About Baja California The world's third-longest peninsula, Baja California is located in northwestern Mexico, separated from the rest of the country by the Sea of Cortez. It extends from approximately 22 degrees, 50 minutes to 32 degrees, 30 minutes north latitude. The Baja California peninsula is comprised of two states, Baja California and Baja California Sur, separated by the 28th parallel. STATE CAPITALS Baja California: Mexicali Baja California Sur: La Paz SIZE Baja California: 27,648 square miles Baja California Sur: 28.369 square miles Total: 56,017 square miles, about one-third the size of the U.S. state of California. HIGH POINTS Baja California: Picacho del Diablo, 10,154 feet Baja California Sur: Picacho de la Laguna, 7,100 feet CLIMATE Mostly desert with long hot summers and short mild winters. The extreme northwest is semi-arid and temperate, similar to coastal areas of neighboring southern California. Temperatures vary widely based on latitude, elevation and to proximity of the ocean. The Pacific coast is considerably cooler than the Sea of Cortez coast. Many microclimates can be found in mountain areas throughout the peninsula, with cooler temperatures and more precipitation. POPULATION* Baja California: 3.1million   * Baja California Sur: 480,000 * Figures are estimates.             People The great majority of the population are of mixed Spanish and indigenous descent and speak Spanish, the official language, as their first language. Various Mayan dialects are also spoken. Since 1920 the population of Mexico has had a very high rate of growth, almost entirely the result of natural increase; from 1940 to 1990 the population grew from 19.6 million to 81.1 million.