Baja California Sur - Geography and Ecology

Geography and Ecology

Baja California Sur is characterized by deserts, mountains and coastal flatlands. The climate is desert-like in most parts of the state. Plants such as cardon, mezquite and wild-lettuce; animals including mountain lions; and other plants and wildlife characteristic of this ecosystem are found in the Central and Vizcaino Deserts of Baja California Sur.

Parallel to the coast lies the Sierra de la Giganta, with pine and oak forests. To the west, the coastline flatlands form beautiful plains like the Llanos Santa Clara, Magdalena and Hiray, just to name a few.

The Biosphere Natural Reserve of El Vizcaíno, with its 2,500,000 hectares (6,177,635 acres), is the largest natural reserve in Latin America. It is located in the Mulegé municipality and extends from the west end of the Vizcaíno Peninsula and the San Ignacio and Ojo de Liebre lagoons, passing over the San Francisco Sierra, to the shores of the Sea of Cortez and the islands in the Gulf of California.

The state is known for its natural features. The Vizcaíno Desert and small coastal lakes San Ignacio and Ojo de Liebre in the north are protected by the federal government. The state includes the Pacific islands of Natividad, Magdalena, and Santa Margarita, as well as the islands of San Marcos, Coronados, Carmen, Montserrat, Santa Catalina, Santa Cruz, San Diego, San José, San Francisco, Partida, Espíritu Santo, and Cerralvo, which are located in the Gulf of California. Rocas Alijos are a group of tiny, steep and barren volcanic islets found offshore.

Numerous flora and fauna are found in Baja California Sur. Notable among the tree species is the Elephant tree, Bursera microphylla, which species exhibits a contorted multi-furcate architecture.