Hermosillo is the capital of the desert state of Sonora, Mexico. It is centrally located within the state at and is within several hundred miles of several other major Mexican cities, such as Tijuana and Mexicali, and U.S. cities such as Phoenix and Tucson, Arizona. The city's estimated 2004 population was 689,902. The city is served by Ignacio L. Pesqueira International Airport. The city also has an American Basketball Association team, the Hermosillo Seris .

Industry is an important part of the city's economy. 114 companies have plants in the city, employing thousands of workers. Ford Motor Company has a plant there, assembling the Ford Escort and Ford Focus.

History

Hermosillo's origin traces back to 1700, when several villages were founded on lands previously inhabited by native americans. It came to be named the Villa de Pitic, but on September 5, 1828, it was renamed Hermosillo in honor of general José María González de Hermosillo who in 1810 fought for the independence of Mexico in the state of Sinaloa. On April 26, 1879, the city was named the capital of Sonora, and that declaration was confirmed in article 28 of the state constitution, written on September 15, 1917.

The latter half of the 1800s were turbulent years for the city – on October 14, 1852, Gastó Rousset Boulbón led anti-government fighters to victory against the national army, but soon left the city. On May 4, 1886, republican troops under Ángel Martínez took the city from imperial forces under María Tranquilino Almada. Just a few hours later, however, the imperialists retook the city. Later that year, a similar taking and retaking of the city occured. Even during this time, the city continued developing – on November 4, 1881, a rail line between Hermosillo and the city of Guaymas went into operation, and by the end of the 19th century, the city had a population of 14,000 and thriving commerce and agriculture.

During the Mexican revolution, Hermosillo was the capital of Mexico for five months, as it was the location of the meeting of Venustiano Carranza's war cabinet. Later, on November 18, 1915, the city was attacked by Francisco Villa, another mexican revolutionary, but he was defeated.

External link

• Hermosillo municipal government (Spanish language)