Mexicali

Mexicali (English: ; Spanish: [mexiˈkali] ; Yue Chinese: 墨西加利) is the capital city of the Mexican state of Baja California. The city, which abuts the Mexico–United States border and the U.S. city of Calexico, California, is the seat of the Mexicali Municipality. It has a population of 689,775, according to the 2010 census, while the Calexico–Mexicali metropolitan area is home to a combined population of 1,000,000. Mexicali is a regional economic and cultural hub for the border region of The Californias. Mexicali was founded at the turn of the 20th century, when the region's agricultural economy experienced a boom. The city rapidly expanded throughout the 20th century, owing to the proliferation of maquiladoras in the city, making the economy more interconnected with businesses from across the border. Today, Mexicali is a major manufacturing center and an emerging tourist destination.