OUR BEAUTIFUL BAJA CALIFORNIA SUR - Helpful maps maps-

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A little about Baja California Sur and It's History:

Courtesy of History.com

 Early History
     Baja California Sur was inhabited as early as 11000 B.C. Nomadic tribes left behind artifacts such as arrowheads, and Clovis points, which have been discovered in the northern part of the state. 

      Primitive paintings dating to 1700 B.C. can be seen in Cueva de Palma, San Gregorio, Sierra de  San Francisco, and Sierra de Guadalupe. The paintings depict animals in motion, such as snakes, cougars, birds, and wild cats. Hunters with arrowheads and primitive swords also appear in the paintings. These images are consistent with other evidence suggesting that most of the inhabitants were nomadic hunters and gatherers. 

Middle History
    The first Spaniard to arrive in Baja California Sur is believed to have been Fortún Ximénez who landed there in 1533. Hernán Cortés led an expedition in 1535 but did not stay long. Other explorers came and went over the next century and a half. Since Baja California Sur is one of the most isolated parts of Mexico, there were no serious efforts at colonization until the late 17th century. In 1697 the Jesuit missionary Juan María de Salvatierra established Misión de Nuestra Señora de Loreto Conchó, the first permanent mission in Baja California Sur. The Jesuits then extended their presence south to the Cape as well as north to the modern border with Baja California.

     The Franciscans took control of Baja California Sur in 1768 and then ceded it to the Dominicans in 1773. These administrative changes reflected increasing Spanish interest in the region. As the Spanish presence grew, colonization bred disease and violence that caused a significant decrease in the population of the indigenous people during this period.

Recent History
    During the Mexican War of Independence (1810-1821), Baja California Sur was largely isolated from the hostilities because of its remote location. After the war, the region was divided into four municipalities by President Guadalupe Victoria and Governor José María Echeandía.

Loreto, the oldest continuous settlement in the region, served as the capital until 1830. That year, heavy rains forced the government to move to La Paz, which has remained the capital since then.     

     At the conclusion of the Mexican -American War  in 1847, the United States withdrew from Baja California Sur. The following year the two countries signed the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo , in which Mexico agreed to sell the land that now comprises the modern states of California, Nevada, and Utah,  as well as portions of Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado and Wyoming.  In return, the United States acknowledged Mexico’s ownership of the Baja Peninsula. Despite the agreement, in 1853 a journalist named William Walker led a group of 45 Americans to capture the city of La Paz. The expedition did not have the official support of the United States, however, and the Mexican Army quickly drove out the Americans.

The territories of Baja California Sur and Baja California were formally established in 1888 under the government of President Porfirio Díaz. Baja California Sur became a state on October 8, 1974.

     Tourism, sport fishing, agriculture and salt mining make the biggest contributions to the state`s economy. Salt is mined from the ocean and sold as table salt or a preservative. Major crops include garbanzo beans, sorghum, tomatoes, alfalfa, wheat, corn and green chilies. Ranchers raise pigs, cattle, goats and chickens. The state’s  extensive coastline ensures plentiful harvests of seafood such as lobster, shrimp, tuna, abalone and clams.