Atil (also Átil) is a small town in

Atil Municipality Átil is a municipality in the north-western Mexican state of Sonora Sonora (), officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Sonora (), is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the Administrative divisions of Mexico, Federal Enti ...

in the northwest of the

Mexican state A Mexican State (), officially the Free and Sovereign State (), is a constituent federative entity of Mexico according to the Constitution of Mexico. Currently there are 31 states, each with its own constitution, government, state governor, a ...

Sonora Sonora (), officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Sonora (), is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the Administrative divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. The state is divided into Municipalities of Sonora, 72 ...

. The total area is 400.43 km² and the population of the municipality was 734 in 2005, of whom 699 lived in the municipal seat (2000). Neighboring municipalities are Tubutama,

Trincheras Trincheras is a town in Trincheras Municipality, in the north-west of the Mexican state of Sonora Sonora (), officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Sonora (), is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the Administrative div ...

Oquitoa Oquitoa is a small town surrounded by Oquitoa Municipality in the northwest of the Mexican state of Sonora. Etymology One theory is that the name Oquitoa means "white woman" in the Piman language. Another, taken from the 1910 publication "N ...

, and

Altar An altar is a table or platform for the presentation of religion, religious offerings, for sacrifices, or for other ritualistic purposes. Altars are found at shrines, temples, Church (building), churches, and other places of worship. They are use ...

History

The first inhabitants were Pima Alto or Nebome Indians, who before conversion had led a nomadic or semi-nomadic life. It is said that Atil means "Arrow Point", in the Pima language. The town was founded in 1687 as a Jesuit mission called Los Siete Príncipes del Átil (The Seven Archangels of Átil). It was intermittently a of Mission San Pedro y San Pablo del Tubutama, and had

Mission San Antonio Paduano de Oquitoa Oquitoa is a small town surrounded by Oquitoa Municipality in the northwest of the Mexican state of Sonora. Etymology One theory is that the name Oquitoa means "white woman" in the Piman language. Another, taken from the 1910 publication "N ...

as a . Some buildings were constructed by Jesuit missionary Jacobo Sedelmayer. The name of the mission was changed to San Francisco de Átil when the Franciscans arrived in 1768.

Missionaries

Missionaries stationed in Atil included:

Geography

Atil is one of the smallest municipalities in the state. The terrain is desert and mostly flat. Summer temperatures average 25.6 °C but daytime extremes are frequently above 40 °C. The winter average is 12.8 °C. There is one tarmacked road crossing the municipality linking

with Tubutama. There are several dirt roads crossing the desert.

Economy

The economy is based primarily on agriculture with lands irrigated by the Cuauhtémoc Reservoir located in the north of the municipality. Cattle raising is also practised.

References

{{Reflist

Other sources

Enciclopedia de los Municipios de MexicoInstituto Nacional de Estadística, Geografia, e Informática (INEGI)

External links

Atil, Ayuntamiento Digital
''(Official WebSite of Atil, Sonora)''