Altar, Sonora
Encyclopedia
Altar is small city in Altar Municipality in the Mexican state of Sonora
. It is located in the northwest region of the state at 30°42′49"N 111°50′07"W. Surrounding municipalities are Sáric
, Tubutama
, Atil
, Trincheras
, Pitiquito
, Caborca
and Oquitoa
. The northern boundary is with Pima County
in the U.S. state
of Arizona
.
The total area of the municipality (urban and rural) is 3,944.90 square kilometers. The municipal population in 2010 was 9,049 inhabitants, with 7,927 (87.6%) living in the municipal seat. Other settlements are La Cabecera Municipal, Ejido 16 de Septiembre, Ejido Llano Blanco, and Ejido Santa Matilde.
The territory of the municipality was originally inhabited by the O'odham
people. It was founded in 1775 by Captain Bernardo de Urrea, as a military fort, being called Santa Gertrudis del Altar and later Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe del Altar.
The land lies at an elevation of between 200 and 400 meters sloping towards the Gulf of California
. The climate is dry with extremely high temperatures in the summer. The temperatures sometimes exceed 131 degrees fahrenheit ( 55 degrees celsius ) and is among the hottest places in the world from May to September.
The economy is based on agriculture and cattle raising. The main crops are wheat, cotton, corn, beans, sorghum, and table grapes. The town is also a staging area for the flow of immigrants that will attempt entry into the United States through the shared Sonoran Desert
.
The town of Altar is situated on the important Mexicali to Hermosillo Highway (Federal Highway 2). Most of the roads leading into the desert are not paved.
Sonora
Sonora officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Sonora is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into 72 municipalities; the capital city is Hermosillo....
. It is located in the northwest region of the state at 30°42′49"N 111°50′07"W. Surrounding municipalities are Sáric
Sáric
Sáric is a small town and the municipal area around it, located in the extreme north of the Mexican state of Sonora. Its northern boundary is the U.S. state of Arizona. The population of the municipality was 2,703 in 2010 living in an area of 1,676.23 square kilometers. The elevation is...
, Tubutama
Tubutama
Tubutama is a town, and the surrounding municipality of the same name, in the north-west of the Mexican state of Sonora. It was founded in the late 17th century by Fr. Francisco Eusebio Kino...
, Atil
Atil, Sonora
Atil is a small town in Atil Municipality in the northwest of the Mexican state of Sonora. The total area is 400.43 km² and the population of the municipality was 734 in 2005, of whom 699 lived in the municipal seat...
, Trincheras
Trincheras
Trincheras is a town, and the surrounding municipality of the same name, in the north-west of the Mexican state of Sonora. It was founded in 1775 by Bernardo de Urrea. The municipal area is 3,764.26 sq. km. and the population in 2000 was 1,788...
, Pitiquito
Pitiquito
Pitiquito is both a small town and its surrounding municipal area in the northwest of the Mexican state of Sonora.-Area and population:The municipal area is 11,979.96 km² which makes up 6.46% of the state total. The municipal population counted in 2000 was 9,160. The population of the main...
, Caborca
Caborca
Caborca is both a municipality and a municipal seat in the Mexican state of Sonora. The area of the municipality is 10,721.84 km², which is 5.78 percent of the state total. The municipal population was 81,308 of whom 59,922 lived in the municipal seat...
and Oquitoa
Oquitoa
Oquitoa is a small town surrounded by its municipal area in the northwest of the Mexican state of Sonora.-Area and Population:The municipal area is 636.64 km² with a population of 402 registered in 2000. Most of this population lives in the small municipal seat...
. The northern boundary is with Pima County
Pima County, Arizona
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*74.3% White*3.5% Black*3.3% Native American*2.6% Asian*0.2% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*3.7% Two or more races*12.4% Other races*34.6% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
.
The total area of the municipality (urban and rural) is 3,944.90 square kilometers. The municipal population in 2010 was 9,049 inhabitants, with 7,927 (87.6%) living in the municipal seat. Other settlements are La Cabecera Municipal, Ejido 16 de Septiembre, Ejido Llano Blanco, and Ejido Santa Matilde.
The territory of the municipality was originally inhabited by the O'odham
O'odham
The O'odham peoples, including the Tohono O'odham or Papago, the Pima or Akimel O'odham, and the Hia C-ed O'odham, are an indigenous Uto-Aztecan peoples of the Sonoran desert in southern and central Arizona and northern Sonora, united by a common heritage language, the O'odham language...
people. It was founded in 1775 by Captain Bernardo de Urrea, as a military fort, being called Santa Gertrudis del Altar and later Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe del Altar.
The land lies at an elevation of between 200 and 400 meters sloping towards the Gulf of California
Gulf of California
The Gulf of California is a body of water that separates the Baja California Peninsula from the Mexican mainland...
. The climate is dry with extremely high temperatures in the summer. The temperatures sometimes exceed 131 degrees fahrenheit ( 55 degrees celsius ) and is among the hottest places in the world from May to September.
The economy is based on agriculture and cattle raising. The main crops are wheat, cotton, corn, beans, sorghum, and table grapes. The town is also a staging area for the flow of immigrants that will attempt entry into the United States through the shared Sonoran Desert
Sonoran Desert
The Sonoran Desert is a North American desert which straddles part of the United States-Mexico border and covers large parts of the U.S. states of Arizona and California and the northwest Mexican states of Sonora, Baja California, and Baja California Sur. It is one of the largest and hottest...
.
The town of Altar is situated on the important Mexicali to Hermosillo Highway (Federal Highway 2). Most of the roads leading into the desert are not paved.
External links
- Altar, Ayuntamiento Digital (Official WebSite of Altar, Sonora)
- Pulitzer Center Project on Illegal Immigration
- MotherJones.com article on the mexican exodus across the desert
- Article on illegal immigrants from MSN
- Braceros: sanctuary for border crossers
- Altar, tierra de coyotes Article in Spanish about illegal border crossing