Mexicali

Mexicali on the map of Mexico

Mexicali is the capital and to Tijuana second largest city in the state of Baja California in Mexico and had 653 046 inhabitants to the prior census in 2005. The city's name is a portmanteau of México and California (see Calexico ). It is located in the northern part of the state, on the border with the U.S. state of California, not far from the city of San Diego.

Description

The city lives mainly on the processing of cultivated cotton in the surrounding areas. More job opportunities were numerous U.S. and international companies, such as Kenworth Trucks, Sony, Pepsi Cola Company ( with Frito Lay / Sabritas; manufacturing potato chips and other snacks ), who settled in Mexicali. Benefits are the cheap Mexican labor and the direct proximity to the border of the USA and thus to the metropolitan area of San Diego for these companies. The distance from San Francisco and Los Angeles are not great.

Similar to the Mexican city of Tijuana Mexicali is a springboard for many Mexicans who wish to enter in search of the " American Dream " illegal in the United States. This is facilitated by the fact that the city is right on the border. Many of the newcomers fail in illegal border crossings and stranded permanently in the city.

Mexicali has an international airport which is served by Aeromexico, Mexicana de Aviación and Volaris.

Mexicali is the sister city of Calexico on the U.S. side, which also has a name that combines California and Mexico.

On 4 April 2010, the city was hit by a magnitude 7.2 earthquake in Baja California.

Climate

Famous people

• Enriqueta Basilio ( born 1948 ), athlete and member of parliament
• Lupita Jones ( born 1968 ), Miss Universe 1991
• Gabriel Trujillo Muñoz (born 1958 ), writer