Facts About Arizona

By Kristy McCaffrey

Some interesting facts about my native Arizona.

Arizona is the 6^th largest state in the U.S.

Arizona has more mountainous country than Switzerland.

Arizona has more sunshine than Florida.

Arizona’s No. 1 tourist attraction is the Grand Canyon.

Arizona has the largest Native American population in the U.S with the largest percentage of Indian land set aside among all states.

Arizona has the nation’s southernmost ski resort—Mt. Lemmon near Tucson.

Arizona has the largest stand of Ponderosa pine in the world.

Arizona produces more copper than the rest of the nation combined.

The Four Corners region of northeast Arizona is the only place in the nation where 4 states have a common meeting point.

Arizona has more cacti than any place in the world.

The name Arizona is derived from Papago Indian words “Aleh Zon,” which means “small Spring,” and describes the site of a fabulous silver strike near Nogales in 1736.

The highest point in Arizona is Mt. Humphrey in the San Francisco Peaks (near Flagstaff) at 12,637 feet. The lowest point is near Yuma (138 feet above sea level).

Arizona became a separate territory in 1863 and a state in 1912.

The state flower is the saguaro cactus bloom.

The state tree is the Palo Verde, which blooms a brilliant yellow-gold in April or May.

The state bird is the cactus wren.

Oraibi, on the Hopi Mesas, is reputed to be the oldest continuously inhabited city in America.

The best preserved meteor crater in the world is located near Winslow, Arizona. The impact was about 22,000 years ago.

Meteor Crater

Phoenix originated in 1866 as a hay camp to supply Camp McDowell.

The Phoenix area rapidly expanded in growth after World War II, due in part to the invention of air conditioning.

A person from Arizona is called an Arizonan.

Grand Canyon

Arizona’s nickname is “the Grand Canyon State.”