The Sea of Cortes or the Gulf of California is the stretch of water lying between the mainland and Baja California, which is the longest peninsula in the world.Baja California borders with the U.S to the north. It became a state in 1952, with its capital being Mexicali. Tijuana, Baja California’s second city, is a popular tourist center and access point into the U.S. Being on the coast, the states activities center largely on fishing and also make the most of Ensenada, the state’s port for imports and most importantly, exports to the U.S.

Baja California Sur is an area that was made into a state much more recently, in 1974. Also situated on the Baja California peninsula in north western Mexico, economically Baja California Sur relies primarily on tourism. The international beach and tourist resort area is focused al Los Cabos where fishing is also a popular tourist attraction. Further north, the region is made up of desert lands, thus the state’s reduced agricultural activity.