes can be used as

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