The Baja California peninsula in Mexico features both mountainous ranges and dramatic desert landscapes. Although many ecosystem lists would divide the deserts and sierras into two eco-areas, the discussion at this level will keep both the deserts and sierras as one ecosystem. The reason is that

The Baja Desert areas covers more than 55,000 square miles within both Baja California and Baja California Sur with the deserts primarily located on the western side of the western side of the peninsula and up onto the western slopes leading up to the Sierras.

The desert area extend about 775 miles, and has as a width from the narrowest area at 25 miles to its widest point at 200 miles. This desert includes about 1,900 miles of coastline and some 65 islands.

There are four named desert areas on the peninsula; the San Felipe Desert, the Central Coast Desert, the Vizcaíno Desert, and the Magdalena Plain Desert.

The Sierras of the Baja Peninsula are several mountain ranges that form the backbone of the Baja California peninsula in northwest Mexico. These ranges, which are a part of the Peninsular Ranges System, traverse from the southern area of the US state of California through both the Mexican states of Baja California and Baja California Sur all the way to the southern tip of Baja California Sur, which group of mountain ranges stretches about 930 miles. The Peninsular Ranges are also part of the North American Pacific Coast Ranges which traverse from Alaska to Mexico.

The ranges in the Baja peninsula are a chain of mountains which traverse The Peninsular Ranges include: the Sierra Juárez, the Sierra San Pedro Mártir, the sierra de San Borja, the Sierra de San Francisco, the Sierra de la Giganta and the Sierra de la Laguna. The Peninsular Rangwes run predominantly north-soutn, unlike the Transvers Ranges to their north which mostly run east-west.

The Sierra de la Laguna in the southern tip of Baja California Sur stands out for its unique microclimate and biodiversity, contrasting with the surrounding desert.

The

Before the Spaniards arrived, the area that in now called Baja California Norte had one family of indigenous people who had been living on this land, which were known as the Cochimi. This family living in the upper peninsula was divided into four tribes area, two tribes on the east side near the Gulf of California, the Cocopa and the Kiliwa; and two on the west side along the Pacific coast, the Kumeyaay and the Paipai. All had family ties to the Cochimi-Yuman Nation.

Also, in the area that is now called Baja California Sur, there were additional tribes of the Cochimi nation; the tribe called the Chochime, the tribe of the was inhabited by three major ethnic groups: the Cochimí of which a large contingent made their home on Cedros Island and who developed a complex agricultural system. There were also the Monqui, the Guaycura in the central section and the Pericú on the southern cape. Most of this nation of Cochimi, were primarily hunters and gatherers, but several were also successful fishermen.

Many of the descendants of the Cochimi still live in Baja California, primarily on the northernmost part of the peninsula.

The general area where each of these seven tribes lived are marked on the map for El Camino Real de Baja California.