Baja California
[key], state, 27,628 sq mi (71,576 sq km), NW Mexico, on the Baja California peninsula. Mexicali is the capital. A rapidly
growing state, Baja California is a center of development for maquiladoras, foreign-owned assembly
plants that produce finished goods for export to the United States. The
plants are centered around Mexicali and Tijuana. Mexicali also serves as the
center of a rich cotton producing area, while Tijuana is a noted tourist
center and point of entry from the United States. Ensenada is the state's most important
port and is also a manufacturing, fishing, and tourist center, near the wine
region of Valle de Guadelupe. Baja California became a state in 1952.
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2024, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
See more Encyclopedia articles on: Mexican Political Geography
