Baja California Sur, << BAH hah kal uh FAWR nyuh soor, >> is a state in northwestern Mexico. Its name means southern lower California. The state occupies the southern half of the Baja California Peninsula. Baja California Sur has an area of 28,369 square miles (73,475 square kilometers). It lies between the Pacific Ocean, to the west, and the Gulf of California, also known as the Sea of Cortés, to the east. A series of mountain ranges called the Sierra de la Giganta extends from north to south in the state. Baja California Sur has an extremely dry climate.
At the time of the 2020 census, Baja California Sur had a population of 798,447. Most of the people live in the capital city of La Paz and in the resort towns of San Jose del Cabo and Cabo San Lucas, where they work in the tourism industry.
Tourism is the chief industry in Baja California Sur. Visitors to the state enjoy whale watching, sea kayaking, diving, and snorkeling. Baja California Sur also has a significant fishing industry, as well as some mineral deposits, including salt deposits. Agricultural products include corn, honey, and wheat.
Few people lived in Baja California Sur before Spain colonized the area. Among them were the Cochimí and Guaycura Indians. The Sierra de San Francisco mountain range in the northern part of the state has a number of sites with ancient rock paintings. Archaeologists believe that ancestors of the Cochimí created this artwork as long as 2,000 years ago. The paintings show human figures and animals. They are well preserved because of the dry climate. The Spanish explorer Hernán Cortés landed at what is now La Paz in 1535. However, few Spaniards settled in the region. Baja California Sur became a Mexican state in 1974.
