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largest. It produces over 6 million tons of salt a year. But one of the most
fascinating events that takes place in Guerrero Negro has to do with whales rather
than salt. Each year, between 10,000 and 20,000 gray whales come here,
migrating as many as 6,000 miles from Alaska in the north. The whales come here
to play and give birth to their young in Guerrero Negro’s calm, warm lagoons.
Closer to the tip of Baja California’s peninsula is the city of La Paz, the
capital of Baja California Sur. Although the city’s name means “the peace,” the
city has a long history of struggles. Its isolation made life hard for the settlers
who tried to live there in the 1700s and 1800s. In the 18th century, disease
wiped out much of the human population—and then in the 19th century other
diseases attacked the oyster population in the neighboring bay, destroying the
pearl industry that had once thrived there. Today, though, many tourists come
to this city to enjoy the beautiful beaches and sport fishing. La Paz has found
its peace at last.
The States of Mexico
25
The desert stretches
across Baja California
Sur, the least densely
populated Mexican
state.