New Navarre facts for kids

Quick facts for kids New Navarra Nueva Navarra
1565 – September 1821
Flag
New Navarre (1794)
Status	Part of New Spain
Capital	Arizpe
Government	Monarchy
History
• Established	1565
• Disestablished	September 27 1821
Succeeded by Sonora y Sinaloa

New Navarre (which means Nueva Navarra in Spanish and Nafarroa Berria in Basque) was a region in what is now Mexico. It was first an informal name for an area north of Sinaloa where people found silver.

In 1711, a Jesuit priest named Eusebio Kino drew a map. On this map, he called the area "New Navarre." This region included a place called Pimeria Alta. Father Kino spent 24 years there, setting up missions.

Later, New Navarre became an official province. It was part of the Provincias Internas. These were frontier provinces of the Viceroyalty of New Spain. The Viceroyalty of New Spain was a large area ruled by Spain in North America.

Becoming a Province

In the 1720s, a military officer named Pedro de Rivera visited the northern forts. He suggested changing how the northwest provinces were organized. The viceroy, who was like a governor for the Spanish king, liked this idea.

Official Approval

King Philip V of Spain approved the plan in 1732. The next year, Manuel Bernal de Huidobro became the first governor of New Navarre. He was already the mayor of Sinaloa.

How it was Governed

As governor, Manuel Bernal de Huidobro reported directly to the viceroy for government, money, and military matters. But for justice, he was under the Royal Audience of Guadalajara. This was a high court in the Viceroyalty of New Spain.

By 1806, the province was often called Sonora or New Navarre. Its capital city was Arizpe. It also included the area of Sinaloa.

After Independence

After the Mexican War of Independence, New Navarre became part of the new country of Mexico. It was then known as Sonora y Sinaloa. Much of this area is covered by the Sonoran Desert.

Basque People in New Navarre

When Europeans first moved to New Navarre, many people came from a region in Europe called the Basque Country. These Basque immigrants made up a big part of the population.

Early Settlers

In the first 15 years of Spanish settlement, about 6% of all migrants were Basque. This was the same percentage as people from other well-known Spanish regions like Castile or Extremadura.

City Life

More detailed information shows that in the first few decades, between 8% and 16% of people in the new cities were Basque. This shows that Basque and Navarrese people often preferred to live in cities.

See also

• Territorial evolution of Mexico
• Spanish missions in the Sonoran Desert
• Spanish colonization of the Americas

Images for kids

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  Map of New Navarre in 1794