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Sonora
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Sonora is one of the 31 federal states of Mexico and is located in the northwest of the country.
Geography
Sonora's shores are washed by the Sea of Cortez (or Gulf of California, as it is also known), 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.
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Encyclopedia
Sonora is one of the 31 federal states of Mexico and is located in the northwest of the country.
Geography
Sonora's shores are washed by the Sea of Cortez (or Gulf of California, as it is also known), 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. Extreme high temperatures, upwards of 49C or higher occur in summer in desert areas while winters although short, are cool compared with most of Mexico, snow covering the peaks of the Sierra Madra Occidental.
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.
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. , 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), 48.84% of the population was white, 40.38% was mestizo, and 11.78% was indigenous.
The most populous cities in Sonora are:
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.
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.
Political divisions
Sonora is subdivided into 72 municipalities , each headed by a municipal president.
Economy
As of 2005, Sonora’s economy represents 2.8% of Mexico’s total gross domestic product or 18,284 million USD. 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. 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.
With a GDP per capita of US$10,534, Sonora ranks 9th among Mexican states.
Transportation
Highways
See: List of highways in Sonora
Intercity Bus
Several companies offer low, mid and luxury class bus services between virtually all towns and cities in Sonora and to the rest of Mexico, also international destinations such as Tucson, Phoenix and Los Angeles in the United States.
Airports
Sonora has six international airports; however, one of them, Álamos International Airport (XAL) in the colonial town of Álamos, lacks of commercial flights. Airports with regular commercial flights include:
Ciudad Obregón International Airport (CEN) in Ciudad Obregón
General Ignacio Pesqueira Garcia International Airport (HMO) in Hermosillo
General José María Yáñez International Airport (GYM) in Guaymas
Nogales International Airport (NOG) in Nogales
Puerto Peñasco International Airport (PPE) in Puerto Peñasco (Rocky Point)
Also, most towns have paved or dirt runways for private planes. (See Navojoa Airport)
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.
People
In Fiction
External links
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