Explanation of Mexico Population Statistics

The figures for Mexico were calculated by subtracting the population of major metropolitan regions that lie outside the Sonoran Desert from State figures. The cities excluded were as follows: Agua Prieta, Cananea, Nacozari and Navajoa in Sonora; Ensenada, Tiajuana, Rosarito and Tecate in Baja California; and La Paz, Cabo San Lucas and Los Cabos in Baja Calfornia Sur. For California, population figures for all Imperial County and for major population centers within Riverside and San Bernadino Counties were combined. In Riverside County the population centers of the following cities were included: Blythe, Indio, Thousand Palms, Palm Springs, Cathedral City, Rancho Mirage, Palm Desert, Indian Wells, La Quinta, and Coachella; for San Bernadino County only Needles. Figures for Arizona were computed by adding figures for La Paz, Yuma, Maricopa, Pinal, Pima, and Santa Cruz Counties. The population of Nogales which lies above the elevation limits of the Sonoran Desert was subtracted from Santa Cruz County, while Lake Havasu City in Mojave county was added to the total for Arizona.

Population figures estimated in Nabhan and Holdsworth (1999) focused on Biotic Communities and included parts of counties with populations outside the Sonoran Desert Region.

For more demographic information, please see the following tables:

• Table A: Demographic Information for Core Sonoran Desert Counties in Arizona and California
• Table B: Demographic Information for California Cities in the Sonoran Desert
• Table C: Population and Percent Change 1990-2000 for Arizona Cities in the Sonoran Desert
• Table D: Selected Demographic Information for Arizona and California

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