Arizona History
Arizona Guide
Arizona History
Arizona Information
| State of Arizona | |
| Arizona Official Language(s) | English |
| Arizona Spoken Language(s) | English 74.1%, Spanish 19.5%, Navajo 1.9% |
| Arizona Demonym | Arizonan, Arizonian |
| Arizona Capital | Phoenix |
| Arizona Largest City | Phoenix |
| Arizona Largest Metro Area | Phoenix Metropolitan Area |
| Arizona Area | Ranked 6th in the US |
| - Total | 113,998 sq mi (295,254 km2) |
| - Width | 310 miles (500 km) |
| - Length | 400 miles (645 km) |
| - % water | 0.32 |
| - Latitude | 31° 20′ N to 37° N |
| - Longitude | 109° 3′ W to 114° 49′ W |
| Arizona Population | Ranked 15th in the US |
| - Total | 6,595,778 (2009 est.) |
| - Density | 55.8/sq mi (21.54/km2) Ranked 33rd in the US |
| Arizona Elevation | |
| - Highest point | Humphreys Peak 12,637 ft (3,851 m) |
| - Mean | 4,100 ft (1,250 m) |
| - Lowest point | Colorado River 70 ft (22 m) |
| Arizona Before Statehood | Arizona Territory |
| Arizona Admission to Union | February 14, 1912 (48th) |
| Arizona Governor | Jan Brewer (R) |
| Arizona Lieutenant Governor | none until next election (Terry Goddard (Attorney General), currently 2nd in line |
| Arizona Legislature | Arizona Legislature |
| - Upper house | Senate |
| - Lower house | House of Representatives |
| U.S. Senators | John McCain (R) Jon Kyl (R) |
| U.S. House delegation | 5 Democrats, 3 Republicans (list) |
| Arizona Time zones | |
| - Most of state | Mountain: UTC-7 |
| - Navajo Nation | Mountain: UTC-7/-6 |
| Arizona Abbreviations | AZ Ariz. US-AZ |
| Arizona Website | http://www.az.gov |
| Arizona State Symbols | |
|---|---|
| Animate Insignia | |
| Arizona Amphibian | Arizona Tree Frog |
| Arizona Bird(s) | Cactus Wren |
| Arizona Butterfly | Two-tailed Swallowtail |
| Arizona Fish | Apache trout |
| Arizona Flower(s) | Saguaro Cactus blossom |
| Arizona Mammal(s) | Ring-tailed Cat |
| Arizona Reptile | Arizona Ridge-Nosed Rattlesnake |
| Arizona Tree | Palo verde |
| Inanimate Insignia | |
| Arizona Colors | Blue, Old Gold |
| Arizona Fossil | Petrified wood |
| Arizona Gemstone | Turquoise |
| Arizona Mineral | Fire Agate |
| Arizona Rock | Petrified wood |
| Arizona Ship(s) | USS Arizona |
| Arizona Slogan(s) | The Grand Canyon State |
| Arizona Soil | Casa Grande |
| Arizona Song(s) | Arizona (song), Arizona March Song |
Arizona History
Arizona is among the four corner state of the United States and is located at the south west region of the country. It is the 48th and the last state admitted to the American Union. This beautiful state also called The Copper State or The Grand Canyon State has a number of tourist attraction spots including the famous Grand Canyon, parks, monuments and very magnificent forest. Arizona State with the capital city Phoenix is the sixth largest state with a population of around 7 million people.
Arizona State in the Prehistoric Times
According to the archeological and geological evidences, the regions of Arizona was inhabited by mammoth hunters who were the first natives to set their foot on the land of Arizona back in 10,000 BC or 16, 000 BCE. Their remains have been found in the south eastern part of the State near the Pedro Valley. These people were wanderers and did not settle in the place or practice any form of agriculture. After the ice age was over the mammoth started to get extinct as the temperature started to get higher and higher. Slowly, Arizona was transferred to an arid land with minimal vegetation and the people lived there to survive this condition.
Later these prehistoric people started on agriculture and started to live in cave and to use tools for different purpose. Though agriculture started to be practiced, they never abandoned hunting and foraging. The cultures that flourished in Arizona in the First millennium includes the Anasazi, who arose around 1200 AD, the Hohokam, the farmers who constructed elaborate irrigation facility and the Mogollan, who first put down the maize cultivation in the highlands of Mexico and eastern Arizona. All of these civilizations rose to the height round 1200 A D but by 1400 BC both the civilization disappeared entirely. And it is believed that these prehistoric civilizations came to an end due to a great and long lasting drought in the area. In the second millennium it the Sinagua and the Salado culture rose into prominence but after a few hundred years these culture also disappeared completely.
The Spanish Exploration
When America was discovered by Columbus, the people present there were the ancestors of the present day inhabitants. And the recorded history of the Arizona state began after Marcos de Niza, a Spanish Franciscan friar explored became the first European to explore Arizona. Though the first European visitor to this land might have came in the year 1528, the visit of Marcos de Nisa in the year 1538 in search of the Seven Cities of Gold is an important turning point in the history of Arizona. A year after his visit, another gold seeker Francisco Vásquez de Coronado visited the state to confirm the presence of Gold as reported by Marcos de Niza.. Later many other Christian missionaries followed with the aim of introducing Christianity to the place where the religion has not yet entered. Parde kino was one such missionary who was successful in spreading the religion in many parts of this place. He founded the Tumacocori mission at the north of Nogales. He also developed a chain of mission surrounding the Pimeria Alta. And after the Pleubo Revolt in the year 1680, the Spaniards were hurried out of Mexico. But the area was re conquered by Spain fourteen years later in 1694.
Mexican Arizona
In the year 1821, Arizona with Mexico went for war against Spain and won back their independence. But the later colonization of Arizona came from Mexico making Arizona a part of it. The first American exploration of Arizona occurred after the St. Louis to Santa Fe trade route was established. Mexican American war broke of later against the American rule. And in the year, 1848 February 2nd, the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was signed under which 70 % of the land under Arizona was ceded to U S along with a number of other territories in exchange for $ fifteen million. And two years later these region formed the New Mexico Territory with the major part of Arizona and the present day Mexico.
Split of the New Mexican Territory
Starting from the year 1853, the whole of the present day Arizona was included under the New Mexican Territory. And in 1861, during the period of the Civil War, this territory near the region of Messila and Tucson declared itself independent from the US rule and joined the Confederacy. But in 1862 the Confederate territory of Arizona was returned to the New Mexican Territory after it was captured by the Union Troupes. And it was in the year 1863 that the New Mexican Territory was split by the United States to create the Arizonan Territory or the present day state of Arizona, by introducing a north south split.
Moving of the U S presidios during the war left the state vulnerable to the attack from their Native Americans and the hostilities between the natives and the American settlers which started in 1861 ended after five years in 1866. After this the state started to improve the agricultural and irrigational facilities and the period of economic growth started and it later formed the U S state on February 14, 1912.
Arizona Religion
- Roman Catholic – 28%
- Protestant
- Mainline – 15%
- Evangelical – 23%
- Other Protestant – 2%
- LDS (Mormon) – 6%
- Buddhist – 1%
- Jewish – 1%
- Other Religions – 6%
- Unaffiliated – 20%
Arizona Counties
| ARIZONA COUNTIES | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| County Name | County Seat | Year Founded | 2000 Population | Percent of Total | Area (sq. mi.) | Percent of Total |
| Apache | St. Johns | 1879 | 69,423 | 1.17 % | 11,218 | 9.84 % |
| Cochise | Bisbee | 1881 | 117,755 | 1.98 % | 6,219 | 5.46 % |
| Coconino | Flagstaff | 1891 | 116,320 | 1.96 % | 18,661 | 16.37 % |
| Gila | Globe | 1881 | 51,335 | 0.86 % | 4,796 | 4.21 % |
| Graham | Safford | 1881 | 33,489 | 0.56 % | 4,641 | 4.07 % |
| Greenlee | Clifton | 1909 | 8,547 | 0.14 % | 1,848 | 1.62 % |
| La Paz | Parker | 1983 | 19,715 | 0.33 % | 4,513 | 3.96 % |
| Maricopa | Phoenix | 1871 | 3,880,181 | 65.34 % | 9,224 | 8.09 % |
| Mohave | Kingman | 1864 | 155,032 | 2.61 % | 13,470 | 11.82 % |
| Navajo | Holbrook | 1895 | 97,470 | 1.64 % | 9,959 | 8.74 % |
| Pima | Tucson | 1864 | 843,746 | 14.21 % | 9,189 | 8.06 % |
| Pinal | Florence | 1875 | 179,727 | 3.03 % | 5,374 | 4.71 % |
| Santa Cruz | Nogales | 1899 | 36,381 | 0.65 % | 1,238 | 1.09 % |
| Yavapai | Prescott | 1865 | 167,517 | 2.82 % | 8,128 | 7.13 % |
| Yuma | Yuma | 1864 | 160,026 | 2.69 % | 5,519 | 4.84 % |
| Totals: 15 | 5,938,664 | 113,997 | ||||
Public Universities in Arizona
- Arizona State University, (Sun Devils) Tempe/Phoenix/Mesa
- Northern Arizona University, (Lumberjacks) Flagstaff/Yuma
- University of Arizona, (Wildcats) Tucson/Sierra Vista and UA Agricultural Center in Yuma
Private Colleges and Universities in Arizona
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Community Colleges
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Professional Sports Teams
| Club | Sport | League | Championships |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona Cardinals | Football | National Football League | 2 (1926, 1948) |
| Arizona Diamondbacks | Baseball | Major League Baseball | 1 (2001) |
| Phoenix Coyotes | Ice hockey | National Hockey League | 0 |
| Phoenix Suns | Basketball | National Basketball Association | 0 |
| Arizona Rattlers | Arena Football | Arena Football League | 2 (1994, 1997) |
| Arizona Sundogs | Ice hockey | Central Hockey League | 1 (2007–08) |
| Phoenix Mercury | Basketball | Women's National Basketball Association | 2 (2007, 2009) |
| Tucson Toros | Baseball | Minor League Baseball | |
| Yuma Scorpions | Baseball | Golden Baseball League | 1 (2007) |
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: Bola 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 and Arizona (song)
- Arizona state Tree: Blue Palo Verde (Parkinsonia florida)
