Bacanora, Sonora

Bacanora is a small town in Bacanora Municipality in the east of the Mexican state of Sonora. It is located at the geographical coordinates of 28°59′N 109°24′W / 28.983°N 109.4°W / 28.983; -109.4. The area of the municipality (rural and urban) is 903.17 km². The population of the municipality was 943 inhabitants in 2005, with 568 residing in the municipal seat (2000 census). Originally this territory was inhabited by the Opata Joba Indians; in 1627 the Jesuit missionary Pedro Méndez established the first settlement; its name is derived from the Opata language, from the roots "baca", meaning reed, and "nora" meaning slope of reeds. Bacanora became a municipality in 1932. Most of the region lies in the foothills of the Sierra Madre...