Sonora

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Sonora

Location

Statistics
Capital	Hermosillo
Area	182,052 km² Ranked 2nd
Population (2005 census)	2,394,861 Ranked 19th
HDI (2004)	0.8163 - high Ranked 10th
Governor (2003-2009)	Eduardo Bours Castelo (PRI)
Federal Deputies	PRI/PVEM: 4 PAN: 3
Federal Senators	PAN: 2 PRI: 1
ISO 3166-2 Postal abbr.	MX-SON Son.

For other uses, see Sonora (disambiguation).

Sonora is a state in northwestern Mexico, bordering the states of Chihuahua to the east, Sinaloa to the south, and Baja California to the northwest. To the north Sonora accounts for a long stretch of the U.S.-Mexico border adjacent to the U.S. states of Arizona and New Mexico; to the west it borders the Gulf of California (Sea of Cortez).

Sonora is important economically for its cattle production and mining, and popular among tourists for its fine beaches. Culturally it is important as a source of a style of music known as the Norteño.

Cities with airports that serve as points of entry include Hermosillo (the state capital), Ciudad Obregón, Navojoa, Guaymas, and San Carlos, Sonora. Smaller towns popular with tourists that have airports include Puerto Peñasco and Álamos. Border crossings include: the city of Nogales, across the border from Nogales, Arizona; the town of Agua Prieta, across from Douglas, Arizona; Sonoyta, opposite Lukeville, Arizona; Sasabe, opposite Sasabe, Arizona and San Luis Rio Colorado opposite Yuma, Arizona.

Sonora y Sinaloa was the name of the constituent state of the Mexican Republic under its Constitution of 1824. On 30 September 1830 that state was divided into two – the states of Sonora and Sinaloa. Father Eusebio Kino is important in the state's history.

Eduardo Bours Castelo, a member of the PRI, is the current governor of the state (2003–2009).

The Sonoran Desert and the Sierra Madre Occidental covers much of the state. Its climate is dry and reaches extreme temperatures. The Colorado River Runs through the northern border region.