Baja California

Two parts of California are Baja (Spanish) California and Lower (English) California that make up the peninsula. The peninsula is about 800 miles long, ranking third as one of the longest peninsula. Baja California is located n the north and Baja California Sur in the South. The country is a national leading producer of cotton and wheat. The main industry of the country is tourism. Hunting and deep sea fishing are a famous hobby. The waters have offered many opportunities to study marine life, plants, and artifacts. The two bodies of water that surround Baja California is the Sea of Cortés and the Pacific Ocean. Very important developments for Baja California are the foreign owned factories known as maquiladoras.

The early history

By the 1530’s, the Spanish had conquered the Mexican mainland. The land is very deserted and dry. The Spaniards mission back in the 16th century was to search for a fabled island of gold. Unfortunately, they failed to find the island of gold, but in 1535, the conquistador Herman Cortes discovered black pearls. The black pearls were found in the southern end of Baja California. Back in 1539, Francisco de Ulla attempted to colonize the country, but was unsuccessful in doing so. Herman Cortes returned back to Spain in 1541 and he also failed in exploring or colonizing Baja California. The state is not economically prosperous, but tourism has been on the rise especially around Los Cabos. Mexico’s independence began in 1810, but Baja California was not affected as much due to their small population. Many attempts were made in seizing or conquering the Peninsula, but many failed at the missions. The Spaniards created many missions on Baja California. The end of the Spanish rule in Mexico ended the mission’s administrative authority and Mexico gained Baja California in 1821 as a federal territory. Then by 1832, the governor converted all the missions into parish churches. Baja California Sur was a more isolated part of Mexico, so there were not many efforts in trying to colonize. In 1697, the Misión de Nuestra Senora de Loreto was the first mission in Baja California Sur. During the period of 1773, the Franciscans took

In northern Baja indigenous languages are still spoken by the Paipai, Tipai, and Cucapah. The population for the State of Baja California is about 3.2 million. The population for the southern half is about 637,000. The primary religion is Catholicism. Religion and the belief in supernatural played a major role in Mexico. Many believed that Mexico was a place embedded with pure evil and they relied on their gods for guidance. The Indians believed the war among them and the Spaniards were battles between gods. Unfortunately, since the Indians lost the war this was the opportunity for the priests to convert the Indians into Christianity. Of course, the Indians resisted so the priest accommodated and agreed and allowed the Indians to worship to their local patron saints. Mexican Catholicism today embrace many different