The Gulf of California Biosphere Reserve

The biosphere reserve comprises the Pinacate area, the Gran Desierto del Altar and the Bahía of Adair on the Gulf of California border. It is located in Sonora State in extreme north-eastern Mexico. Geological volcanic formations with craters, dunes, oases and beaches, and the diversity of plant associations, determine its distinctive landscape. In the transition and buffer areas, inhabitants live in ejidos, or communal properties, mainly engaged in agriculture, forestry, mineral extraction and cattle raising, located mainly in the coastal areas. One of the most important economic activities in the transition areas is the presence of international enterprises, maquiladoras, in San Río Colorado, which engage local residents living in the urban villages. The same economic model is to be implemented in the village of Sonoyta as an industrial park.