Sonora/translated

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Sonora
Flag of Sonora
Flag
Location within Mexico
Location within Mexico
Country Flag of Mexico Mexico
Capital Hermosillo
Municipalities 72
Government
 - Governor Eduardo Bours Castelo (PRI)
 - Federal Deputies PAN: 5
PRI: 2
 - Federal Senators PAN: 2
PRI: 1
Area
Ranked 2nd
 - Total 182,052 km² (70,290.7 sq mi)
Population (2005)
 - Total 2,394,861 (Ranked 19th)
HDI (2004) 0.8163 - high
Ranked 10th
ISO 3166-2 MX-SON
Postal abbr. Son.
Website: Sonora State Government
For other uses, see Sonora/translated (disambiguation).

Sonora is one of the 31 federal states of Mexico (United States of Mexico) and is located in the northwest of the country. Its name comes from the Opata Xunuta, meaning Place of corn. It borders the states of Chihuahua in the east, Sinaloa in the south and Baja California in the northwest; to the north it shares an extensive border with the American state of Arizona and a shorter one with New Mexico, and to its west lies the Gulf of California. The state is divided into 72 municipios, and is the second largest state by area in the country, occupying 9.2% of the total area of Mexico.

The territory consists of four physiographic regions: The Sierra Madre Occidental, Parallel Mountains and Valleys, the Desert, and the Coast of the Gulf of California.

Contents

[edit] General

The state of Sonora is situated in the northwest of Mexico, in North America. Its shores are washed by the Sea of Cortez in the Gulf of California, which is connected to the Pacific Ocean further south. Sonora is thus linked to the so-called "Pacific Rim" that offers ample opportunities for economic development, as well as many challenges and opportunities for sustainable use of its natural resources. Its borders with the states of Arizona, New Mexico, and California allow multiple economic, cultural and political ties with the United States.

Three Mexican states share land borders with Sonora: Baja California to the west, Chihuahua to the east, and Sinaloa to the south, while the state of Baja California Sur shares maritime boundaries with Sonora.

Sonora is located in a climactic strip in the northern hemisphere which has formed various deserts around the globe. The state is located at the same latitude as the deserts of North Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, and more.

An extensive network of roads, the backbone of which is a four-lane highway that crosses the state from south to north, joins Sonora with the rest of Mexico and with the United States of America.

The state is the second largest in the country, representing 9.2% of the total area of Mexico with an area of 184,934 km². Sonora's border with the United States is 588.199 km long, which for the most part is with Arizona (568 km), and the rest with the state of New Mexico (20 km). The border with the state of Chihuahua is 592 km, and that with Sinaloa is 117 km.

The Sonoran coastline is 1,207.810 km, together with its borders with surrounding states, it gives the total perimeter of the state as 2,505 km.

[edit] Population

In 2000, the state of Sonora had 2,839,969 inhabitants, of whom 50.1% were men and 49.9% were women. That represents 2.3% of the total inhabitants of the Mexico. Population growth has been steady, with a population increase of 703,238 persons between 1980 and 2000. As of 2000, there were 271,277 children under 5 years of age, 474,481 children aged between 5 and 14 years, 422,588 between 15 and 24 years 740,930 between 25 and 49 years, and 307,693 adults 50 years and older.

According to the last official national census that counted the racial component (1921), it was observed that 45.84% of the population was white, 40.38% was mestizo, and 13.78% was indigenous. These amounts have been changing due to the influx of indigenous and mestizo populations from the south.

The most populated cities of Sonora are:

[edit] Government

The government of the State of Sonora is divided into three branches: executive, legislative and judicial.

The executive branch consists of a Governor elected by direct vote every six years without the possibility of re-election. The current Governor for the period 2003-2009 is José Eduardo Bours Castelo Robinson of the PRI and PVEM.

The legislative branch consists of a unicameral legislature composed of 21 deputies elected directly and 12 deputies elected by proportional representation for a period of three years with no possibility of re-election.

The judicial branch of the state of Sonora is composed of seven judges. Currently Lic. Max Gutierrez Cohen is the President of the Supreme Court of Justice of the State.

[edit] Institutions of higher education

The main institution of higher education is the University of Sonora (UNISON), whose main campus is located in Hermosillo, with satellite campuses in Navojoa, Caborca, Santa Ana, and Nogales. UNISON is currently one of the biggest public institutions of higher education in Mexico.

[edit] Political divisions

Municipalities of the State of Sonora
Municipalities of the State of Sonora

[edit] Geography

Valley of Sonora
Valley of Sonora

[edit] Economy

Sonora's main economic activities are livestock farming, mining, fishing and agriculture.

[edit] Tourism

Sonora is a premier tourist destination, especially for visitors from neighboring Arizona.

Recently, Sonora has experienced a boom in tourism, especially in the city of Puerto Peñasco, due to its being the nearest beach to many population centers in Arizona.

[edit] People from Sonora

[edit] Enlaces externos

[edit] External links

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Political divisions of Mexico

Coordinates: 29°38′46″N, 110°52′08″W