Altar (Sonora)

Altar on the map of Mexico

Altar is a city in the northwest of the Mexican state of Sonora with 7927 inhabitants. Altar is located at an altitude of 420 meters snm. The terrain is inclined toward the Gulf of California. The city lies on the major Mexican Federal Highway 2 from Mexicali to Hermosillo. With temperatures that can exceed 55 ° C, the altar is one of the hottest places on Earth during the period between May and September.

Economy

The population lives off of animal husbandry ( with an inventory of over 19,000 head of cattle ) and agriculture. The bewässerbarem on land ( 25,000 acres ) cultivated products are wheat, cotton, corn, beans, safflower, sorghum, and table grapes. Altar is often a last stop for illegal immigrants in the United States prior to passing of the U.S. portion of the Sonoran Desert.

History

The territory of the present-day city was occupied by the Pimas. The city was founded in 1775 by Captain Bernardo de Urrea as a military base. First, the place was called Santa Gertrudis del Altar and later Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe del altar.

Attractions

The parish church dates from 1886. Worth seeing is the church of the Mission of the Virgin of Guadalupe, which has been restored, but still contains architectural elements of the original church. The festival to celebrate the 12th of December is a tourist attraction.