Sinaloa, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Sinaloa, is one of the thirty-one states that, together with Mexico City, make up Mexico.7​8​ It is located in the northwest region of the country, bordering Sonora and Chihuahua to the north, Durango to the east, Nayarit to the south and the Gulf of California (Pacific Ocean) to the west. It was founded on October 14, 1830.

It is the most important agricultural state in the federation, which has earned it the nickname "the breadbasket of Mexico." It has the second largest fishing fleet in the country. Culturally, it is known for its typical music, the banda sinaloense or tambora. The ulama, a type of Mesoamerican ball game, is practiced in the state. It is divided into 20 municipalities. Its capital and most populous city is Culiacán Rosales. Other important localities are Mazatlán, Los Mochis, Guasave, Guamúchil, Escuinapa, El Fuerte, Sinaloa de Leyva, El Rosario, San Ignacio de Piaxtla and Choix.