Arizona
1961
226076815
2008-07-16T18:51:33Z
Shereth
107782
/* Political culture */ reword, and a few links
{{refimprove|date=June 2008}}
{{US state
|Name = Arizona
|Fullname = State of Arizona
|Flag = Flag of Arizona.svg
|Flaglink = [[Flag of Arizona]]
|Seal = Arizonastateseal.jpg
|Former = Arizona Territory
|Former_flag =
|Map = Map_of_USA_AZ.svg
|Nickname = The [[Grand Canyon]] State,<br /> The Copper State
|Motto = [[Ditat Deus]] ("God enriches")
|Demonym = Arizonan
|Capital = [[Phoenix, Arizona|Phoenix]]
|OfficialLang = [[English language|English]]
|Languages = [[English language|English]] 74.1%,<br /> [[Spanish language|Spanish]] 19.5%,<br /> [[Navajo language|Navajo]] 1.9%
|LargestMetro = [[Phoenix Metropolitan Area]]
|LargestCounty = [[Coconino County, Arizona|Coconino]]
|LargestCity = [[Phoenix, Arizona|Phoenix]]
|Governor = [[Janet Napolitano]] (D)
|Lieutenant Governor = None<ref>In the event of a vacancy in the office of Governor, the [[Secretary of State of Arizona]] is first in line for succession.</ref>
|Senators = [[John McCain]] (R) <br /> [[Jon Kyl]] (R)
|Representative = 4 Rep. and 4 Dem.
|TradAbbreviation = Ariz.
|PostalAbbreviation = AZ
|AreaRank = 6<sup>th</sup>
|TotalArea = 295,254
|TotalAreaUS = 113,998
|LandArea = 294,312
|LandAreaUS = 113,634
|WaterArea = 942
|WaterAreaUS = 364
|PCWater = 0.32
|PopRank = 16th
|2000Pop = 6,338,666
|DensityRank = 36th
|2000Density = 17.43
|2000DensityUS = 45.2
|AdmittanceOrder = 48th
|AdmittanceDate = [[February 14]], [[1912]]
|TimeZone = [[Mountain Standard Time Zone|Mountain]]: [[Coordinated Universal Time|UTC]]-7
|TZ1Where = Most of State
|TimeZone2 = [[Mountain Standard Time Zone|Mountain]]: [[Coordinated Universal Time|UTC]]-7/[[Daylight Saving Time|-6]]
|TZ2Where = [[Navajo Nation]]
|Latitude = 31° 20′ N to 37° N
|Longitude = 109° 3′ W to 114° 49′ W
|Width = 500
|WidthUS = 310
|Length = 645
|LengthUS = 400
|HighestPoint = [[Humphreys Peak]]<ref name=usgs>{{cite web| date =[[April 29]], [[2005]] | url =http://erg.usgs.gov/isb/pubs/booklets/elvadist/elvadist.html#Highest| title =Elevations and Distances in the United States| publisher =U.S Geological Survey| accessmonthday = November 3 | accessyear = 2006}}</ref>
|HighestElev = 3,851
|HighestElevUS = 12,633
|MeanElev = 1,250
|MeanElevUS = 4,100
|LowestPoint = [[Colorado River]]<ref name=usgs/>
|LowestElev = 22
|LowestElevUS = 70
|ISOCode = US-AZ
|Website = www.az.gov
}}
{{Infobox U.S. state symbols
|Name = Arizona
|Amphibian = [[Arizona Tree Frog]]
|Bird = [[Cactus Wren]]
|Butterfly = [[Two-tailed Swallowtail]]
|Fish = [[Apache trout]]
|Flower = [[Saguaro|Saguaro Cactus blossom]]
|Insect = [[Two-tailed Swallowtail]]
|Mammal = [[Ring-tailed Cat]]
|Reptile = [[Arizona Ridge-Nosed Rattlesnake]]
|Tree = [[Palo verde]]
|Colors = [[Blue]], [[Old Gold]]
|Fossil = [[Petrified wood]]
|Gemstone = [[Turquoise]]
|Mineral = [[Fire Agate]]
|StateRock = [[Petrified wood]]
|Ships = [[USS Arizona|USS ''Arizona'']]
|Slogan = ''The [[Grand Canyon]] State''
|Soil = [[Casa Grande (soil)|Casa Grande]]
|Song = ''[[Arizona (song)|Arizona]]'', ''[[Arizona March Song]]''
|Route Marker = Arizona 48.svg
|Quarter = 2008 AZ Proof.png
|QuarterReleaseDate = 2008
}}
{{portal}}
{{Otheruses1|the U.S. State}}
The '''State of Arizona''' ({{IPAEng|ˌærɪˈzoʊnə, ˌerɪ-}}) is a [[U.S. state|state]] located in the [[Southwestern United States|southwestern region]] of the [[United States]]. The capital and largest city is [[Phoenix, Arizona|Phoenix]]. The five next largest cities are [[Tucson, Arizona|Tucson]], [[Mesa, Arizona|Mesa]], [[Chandler, Arizona|Chandler]], [[Glendale, Arizona|Glendale]], and [[Scottsdale, Arizona|Scottsdale]].<ref>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_cities_in_Arizona_%28by_population%29</ref> Arizona was the 48th and last of the [[Continental United States|contiguous states]] admitted to the Union on [[February 14]], [[1912]].<ref>[http://www.americaslibrary.gov/cgi-bin/page.cgi/es/az Arizona<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> Arizona is noted for its [[desert]] climate, exceptionally hot summers, and mild winters, but the high country in the north features pine forests and mountain ranges with cooler weather than the lower deserts. New population figures for the year ending July 1, 2006 indicate that Arizona was at that time the fastest growing state in the United States, exceeding the growth of the previous leader, [[Nevada]].
Arizona is one of the [[Four Corners]] states. It borders [[New Mexico]], [[Utah]], [[Nevada]], [[California]], touches [[Colorado]], and has a {{convert|389|mi|adj=on}} [[Border|international border]] with the states of [[Sonora]] and [[Baja California]] in [[Mexico]]. In addition to the [[Grand Canyon National Park|Grand Canyon]], many other [[national forest]]s, [[National parks (United States)|parks]], [[National parks (United States)|monuments]], and [[Indian reservation]]s are located in the state.
==Geography==
: ''See also lists of [[List of Arizona counties|counties]], [[List of Arizona rivers|rivers]], [[List of Arizona lakes|lakes]], [[List of Arizona state parks|state parks]], [[List of National Parks in Arizona|National Parks]] and [[List of U.S. National Forests|National Forests]].
Arizona is located in the [[Western United States]] as one of the [[Four Corners (United States)|Four Corners]] states. Arizona is the sixth largest state in area, after [[New Mexico]] and before [[Nevada]]. Of the state's {{convert|118000|sqmi|km2|-3}}, approximately 15% is privately owned. The remaining area is public forest and park land, recreation areas and Native American reservations.
Arizona is best known for its [[desert]] [[landscape]], which is rich in [[xerophyte]] plants such as [[cactus]]. It is also known for its climate, which presents exceptionally hot summers and mild winters. Less well known is the pine-covered high country of the [[Colorado Plateau]] in the north-central portion of the state, which contrasts with the desert [[Basin and Range]] region in the southern portions of the state.
Like other states of the [[Southwestern U.S.|Southwest]], Arizona has an abundance of topographical characteristics in addition to its [[desert]] climate. More than half of the state features [[mountains]] and [[plateaus]] and contains the largest stand of [[Ponderosa pine]] in the world.{{Fact|date=December 2007}} The [[Mogollon Rim]], a {{convert|2000|ft|adj=on}} [[escarpment]], cuts across the central section of the state and marks the southwestern edge of the Colorado Plateau, where the state experienced its [[Rodeo-Chediski fire|worst forest fire ever]] in 2002. Arizona belongs firmly within the Basin and Range region of North America. The region was shaped by prehistoric [[volcanism]], followed by a cooling-off and related [[subsidence]]. The entire region is slowly sinking.
The [[Grand Canyon]] is a colorful, steep-sided [[gorge]], carved by the [[Colorado River (U.S.)|Colorado River]], in northern Arizona. The canyon is one of the [[seven natural wonders of the world]] and is largely contained in the [[Grand Canyon National Park]]—one of the first [[national parks]] in the [[United States]]. President [[Theodore Roosevelt]] was a major proponent of designating the Grand Canyon area, visiting on numerous occasions to hunt [[mountain lion]] and enjoy the scenery. The Canyon was created by the [[Colorado River]] cutting a channel over millions of years, and is about {{convert|277|mi}} long, ranges in width from 4 to {{nowrap|18 miles}} (6 to 29 kilometers) and attains a depth of more than {{convert|1|mi}}. Nearly 2 billion years of the [[Earth]]'s history have been exposed as the Colorado River and its tributaries cut through layer after layer of [[sediment]] as the [[Colorado Plateau]]s have uplifted.
Arizona is home to one of the largest and most well-preserved meteorite impact sites in the world. The Barringer Meteorite Crater (better known simply as "[[Meteor Crater]]") is a gigantic hole in the middle of the high plains of the Colorado Plateau, about {{convert|25|mi|km|0}} west of [[Winslow, Arizona|Winslow]]. A rim of smashed and jumbled boulders, some of them the size of small houses, rises {{convert|150|ft|m|0}} above the level of the surrounding plain. The crater itself is nearly a mile wide, and {{convert|570|ft|m|0}} deep.
Arizona does not observe [[Daylight Saving Time]], except in the [[Navajo Nation]], located in the northeastern region of the state.
===Climate===
[[Image:Stgeorge073 edited.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Littlefield located outside the [[Virgin River Gorge]] is an isolated community in the [[Mojave Desert]].]]
Due to its large area and variations in elevation, the state has a wide variety of localized climate conditions. In the lower elevations, the climate is primarily desert, with mild winters and hot summers. Typically, from late fall to early spring, the weather is mild, averaging a minimum of 60 degrees [[Fahrenheit]] (15 [[Celsius|°C]]). November through February are the coldest months with temperatures typically ranging from 40–75 °F (4–24 °C), although occasional [[frost]]s are not uncommon. About midway through February, the temperatures start to rise again with warm days, and cool breezy nights. The summer months of May through July bring a dry heat ranging from 90–120 °F (32–48 °C), with occasional high temperatures exceeding {{convert|125|F}} having been observed in the desert area.
Due to the primarily dry climate, large temperature swings often occur between day and night in less developed areas of the desert. The swings can be as large as {{nowrap|50 °F}} ({{nowrap|28 °C}}) in the summer months. In the state's [[urban]] centers, the effects of [[urban heat island|local warming]] result in much higher measured nighttime lows than in the recent past.
Arizona has an average annual rainfall of {{convert|12.7|in|mm|sigfig=3}},<ref>{{
cite web
|author=Climate Assessment for the Southwest
|title=The Climate of the Southwest
|publisher=[[University of Arizona]]
|month=December | year=1999
|accessdate=2006-03-21
|url=http://www.ispe.arizona.edu/climas/pubs/CL1-99.html
}}</ref> which comes during two rainy seasons, with [[cold front]]s coming from the [[Pacific Ocean]] during the winter and a [[monsoon]] in the summer.<ref name="USGS">{{
cite web
|title=Hydrologic Conditions in Arizona During 1999–2004: A Historical Perspective
|author=[[United States Geological Survey]]
|accessdate=2006-03-20
|month=September|year=2005
|url=http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2005/3081/pdf/FS2005-3081WEB.pdf
}}</ref> The monsoon season occurs towards the end of summer. In July or August, the [[dewpoint]] rises dramatically for a brief period. During this time, the air contains large amounts of [[water vapor]]. Dewpoints as high as 81°F (27 °C)<ref name=Wunderground archive of PHX airport data">url=http://www.wunderground.com/history/airport/KPHX/2006/7/1/CustomHistory.html?dayend=31&monthend=8&yearend=2006&req_city=NA&req_state=NA&req_statename=NA
</ref> have been recorded during the Phoenix monsoon season. This hot moisture brings [[lightning]], [[thunderstorm]]s, wind, and torrential, if usually brief, downpours. It is rare for [[tornado]]es and [[List of Arizona hurricanes|hurricanes]] to occur in Arizona, but there are records of both occurring.
However, the northern third of Arizona is a [[plateau]] at significantly higher altitudes than the lower desert, and has an appreciably cooler climate, with cold winters and mild summers. Extreme cold temperatures are not unknown; cold air systems from the northern states and [[Canada]] occasionally push into the state, bringing temperatures below {{convert|0|F}} to the higher parts of the state.
Indicative of the variation in climate, Arizona is the state which has both the metropolitan area with the most days over {{convert|100|F|sigfig=4}} ([[Phoenix, Arizona|Phoenix]]), and the metropolitan area in the lower 48 states with nearly the most days with a low temperature below freezing ([[Flagstaff, Arizona|Flagstaff]]).<ref>[http://lwf.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/online/ccd/min32temp.html ''Mean number of Days with Minimum Temperature Below 32F'' National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Retrieved March 24, 2007]</ref>
{| class="wikitable" "text-align:left;font-size:90%;" colspan="13" style="text-align:left;font-size:120%;background:#E8EAFA;"|Monthly Normal High and Low Temperatures For Various Arizona Cities
|-
! style="background: #E5AFAA; color: #000000" height="17" | City
! style="background: #E5AFAA; color:#000000;" | Jan
! style="background: #E5AFAA; color:#000000;" | Feb
! style="background: #E5AFAA; color:#000000;" | Mar
! style="background: #E5AFAA; color:#000000;" | Apr
! style="background: #E5AFAA; color:#000000;" | May
! style="background: #E5AFAA; color:#000000;" | Jun
! style="background: #E5AFAA; color:#000000;" | Jul
! style="background: #E5AFAA; color:#000000;" | Aug
! style="background: #E5AFAA; color:#000000;" | Sep
! style="background: #E5AFAA; color:#000000;" | Oct
! style="background: #E5AFAA; color:#000000;" | Nov
! style="background: #E5AFAA; color:#000000;" | Dec
|-
! style="background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" height="16;" | Flagstaff
|style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 43/17
|style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 46/19
|style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 50/23
|style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 58/27
|style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 68/34
|style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 79/41
|style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 82/50
|style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 80/49
|style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 74/42
|style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 63/31
|style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 51/22
|style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 44/17
|-
! style="background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" height="16;" | Phoenix
|style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 65/43
|style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 69/47
|style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 74/51
|style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 83/58
|style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 92/66
|style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 102/75
|style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 104/81
|style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 102/80
|style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 97/75
|style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 86/63
|style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 73/50
|style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 65/44
|-
! style="background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" height="16;" | Tucson
|style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 65/39
|style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 68/42
|style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 73/45
|style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 82/51
|style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 90/59
|style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 100/68
|style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 100/73
|style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 97/72
|style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 94/68
|style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 84/57
|style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 72/45
|style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 65/39
|-
! style="background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" height="16;" | Winslow
|style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 47/21
|style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 54/26
|style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 62/31
|style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 70/37
|style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 79/45
|style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 90/54
|style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 93/62
|style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 90/61
|style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 84/53
|style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 72/40
|style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 58/29
|style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 47/21
|-
! style="background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" height="16;" | Yuma
|style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 69/43
|style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 74/47
|style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 79/51
|style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 86/57
|style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 94/64
|style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 103/72
|style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 107/80
|style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 105/80
|style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 101/73
|style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 90/62
|style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 77/49
|style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 68/42
|-
|colspan="13" style="text-align:center;font-size:90%;background:#E8EAFA;"|Source: US National Climatic Data Center''<ref>http://cdo.ncdc.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/climatenormals/climatenormals.pl</ref>''
|}
==History==
{{main article|History of Arizona}}
[[Image:Grand Canyon, Bryce, Capitol Reef Trip 281.jpg|right|thumb|175px|The North Rim of the Grand Canyon.]]
There is some disagreement over the proper [[etymology]] of the name "Arizona." Some scholars believe the name is simply an abbreviation of the Spanish phrase ''arida zona'', "dry region", although the phrasing is atypical for Spanish. Others reject this derivation as capricious favoring explanations such as the [[Basque language|Basque]] phrase ''aritz onak'', "good oaks,"<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.azcentral.com/news/columns/articles/0225clay0225.html |title=A sorry state of affairs when views change |publisher=[[Arizona Republic]] |accessdate=2007-03-03 |author=Thompson, Clay |date=[[2007-02-25]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://test.ahs.state.az.us/story/mar/az_name.htm |title=How Arizona did NOT Get its Name |publisher=Arizona Historical Society |accessdate=2007-03-03 |author=Jim Turner}}</ref> or the [[O'odham language|O'odham]] phrase ''{{unicode|alĭ ṣonak}}'', "small spring".<ref>Bright, William (2004). ''Native American Place Names of the United States''. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, pg. 47</ref> The Basque etymology is the one preferred by Arizona state historian Marshall Trimble, among other specialists. The name ''Arizonac'' was initially applied to the silver mining camp, and later (shortened to ''Arizona'') to the entire territory.
[[Marcos de Niza]], a Spanish [[Franciscan]], explored the area in 1539 and met its original [[Native Americans in the United States|native]] inhabitants, probably the [[Sobaipuri]]. The expedition of Spanish explorer [[Francisco Vásquez de Coronado|Coronado]] entered the area in 1540–42 during its search for [[Quivira and Cíbola|Cíbola]]. [[Society of Jesus]] [[Eusebio Kino|Father Kino]] developed a chain of missions and taught the Indians [[Christianity]] in [[Pimería Alta]] (now southern Arizona and northern [[Sonora]]) in the 1690s and early 1700s. [[Spain]] founded ''presidios'' (fortified towns) at Tubac in 1752 and Tucson in 1775. When Mexico achieved its independence from [[Spanish Empire|Spain]] in 1821, what is now Arizona became part of the Mexican State ''Nueva California'', also known as ''Alta California''.<ref>Timothy Anna et al., Historia de México. Barcelona: Critica, 2001, p. 10.</ref> In the [[Mexican–American War]] (1847), the U.S. occupied Mexico City and forced the newly founded Mexican Republic to give up its northern territories, including what later became Arizona. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo (1848), a mutually agreed-upon document, specified that the sum of $15 million US dollars in compensation (an extraordinarily large sum at the time) be paid to the newly formed Republic of Mexico, <ref>[[Mexican-American War]] as accessed on [[March 16]], 2007 at 7:33 MST AM</ref>The purchase of the area formerly known as Spain, then briefly Mexico, almost bankrupted the United States. As a result, the land was offered back to the new Mexican Republic. Because of the large sum of money already paid and later payments still outstanding, the leaders of Mexico declined the offer from the United States. In 1853 the land below the [[Gila River]] was acquired from Mexico in the [[Gadsden Purchase]]. Arizona was administered as part of the [[Territory of New Mexico]] until southern New Mexico seceded<ref>[http://members.tripod.com/~azrebel/page9.html ARIZONA ORDINANCE OF SECESSION presented by the Col. Sherod Hunter Camp 1525, SCV, Phoenix, Arizona<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> from the Union as the [[Confederate Territory of Arizona]] on [[March 16]], [[1861]]. Arizona was recognized as a Confederate Territory by presidential proclamation of [[Jefferson Davis]] on [[February 12]], [[1862]]. This is the first official use of the name. A new [[Arizona Territory]], consisting of the western half of New Mexico Territory was declared in Washington, D.C. on [[February 24]], [[1863]]. The new boundaries would later form the basis of the state.
Other names including "Gadsonia", "Pimeria", "Montezuma", "Arizuma", and "Arizonia" had been considered for the territory,<ref>http://www.pima.gov/cmo/sdcp/Archives/reports/Cult.html</ref> however when [[Abraham Lincoln|President Lincoln]] signed the final bill, it read "Arizona", and the name became permanent. ([[Montezuma (mythology)|Montezuma]] was not the Mexican Emperor, but the sacred name of a divine hero to the [[Pueblo people]] of the [[Gila]] valley, and was probably considered — and rejected — for its sentimental value before the name "Arizona" was settled upon.)
[[Brigham Young]] sent [[Mormon]]s to Arizona in the mid-to-late 19th century. They founded [[Mesa, Arizona|Mesa]], [[Snowflake, Arizona|Snowflake]], [[Heber-Overgaard, Arizona|Heber]], [[Safford, Arizona|Safford]] and other towns. They also settled in the [[Phoenix Valley]] (or "Valley of the Sun"), [[Tempe, Arizona|Tempe]], [[Prescott, Arizona|Prescott]], among other areas. The Mormons settled what became known as [[Northern Arizona]] and northern New Mexico, but these areas were located in a part of the former [[New Mexico Territory]]. The largest ancestry of these settlers is [[Germans|German]].
Arizona became a U.S. state on [[February 14]], [[1912]]. Arizona was the 48th state admitted into the U.S. and the last of the [[Continental United States|contiguous states]] to be admitted.
[[Image:Sunset and cactus.JPG|thumb|A sunset in the Arizona desert near [[Scottsdale, Arizona|Scottsdale]]. The climate and imagery are two factors behind Arizona's tourism industry.]]
Cotton farming and copper mining, two of Arizona's most important statewide industries, suffered heavily during the [[Great Depression]], but it was during the 1920s and 1930s that [[tourism]] began to be the important Arizona industry it is today. Dude ranches such as the K L Bar and Remuda in Wickenburg, along with the Flying V and Tanque Verde in Tucson, gave tourists the chance to experience the flavor and life of the "old West." Several upscale hotels and resorts opened during this period, some of which are still top tourist draws to this day; they include the [[Arizona Biltmore Hotel]] in central Phoenix (opened 1929) and the [[Wigwam Resort]] on the west side of the Phoenix area (opened 1936).
Arizona was the site of [[Germany|German]] and [[Italy|Italian]] [[POW]] camps during [[World War II]] and [[Japanese American|Japanese]] US-resident internment camps. The camps were abolished after World War II. The Phoenix area site was purchased after the war by the [[Maytag]] family (of major home [[appliance]] fame), and is currently utilized as the [[Phoenix Zoo]]. A [[Japanese American internment]] camp was located on [[Mount Lemmon]], just outside of the state's southeastern city of Tucson. Another [[POW camp]] was located near the [[Gila River]] in eastern [[Yuma County]]. Because of [[California]]'s proximity to Japan, a line was drawn somewhat parallel to the California border, and all Japanese residents west of that line were required to reside in the war camps. Grand Avenue, a major thoroughfare in the Phoenix area and part of [[U.S. Route 60 in Arizona|U.S. 60]], (perhaps because of it mirrored the California border) was chosen as part of that boundary. This resulted in many extended Japanese families becoming separated; some were interned, some free--and some free families, in an odd bid for family unity, requested to be interned in order to be with their families at a camp built by the original [[Del Webb]] Co., a modern manufacturer of large housing developments.
Arizona was also home to the [[Phoenix Indian School]], one of several federal institutions designed to assimilate native children into mainstream culture. Children were often enrolled into these schools against the wishes of their parents and families. Attempts to suppress native identities included forcing the children to cut their hair and take on western names.<ref>http://www.archaeology.org/online/features/phoenix/</ref>
Arizona's population grew tremendously after World War II, in part because of the development of [[air conditioning]], which made the intense summers more comfortable. According to the [[Arizona Blue Book]] (published by the [[Secretary of State]]'s office each year), the state population in 1910 was 294,353. By 1970, it was 1,752,122. The percentage growth each decade averaged about 20% in the earlier decades and about 60% each decade thereafter.
The 1960s saw the establishment of [[retirement communities]], special age-restricted subdivisions catering exclusively to the needs of senior citizens who wanted to escape the harsh winters of the [[Midwest]] and the [[Northeast]]. [[Sun City, Arizona|Sun City]], established by developer [[Del Webb]] and opened in 1960, was one of the first such communities. [[Green Valley, Arizona|Green Valley]], south of Tucson, was another such community and was designed to be a retirement subdivision for Arizona's teachers. (Many senior citizens arrive in Arizona each winter and stay only during the winter months; they are referred to as [[Snowbird (people)|snowbirds]].)
Three ships named [[USS Arizona|USS ''Arizona'']] have been christened in honor of the state, although only [[USS Arizona (BB-39)|USS ''Arizona'' (BB-39)]] was so named after statehood was achieved.
==Demographics==
{{USCensusPop
|1860 = 6482
|1870 = 9658
|1880 = 40440
|1890 = 88243
|1900 = 122931
|1910 = 204354
|1920 = 334162
|1930 = 435573
|1940 = 499261
|1950 = 749587
|1960 = 1302161
|1970 = 1770900
|1980 = 2718215
|1990 = 3665228
|2000 = 5130632
|estyear = 2007
|estimate = 6338755
}}
{{US Demographics}}
As of 2006, Arizona had an estimated population of 6,166,318,<ref name=stateest>{{cite web | date = [[December 22]], [[2006]] | url = http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2006/statepopest_table1.xls | title = Table 1: Estimates of Population Change for the United States and States, and for Puerto Rico and State Rankings: July 1, 2005 to July 1, 2006 | work = 2006 Population Estimates | publisher = U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division | accessmonthday = December 22 |accessyear = 2006}}</ref> which is an increase of 213,311, or 3.6%, from the prior year and an increase of 1,035,686, or 20.2%, since the year 2000. This includes a natural increase since the last census of 297,928 people (that is 564,062 births minus 266,134 deaths) and an increase due to net
[[Human migration|migration]] of 745,944 people into the state. [[Immigration to the United States|Immigration]] from outside the United States resulted in a net increase of 204,661 people, and migration within the country produced a net increase of 541,283 people. New population figures for the year ending [[July 1]], [[2006]], indicate that Arizona is the fastest growing state in the United States, with 3.6% population growth since 2005, exceeding the growth of the previous leader, [[Nevada]].
More than half (around 58%) of the population of Arizona live in cities of 100,000 or more inhabitants, the highest proportion of any of the 50 states.
The [[center of population]] of Arizona is located in [[Maricopa County, Arizona|Maricopa County]], in the town of [[Gilbert, Arizona|Gilbert]].<ref>http://www.census.gov/geo/www/cenpop/statecenters.txt</ref>
[[Image:Arizona population map.png|thumb|right|180px|Arizona's Population Density.]]
According to 2006 [[U.S. Census]] estimates, Arizona's population is: 59.7% [[White American]], 3.8% [[African American]], 2.4% [[Asian American]], 1.7% mixed, and 29.2% are [[Hispanics]] or Latino (of any race). The state has the third highest number (and the sixth highest percentage) of [[Native Americans in the United States|Native Americans]] of any state in the Union. 286,680 were estimated to live in Arizona, representing more than 10% of the country's total Native American population of 2,752,158. Only [[California]] and [[Oklahoma]]<ref>[http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/04000.html Arizona QuickFacts from the US Census Bureau<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> have more Native Americans. The perimeters of Phoenix, Tucson, Prescott, and Yuma border on Native American reservations.
The largest ancestry groups in Arizona are [[Mexican American|Mexican]] (21%), [[German American|German]], [[British American|English]], [[Irish American|Irish]], and [[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]]. The southern and central parts of the state are heavily [[Mexican American]], especially in [[Santa Cruz County, Arizona|Santa Cruz County]] and [[Yuma County, Arizona|Yuma County]] near the Mexican border. The north-central and northwestern counties are largely inhabited by residents of [[English people|English]] ancestry. The northeastern part of Arizona has many American Indians. [[African American]]s have had a relatively small presence in Arizona, but their numbers are increasing due to in-migration from other states, especially California, the [[Midwestern United States|Midwest]] and the [[Northeastern United States|Northeast]]. The African American population of the Phoenix metropolitan area doubled between 1990 and 2005.<ref>[http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/news/articles/0218blackprofile-main.html Being Black in the Valley<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> [[Asian Americans]] also made major contributions to the development of Arizona, such as the many [[Chinese American|Chinese]] who arrived in the state's mines and railroads, and the fact that over 20,000 Japanese Americans, mostly residing in the Grand Avenue section of Phoenix and farming areas of southern Arizona and the Colorado River valley, were interned during [[World War II]].
Arizona is projected to become a [[minority-majority state]] by the year 2035, if current population growth trends continue. In 2003, for the first time, there were more [[Hispanics in the United States|Hispanic]] births in the state than [[White American|white]] (non-Hispanic) births.
As of 2000, 74.16% of Arizona residents age 5 and older speak only [[English language|English]] at home and 19.52% speak [[Spanish language|Spanish]]. [[Navajo language|Navajo]] is the third most spoken language at 1.89%.<ref>http://www.mla.org/map_data_results&state_id=4&
county_id=&mode=state_tops&zip=&place_id=&cty_id=&ll=&a=&ea=&order=r</ref>
''See also the list of [[Natives of Arizona|native peoples]]. ''
===Religion===
According to a 2008 survey by the [[Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life]], the most common self-reported religious affiliation of Arizona residents are:<ref>[http://religions.pewforum.org/maps Pew Forum on Religion and Life] Religious composition of Arizona residents, 2008. Margin of Error +/-4.5%</ref>
*[[Roman Catholic]] - 25%
*[[Evangelicalism|Evangelical Christian]] - 23%
*[[Secular|Non-Religious / Unaffiliated]] - 22%
*[[Mainline Protestant]] - 15%
*[[The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints|Latter-Day Saint / Mormon]] - 4%
*Others - 12%
[[L. Ron Hubbard]], the founder of [[Scientology]], lived in Phoenix during Scientology's formative years. Arizona has been labeled the "Birthplace of Scientology."<ref>[http://www.scientology-phoenix.org/ Church of Scientology of Arizona<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
==Economy==
The 2006 total [[gross state product]] was $232 billion. If Arizona (and each of the other US states) were an independent country along with all existing countries (2005), it would have the 61<sup>st</sup> largest economy in the world ([https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/index.html CIA - The World Factbook]). This figure gives Arizona a larger economy than such countries as [[Republic of Ireland|Ireland]], [[Finland]], and [[New Zealand]]. Arizona currently has the 21<sup>st</sup> largest economy among states in the [[United States]]. As a percentage of its overall budget, Arizona's projected 1.7 billion [[deficit]] for '09 is the largest in the country.<ref>[http://www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/stories/2008/02/25/daily29.html Arizona budget deficit labeled country's worst], The Business Journal of Phoenix</ref>
The state's [[per capita income]] is $27,232, 39<sup>th</sup> in the U.S. Arizona had a [[median household income]] of $46,693 making it 27<sup>th</sup> in the country and just shy of the US national median. Early in its history, Arizona's economy relied on the "Five C's": [[copper]] (see ''[[Copper mining in Arizona]]''), [[cotton]], [[cattle]], [[citrus]], and [[climate]] ([[tourism]]). At one point Arizona was the largest producer of cotton in the country. Copper is still extensively mined from many expansive open-pit and underground mines, accounting for two-thirds of the nation's output.
====Employment====
The state government is Arizona's largest employer, while [[Wal-Mart]] is the state's largest private employer, with 17,343 employees (2008).
====Taxation====
Arizona collects personal [[income tax]]es in five brackets: 2.87%, 3.20%, 3.74%, 4.72% and 5.04%. The 'sales tax' is generally around 6.3%.
The state rate on transient lodging ([[hotel]]/[[motel]]) is 7.27%. The state of Arizona does not levy a state tax on food for home consumption or on drugs prescribed by a licensed [[physician]] or [[dentist]]. However, some cities in Arizona do levy a tax on food for home consumption.
All fifteen Arizona counties levy a tax. Incorporated municipalities also levy transaction privilege taxes which, with the exception of their hotel/motel tax, are generally in the range of 1-to-3%. These added assessments could push the combined sales [[tax rate]] to as high as 10.7%.
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Single
! Tax Rate
! Joint
! Tax Rate
|-
|0 - $10,000
|2.870%
|0 - $20,000
|2.870%
|-
|$10,000 - $25,000
|3.200%
|$20,001 - $50,000
|3.200%
|-
|$25,000 - $50,000
|3.740%
|$50,001 - $100,000
|3.740%
|-
|$50,000 - $150,001
|4.720%
|$100,000 - $300,001
|4.720%
|-
|$150,001 +
|5.040%
|$300,001 +
|5.040%
|}
==Transportation==
{{main|Transportation in Arizona}}
[[Image:Entering Arizona on I-10 Westbound.jpg|thumb|right|Entering Arizona on [[Interstate 10 in Arizona|I-10]] from [[New Mexico]]]]
===Highways===
Main interstate routes include [[Interstate 17]], and [[Interstate 19]] running north-south, [[Interstate 40 in Arizona|Interstate 40]], [[Interstate 8 in Arizona|Interstate 8]], and [[Interstate 10 in Arizona|Interstate 10]] running east-west, and a short stretch of [[Interstate 15 in Arizona|Interstate 15]] running northeast/southwest through the extreme northwestern corner of the state. In addition, the various urban areas are served by complex networks of [[List of Arizona State Routes|state routes]] and highways, such as the [[Arizona State Route 101|Loop 101]], which is part of Phoenix's vast [[Phoenix Freeways|freeway system]].
===Public transportation and intercity bus===
The Phoenix and Tucson metropolitan areas are served by public bus transit systems. Yuma and Flagstaff also have public bus systems. [[Greyhound Lines]] serves Phoenix, Tucson, Flagstaff, Yuma, and several smaller communities statewide.
A [[light rail]] system called [[METRO Light Rail (Phoenix)|Valley Metro Rail]] is currently being built in Phoenix. When completed, it will connect Central Phoenix with the nearby cities of Mesa and Tempe. The system is projected to be operational by December 2008.
In May 2006, voters in Tucson approved a Regional Transportation Plan (a comprehensive bus transit/streetcar/roadway improvement program), and its funding via a new half-cent sales tax increment. The centerpiece of the plan is a light rail streetcar system (possibly similar to the [[Portland Streetcar]] in Oregon) that will travel through the downtown area, connecting the main [[University of Arizona]] campus with the Rio Nuevo master plan area on the western edge of downtown.<ref>[http://www.lightrailnow.org/news/n_tuc_2006-05b.htm Tucson: Streetcar Plan Wins With 60% of Vote]</ref>
===Aviation===
{{seealso|List of airports in Arizona}}
Airports with regularly scheduled commercial flights include: [[Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport]] (IATA: PHX, ICAO: KPHX) in Phoenix (the largest airport and the major international airport in the state); [[Tucson International Airport]] (IATA: TUS, ICAO: KTUS) in Tucson; [[Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport]] (IATA: AZA, ICAO: KIWA) in Mesa; [[Yuma International Airport]] (IATA: YUM, ICAO: KYUM) in Yuma; [[Prescott Municipal Airport]] (PRC) in Prescott; [[Flagstaff Pulliam Airport]] (IATA: FLG, ICAO: KFLG) in Flagstaff, and [[Grand Canyon National Park Airport]] (GCP), a small, but busy, single-runway facility providing tourist flights, mostly from Las Vegas. Phoenix Sky Harbor is the 7th busiest airport in the world in terms of aircraft movements, and regularly in the top 15 for passengers.
Other significant airports without regularly scheduled commercial flights include [[Scottsdale Municipal Airport]] (IATA: SCF, ICAO: KSDL) in Scottsdale.
==Law and government==
{{See also|Arizona Constitution|United States congressional delegations from Arizona|List of Arizona Governors}}
[[Image:AZ capitol.jpg|thumb|right|200px|[[Arizona State Capitol]], Phoenix]]
===Capitol complex===
The state capital of Arizona is [[Phoenix, Arizona|Phoenix]]. The original Capitol building, with its distinctive copper dome, was dedicated in 1901 (construction was completed for $136,000 in 1900), when the area was still a territory. Phoenix became the official state capital with Arizona's admission to the union in 1912.
The [[Arizona House of Representatives|House of Representatives]] and [[Arizona Senate|Senate]] were dedicated in 1960, and an Executive Office Building was dedicated in 1974 (the ninth floor of this building is where the Office of the Governor is located). The original Capitol building was converted into a museum.
The Capitol complex is fronted and highlighted by the richly landscaped [[Wesley Bolin Memorial Plaza]], named after [[Wesley Bolin]], a governor who died in office in the 1970s. Numerous monuments and memorials are on the site, including the anchor and signal mast from the [[USS Arizona (BB-39)|USS ''Arizona'']] (one of the U.S. Navy ships [[Attack on Pearl Harbor|sunk in Pearl Harbor]]), a granite version of the [[Ten Commandments]], and the [[Arizona Vietnam Veterans' Memorial]].
===State legislative branch===
The [[Arizona Legislature]] is [[bicameral]] (like the legislature of every other state except [[Nebraska]]) and consists of a thirty-member [[Arizona Senate|Senate]] and a 60-member [[Arizona House of Representatives|House of Representatives]]. Each of the thirty legislative districts has one senator and two representatives. Legislators are elected for two-year terms.
Each Legislature covers a two-year period. The first session following the general election is known as the first regular session, and the session convening in the second year is known as the second regular session. Each regular session begins on the second Monday in January and adjourns ''sine die'' (terminates for the year) no later than Saturday of the week in which the 100th day from the beginning of the regular session falls. The President of the Senate and Speaker of the House, by rule, may extend the session up to seven additional days. Thereafter, the session can only be extended by a majority vote of members present of each house.
The current majority party is the [[United States Republican Party|Republican Party]], which has held power in both houses since 1993.
Arizona state senators and representatives are elected for two year terms and are limited to four consecutive terms in a chamber, though there is no limit on the total number of terms. When a lawmaker is term-limited from office, it is not uncommon for him or her to run for election in the other chamber.
The fiscal year 2006-07 general fund budget, approved by the Arizona Legislature in June 2006, is slightly less than $10 billion. Besides the money spent on state agencies, it also includes more than $500 million in income- and property tax cuts, pay raises for government employees, and additional funding for the K-12 education system.
===State executive branch===
[[Arizona Constitution]], Article 5<br />
The executive department shall consist of the governor, [[secretary of state]], state treasurer, attorney general, and superintendent of public instruction, each of whom shall hold office for a term of four years beginning on the first Monday of
January, 1971 next after the regular general election in 1970
Governor's Office<br />
Arizona's [[executive branch]] is headed by a governor elected for a four-year term. The governor may serve any number of terms, though no more than two in a row.
The current governor of Arizona is [[Janet Napolitano]], a [[United States Democratic Party|Democrat]]. She was first elected in 2002 and again in 2006 (she was officially sworn in on her second term on [[January 4]], [[2007]]).
Due to the state of Arizona not having a governor's mansion, the governors reside within their private places of residence during their terms in office.
Department of State: Secretary of State's Office<br />
The Secretary serves as acting governor when the governor is absent from the state; the secretary of state, if holding office by election, is first in line to succeed the governor in the event of death, resignation, removal from office, or permanent disability to discharge the duties of the office.
The Secretary of State is [[Jan Brewer|Janice K. Brewer]], a Republican.
Lieutenant Governor <br />
There is no office of Lieutenant Governor in the state of Arizona. The Secretary of State serves in this capacity, that is, first in line to succeed the governor. (See office of Secretary of State)
Attorney General's Office<br />
The Attorney General is Terry Goddard,(D)
The State Treasurer's Office<br />
The State Treasurer is Dean Martin, (R)
The Department of Education<br />
The Superintendent of Public Instruction is Tom Horne, (R)
Office of the State Mine Inspector<br />
The State Mine Inspector is Joe Hart, (R)
===State judicial branch===
The [[Arizona Supreme Court]] is the highest court in Arizona. The court currently consists of one chief justice, a vice chief justice, and three associate justices. Justices are are appointed by the governor from a list recommended by a bi-partisian commision, are re-elected after the initial two years following their appointment. Subsequent re-elections occur every six years. The supreme court has appellate jurisdiction in death penalty cases, but almost all other appellate cases go through the [[Arizona Court of Appeals]] beforehand. The court has original jurisdiction in a few other circumstances, as outlined in the state constitution. The court may also declare laws constitutional, but only while seated ''[[en banc]]''.
The Arizona Court of Appeals, further divided into two divisions, is the intermediate court in the state. Division One is based in Phoenix, consists of sixteen judges, and has jurisdiction in the Western and Northern regions of the state, along with the greater Phoenix area. Division Two is based in Tucson, consists of six judges, and has jurisdiction over the Southern regions of the state, including the Tucson area. Judges are selected in a method similar to the one used for state supreme court justices.
===Federal representation===
The two U.S. Senators from Arizona are Senator [[John McCain]] (Republican) and Senator [[Jon Kyl]] (Republican).
Arizona's representatives in the [[United States House of Representatives]] are [[Rick Renzi]] (R-1), [[Trent Franks]] (R-2), [[John Shadegg]] (R-3), [[Ed Pastor]] (D-4), [[Harry Mitchell]] (D-5), [[Jeff Flake]] (R-6), [[Raul Grijalva]] (D-7), and [[Gabrielle Giffords]] (D-8). [[Jim Kolbe]] announced his retirement from Congress in 2006, creating one of the few open seats in the nation in Arizona's Congressional District 8. Arizona gained two seats in the House of Representatives due to [[redistricting]] based on [[United States 2000 census|Census 2000]].
===Political culture===
{| align="right" border="2" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; border: 1px #aaa solid; border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 81%;"
|+ '''Presidential elections results'''
|- bgcolor=lightgrey
! Year
! [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
! [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
|-
|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|[[U.S. presidential election, 2004|2004]]
|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|'''54.87%''' ''1,104,294
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|44.40% ''893,524
|-
|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|[[U.S. presidential election, 2000|2000]]
|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|'''50.95%''' ''781,652
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|44.67% ''685,341
|-
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|[[U.S. presidential election, 1996|1996]]
|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|44.29% ''622,073
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|'''46.52%''' ''653,288
|-
|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|[[U.S. presidential election, 1992|1992]]
|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|'''38.47%''' ''572,086
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|36.52% '' ''543,050
|-
|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|[[U.S. presidential election, 1988|1988]]
|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|'''59.95%''' ''702,541
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|38.74% ''454,029
|-
|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|[[U.S. presidential election, 1984|1984]]
|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|'''66.42%''' ''681,416
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|32.54% ''333,854
|-
|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|[[U.S. presidential election, 1980|1980]]
|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|'''60.61%''' ''529,688
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|28.24% ''246,843
|-
|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|[[U.S. presidential election, 1976|1976]]
|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|'''56.37%''' ''418,642
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|39.80% ''295,602
|-
|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|[[U.S. presidential election, 1972|1972]]
|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|'''61.64%''' ''402,812
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|30.38% ''198,540
|-
|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|[[U.S. presidential election, 1968|1968]]
|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|'''54.78%''' ''266,721
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|35.02% ''170,514
|-
|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|[[U.S. presidential election, 1964|1964]]
|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|'''50.45%''' ''242,535
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|49.45% ''237,753
|-
|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|[[U.S. presidential election, 1960|1960]]
|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|'''55.52%''' ''221,241
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|44.36% ''176,781
|}
From statehood through the late 1940's, Arizona was primarily dominated by the Democratic party. During this time period, the Democratic candidate for the presidency carried the state each election, with the only exceptions being the elections of [[United States presidential election, 1920|1920]], [[United States presidential election, 1924|1924]] and [[United States presidential election, 1928|1928]].
Since the [[United States presidential election, 1952|election]] of [[Dwight D. Eisenhower]] in 1952, however, the state has voted consistently Republican in national politics, with the Republican candidate carrying the state every time with the sole exception of [[Bill Clinton]] in [[United States presidential election, 1996]]. In recent years, the Republican Party has also dominated Arizona politics in general. Many "Pinto Democrats," or conservative Democrats from rural areas, became increasingly willing to support Republicans at the state and national level. However, the current Governor of Arizona, [[Janet Napolitano]] is a Democrat; she was handily reelected in 2006.
On March 4, 2008, [[John McCain]] effectively clinched the Republican nomination for 2008, becoming the first presidential nominee from the state since [[Barry Goldwater]] in 1964.
[[Maricopa County, Arizona|Maricopa County]], the fourth-largest county in the country and home of [[Phoenix, Arizona|Phoenix]], dominates Arizona's politics. It is home to almost 60 percent of the state's population, and most of the state's elected officials live there. It has voted Republican in every presidential election since 1948. This includes the [[United States presidential election, 1964|1964]] run of native son Barry Goldwater; he wouldn't have even carried his own state had it not been for Maricopa County.
In contrast, [[Pima County, Arizona|Pima County]], home to [[Tucson]], and most of southern Arizona has historically been more [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]. While Tucson's suburbs lean Republican, they hold to a somewhat more moderate brand of Republicanism than is common in the Phoenix area. Between them, Maricopa and Pima counties cast almost three-fourths of Arizona's total vote, and account for a substantial majority in the state legislature.
Arizona rejected an anti-gay amendment in the 2006 midterm elections. [[Same-sex marriage|Gay marriage]] was already illegal in Arizona, but this amendment would have denied any legal or financial benefits to unmarried homosexual or heterosexual couples.{{Fact|date=April 2008}}
''See also: [[United States presidential election, 2004, in Arizona]]
==Important cities and towns==
[[Image:Phoenix skyline Arizona USA.jpg|thumb|left|177px|Downtown Phoenix]]
[[Image:Downtown Tucson Night.jpg|thumb|left|180x|Tucson]]
{{seealso|List of localities in Arizona|List of cities in Arizona (by population)|List of Arizona counties}}
[[Phoenix, Arizona|Phoenix]], the largest city in the state, and the capital. The [[Phoenix metropolitan area|Phoenix metro area]] includes [[Mesa, Arizona|Mesa]] (the third largest city in Arizona and the most populous suburban city in the United States), [[Glendale, Arizona|Glendale]], [[Peoria, Arizona|Peoria]], [[Chandler, Arizona|Chandler]], [[Sun City, Arizona|Sun City]], [[Sun City West, Arizona|Sun City West]], [[Fountain Hills, Arizona|Fountain Hills]], [[Surprise, Arizona|Surprise]], [[Gilbert, Arizona|Gilbert]], [[El Mirage, Arizona|El Mirage]], [[Avondale, Arizona|Avondale]], [[Tempe, Arizona|Tempe]] and [[Scottsdale, Arizona|Scottsdale]], with a total metropolitan population of just over 4 million.
[[Tucson, Arizona|Tucson]] is the state's second largest city, and is located in [[Pima County]], approximately {{nowrap|110 miles}} ({{nowrap|180 km}}) [[Ordinal directions|southeast]] of the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Tucson metropolitan area crossed the one-million-resident threshold in early 2007. It is home to the [[University of Arizona]], one of only three public universities in Arizona.
The [[Prescott, Arizona|Prescott]] metropolitan area includes the cities of Prescott, [[Sedona, Arizona|Sedona]], [[Cottonwood, Arizona|Cottonwood]], [[Camp Verde, Arizona|Camp Verde]] and numerous other towns spread out over the [[Yavapai County]] area. With 212,635 residents, this cluster of towns form the third largest metropolitan area in the state. The city of Prescott (population 41,528) lies approximately {{nowrap|100 miles}} ({{nowrap|170 km}}) [[Ordinal directions|northwest]] of the Phoenix metropolitan area. Situated in pine tree forests at an elevation of about {{nowrap|5500 ft}}, Prescott enjoys a much cooler climate than Phoenix, with average summer highs in the upper 80s [[Fahrenheit]] and winter temperatures averaging 50 degrees [[Fahrenheit]].
[[Yuma, Arizona|Yuma]] is center of the fourth largest metropolitan area in Arizona. It is located near the borders of [[California]] and [[Mexico]]. It is one of the hottest cities in the [[United States]] with the average July high of 107 degrees [[Fahrenheit]]. (The same month's average in [[Death Valley]] is 115 degrees.) The city also features sunny days about 90% of the year. The Yuma [[Metropolitan Statistical Area]] has a population of 160,000. Yuma also attracts many winter visitors from all over the United States.
[[Flagstaff, Arizona|Flagstaff]] is the largest city in northern Arizona, and has a nearly a {{nowrap|7000 ft}} elevation, with its large Ponderosa Pine forests and Ski areas, is a stark contrast to the desert regions typically associated with Arizona. It sits at the base of the [[San Francisco Peaks]] the highest mountain range in the state of Arizona, with [[Humphreys Peak]], the highest point in Arizona at 12,633 feet (3,850 m). Flagstaff has a strong tourism sector, due to its proximity to [[Grand Canyon National Park]], [[Sedona]], and [[Oak Creek Canyon]]. Historic [[Route 66]] is the main east-west street. Flagstaff is home to 57,391 residents and the main campus of [[Northern Arizona University]].
==Education==
===Elementary and secondary education===
Public schools in Arizona are separated into about 220 local school districts which operate independently, but are governed in most cases by elected county school superintendents; these are in turn overseen by the [[Arizona State Board of Education]] (a division of the [[Arizona Department of Education]]) and the state Superintendent of Public Instruction (elected in partisan elections every even-numbered year when there is not a presidential election, for a four-year term). In 2005, a School District Redistricting Commission was established with the goal of combining and consolidating many of these districts.
[[Image:Asubiodesign.jpg|thumb|right|The ASU [[Biodesign Institute]]]]
===Colleges and universities===
Higher education in Arizona is governed at the university level by the [[Arizona Board of Regents]] or the ABOR, a 12-member body. According to information published by the ABOR office and available on their Web site, eight volunteer members are appointed by the Governor to staggered eight-year terms; two students serve on the Board for two-year appointments, with the first year being a nonvoting apprentice year. The Governor and the Superintendent of Public Instruction serve as voting ex-officio members. The ABOR provides "policy guidance" and oversight to the three major degree-granting universities, as provided for by Title 15 of the [[Arizona Revised Statutes]].
Community colleges in Arizona were governed historically by a separate statewide Board of Directors, but a bill passed in the 2002 regular session of the Legislature (HB 2710, which later became ARS 15-1444) transferred almost all oversight authority to individual community college districts. The Maricopa County Community College District includes 11 community colleges throughout Maricopa County and is one of the largest in the nation.
{{col-begin}}
{{col-break}}
====Public colleges and universities====
*[[Arizona State University]]
*[[Northern Arizona University]]
*[[University of Arizona]]
====Private four-year colleges and universities (non-profit)====
*[[Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University]]
*[[Ottawa University]]
*[[Prescott College]]
*[[Western Governors University]] An online school with a former Arizona governor as a founder, Governor Napolitano as a former board member, and employees and students throughout Arizona.
====Professional Schools, Trade Schools, and For-Profit Private Colleges====
*[[The Art Center Design College, Tucson]]<ref>http://www.theartcenter.edu/</ref>
*[[Art Institute of Phoenix]]<ref>http://www.artinstitutes.edu/phoenix/</ref>
*[[A.T. Still University]], [[Mesa, Arizona|Mesa]]
*[[Collins College]], [[Tempe, Arizona|Tempe]]
*[[DeVry University]], [[Phoenix, Arizona|Phoenix]]
*[[Grand Canyon University]]
*[[Midwestern University]], [[Glendale, Arizona|Glendale]]
*[[Northcentral University]]
*[[Roberto-Venn School of Luthiery]]<ref>http://www.roberto-venn.com/</ref>
*[[Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine]]
*[[Southwestern College (Arizona)|Southwestern College]]
*[[Thunderbird School of Global Management]]
*[[University of Advancing Technology]], [[Tempe, Arizona|Tempe]]
*[[University of Phoenix]]
*[[Western International University]]
{{col-break}}
====Public two-year colleges====
*[[Arizona Western College]]
*[[Central Arizona College]]
*[[Cochise College]]
*[[Coconino Community College]]
*[[Eastern Arizona College]]
*[[Maricopa County Community College District]]
**[[Chandler-Gilbert Community College]]
**[[Estrella Mountain Community College]]
**[[GateWay Community College]]
**[[Glendale Community College (AZ)|Glendale Community College]]
**[[Mesa Community College]]
**[[Paradise Valley Community College]]
**[[Phoenix College]]
**[[Rio Salado Community College]]
**[[Scottsdale Community College]]
**[[South Mountain Community College]]
*[[Mohave Community College]]
*[[Northland Pioneer College]]
*[[Pima Community College]]
*[[Yavapai College]]
{{col-end}}
==Professional sports teams==
{| class="wikitable"
!Club
!Sport
!League
|-
|[[Arizona Cardinals]]
|[[American Football|Football]]
|[[National Football League]]
|-
|[[Arizona Diamondbacks]]
|[[Baseball]]
|[[Major League Baseball]]
|-
|[[Arizona Heat]]*
|[[Softball]]
|[[National Pro Fastpitch]]
|-
|[[Arizona Rattlers]]
|[[Arena Football]]
|[[Arena Football League]]
|-
|[[Arizona Sting]]
|[[Lacrosse]]
|[[National Lacrosse League]]
|-
|[[Arizona Sundogs]]
|[[Ice hockey]]
|[[Central Hockey League]]
|-
|[[Phoenix Coyotes]]
|[[Ice hockey]]
|[[National Hockey League]]
|-
|[[Phoenix Mercury]]
|[[Basketball]]
|[[Women's National Basketball Association]]
|-
|[[Phoenix Roadrunners]]
|[[Ice hockey]]
|[[East Coast Hockey League]]
|-
|[[Phoenix Suns]]
|[[Basketball]]
|[[National Basketball Association]]
|-
|[[Tucson Sidewinders]]
|[[Baseball]]
|[[Minor League Baseball]]
|-
|[[Yuma Scorpions]]
|[[Baseball]]
|[[Golden Baseball League]]
|}
Due to its numerous golf courses, Arizona is home to several stops on the [[PGA Tour]], most notably at the [[FBR Open]], more commonly known as the Phoenix Open.
With three universities and several community colleges, college sports are also prevalent in Arizona. Arizona is home to the oldest rivalry in the [[National Collegiate Athletic Association|NCAA]].<ref>{{cite news |first=Tom |last=Knauer |authorTom Knauer=|title=What is the Territorial Cup? |url=http://media.wildcat.arizona.edu/media/storage/paper997/news/2006/11/22/UaVsAsu/What-Is.The.Territorial.Cup-2507222.shtml |work= |publisher=The Wildcat Online |date=[[2006-11-22]] |accessdate=2007-04-02}}</ref> The [[Territorial Cup]] is given to the winner of the Duel in the Desert, an annual game between intense rivals the [[Arizona State Sun Devils]] and the [[Arizona Wildcats]]. Arizona also hosts several [[bowl game]]s in the [[Bowl Championship Series]]. The [[Fiesta Bowl]], originally held at [[Sun Devil Stadium]], will now be held at the [[University of Phoenix Stadium]] in [[Glendale, Arizona|Glendale]]. The University of Phoenix Stadium was also home to the [[2007 BCS National Championship Game]] and hosted [[Super Bowl XLII]] on February 3rd, 2008. The [[Insight Bowl]] is also held at [[Sun Devil Stadium]].
Besides being home to spring training, Arizona is also home to two other baseball leagues, [[Arizona Fall League]] and [[Arizona Winter League]]. The Fall League was founded in 1992 and is a [[minor league]] baseball league designed for players to refine their skills and perform in game settings in front of major and minor league baseball scouts and team executives, who are in attendance at almost every game. The league got exposure when [[Michael Jordan]] started his time in baseball with the [[Scottsdale Scorpions]]. The Arizona Winter League, founded in 2007, is a professional baseball league of four teams for the independent [[Golden Baseball League]]. The games are played in [[Yuma, Arizona|Yuma]] at the [[Desert Sun Stadium]], but added two new teams in the [[California]] desert, and one more in [[Sonora, Mexico]] for the 2008 season.
*Note: The Arizona Heat is currently suspended from the NPF, with a possible return for the 2008 season.
===Spring training===
[[Image:SpringTrainingHoHoKamPark.jpg|thumb|A spring training game between the two Chicago teams, the Cubs and the White Sox, at [[HoHoKam Park]] in [[Mesa, Arizona|Mesa]]]]
Arizona is a popular location for [[Major League Baseball]] [[spring training]], as it is the site of the [[Cactus League]]. The only other location for spring training is in [[Florida]] with the [[Grapefruit League]]. The [[Los Angeles Dodgers]] will have a new spring training facility in [[Glendale, Arizona|Glendale]] in 2009, which makes them the 14th team in Arizona. Spring training has been somewhat of a tradition in Arizona since 1947 (i.e. the Cleveland Indians in [[Tucson]] until 1991, and the San Diego Padres in [[Yuma, Arizona|Yuma]] until 1992) despite the fact that the state did not have its own major league team until the state was awarded the Diamondbacks in [[Phoenix, Arizona|Phoenix]] as an expansion team. The state hosts the following teams:
<div style="-moz-column-count:2; column-count:2;">
*[[Arizona Diamondbacks]] in [[Tucson Electric Park]], but also held games and practiced in [[Casa Grande, Arizona|Casa Grande]]
*[[Chicago Cubs]] in [[HoHoKam Park]] of Mesa.
*[[Chicago White Sox]] in [[Tucson Electric Park]].
*[[Cleveland Indians]] in [[Goodyear Ballpark]].
*[[Colorado Rockies]] in [[Hi Corbett Field]] of Tucson.
*[[Kansas City Royals]] in [[Surprise Stadium]], but also in Sun Cities Park near [[Youngtown, Arizona|Youngtown]].
*[[Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim]] in [[Tempe Diablo Stadium]]
*[[Milwaukee Brewers]] in [[Maryvale Baseball Park]] of Phoenix.
*[[Oakland Athletics]] in [[Phoenix Municipal Stadium]], but also in Indian School Park in [[Scottsdale, Arizona|Scottsdale]].
*[[San Diego Padres]] in [[Peoria Sports Complex]].
*[[San Francisco Giants]] in [[Scottsdale Stadium]], but also in Papago Park of Phoenix.
*[[Seattle Mariners]] in [[Peoria Sports Complex]], but also in [[Chandler, Arizona|Chandler]].
*[[Texas Rangers (baseball)|Texas Rangers]] in [[Surprise Stadium]].
</div>
==Miscellaneous topics==
===Art and pop culture===
Arizona has featured a continuous string of dancing and performing groups of many [[ethnicities]]. The state is a recognized center of [[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] art, with a number of galleries such as the [[Heard Museum]] showcasing historical and contemporary works. [[Sedona, Arizona|Sedona]], [[Jerome, Arizona|Jerome]], and [[Tubac, Arizona|Tubac]] are known as budding artist colonies, and small arts scenes exist in the larger cities and near the state universities.
[[Image:Monumentvalleyaz.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Monument Valley in the northeastern part of the state is famous for its scenery and Hollywood Western films.]]
Many tourist souvenirs produced in Arizona or by its residents display characteristic images, such as sunsets, coyotes, and desert plants. Several major Hollywood films, such as ''[[Billy Jack]]'', ''[[U-Turn]]'', ''[[Waiting to Exhale]]'', ''[[Just One of the Guys]]'', ''[[Can't Buy Me Love (film)|Can't Buy Me Love]]'', ''[[Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure]]'', ''[[The Scorpion King]]'', ''[[The Banger Sisters]]'', ''[[Used Cars]]'', and ''[[Raising Arizona]]'' have been made there (as indeed have many [[Western (genre)|Westerns]]). The 1993 science fiction movie ''[[Fire in the Sky]]'', which was actually based on a reported alien abduction in Arizona, was set and filmed in the town of [[Snowflake, Arizona|Snowflake]]. The climax of the 1977 [[Clint Eastwood]] film ''[[The Gauntlet]]'' takes place in downtown Phoenix. The final segments of the 1984 film ''[[Starman (film)|Starman]]'' take place at [[Meteor Crater]] outside [[Winslow, Arizona|Winslow]]. The [[Jeff Foxworthy]] comedy documentary movie ''[[Blue Collar Comedy Tour: The Movie|Blue Collar Comedy Tour]]'' was filmed almost entirely at the [[Dodge Theatre]]. Arguably one of the most famous examples could be [[Alfred Hitchcock]]'s classic film ''[[Psycho (1960 film)|Psycho]]''. Not only was some of the film shot in Phoenix, but the main character is from there as well. Some of the television shows filmed or set in Arizona include ''[[The New Dick Van Dyke Show]]'', ''[[Alice (TV series)|Alice]]'', ''[[The First 48]]'', ''[[Insomniac with Dave Attell]]'', ''[[COPS (TV series)|COPS]]'', and ''[[America's Most Wanted]]''. The 1974 film ''[[Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore]]'', for which [[Ellen Burstyn]] won the [[Academy Award for Best Actress]], and also starred [[Kris Kristofferson]], was set in Tucson, as was the TV sitcom ''[[Alice (TV series)|Alice]]'', which was based on the movie.
See also ''[[List of films shot in Arizona]]''
Arizona is prominently featured in the lyrics of many [[Country and Western]] songs. [[Jamie O'Neal]]'s hit ballad "There is No Arizona". [[George Strait]]'s "Oceanfront Property" uses the offer of "ocean front property in Arizona" as a metaphor for a sucker proposition that is obviously false. The line "see you down in Arizona Bay" is used in a [[Tool (band)|Tool]] song in reference to a [[Bill Hicks]] quote. The line refers to the hope that [[Los Angeles|L.A.]] will one day fall into the ocean due to a major earthquake.
"Arizona" was the title of a popular song recorded by [[Mark Lindsay]] (formerly of [[Paul Revere and the Raiders]]) that was a hit during the winter of 1969-1970.
Arizona's budding music scene is helped by emerging bands, as well as some well-known artists. The [[Gin Blossoms]], [[Chronic Future]], [[Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers]], [[Jimmy Eat World]] and others began their careers in Arizona. Also, a number of [[punk rock|punk]] bands got their start in Arizona, including [[JFA (band)|JFA]], [[The Feederz]], [[Sun City Girls]], [[The Meat Puppets]], and more recently [[Authority Zero]]. There is also an [[indie rock]] scene with artists such as [[Scary Kids Scaring Kids]], [[The Bled]], [[Fine China (band)|Fine China]], [[Greeley Estates]], [[The Stiletto Formal]], [[The Format]].
Arizona also has its share of singers and other musicians. [[Singer]], [[songwriter]] and [[guitarist]] [[Michelle Branch]] is from [[Sedona, Arizona|Sedona]]. [[Chester Bennington]], the lead vocalist of [[Linkin Park]], and [[Mashup (music)|mash-up]] artist [[DJ Z-Trip]] are both from [[Phoenix, Arizona|Phoenix]]. One of Arizona's more infamous musicians would be [[shock rock]]er [[Alice Cooper]], who helped define the genre. Other notable singers include [[Country music|country]] singer [[Marty Robbins]], [[folk music|folk]] singer [[Katie Lee (singer)|Katie Lee]], [[Fleetwood Mac]]'s [[Stevie Nicks]], [[CeCe Peniston]], [[Rex Allen]], 2007 ''[[American Idol (season 6)|American Idol]]'' winner [[Jordin Sparks]], and [[Linda Ronstadt]].
See also ''[[Music of Arizona]]''
===Notable people===
Some famous Arizonans involved in politics and government are:
* United States Secretary of Transportation Mary Peters
* former [[Supreme Court of the United States|Supreme Court]] Justice [[Sandra Day O'Connor]]
* former U.S. Senator [[Dennis DeConcini]]
* Maricopa County Sheriff [[Joe Arpaio]]
* Junior Republican Senator [[Jon Kyl]], current chairman of the [[Senate Minority Whip]], and the No.2 Republican in the [[United States Senate|Senate]].
* Presidential candidate (2000), (2008) and Senior Republican Senator [[John McCain]]
* Presidential candidate (1964) and former U.S. Senator [[Barry Goldwater]]
* former Governor, Secretary of the Interior, and Presidential candidate (1988) [[Bruce Babbitt]]
* Presidential candidate (1976) and former Arizona congressman [[Mo Udall]] and his brother Secretary of the Interior [[Stewart Udall]]
* former U.S. Senator [[Carl Hayden]]
* and former [[United States Solicitor General]] [[Rex E. Lee]].
Arizona notables in culture and the arts include:
* Musicians [[Curt Kirkwood]] and [[Cris Kirkwood]] of [[alternative rock]] band [[Meat Puppets]]
* author [[Zane Grey]]
* architect [[Frank Lloyd Wright]]
* musicians [[Chester Bennington]] of [[Linkin Park]], [[Alice Cooper]] and [[Stevie Nicks]] of [[Fleetwood Mac]], of Phoenix
* [[Linda Ronstadt]] of Tucson, [[Michelle Branch]] of Sedona, [[Authority Zero]] and [[Jimmy Eat World]] of Mesa, [[Gin Blossoms]] and [[Psychostick]] of Tempe, [[Chronic Future]] of Scottsdale
* poet [[Jim Simmerman]] of Flagstaff
* film director [[Steven Spielberg]] grew up in Scottsdale, as did [[David Spade]] and ''[[Wonder Woman]]'' star [[Lynda Carter]].
* labor leader and civil rights pioneer [[Cesar Estrada Chavez]] was from San Luis, near Yuma
* [[Frederick Sommer]] an artist/photographer moved to Tucson in 1931 and lived in Prescott from 1935-1999
* Author [[Stephenie Meyer]]
For a complete list, see ''[[List of people from Arizona]]''.
===State symbols===
[[Image:Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus 20061226.jpg|thumb|[[Cactus Wren]]]]
*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: [[blue|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|Saguaro blossom]] (''[[Carnegiea gigantea]]'')
*Arizona state fossil: [[Petrified wood]]
*Arizona state gemstone: [[Turquoise]]
*Arizona state mammal: [[Ring-tailed Cat|Ringtail]] (''[[Bassariscus astutus]]'')
*Arizona state motto: [[Ditat Deus]] ([[Latin language|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]] and [[Arizona (song)|Arizona]]
*Arizona state tree: [[Blue Palo Verde]] (''[[Parkinsonia florida]]'')
==See also==
*[[List of Arizona-related topics]]
{{portal|Arizona|Flag of Arizona.svg|left=yes}}
{{clear}}
<!-- Please place links to all topics directly related to the State of Arizona in the [[List of Arizona-related topics]] -->
==References ==
{{reflist|2}}
==Further reading==
*Bayless, Betsy, 1998, ''Arizona Blue Book, 1997-1998.'' Phoenix, Arizona.
*McIntyre, Allan J., 2008, [http://www.arcadiapublishing.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=0738556335&Store_Code=arcadia&search=NEW&offset=100&filter_cat=&PowerSearch_Begin_Only=&sort=name.asc&range_low=&range_high=%20&srch_newbook=1 ''The Tohono O'odham and Pimeria Alta.''] Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing, (ISBN 978-0738556338)
*Miller, Tom (editor), 1986, ''Arizona: The Land and the People.'' Tucson, AZ: University of Arizona Press. (ISBN 0-8165-1004-0)
*Thomas, David M. (editor), 2003, ''Arizona Legislative Manual.'' In ''<ref>http://www.azleg.state.az.us/alispdfs/Council/legman2003.pdf</ref>.'' Phoenix, AZ: Arizona Legislative Council. Google Print. Retrieved January 16 2006.
*Trimble, Marshall, 1998, ''Arizona, A Cavalcade of History.'' Tucson, AZ: Treasure Chest Publications. (ISBN 0-918080-43-6)
==External links==
{{sisterlinks|Arizona}}
=== Official State Government website ===
*[http://www.az.gov/ Official Website of the State of Arizona]
=== Other references ===
*[http://www.bea.doc.gov/bea/regional/map/map.asp?po=AZ Arizona Regional Accounts Data]
*[http://www.fedstats.gov/qf/states/04000.html Arizona Demographic Data from FedStats]
*[http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/state/state_energy_profiles.cfm?sid=AZ Energy Data & Statistics for Arizona]
*[http://wikis.ala.org/godort/index.php/Arizona Arizona State Databases] - Annotated list of searchable databases produced by Arizona state agencies and compiled by the Government Documents Roundtable of the American Library Association.
*[http://www.lib.az.us/ Arizona State Library, Archives and Public Records]
*[http://www.usgs.gov/state/state.asp?State=AZ USGS real-time, geographic, and other scientific resources of Arizona]
*[http://www.ers.usda.gov/statefacts/az.htm Arizona State Facts]
*History topics timeline of Arizona 1862-1962<ref>http://www.usastatesdates.com/arizona.htm</ref>
=== Tourism information ===
*[http://www.arizonaguide.com/ Official Arizona Office of Tourism]
*[http://www.azgfd.gov Arizona Game & Fish Department (Hunting, Boating & Fishing)]
*[http://www.pr.state.az.us/Parks/parksites.html Arizona State Parks]
*[http://www.arizonarussiancenter.us Arizona Russian Center]
*[http://www.nps.gov/history/nr/travel/amsw/ American Southwest, a National Park Service ''Discover Our Shared Heritage'' Travel Itinerary]
{{-}}
{{Arizona|expanded}}
{{United States}}
{{succession
|preceded = [[New Mexico]]
|office = [[List of U.S. states by date of statehood]]
|years = Admitted on [[February 14]], [[1912]] (48th)
|succeeded = [[Alaska]]
}}
{{coord|34|N|112|W|region:US-AZ_type:state|display=title}}
[[Category:States and territories established in 1912]]
[[Category:Arizona|*]]
[[Category:States of the United States]]
[[Category:Former Spanish colonies]]
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