Knowra Baja California Peninsula Baja California Peninsula A long, narrow peninsula in northwestern Mexico, separating the Pacific Ocean from the Gulf of California. It comprises the Mexican states of Baja California and Baja California Sur.
Gulf of California : A long, narrow sea between the Baja California Peninsula and mainland Mexico. The peninsula forms the gulf’s western boundary.
Tijuana : A Mexican city on the United States border in the state of Baja California. It anchors the peninsula’s urban north beside San Diego.
Gulf of California Rift Zone : An active tectonic boundary where the Pacific and North American plates move apart and slide past one another. Rifting helped open the gulf and separate the peninsula from mainland Mexico.
El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve : A protected area in Baja California Sur encompassing desert, lagoon, and coastal ecosystems. It protects extensive interior habitat and gray-whale lagoons.
Pacific Ocean : The largest and deepest ocean on Earth, spanning the area between Asia, Australia, and the Americas. Its waters border the peninsula’s western coast.
Ensenada : A port city on the Pacific coast of Baja California, Mexico. Its Pacific harbor is a major northern-coast settlement.
San Andreas Fault : A major transform fault in California marking part of the boundary between the Pacific and North American plates. The peninsula’s tectonic setting connects southward to this plate-boundary system.
Cabo Pulmo National Park : A marine national park on the Gulf of California coast of Baja California Sur. Its protected reef shows the conservation value of the gulf coast.
Baja California : A Mexican state occupying the northern part of the Baja California Peninsula. This state contains the peninsula’s northern section.
Vizcaíno Desert : An arid region in central Baja California Sur, Mexico, containing extensive protected landscapes. It illustrates the peninsula’s broad, sparsely populated central interior.
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