North Territory of Baja California

The North Territory of Baja California was a federal territory of Mexico that existed between 1931 and 1952. Its former area currently comprises the state of Baja California, located in the northern part of the Baja California peninsula.^[1][2][3]

North Territory of Baja California Territorio Norte de Baja California
Territory of Mexico
1931–1952
Location of the North Territory of Baja California (red) in Mexico.
Capital	Mexicali
Government
• Type	Territory of Mexico
Territorial governor
• 1947–1952	Alfonso García González (last)
History
• Established	1931
• Statehood	16 January 1952
Preceded by Succeeded by Baja California Territory Baja California

History

In December 1930, the Mexican Congress amended Article 43 of the Constitution, thus splitting the Baja California Territory into two territories: the North Territory of Baja California and the South Territory of Baja California. The border between the two was defined as the 28th parallel north.^[1][4]

Statehood

Beginning in 1939, several political groups that promoted the conversion of the Baja territory into a state of Mexico were created. On 15 November 1951, President Miguel Alemán Valdés sent Congress a proposed amendment to Articles 43 and 45 of the constitution to transform the North Territory of Baja California into the Free and Sovereign State of Baja California. The decree was approved on 31 December 1951 and was published in the Official Journal of the Federation on 16 January 1952. The last territorial governor, Alfonso García González, was appointed provisional governor of the newly created state.^[2][3][4]