A Brief History Of Sonora

For many reasons, Sonora has historically been rather isolated from the rest of Mexico. It is the farthest state from Mexico City and long viewed by the country’s strong central government as a “frontier region” or, worse, a dry desert wasteland. Its colonial history is not as deep or rich as that of central-southern Mexico, and its archeological past lacks remains of the great civilizations from the south (Aztecs, Mayas, Toltecs, etc.). Even today, many Sonorans feel the government of Mexico City largely ignores their presence. In fact, until the completion of the “Yécora Highway” (Mex Hwy 16) in 1992, Sonora was even largely isolated from its neighbor state of Chihuahua. For these reasons, and because of the state’s location on the border with the U.S., cultural and economic ties often seem stronger between Sonora and Arizona than between Sonora and Mexico City (despite the recent construction of the much- despised border fence).