Bavispe facts for kids
Bavispe is a small town and a municipality in the northeastern part of the Mexican state of Sonora. A municipality is like a county or a local government area.
Contents
Where is Bavispe?
Location and Neighbors
Bavispe is located in the northeast of the state of Sonora. Its exact spot is 30°28′N 108°56′W / 30.467°N 108.933°W. The main town, which is the administrative center, is about 902 meters (around 2,959 feet) above sea level.
Bavispe shares its borders with other places:
- To the north, it borders Agua Prieta.
- To the south, it borders Bacerac.
- To the west, it borders Nacozari.
- To the east, it borders the state of Chihuahua.
Size of the Area
The total area of the Bavispe municipality is about 2,475.82 square kilometers (about 955 square miles). This means it makes up about 1.34% of the entire state of Sonora.
Weather and Mountains
Most of Bavispe is mountainous because it's on the western side of the Sierra Madre Occidental, a large mountain range. Because of its high elevation, the average temperature throughout the year is about 20.8°C (69.4°F).
Rivers
The most important river in the area is the Rio Bavispe. This river starts in the state of Chihuahua and flows through the Bavispe region from north to south.
Who Lives in Bavispe?
In 2005, about 1,263 people lived in the Bavispe municipality. This was a small decrease from the 1,377 people counted in 2000. The main town of Bavispe had a population of 715 people in 2000.
What Does the Name Bavispe Mean?
The name Bavispe comes from the Opata people, who were the original inhabitants of this land. The name is from the Opata word "Bavipa," which means "place where the river changes direction." This makes sense because of the way the Rio Bavispe flows through the area.
A Look at Bavispe's Past
Bavispe was founded in 1645 by a Jesuit missionary named Cristóbal García. He named it San Miguel de Bavispe.
Later, in 1779, a Spanish military outpost, called a presidio, was set up there. This outpost was unique because it was fully staffed by Opata people, known as the "Compañía de Opatas de Bavispe."
On May 2, 1887, a very strong earthquake hit the area. It was so powerful that people felt it as far north as Central Arizona. The earthquake destroyed the old church of San Miguel de Bavispe and made every home in the village unsafe to live in. A new, modern church was later built in the same spot. Bavispe officially became a municipality in 1931.
How Do People Make a Living?
The people of Bavispe mostly depend on farming and raising cattle. They grow grasses to feed their cattle. They also grow beans and corn, which are important foods for their families. In 2000, there were over 11,000 cattle in the area, showing how important cattle raising is to the local economy.
Places to Visit and Nature
Part of the Los Ajos-Bavispe National Forest Reserve is right next to Bavispe. This reserve is one of Mexico's oldest protected areas, created almost 70 years ago.
The reserve was set up to protect eight special mountain areas, often called "sky islands." It also helps protect the water sources of three important rivers in Sonora: the Rio Sonora, the Bavispe River (which flows into the Yaqui River), and the San Pedro River.
