Sierra de San Pedro Mártir
The Sierra de San Pedro Mártir is a mountain range in the Mexican state of Baja California, which runs from north to south. The mountain range extends over an area of 12,416 km ². The north - south distance is 152 km, the east- west extension of 143 km. The highest point of the mountain range is the Picacho del Diablo ( 3096 m), Cerro de la Encantada also called, is also the highest point in the state and around the Baja California at the same time.
The Sierra de San Pedro Martir Mountains belongs to the Peninsular Ranges, which ranges from southern California to the southern tip of the peninsula. The Sierra de San Pedro Mártir has a similar flora such as the Sierra Juárez, especially in the north. The lower elevations of the mountains lie in the chaparral vegetation zone, which occurs primarily in California. The forests in these areas are known as Sierra Juárez and San Pedro Mártir pine - oak - forests. In the mountains grow mainly Colorado fir, sugar pine and Jeffrey pine. In the winter is on the highest peaks covered by snow. The last California condor saw 1937. 's Why grown California condors were reintroduced in the mountains in captivity.
A part of the mountain is protected by the 650 km ² national park Parque Nacional Sierra de San Pedro Martir. It was opened in 1974 and was the first of the two National Parks of the Peninsula. The other is a little further north in the Sierra Juárez and is called Parque Nacional Constitucion de 1857.
Nearby ( 31 ° 2 ' 39 " N, 115 ° 27' 49 " W31.044166666667 - 115.46361111111 ) of the Picacho del Diablo, the observatory Observatorio Nacional Astronómico ( OAN ) is located at an altitude of 2830 m at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. It was built in 1975, their biggest instrument is a 2.12 -meter reflecting telescope.