Arizona

History: For thousands of years, Arizona was home to several Native American tribes, such as the Hohokan, Mogollon, Navajo, Apache, and Puebloan. Many of the ancient pueblos or cliffside dwellings, still exist and can be visited today. Arizona was first discovered and explored by Marcos e Niza, a Spanish Franciscan priest, in 1539. Ten missions were founded by Spanish priests from 1629 to 1781. Arizona was part of New Spain, and later Mexico in 1821. After the Mexican-American War in 1848, Mexico ceded the area to the United States. Arizona became a state on February 14, 1912 (Valentine’s Day).

Economy: In its early history, Arizona was known for copper, cotton, cattle, citrus, and climate (the 5 C’s). Even now, Arizona produces two-thirds of the copper found in the U.S. Arizona has a diverse economy, totaling about $275 billion, which is larger than some countries (such as Finland, Ireland, and New Zealand). The largest employers are in the health care, transportation, services, tourism, and government/defense sectors.

Climate: At the lower elevations in most of the state, Arizona has dry, mild winters averaging 60° Fahrenheit (16° C), and extremely hot summers getting as hot as 120° F (49° C). There can be a brief rainy season in July or August, leading to summer thunderstorms with lightning, and torrential downpours that may cause dangerous flash floods.

Geography: Arizona is one of the ‘four corners’ states because it is bordered by New Mexico to the east, Utah to the north, and Colorado to the northeast. It also borders Nevada and California on the west, and has an international border with Mexico to the south. Arizona is located in the southwestern region of the United States, belonging to the group of Western and Mountain states. The southern half of the state consists of desert Basin and Range, hosting desert animals and plants such as the distinctive Saguaro Cactus. The northern half of the state has pine-covered mountains that go north up to the Colorado Plateau. Arizona is the southwest corner of the Four Corners, where four states meet.

Fun Facts:

Nickname – the Grand Canyon State.
48^th and last continental state admitted to the union.
Capital and largest city is Phoenix.
The state dinosaur is the Sonorasaurus.
The first female Supreme Court Justice, Sandra Day O’Connor, was from Arizona.
85% of Arizona is federal forest and park land, state trust land, and Native American reservations, leaving only 15% for private ownership.

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