Altar is a

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality' ...

in the

state State most commonly refers to: * State (polity), a centralized political organization that regulates law and society within a territory **Sovereign state, a sovereign polity in international law, commonly referred to as a country **Nation state, a ...

Sonora Sonora (), officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Sonora (), is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the Administrative divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. The state is divided into Municipalities of Sonora, 72 ...

in north-western

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

. The municipality had a 2010 census population of 9,049 inhabitants, the vast majority of whom lived in the municipal seat of

Altar An altar is a table or platform for the presentation of religion, religious offerings, for sacrifices, or for other ritualistic purposes. Altars are found at shrines, temples, Church (building), churches, and other places of worship. They are use ...

, which had a population of 7,927 inhabitants. There are no other localities with over 1,000 inhabitants.

History

The territory of the municipality was originally inhabited by the O'odham people. In 1755, the Spanish founded Presidio Santa Gertrudis del Altar in response to the

1751 Pima Rebellion The Pima Revolt, also known as the O'odham Uprising or the Pima Outbreak, was a revolt of Pima native Americans in 1751 against colonial forces in Spanish Arizona and one of the major northern frontier conflicts in early New Spain. Background ...

. It was later renamed to Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe del Altar.

Geography

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. Surrounding municipalities are

Sáric Sáric ( O'odham: Ṣaʼalk ''mountain pass'') is a small town in Sáric Municipality, located in the extreme north of the Mexican state of Sonora. In 2010, it had a population of 892. History The town was founded in 1690 by Jesuit missionary E ...

Tubutama Tubutama is a town in the north-west of the Mexican state of Sonora. It serves as the seat for the surrounding municipality of the same name. The municipal area is , and the population was 1,798 in 2005. The main economic activities are cattle ...

Atil Atil, also Itil, was the capital of the Khazar Khaganate from the mid-8th century to the late 10th century. It is known historically to have been situated along the Silk Road, on the northern coast of the Caspian Sea, in the Volga Delta region of ...

Trincheras Trincheras is a town in Trincheras Municipality, in the north-west of the Mexican state of Sonora Sonora (), officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Sonora (), is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the Administrative div ...

Pitiquito Pitiquito is a small town in Pitiquito Municipality 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 20 ...

Caborca Caborca is the municipal seat of the Caborca Municipality in the List of states of Mexico, Mexican state of Sonora. The city has a population of 67,604, while the municipal population was 89,122 as of 2020. History The Hohokam inhabited the a ...

and

Oquitoa Oquitoa is a small town surrounded by Oquitoa Municipality in the northwest of the Mexican state of Sonora. Etymology One theory is that the name Oquitoa means "white woman" in the Piman language. Another, taken from the 1910 publication "N ...

. The northern boundary is with

Pima County Pima County ( ) is a County (United States), county in the south central region of the U.S. state of Arizona, one of 15 List of counties in Arizona, counties in the state. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 1 ...

in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...

Arizona Arizona is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States, sharing the Four Corners region of the western United States with Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. It also borders Nevada to the nort ...

Climate

The land lies at an elevation of sloping towards the

Gulf of California The Gulf of California (), also known as the Sea of Cortés (''Mar de Cortés'') or Sea of Cortez, or less commonly as the Vermilion Sea (''Mar Vermejo''), is a marginal sea of the Pacific Ocean that separates the Baja California peninsula from ...

. The climate is dry with extremely high temperatures in the summer. The temperatures sometimes exceed and is among the hottest places in the world from May to September.

Economy

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 Sonoran Desert () is a hot desert and ecoregion in North America that covers the northwestern Mexican states of Sonora, Baja California, and Baja California Sur, as well as part of the Southwestern United States (in Arizona and California). It ...

Towns and villages

Mapa de localidades del municipio de Altar

The largest localities (cities, towns, and villages) are:2010 census tables: INEGI

Adjacent municipalities and counties

Sáric Municipality Sáric is a Municipalities of Sonora, municipality in the List of states of Mexico, state of Sonora in north-western Mexico. Its northern boundary is the U.S. state of Arizona. The population of the municipality (urban and rural areas) was 2,703 ...

- northeast *

Tubutama Municipality Tubutama is a municipality in the state of Sonora in north-western Mexico. The municipal seat is at Tubutama Tubutama is a town in the north-west of the Mexican state of Sonora. It serves as the seat for the surrounding municipality of the same ...

- east *

Atil Municipality Átil is a municipality in the north-western Mexican state of Sonora Sonora (), officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Sonora (), is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the Administrative divisions of Mexico, Federal Enti ...

- southeast * Oquitoa Municipality - southeast *

Trincheras Municipality Trincheras is a municipality in the state of Sonora in north-western Mexico. The municipal seat is at Trincheras Trincheras is a town in Trincheras Municipality, in the north-west of the Mexican state of Sonora Sonora (), officially Estado Lib ...

- south *

Pitiquito Municipality Pitiquito is a Municipalities of Sonora, municipality in the List of states of Mexico, state of Sonora in north-western Mexico. The municipal seat is at Pitiquito. Neighboring municipalities Neighboring municipalities are Altar, Sonora, Altar to ...

- southwest *

Caborca Municipality Caborca is a Municipalities of Sonora, municipality in the List of states of Mexico, state of Sonora in northwestern Mexico. The area of the municipality is 10,721.84 km2, which is 5.78 percent of the state total. Towns and villages There ...

- west *

Pima County, Arizona Pima County ( ) is a County (United States), county in the south central region of the U.S. state of Arizona, one of 15 List of counties in Arizona, counties in the state. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 1 ...

- north

References

External links

* Municipalities of Sonora 1775 establishments in New Spain {{commonscat