72 counties
Hermosillo
The city is located at 27°29′ north latitude and 109°59′ west longitude. Its city center sits at an altitude of 40.8 meters above sea level. It is situated in the southern part of the state of Sonora, 50 kilometers from the coast of the Sea of Cortez and 100 kilometers from the Sierra Madre Occidental mountain range. It is also 240 kilometers from Hermosillo, the state capital, and 530 kilometers from the U.S. border.
2,944,840 inhabitants
Despite its arid terrain and extreme climate, Sonora, like the rest of northern Mexico, is rich in natural resources. This has led to a history of self-sufficiency, and many Sonorans see themselves as heirs to this pioneering tradition. A large part of this is related to the culture and traditions of the countryside, as much of the state's economy was historically based on livestock farming. The state has a highly skilled workforce and strong ties to the U.S. economy, largely due to its shared border with Arizona. This connection affects various sectors of the state's economy. Sonora's GDP growth is generally higher than the rest of the country, reaching 4.0% in 2014, compared to the national average of 3.3%. While this growth was much higher before the 2008 economic crisis—for example, in 2006, growth was 8.4% compared to the national average of 4.8%—Sonora's growth was significantly higher. The state's economic success, especially in its industrial and agricultural sectors, as well as on the border, has attracted many immigrants from central and southern Mexico to the state.
As in other parts of Mexico, Sonoran cuisine is essentially a blend of Indigenous and Spanish influences. When the Spanish moved north of the Valley of Mexico, they found the local diet simpler, based on staples like corn, beans, and squash, but lacking the extra variety found in the south. For this reason, the Spanish influenced how that diet developed. They brought European crops of flour, beef, dairy products, pork, and more to Sonora, as well as dishes and ingredients from central and southern Mexico, such as tortillas, more varieties of chiles, and tamales. Cowboy culture has been an important aspect of Sonoran culture since colonial times, and much of the cuisine is based on what cowboys ate in the early days, even though most Sonorans no longer work outdoors. Sonoran cuisine is not limited to its current geography. Arizona, especially the southern area near the border, has a cuisine that is also rich in flour, cheese, and beef. This is how it was brought by the Spanish to what was once part of Sonora. Both states continue the cowboy tradition. Due to Sonora's status as a border state, its cuisine has also received significant influence from the USA.