Arizona

Arizona is a state in the United States of America. It is considered part of the Southwestern United States and is bordered by New Mexico to the east, Utah to the north, Nevada to the northwest, California to the west, its northeast corner touches part of Colorado, this area is known as the Four Corners. To the south of Arizona is the country Mexico with which it shares a border of 389 miles (626 km). The state is called the "Grand Canyon State" and the "Copper State" as it is the home of the Grand Canyon and has produced large amounts of copper from its mineral deposits.

Arizona became a state on February 14th, 1912 and became the 48th state accepted into the United States. The state capital is Phoenix, which also is the largest city in the state. Phoenix is the largest capital city in the US.

Arizona's climate can be very hot. In Phoenix, the average temperature is about 107 degrees Fahrenheit (42 degrees Celsius) in summer.

Geography


Arizona is the sixth largest state in area, after New Mexico and before Nevada. Of the state's 113998 sqmi, about 15% is privately owned. The remaining area is public forest and park land, state trust land and Native American reservations.

Arizona is best known for its desert landscape. It has plants such as the cactus. It is also known for its climate, which has very hot summers and mild winters. Less well known is the pine-covered high country of the Colorado Plateau in the north-central part of the state.

Mountains and plateaus are found in more than half of the state. 27% of Arizona is forest. The largest stand of Ponderosa pine trees in the world is in Arizona.

The Grand Canyon is a colorful, steep-sided gorge. It is made by the Colorado River in northern Arizona. The canyon is one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. Most of the canyon is in the Grand Canyon National Park—one of the first national parks in the United States.

Arizona is home to a well-kept meteorite impact site. The Barringer Crater (better known simply as “Meteor Crater”) is a huge hole in the middle of the high plains of the Colorado Plateau. It is about 25 mi west of Winslow. A rim of smashed and jumbled boulders, some of them the size of small houses, rises 150 ft above the level of the surrounding plain. The crater is nearly 1 mile (1.6 km) wide, and 570 ft deep. Meteor Crater is a popular tourist attraction. It is privately owned by the Barringer family through the Barringer Crater Company. There is an admission fee charged to see the crater.

Arizona is one of two states that does not observe Daylight Saving Time, except in the Navajo Nation in the northeastern part of the state.

Sports
Professional sports teams in Arizona include:

Arizona has many golf courses and is home to several stops on the PGA Tour.

State symbols

 * Arizona state amphibian: Arizona Treefrog (Hyla eximia)
 * Arizona state bird: Cactus Wren (Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus)
 * Arizona state butterfly: Two-tailed Swallowtail (Papilio multicaudata)
 * Arizona state colors: Federal Blue and old gold
 * Arizona state fish: Arizona Trout (Oncorhynchus gilae apache)
 * Arizona state flag: Flag of the State of Arizona
 * Arizona state flower: Saguaro blossom (Carnegiea gigantea)
 * Arizona state fossil: Petrified wood
 * Arizona state gemstone: Turquoise
 * Arizona state mammal: Ringtail (Bassariscus astutus)
 * Arizona state motto: Ditat Deus (Latin God enriches)
 * Arizona state neckwear: Bolo tie
 * Arizona state reptile: Arizona Ridge-nosed Rattlesnake (Crotalus willardi)
 * Arizona state seal: Great Seal of the State of Arizona
 * Arizona state slogan: Grand Canyon State
 * Arizona state songs: "Arizona March Song" (by Margaret Rowe Clifford) and "Arizona" (by Rex Allen, Jr.)
 * Arizona state tree: Blue Palo Verde (Parkinsonia florida)
 * Arizona state gun: Colt Single Action Army revolver

Related pages

 * List of counties in Arizona
 * List of rivers of Arizona