Altar (Sonora)
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Coordinates: 30 ° 43 ′ N , 111 ° 50 ′ W Altar on the map of Sonora
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| Basic data | ||
| Country | Mexico | |
| State | Sonora | |
| Municipio | altar | |
| City foundation | 1775 | |
| Residents | 7927 (2010) | |
| Detailed data | ||
| height | 580 m | |
| Time zone | UTC −7 | |
Altar is a city in the northwest of the Mexican state of Sonora with 7927 inhabitants. Altar is at a height of 420 meters snm. The terrain slopes towards the Gulf of California . The city is located on the important Mexican federal highway 2 from Mexicali to Hermosillo . With temperatures that can exceed 55 ° C, Altar is one of the hottest places on earth between May and September.
economy
The population lives from cattle breeding (with a population of over 19,000 head of cattle) and agriculture. The products grown on irrigable land (25,000 hectares) are wheat , cotton , corn , beans , safflower , sorghum and table grapes . Altar is often a final stopping point for illegal immigrants to the US before crossing the US portion of the Sonora Desert .
history
The area of today's city was inhabited by the Pimas . The city was founded in 1775 by Captain Bernardo de Urrea as a military base. At first the place was called Santa Gertrudis del Altar and later Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe del Altar .
Attractions
The parish church dates from 1886. Also worth seeing is the Church of the Mission of the Virgin of Guadalupe , which has been restored but still contains architectural elements from the original church. The folk festival to celebrate December 12th is a tourist attraction.
Web links
- Enciclopedia de los Municipios y Delegaciones de México: Municipio Altar (Spanish)
- Preparing for the life or death journey into US , article by Mark Mullen on NBC News , June 13, 2005
- Exodus: Border-Crossers Forge a New America , article by Charles Bowden in Mother Jones , September / October 2006