| La Paz | |
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| — City — | |
| Boardwalk of La Paz | |
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La Paz
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| Coordinates: | |
| Country | Mexico |
| State | Baja California Sur |
| Municipality | La Paz |
| Founded | May 3, 1535 |
| named La Paz | 1596 |
| Government | |
| • Municipal president | Lic. Esthela Ponce Beltran (PRI) |
| Elevation | 27 m (89 ft) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • City | 215,178 |
| • Urban | 215,178 |
| Data source: INEGI | |
| Time zone | MST (UTC−7) |
| • Summer (DST) | MDT (UTC−6) |
| Website | http://www.lapaz.gob.mx |
| Source: Enciclopedia de los Municipios de México | |
La Paz (Spanish pronunciation: [la ˈpas], The Peace) is the capital city of the Mexican state of Baja California Sur and an important regional commercial center. The city had a 2010 census population of 215,178 persons, but its metropolitan population is somewhat larger because of surrounding towns like el Centenario, el Zacatal and San Pedro. Its surrounding municipality, which is the fourth-largest municipality in Mexico in geographical size, reported a population of 251,871 persons living on a land area of 20,275 km2 (7,828 sq mi).[1]
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La Paz was first inhabited by Neolithic hunter-gatherers at least 10,000 years ago who left traces of their existence in the form of rock paintings near the city and throughout the Baja California peninsula. On May 3, 1535, Hernán Cortés arrived in the bay by La Paz and named it Santa Cruz; he attempted to start a colony but abandoned his efforts after several years due to logistical problems.[2] In 1596 Sebastián Vizcaíno arrived, giving the area its modern name, La Paz.
From January 10, 1854 to May 8, 1854 it served as the capital of William Walker's Republic of Sonora. The project collapsed due to lack of US support and pressure from the Mexican government to retake the region.
La Paz is featured in the John Steinbeck novel The Pearl (1947) and mentioned extensively in his travelogue The Log from the Sea of Cortez (1951). The city is also the setting of the children's novel The Black Pearl (1967) by Scott O'Dell, chosen as a Newbery Honor Book in 1968.[3]
La Paz has an arid climate. The climate of La Paz is typically dry, warm and sunny with a year around average of between 23 and 25 °C (73 and 77 °F). Summer months (July-September) are typically between 34 and 36 °C (93 and 97 °F) and can be humid. The winter months (December-February) are the coldest with temperatures dropping below 15 °C (59 °F) at night, but mostly maxima are from 20 to 25 °C (68 to 77 °F). Breezes from Bahía de La Paz keep the temperature mild. The bay also acts as a barrier against seasonal storms in the Sea of Cortez. Rainfall is minimal, although infrequent downpours can bring heavy rains. La Paz averages over 300 days of sunshine annually.
During the summer the cooling Coromuel winds, a weather phenomenon unique to the La Paz area, blow during the night from the Pacific over the Peninsula and into the Bay of La Paz.
| Climate data for La Paz | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 32.5 (90.5) |
34.0 (93.2) |
37.0 (98.6) |
41.0 (105.8) |
41.0 (105.8) |
43.0 (109.4) |
42.6 (108.7) |
42.5 (108.5) |
42.5 (108.5) |
40.0 (104.0) |
35.8 (96.4) |
32.5 (90.5) |
43.0 (109.4) |
| Average high °C (°F) | 23.3 (73.9) |
24.9 (76.8) |
27.2 (81.0) |
30.3 (86.5) |
33.0 (91.4) |
35.9 (96.6) |
36.5 (97.7) |
36.1 (97.0) |
34.7 (94.5) |
32.5 (90.5) |
27.8 (82.0) |
24.0 (75.2) |
30.52 (86.94) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 9.7 (49.5) |
10.2 (50.4) |
11.2 (52.2) |
12.9 (55.2) |
15.1 (59.2) |
18.5 (65.3) |
22.7 (72.9) |
23.8 (74.8) |
22.9 (73.2) |
19.1 (66.4) |
14.6 (58.3) |
11.5 (52.7) |
16.02 (60.84) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 2.0 (35.6) |
2.5 (36.5) |
3.0 (37.4) |
4.5 (40.1) |
8.5 (47.3) |
10.0 (50.0) |
11.5 (52.7) |
17.0 (62.6) |
16.5 (61.7) |
10.0 (50.0) |
6.5 (43.7) |
2.0 (35.6) |
2.0 (35.6) |
| Rainfall mm (inches) | 16.7 (0.657) |
4.0 (0.157) |
1.6 (0.063) |
0.6 (0.024) |
1.6 (0.063) |
0.6 (0.024) |
16.0 (0.63) |
44.1 (1.736) |
55.4 (2.181) |
11.9 (0.469) |
13.3 (0.524) |
16.8 (0.661) |
182.6 (7.189) |
| Avg. rainy days | 2.2 | 1.1 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 2.2 | 4.0 | 4.1 | 1.1 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 18.7 |
| Source: Servicio Meteorológico National[4] | |||||||||||||
The population of La Paz has grown greatly from the 2000 census and now stands at 215,178 people. [5] This growth is largely because the city enjoys one of the highest standards of living and quality of life in Mexico, with average wages in the range of $27 USD per day, whereas minimum wages in the country overall stand at closer to $4.25 USD per day. Many of the poorer southern Mexican States' workers often have to work for half of that. For this reason many migrate to La Paz, and other areas in Baja California Sur, to enjoy a better life without leaving the country and still be able to remit portions of their incomes to their families in their home states.
Eco-tourism is by far the most important source of tourism income in La Paz as people come to enjoy its marine wonders, as well as its diverse and often unique terrestrial species endemic to the region. Tourists also visit the city's balnearios. There are some 900 islands and inlets in the Gulf of California with 244 now under UNESCO protection as World Heritage Bio-Reserves and the Isla Espíritu Santo group, which borders the south-eastern portion of the Bay of La Paz and are considered the crown jewels of the islands of the Gulf (also referred to as the Sea of Cortez/Mar de Cortes), the primary tourist destination of the area. Its diving, snorkeling, and kayaking are considered second to none.
La Paz is also favored by water enthusiasts for its marinas, boatyards, marine supply stores and cruiser club activities. The surrounding waters are full of adventure for experienced captains. Novice captains enjoy its nearby island coves for day or overnight trips along with a wealth of experienced sailors and boaters willing to share their expertise.
Industries include silver mining, agriculture, fishing and pearls. Tourism is also an important source of employment for this coastal community.
Along with the area's marinas, new developments are emerging because of the proximity to the USA (2 hour flight from Los Angeles), the mild weather, the services the city offers, and the peaceful atmosphere of this small city.
When Aero California existed, its headquarters were in La Paz.[6]
La Paz is served by Manuel Márquez de León International Airport with flights to the most important cities of Mexico: Mexico City, Guadalajara, Monterrey, and United States, with a flight to Los Angeles. Airlines flying into La Paz include Alaska Airlines, Aeroméxico Connect, Volaris and VivaAerobus. Two ferry services operate from the port of Pichilingue outside the city, connecting the Baja California peninsula to the mainland at Mazatlán and Topolobampo, near Los Mochis.
Running along the coast in-front of La Paz is a 5km long Malecon Road. The main purpose of this road is to allow easy movement across the city however it quickly became the focal point of tourist related activities with a large number of bars, restaurants and shops opening up along its length. Since 2004 a large level of development to this road and its large sidewalk has taken place. The sidewalk offers a safe place for a large number of people to walk along the coastal front of La Paz.
In September 2011, a bicycle lane was added to the Malecon road, giving cyclists a safe area where they are protected from cars by metal bumps and where they are a safe distance from walkers so not to cross paths.
La Paz is served mainly by two highways, highway 1 that links the south of the state from Cabo San Lucas to the north of the peninsula to Tijuana, and highway 19, that connects La Paz with the population of the south pacific towns such as Todos Santos and El Pescadero.
It is also served by two secondary roads, the Los Planes highway that connects La Paz with places like La Ventana, Ensenada de los Muertos and Los Planes, the other is the Pichilingue highway which links La Paz with its maritime port.
La Paz is the state capital and center of commerce, as well as the home of the three leading marine biology institutes in Latin America (UABCS, CIBNOR & CICIMAR), largely because it sits on the Gulf of California which is the most bio-diverse body of water in the world. It also supports several other university level institutes of learning.
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