Baja California Peninsula

Coordinates: 28°00′N 113°30′W / 28.000°N 113.500°W / 28.000; -113.500

The Baja California Peninsula (English: Lower California Peninsula, Spanish: Península de Baja California) is a peninsula in Northwestern Mexico. Its land mass separates the Pacific Ocean from the Gulf of California. The peninsula extends 1,247 kilometres (775 mi) from Mexicali, Baja California in the north to Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur in the south. It ranges for 40 kilometres (25 mi) at its narrowest to 320 kilometres (200 mi) at its widest point and has approximately 3,000 kilometres (1,900 mi) of coastline and approximately 65 islands. The total area of the Baja California Peninsula is 143,390 square kilometres (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.

History