Sonora

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State of Sonora
Flag of State 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)
Time zone MST (UTC-7)
HDI (2004) 0.8163 - high
Ranked 10th
ISO 3166-2 MX-SON
Postal abbr. Son.
Website: Sonora State Government
For other uses, see Sonora (disambiguation).

Sonora is one of the 31 federal states of Mexico and is located in the northwest of the country. Its name comes from the fact that when the first Spaniards arrived, indigenous people were not able to pronounce the word 'señora' to refer to the virgin. Thus, they said 'sonora.'

Contents

[edit] Geography

Valley of Sonora
Valley of Sonora

Sonora's 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," which offers ample opportunities for economic development as well as many challenges and opportunities for sustainable use of its natural resources. The Sonoran coastline is 1,208 km long.

Sonora borders the state of Chihuahua to the east, Sinaloa to the south and Baja California to the northwest; to the north it shares an extensive border with the U.S. state of Arizona and a shorter one with New Mexico. To its west lies the Gulf of California; the state of Baja California Sur also shares a maritime boundary with Sonora.

The border with Chihuahua is 592 km, and the border with Sinaloa is 117 km. Sonora's border with Arizona is 568 km long, and its border with New Mexico is 20 km long; these borders allow for multiple economic, cultural, and political ties with the United States. The state's total perimeter is 2,505 km. Sonora is the second largest state in Mexico (184,934 km²), representing 9.2% of the nation's total area.

Sonora consists of four physiographic regions: The Sierra Madre Occidental, Parallel Mountains and Valleys, the Sonoran Desert, and the Coast of the Gulf of California. Sonora is located in a climactic strip in the northern hemisphere that 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 other regions.

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.

[edit] Population

In 2000, Sonora had 2,839,969 inhabitants, of whom 50.1% were men and 49.9% were women; this represented 2.3% of Mexico's total population. Population growth has been steady, with an increase of over 700,000 people 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), 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 populous cities in Sonora are:

[edit] Government

The government 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 of Sonora is José Eduardo Robinson-Bours castelo of the PRI and PVEM.

The legislative branch consists of a unicameral legislature composed of 21 deputies elected directly and 12 deputies selected 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 Gutiérrez 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
Main article: Municipalities of Sonora

Sonora is subdivided into 72 municipalities (Spanish: municipios), each headed by a municipal president.

[edit] Economy

As of 2005, Sonora’s economy represents 2.8% of Mexico’s total gross domestic product or 18,284 million USD.[1] Sonora's economy has a strong focus on export oriented manufacturing (i.e. maquiladora / INMEX). As of 2005, 181,277 people are employed in the manufacturing sector.[2] There are a more than 213 companies operating under the federal INMEX or Prosec program in Sonora. The average wage for an employee in Sonora is approximately 174 pesos per day.[3]

With a GDP per capita of US$10,534, Sonora ranks 9th among Mexican states.

[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

[edit] External links

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ (2007) Industrial Costs in Mexico - A Guide for Foreign Investors 2007. Mexico City: Bancomext, 100. 
  2. ^ (2007) Industrial Costs in Mexico - A Guide for Foreign Investors 2007. Mexico City: Bancomext, 100. 
  3. ^ "Sonora Regional Investment Guide". UnderstandMexico. Retrieved on 2008-03-09.
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Political divisions of Mexico

Coordinates: 29°38′46″N, 110°52′08″W

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonora"
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