welcome to Arizona
Arizona is best known for its desert, its cactus plant and the Grand Canyon.
The Grand Canyon is about 17 million years old!
The Grand Canyon is about 17 million years old!
When Columbus discovered America, Arizona was inhabited by ancestors of present day Indians. The written history of Arizona began when the Spaniards sent exploration parties northward from Mexico. The first was a Franciscan priest named Marcos de Niza, who entered the territory in 1539.
In 1821 Mexico declared its independence from Spain and eventually went to war with the United States. This war ended in 1848, and the land north of the Gila River became United States territory. In 1853 the rest of the area was acquired by the Gadsden Purchase Purchase. Then the great westward movement of our early pioneers began, and Arizona entered the phase of its history which has provided so much story material for books and movies.
People came West to seek their fortunes - adventurers, prospectors, farmers, businessmen, builders. To protect them against the Indians who fought fiercely to keep back this change in their land, the army also came and built its forts. Only the most brave and hardy pioneers came until the last of the Indian uprisings were finished and final peace won in 1886. Development of the state then surged forward.
Farmers cultivated crops along rivers and streams as had the Indians before them. Others brought in cattle to roam the range land. Still others saw Arizonans an ideal place to raise sheep. Law and order were slow to catch up with the sudden growth of the frontier. Bitter gun battles broke out between the cattlemen and sheep men, each wanting the grazing land and water rights.
With the leadership of the pioneers themselves, United States Marshals finally made a peaceful territory of Arizona, where crops, cattle and sheep, as well as mining, all became important in building the future of the state.
In 1912, its lawless, boisterous frontier days behind it, Arizona became the 48th state to join the Union and its modern advance began.
Manufacturing has become Arizona's most important industry. Principal products include electrical, communications, and aeronautical items. The state produces over half of the country's copper. Agriculture is also important to the state's economy. Top commodities are cattle and calves, dairy products, and cotton. In 1973 one of the world's most massive dams, the New Cornelia Tailings, was completed near Ajo.
In 1821 Mexico declared its independence from Spain and eventually went to war with the United States. This war ended in 1848, and the land north of the Gila River became United States territory. In 1853 the rest of the area was acquired by the Gadsden Purchase Purchase. Then the great westward movement of our early pioneers began, and Arizona entered the phase of its history which has provided so much story material for books and movies.
People came West to seek their fortunes - adventurers, prospectors, farmers, businessmen, builders. To protect them against the Indians who fought fiercely to keep back this change in their land, the army also came and built its forts. Only the most brave and hardy pioneers came until the last of the Indian uprisings were finished and final peace won in 1886. Development of the state then surged forward.
Farmers cultivated crops along rivers and streams as had the Indians before them. Others brought in cattle to roam the range land. Still others saw Arizonans an ideal place to raise sheep. Law and order were slow to catch up with the sudden growth of the frontier. Bitter gun battles broke out between the cattlemen and sheep men, each wanting the grazing land and water rights.
With the leadership of the pioneers themselves, United States Marshals finally made a peaceful territory of Arizona, where crops, cattle and sheep, as well as mining, all became important in building the future of the state.
In 1912, its lawless, boisterous frontier days behind it, Arizona became the 48th state to join the Union and its modern advance began.
Manufacturing has become Arizona's most important industry. Principal products include electrical, communications, and aeronautical items. The state produces over half of the country's copper. Agriculture is also important to the state's economy. Top commodities are cattle and calves, dairy products, and cotton. In 1973 one of the world's most massive dams, the New Cornelia Tailings, was completed near Ajo.
Arizona State Facts
Capital: Phoenix
Governor: Jan Brewer, R (to Jan. 2015)
Senators: Jeff Flake, R (to Jan. 2019); John McCain, R (to Jan. 2017)
U.S. Representatives: 9
Entered Union (rank): Feb. 14, 1912 (48)
Motto: Ditat Deus (God enriches)
State symbols:
flower: saguaro cactus (1931)
bird: cactus wren (1931)
colors: blue and old gold (1915)
song: “Arizona” (1919)
tree: palo verde (1954)
neckwear: bola tie (1971)
fossil: petrified wood (1988)
gemstone: turquoise (1974)
mammal: ringtail (1986)
reptile: Arizona ridgenose rattlesnake (1986)
fish: Arizona trout (1986)
amphibian: Arizona tree frog (1986)
butterfly: two-tailed swallowtail (2001)
Nickname: Grand Canyon State
10 largest cities (2010): Phoenix, 1,445,632; Tucson, 520,116; Mesa, 439,041; Chandler, 236,123; Glendale, 226,721;Scottsdale, 217,385; Gilbert, 208,453; Tempe, 161,719; Peoria, 154,065; Yuma, 90,041
Land area: 113,595 sq mi. (294,315 sq km)
2010 resident population: 6,392,017
Capital: Phoenix
Governor: Jan Brewer, R (to Jan. 2015)
Senators: Jeff Flake, R (to Jan. 2019); John McCain, R (to Jan. 2017)
U.S. Representatives: 9
Entered Union (rank): Feb. 14, 1912 (48)
Motto: Ditat Deus (God enriches)
State symbols:
flower: saguaro cactus (1931)
bird: cactus wren (1931)
colors: blue and old gold (1915)
song: “Arizona” (1919)
tree: palo verde (1954)
neckwear: bola tie (1971)
fossil: petrified wood (1988)
gemstone: turquoise (1974)
mammal: ringtail (1986)
reptile: Arizona ridgenose rattlesnake (1986)
fish: Arizona trout (1986)
amphibian: Arizona tree frog (1986)
butterfly: two-tailed swallowtail (2001)
Nickname: Grand Canyon State
10 largest cities (2010): Phoenix, 1,445,632; Tucson, 520,116; Mesa, 439,041; Chandler, 236,123; Glendale, 226,721;Scottsdale, 217,385; Gilbert, 208,453; Tempe, 161,719; Peoria, 154,065; Yuma, 90,041
Land area: 113,595 sq mi. (294,315 sq km)
2010 resident population: 6,392,017