Mexicali is the capital city of the Mexican state of Baja California, seat of the Municipality of Mexicali, and 2nd largest city in Baja California after Tijuana. The City of Mexicali has a population of 689,775, according to the 2010 census, while the population of the entire metropolitan area reaches 996,826.The city maintains a highly educated and skilled populace, as the city has modernized and become an important population center in the desert region.Mexicali's economy has been historically based on agricultural products, and to this day it remains a large sector of the economy. As time has progressed, however, its economy has gradually gone from being agriculturally to include industry, mainly maquiladoras. Companies such as Mitsubishi, Autolite, Nestle, Coca Cola and Goodrich Corporation have built maquiladora plants in the city.Founded on March 14, 1903, Mexicali is situated on the U.S.-Mexico border adjacent to its sister city Calexico, California, with which it forms a dual-state, international population center, Calexico-Mexicali.
