Tecate is a small city in Baja California, Mexico and the municipal seat of Tecate Municipality. It is located on the border with Tecate, California, United States in the San Diego–Tijuana metropolitan area. There is a small port of entry between the sister cities that serves as a calmer alternative to the bustling port of Tijuana. Although the city is only 64 kilometres (40 mi) from San Diego, the road to the border crossing traverses mountainous terrain making Tecate a nonviable alternative to the San Ysidro Port of Entry.

Tecate is best known outside of metropolitan San Diego–Tijuana for Tecate beer and being the home of author Daniel Reveles. Tecate beer is one of the most popular beers in Mexico and California and is typically drunk pouring lime and salt on top of a can of the product.

Tecate's altitude of approximately 1,775 feet (541 m) above sea level and its proximity to the ocean contribute to the temperate climate. It rains enough in the area for a thick ground cover of shrubs to grow; the change from maritime to desert climates is at a higher altitude a couple hours' drive further east.

California (pronounced ⁱ/kælɨˈfɔrnjə/) is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third most extensive (after Alaska and Texas). It is home to the nation's second- and sixth-largest census statistical areas (Los Angeles Metropolitan Area and San Francisco Bay Area), and eight of the nation's fifty most populated cities (Los Angeles, San Diego, San Jose, San Francisco, Fresno, Sacramento, Long Beach and Oakland). The capital city is Sacramento.

California's diverse geography ranges from the Pacific Coast in the west, to the Sierra Nevada mountains in the east – from the Redwood–Douglas-fir forests of the northwest, to the Mojave Desert areas in the southeast. The center of the state is dominated by Central Valley, a major agricultural area. California contains both the highest and lowest points in the contiguous United States (Mount Whitney and Death Valley), and has the third-longest coastline of all states (after Alaska and Florida). Earthquakes are a common occurrence due to the state's location along the Pacific Ring of Fire: about 37,000 are recorded annually.