Field Ecology of Baja

New Mexico State University

Department of Biology

Baja California is about 54,380 mi², about the same size as Florida. The length of the state is 800 mi., longer than Florida and even Italy, and ranges in width from 30 to 145 miles (Wheelock and Gulick, 1975). Baja California occupies the latitudes from 32ºN 40'- 22ºN 40' (Nordhoff, 1888; Wheelock and Gulick, 1975). There are two versions of how the name Baja California was given to the peninsula. The first version states that Hernan Cortez, the first European to explore/ discover Baja California, called the land fiery furnace, calida fornax, which then became California (Zwinger, 1961). The second version states the second group of Europeans who tamed the land, the Jesuits called it cala, little boy, and fornix, vault or arch presumably after the arch rock found near Cabo San Lucas (Zwinger, 1961). The name California first appeared as applied to the peninsula in a diary kept by Francisco Preciado 1539-1540, who accompanied one of Cortez's men (Zwinger, 1961). The name Baja California meaning is lower California. Hernan Cortez explored Peninsular California in 1533 or 1534. At that time the peninsula was inhabited by 70,000 Indians of many tribes and languages (Wheelock and Gulick, 1975). Many mission churches were built in the peninsula. Twenty of those were by the Jesuits before 1773, and then the region was turned over to the Dominicans who built 9 more missions (Wheelock and Gulick, 1975). Diseases decreased many Indians throughout the region nearly completely by the 19th century, when immigrants mixed Spanish and Indians moved into the peninsula (Wheelock and Gulick, 1975). In 1887 Baja California was divided into two federal districts. Baja Norte received statehood in 1952 with Ensenada as the capital and Baja Sur in 1975 with La Paz as the capital (Wheelock and Gulick, 1975). Visit Baja 2004 page Terrestrial Ecology Marine Ecology