City (pop., 2000 est.: 550,000), capital of Baja California (Norte) state, northwestern Mexico.
It lies in the Mexicali Valley, an extension of the Imperial Valley of the U.S., in northeastern Baja California. It extends across the Mexico-U.S. border to Calexico, Calif. Its name, formed from the first two syllables of Mexico and California, was chosen as a gesture of international friendship. Its economy is chiefly based on tourism and the processing and distribution of cotton, fruits, vegetables, and cereals. It is the seat of the Autonomous University of Baja California.