Moctezuma | |
|---|---|
 San Miguel Arcángel de Oposura, 1971 | |
 Location of the municipality in Sonora | |
| Country |  Mexico |
| State | Sonora |
| Seat | Moctezuma, Sonora |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 5,173[1] |
| Time zone | UTC-7 (Zona Pacífico) |
Moctezuma is amunicipio (municipality) of theMexican state ofSonora, located in the state's central region. It is also the name of its largest settlement andcabecera municipal (municipal seat).
The municipal area is 1,763.39 km2, with a population of 4,187 registered in 2000.[2] The municipal seat had a population of 3,798 in 2000. It is located at an elevation of 677 meters.
Neighboring municipalities areCumpas in the north,Huásabas,Granados andDivisaderos in the east,Tepache,San Pedro de la CuevaVilla Pesqueira, andBaviácora in the west.
Moctezuma is 140 kilometers onFederal Highway 14 fromHermosillo passing throughUres, andMazocahui. FromAgua Prieta onFederal Highway 17 the distance is 204 km passing throughFronteras,Esqueda, andNacozari.
When the Spanish arrived the land was occupied by theOpata Indians. The settlement is believed to have been established by theJesuit missionaryMarcos del Río.
San Miguel Arcángel de Oposura, a large burntbrick church with vaulted ceiling, side bays, and an octagonal chapel with a wooden roof, was built by unidentified maestros brought to the site at great expense by Father Daniel Janusque sometime before his death in 1724. It continued under two of his successors until it was finished in February 1738.[3]
The town was renamed Moctezuma in 1828, while before the name had beenSan Miguel Arcángel de Oposura, and later “Oposura”. Etymologically, Oposura means place of a lot ofironwood.
The region is located in the river basin of theRío Moctezuma between two extensions of theSierra Madre Occidental mountains. The climate is dry with an average annual temperature of 12.2°C.[4]
Agriculture and cattle raising are the main economic activities. Corn and beans are raised for subsistence while grasses (sorghum,alfalfa,ryegrass) are grown for cattle fodder. The cattle herd numbered 32,554 head in 2000[5] making cattle raising the main economic activity in the municipality.
The former gold-mineLa Bambolla is located near Moctezuma, one of the most famous geological deposits of elementarytellurium and its minerals.[6]
29°47′N109°40′W / 29.783°N 109.667°W /29.783; -109.667
