Facts over Arizona
State: Arizona
Abbreviation: AZ
Capital: Phoenix
State Since: February 14, 1912
Area Codes: 480, 520, 602, 623, 928
Bird: Cactus Wren
Flower: Saguaro Cactus Blossom
Largest City: Phoenix
Motto: Ditat Deus – God Enriches
Nickname: The Grand Canyon State
Population: 5,130,632
Song: Arizona
Tree: Yellow Palo Verde
Time Zone: -7
Adjacent States:
- California
- Nevada
- Utah
- New Mexico
Arizona Travel Information
Arizona is one of the states of the United States. The standard abbreviation for Grand Canyon State or Copper State, as its nicknames go, is AZ. The capital is Phoenix.
History
The area that now forms the state of Arizona was first settled by Native American tribes such as the Hopi and the Navajo. The first Spanish explorers invaded the area around 1540. At the end of the 17th century, a series of missions were established with the aim of converting the indigenous population to Christianity. After being in Spanish hands for centuries, the area became part of Mexico in 1810. After the Mexican-American War in 1848, Mexico had to cede most of the area to the United States. In 1853, the US bought another territory to the south, a transaction known as the Gadsden Purchase. Initially, Arizona was governed as part of the New Mexico Territory until it became an independent territory in 1863. On February 14, 1912, Arizona formally became the 48th
Developing tourism industry
Arizona was hit hard during the Great Depression, but it quickly recovered, mainly due to the developing tourism industry that is important to the state to this day. There are several theories about the origin of the name Arizona. Three of them are:
- Derived from arizonac, a word that in the language of the Papago Indians means “(place of) small wells”
- Contraction of the Spanish árida zona (“dry area”)
- Derived from the Aztec word arizuma
Geography
The state of Arizona covers 295,254 km², of which 294,312 km² is land. It belongs to the Mountain time zone. The Painted Desert (Arizona) is bordered to the south by Mexico, to the north by the states of Utah and Colorado, to the west by Nevada and California, and to the east by New Mexico. The point where the borders with Utah, New Mexico and Colorado meet is called Four Corners. Arizona has extensive Indian reservations. Geographically, Arizona, known for its natural beauty, is a state of extremes. Part of the state is bisected by the Rocky Mountains, with Humphreys Peak as the highest point (3,851 meters). At the same time, Arizona is largely desert. Humphreys Peak is the highest point in the state at 3,851 meters above sea level. The main river is the Colorado, which forms part of the western border. Among other things, the river flows through the famous Grand Canyon. Other notable natural areas include the Painted Desert and Monument Valley.
Climate
Arizona has for the most part a desert climate with hot summers but also night frosts, especially in winter. In the northern part of the state, which is at a higher elevation than the rest, the climate is noticeably colder with temperatures reaching below -18°C. The capital Phoenix is the city with the most days a year with temperatures reaching +38°C or higher.
Demography and economy
In 2000, Arizona had a population of 5,130,632 (17 per km²), 5% of whom were Indians. Almost 20% of the population has Spanish as their mother tongue. The main cities are Phoenix, Tucson and Flagstaff. The government is the primary employer in Arizona where much of the land is owned by the federal and state governments. Furthermore, the technology and hi-tech industries are especially important for the economy. Products such as computers, electronics and aerospace are manufactured in the state. Mining is also an important source of income. Copper is mainly mined in Arizona. The gross product of the state in 2001 was $161 billion.
Politics
Arizona is leaning towards the Republican Party politically. Both senators and most of the delegates are Republican. The current governor is Democrat. In presidential elections, Arizona usually chooses the Republican candidate, including in 2004 when George W. Bush won the state with more than 54% of the vote. Arizona voted for Democratic nominee William Jefferson Clinton in 1996.
GRAND CANYON
Arizona
Facts over Grand Canyon
Name: Grand Canyon National Park
Location: Arizona
Details: Grand Canyon Skywalk
Admission: $12.00 per person
Opening hours: 24 hours a day
Travel information about Grand Canyon
The first European to see the canyon was Spaniard García López de Cárdenas who explored the area in 1540. Long before then, the area had been inhabited by Native Americans, some of whom built their settlements in the canyon walls. Today, about 500 Native Americans still live in the Grand Canyon.
The Grand Canyon National Park was one of the first national parks in the United States. President Roosevelt was a great advocate for the conservation of the area, coming many times to hunt cougars and enjoy the sweeping views.
The Grand Canyon is a major tourist attraction, especially at the well-known viewpoints along the South Rim and to a lesser extent along the North Rim, but there are also very quiet places to be found. The canyon is more than 1600 meters deep. It is possible to descend into it, but due to the great depth and the enormous heat, this requires a good condition and even better preparation. The lower you go, the higher the temperature becomes. Since March 21, 2007, the Grand Canyon Skywalk can also be visited, a glass bridge that hangs 1200 meters above the ground floor.
Helicopter tours of the Canyon can be taken from Grand Canyon Village and from Las Vegas.
The Grand Canyon is a very wide and deep canyon in the north of the US state of Arizona. Over millions of years, the waters of the Colorado River have created this canyon in the landscape. This extreme erosion was made possible because the area in which the gorge is located continued to rise. The Colorado erodes about 16 cm every 1000 years. The canyon is approximately 435 kilometers long and has a width that varies between 15 and 29 kilometers.
Despite its wide width, the other side of the Canyon is clearly visible from almost every point. This is due to the extremely low humidity in the desert-like area, which means that the light absorption here is extremely low.
The walls of the Grand Canyon are streaked reddish, due to the different composition of the layers in the succession. The red rock of the Grand Canyon is at its best just after sunrise and just before sunset. It is therefore recommended to visit the Canyon around these times.
ROUTE 66
Chicago to Los Angeles
Facts over Route 66
Category: US routes
Details: Get Your Kicks On
West end location: Los Angeles, CA (1926-1936)
Santa Monica, CA (1936-1985)
East end location: Chicago
Existed: November 11, 1926 – June 27, 1985
Travel information on the Route 66
Route 66 (US66) was a historic highway (US Highway) in the United States that began in Chicago and ended at the Pacific Ocean beach in Santa Monica near Los Angeles. The total length was 3940 km. US66 passes through Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California. US66 was officially shut down in 1985, after the Interstate Highway System took over long-haul traffic. Many tourists still follow the old stretch of Route 66.
American culture
Route 66 played an important role in 20th century American culture. In the 1930s, the road was used by people traveling to California to escape the Dust Bowl, large dust storms on the plains of the central United States. In his novel The Grapes of Wrath, author John Steinbeck describes the misadventures of a poor family fleeing the Dust Bowl by this road.
Get Your Kicks On
After World War II, many new car owners used the road to drive from one side of the country to the other. The road is a nostalgic symbol of the role of the automobile in American society from the 1930s to the 1970s. In 1946, jazz composer and pianist Bobby Troup wrote his most famous song (Get Your Kicks On) Route 66, after using the highway himself to travel to California. He gave it to Nat King Cole who made it one of the biggest hits of his career. It later became a hit for Chuck Berry, and has since been performed by many other artists, such as the Rolling Stones and Depeche Mode.
PHOENIX
Arizona
Facts over Phoenix
State: Arizona
City Since: 1881
Motto / Nickname: Shine On
Population: 1,552,259
Area: 1,334.1 km2
Time Zone: -7
Travel information about Phoenix
Phoenix is the capital of the state of Arizona in the southwestern United States of America. With 1,512,986 inhabitants, the city is the largest in its state and is estimated to have 4.1 million inhabitants in the metropolitan area. This makes it one of the fastest growing cities in the US. Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport is located near the center of the city and is one of the busiest in the United States.
Climate
In January the average temperature is 12.0 °C, in July it is 34.2 °C. Annual average precipitation is 194.6 mm (data based on the measurement period 1961-1990).
Sights
Here’s a small sampling of the sights in Phoenix:
- Phoenix Symphony Hall
- Heard Museum
- US Airways Center
- South Mountain Park
