Baja California

Baja California or Lower California, peninsula, north-western Mexico, comprising the states of Baja California and Baja California Sur, lying between the Gulf of California and the Pacific Ocean. It is about 1,225 km (760 mi) long, varies in width from 48 to 241 km (30 to 150 mi), and consists of mountain ranges rising in the north to more than 3,048 m (10,000 ft) above sea level.

The northern half of the peninsula contains Baja California, with its capital at Mexicali. It covers an area of about 70,115 sq km (27,070 sq mi) and has a population of 1,660,855 (1990 census). The southern half of the peninsula contains Baja California Sur, with its capital at La Paz. Its area is about 73,680 sq km (28,450 sq mi) and it has a population of 317,764 (1990 census). Two UNESCO World Heritage Sites, both designated in 1993, are situated in the central part of the peninsula: the Whale Sanctuary of El Vizcaino and the Sierra de San Francisco, which houses well-preserved rock paintings from about 100 BC to AD 1300.