Sierra de Los Cucapah facts for kids

Sierra de Los Cucapah is a mountain range located in the state of Baja California, in the northwestern part of Mexico. These mountains are found just south of the city of Mexicali. They get their name from the Cocopah people, an indigenous group who have lived in this area for a very long time, since about 700 BC, and still call it home today.

The Sierra de Los Cucapah mountains stretch from north to south. They are part of a larger group of mountains called the Peninsular Ranges. To their west, you'll find the Laguna Salada basin, which is a large dry lakebed. To the east, there's the Cerro Prieto Volcano and the Cerro Prieto Geothermal Power Station. This power station uses heat from the Earth to make electricity, and it's about 40 kilometres (25 mi) south of Mexicali.

Where are the Cucapah Mountains?

Mexicali, seen from the International Space Station, is located south of the Mexico–US border. The Cucapah Mountains are visible in the lower left of this view.

The Sierra de Los Cucapah mountains are easy to spot in aerial photos of the region. If you look at the image on the right, which shows Mexicali from space, you can see the mountains in the lower-left part of the picture. This helps you understand where they are located in relation to the city and the border between Mexico and the United States.

What Makes These Mountains Special?

The Sierra de Los Cucapah mountains are part of an active geological area. This means the Earth's crust here is constantly moving and changing. This movement creates features like the nearby Cerro Prieto Geothermal Power Station, which uses the natural heat from deep inside the Earth. This heat is a form of geothermal energy, a clean way to produce electricity. The mountains themselves are a result of these powerful forces shaping the landscape over millions of years.

See also

In Spanish: Sierra Cucapá para niños