Officially United Mexican States, republic 753,665 sq mi (1,952,500 sq km), S North America. It borders on the United States in the north, on the Gulf of Mexico (including its arm, the Bay of Campeche) and the Caribbean Sea in the east, on Belize and Guatemala in the southeast, and on the Pacific Ocean in the south and west. Mexico is divided into 31 states and the Federal District, which includes most of the country’s capital and largest city, Mexico City.
Land
Most of Mexico is highland or mountainous and less than 15% of the land is arable; about 25% of the country is forested. Most of the Yucatán peninsula and the Isthmus of Tehuantepec in the southeast is lowland, and there are low-lying strips of land along the Gulf of Mexico, the Pacific Ocean, and the Gulf of California
In the south the deserts yield to the broad, shallow lakes of a region, comprising the Valley of Mexico, known as the Anáhuac and famous for its rich cultural heritage. South of the Anáhuac, which includes Mexico City, is a chain of extinct volcanoes, including Citlaltépetl or Orizaba (18,700 ft/5,700 m, the highest point in Mexico), Popocatépetl and Iztaccihuatl. To the south are jumbled masses of mountains and the Sierra Madre del Sur.
People
The great majority of the population are of mixed Spanish and indigenous descent and speak Spanish, the official language, as their first language. Various Mayan dialects are also spoken. Since 1920 the population of Mexico has had a very high rate of growth, almost entirely the result of natural increase; from 1940 to 1990 the population grew from 19.6 million to 81.1 million. The April 2023 population of Mexico is 132,683,621 million people.
Los Cabos / East Cape / San Jose del Cabo / Cabo San Lucas Baja California Sur, Mexico
Los Cabos is the Worlds #1 Deep Sea Fishing Destination, catch a Marlin only one mile off shore, play 18 holes of signature golf, dine in the finest establishment’s, wearing shorts every single day of the year.
Anchored between the warm fish filled waters of the Sea of Cortez and the heaving Pacific Ocean. Baja California offers over 3,000 miles of scenic coastline, most of it blessedly undeveloped, with more daily hours of Sunshine than Hawaii, Florida and the Caribbean. Just a few miles inland lofty sierras straddle this foreign peninsula, presenting yet more opportunities for outdoor recreation and exploration. Some of the amazing facts about Baja and Only a Few Reasons Why We Love It.
The Extreme desert conditions of Baja have produced thousands of endemic species of plants and animal life found nowhere else in the world.
El Vizcaino Desert with an average annual rainfall of 5 cm (2 inches) is the largest wildlife refuge in all of Latin America and certainly the most diverse.
Baja California Sur, bordered by two seas, has the longest coastline of all of Mexico’s states, more than 2,000 km (1,243 miles).
Baja features more islands than any other Mexican state. Although most of the islands are located in the Sea of Cortez, the largest one is Margarita Island on the Pacific side.
The Sea of Cortez is the most biologically rich body of water on earth. So much in fact, that Jacques Cousteau proclaims it “The Worlds Aquarium”.
The Cardon cactus, the world’s largest species of cactus, grows in Baja. It can reach heights of 21mt (70 feet).
Every year from mid-December to mid-April, hundreds of gray whales arrive off the coast of Baja California Sur from the Alaskan shores. Whale watchers are proud to see whales jumping up to 40 feet into the air.
Whatever attracts you to Baja, fishing, surfing, seafood, desert flora, cave paintings, whales, Spanish missions, sun-filled days, you won’t be disappointed. Although this forgotten peninsula has been discovered and every year brings more development and better facilities, much of it remains a true frontier with an attendant frontier ethos. Don’t be surprised to find a seemingly impoverished fisherman or rancher coming to your aid and then politely refusing a fistful of pesos in return, declaring sincerely, “Out here we are all brothers”.
Open your eyes to the real Baja of remote villages, fish camps, empty beaches, and rugged islands. The biggest danger is that you may not want to come back.
