Travel Latin America from your computer.
State (pop., 2005: 2,844,469), northern Baja California peninsula, northwestern Mexico. It covers an area of 26,997 sq mi (69,921 sq km), and its capital is Mexicali. Although long inhabited, it remained sparsely populated until the 1950s, when it experienced phenomenal growth. This was partly because of its proximity to the U.S. border; numerous foreign companies have established assembly-oriented factories (maquiladoras) in the region, a trend accelerated by the establishment of NAFTA in 1994.
Find more information on Baja California. Upgrade to Britannica Online for more on Baja California.