Cananea facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Cananea
City
Heroica Ciudad de Cananea
View of Cananea
Coat of arms
Nickname(s):  Ciudad del Cobre (Copper City)
Municipality of Cananea in Sonora
Cananea Location in Mexico
Country	Mexico
State	Sonora
Municipality	Cananea
Government
• Type	Council-Manager Government
Elevation	1,620 m (5,310 ft)
Population  (2010)
• Total	31,560
Time zone	UTC-7 (MST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-7 (No DST observed)
Postal code	84620 - 84635
Area code(s)	645
Demonym	Cananense
Website	www.cananea.gob.mx

Cananea is a city located in the state of Sonora, in northwestern Mexico. It's close to the border with the United States. It's also the main city of the Municipality of Cananea.

In 2010, about 31,560 people lived in the city. The whole area, including the countryside, had about 32,936 people. The municipality covers a large area of about 4,100 square kilometers (1,600 square miles).

History of Cananea

The first people who were not native to the area arrived in Cananea around 1760. They came from other parts of New Spain, which was colonial Mexico.

In the 1800s, a general named Ignacio Pesqueira moved to Cananea. He fought against the Apache people who lived in the area. One day, while exploring the mountains, he found old Spanish mines that had been left empty. By 1868, he started mining minerals there again.

General Pesqueira's wife, Elena Pesqueira Pesqueira, found a nearby mountain range. The general named the highest peak La Elenita ("The Little Helen") in her honor. It stands 2,843 meters (9,327 feet) above sea level. Another peak is called La Mariquita ("The Little Mary"), which is 2,476 meters (8,123 feet) high.

William C. Greene speaking to striking miners in Cananea in 1906.

In 1889, William Cornell Greene bought the mine from General Pesqueira. He started a company called The Cananea Consolidated Copper Company. In June 1906, a big workers' protest happened. It was called the Cananea strike. Sadly, 23 people died and many were hurt during a clash between the workers and a group led by Arizona Rangers from the United States.

A famous folk song, a corrido called La cárcel de Cananea ("The Cananea Jail"), was written in 1917 to remember this event. At the time of the strike, Cananea had about 23,000 people living there. This included 7,000 Americans and 5,000 Chinese residents.

On October 31, 1901, Cananea became its own municipality. The town of Cananea officially became a city on July 11, 1957.

The Cananea Jail and Its Song

The Cananea jail was built in 1903 in the center of the city. It was the first public jail in Cananea. Today, it is a museum called "Museo de la Lucha Obrera." It shows photos and tools used in mining.

The song "La cárcel de Cananea" is a very important part of the culture in Cananea and the state of Sonora. It tells the story of a man who faced legal trouble and was held in this jail. A historian named Rodolfo Rascón says that a man nicknamed El Cucharón de Batuc wrote the song in 1917.

Geography and Climate

Cananea has a special kind of Mediterranean climate. This means it has hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters. The average temperature in summer (June to September) is about 23.5 °C (74.3 °F). In winter (December and January), the average low is about 7.4 °C (45.3 °F). The average temperature for the whole year is about 15.3 °C (59.5 °F).

Unlike typical Mediterranean climates, Cananea's dry season is in spring and early summer. The rainy season happens in mid-to-late summer and autumn. In winter, the rains are lighter but last longer. These winter rains are called “equipatas” and can sometimes bring snow. From February to April, it often freezes, and there can be hailstorms or even snowstorms. On average, Cananea gets about 511 millimeters (20.1 inches) of rain each year.

Economy of Cananea

The large Cananea copper mine produced almost 164,000 tonnes of copper in 2006.

Mining Industry

Mining is the most important part of Cananea's economy. It will likely stay that way for a long time. About 80% of the people in Cananea rely on mining companies for their jobs.

The biggest mining company is Buenavista del Cobre, S.A. de C.V. (also known as Mexicana de Cananea). It is owned by Southern Copper Corporation and Grupo Mexico. The Buenavista copper mine is one of the largest in the world. It has been operating since 1899, making it the oldest working copper mine in North America.

In 2019, the Buenavista mine produced a huge amount of copper: 965 million pounds! This was about 44% of all the copper Southern Copper produced that year. The mine also produces silver and molybdenum. Cananea has some of the largest copper reserves in the world.

A new project called Buenavista Zinc is building a plant to produce zinc. This plant will also make more copper. It has a budget of $416 million. This new plant will create over 2,000 jobs. It is expected to start working in the second half of 2023.

There was a long workers' strike at the Buenavista del Cobre mine. It lasted for almost three years. On June 6, 2010, Mexican police ended the strike.

Another smaller copper mine in Cananea is "Minera Maria." It is owned by Minera Frisco, a Mexican company controlled by Carlos Slim Helú. This mine produces copper cathodes.

Other Industries

Light industry is the second most important economic activity in Cananea. It creates about 3,100 jobs. There is an industrial park north of the town. Several companies there are called maquiladoras. These include "Fullfillment Systems de México" and "Stewart Connectors Systems de Mexico."

Other companies like "Fundidora de Cananea, S.A." make parts for mining equipment. "Road Machinery Company de México, S.A." also operates here. Together, these companies provide about 600 jobs. They do many different things, from making cables to working with steel.

In 2018, a new industrial park was planned for concrete products. This park will use a special material called "copper slag" from the mines. Copper slag is a leftover material that is very cheap and can be used instead of expensive gravel. This new industry will make things like pipes, walls for houses, and concrete blocks. It will help Cananea rely less on just mining for jobs.

Agriculture and Ranching

Raising cattle is also important in Cananea. The last count showed about 16,000 cattle in the area.

Farmers in Cananea grow crops like corn, potatoes, beans, and apples. Most of these crops are used by local people or to feed the cattle. The area has 30 wells with electric motors and 10 kilometers (6 miles) of canals to help water the crops.

Sister Cities

Cananea has several sister cities around the world:

• Rio Blanco, Veracruz, Mexico (since 1980)
• Sierra Vista, Arizona, United States (since 1989)
• Radebeul, Germany (since 2004)
• Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico (since 2007)
• Bisbee, Arizona, United States (since 2014)

Famous People from Cananea

• Raul Hector Castro - He was the 14th Governor of the U.S. State of Arizona.
• William Cornell Greene - He founded the modern city of Cananea and its main mining companies.
• Aurelio Rodríguez - A famous baseball player who is in the Mexican Baseball Hall of Fame.
• Claudio Xavier Gonzalez Laporte - He is the Chairman of Kimberly-Clark de México and President of the Mexican Business Council.

Images for kids

• 

  Current Mayor Eduardo Quiroga Jiménez

• 

  Logo of the National Revolutionary Party

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  Logo of the Party of the Mexican Revolution

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  Logo of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI)

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  Another logo for the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI)

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  Logo of the National Action Party (PAN)

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  Cananea in 1908

See also

In Spanish: Cananea para niños