California is a peninsula located in the western part of the North American mainland. It is narrow and long, the length of this part of the land is 1200 km. In the widest places it diverges by 240 km. The area of the peninsula is about 144 thousand km2. Geographically belongs to Mexico, it has two states - Northern and Southern California. In the north, the peninsula borders on the American state of the same name, the western coast is washed by the Pacific Ocean, and the eastern coast is the Gulf of California.
The southernmost point is Cape San Lucas. One transport highway runs along the entire length of the peninsula - the Transpeninsular Highway. The road begins in the north of the border with the United States, and the southern resort town of Cabo San Lucas is considered the final point.
Natural areas
California is a peninsula, which is represented by two natural areas. Most of the territory is desert, and the central part is mountainous.ridge, southern part of the Sierra Nevada. The territory of the peninsula is predominantly rocky. The Sonoran Desert is one of the largest and hottest places on the mainland. The greatest amount of precipitation occurs in the spring and winter seasons and does not exceed 350 mm per year. The Baja California desert is located off the southern coast of the peninsula. It is located in the subtropical climate zone. The highest point of the peninsula is Mt. Diablo (3,096m).
Coastline
California is a peninsula with a heavily indented coastline. The east coast differs significantly from the west coast in its climate. The latter depends on the Pacific cold currents, and therefore the air and water temperature here is somewhat different from other areas of the peninsula. The eastern coast is similar in mildness to the Mediterranean type. This is facilitated by the warm waters of the bay. The average temperature varies within +20…22 °C in summer, and in winter it drops down to +13…15 °C. One of the largest rivers in North America, the Colorado, flows into the Gulf of California.
Climate
California is a peninsula whose prevailing climate is subtropical and very mild. Warm air masses have a great influence on it. The air temperature in the southern part of the peninsula is much higher than in the northern part. The hottest month of the year is July. During this period, average temperatures in the north rise above +24°С, and in the south - from +31°С. In winter, in January, the temperature does not fall below +8°С in the north and +16°С in the south. Most of the precipitation on the peninsula falls in the winter in the form of rain and showers. Often they cause storms in the peninsula.
Settlements
The territory of the California Peninsula has long been inhabited by tribes of indigenous Indians. However, by the 16th century, conquistadors came to these lands. The climate of the California Peninsula greatly influenced the distribution of the arrived population here. At first, the missionaries tried to bring civilization to the Indian tribes, but due to diseases introduced by the Spaniards, most of the indigenous population died, and the rest simply left these lands. After that, European farmers settled on the lands of the peninsula.
Whose California?
For a long time, the United States and Mexico argued over the belonging of the peninsula to one state or another. In the middle of the 19th century, the Mexican-American War took place between the two countries. Under the terms of the peace treaty, California was divided between the two states as follows: the state of California was ceded to the United States, and the peninsula itself became owned by Mexico.
Population
Now 3 million 700 thousand people live on the territory of the peninsula. The national and racial composition is represented by mestizos, Indians, Mexicans and Asians. The climate zone of the California Peninsula is perfect for most of the population living here.
Attractions
The main attraction of the Californian Peninsula is the El Vizcaino Nature Reserve. Most of it is desert. The area is about 25 thousand sq.km2. It is the largest biosphere reserve in Latin America. In addition to its invaluable natural value, it is also interesting from a cultural point of view. The caves of the Sierra are decorated with ancient rock paintings. There are more than 200 such caves with rock paintings.
The climate zone of the California Peninsula also greatly influences the flora and fauna. The territory of the reserve is a place of migration of gray whales. You can also see flocks of dolphins and seals here.
Brief comparison
From the other, eastern part of North America, there is another famous mainland peninsula - Florida. This piece of land is smaller in area than California. Let's try to compare them.
The California Peninsula (and Florida, by the way, too) is located in the subtropical climate zone. However, if we compare the weather conditions, they differ somewhat. The reason for this is ocean currents. Florida is influenced by the Gulf Stream and the Caribbean Sea. But to California - the Pacific cold current.
It is also worth highlighting the features of the relief. As is known from the above information, the California Peninsula is dominated by deserts, and the territory of Florida is flat (the highest point is 99 m). Another thing worth paying attention to is the water areas. In the first case, this is the Pacific Ocean and the Gulf of California, while Florida is washed by the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico.
