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Arizona Facts

Arizona Facts
The State of Arizona is located in the southwest of the United States. It shares state borders with Utah, New Mexico, Nevada and California, as well as sharing a corner point with Colorado. It shares an international border with Mexico. Arizona is the sixth largest of the 50 U.S. states and is the 15th most populated. Arizona was the 48th state to join the Union, becoming a member in 1912. The Spanish explorer Marcos de Niza reached the area in the 1500s, and later Coronado also explored the area while searching for Cibola. Once a part of Mexico, Arizona was purchased from the Republic of Mexico for $15 million. It was later declared a Confederate Territory, and finally a U.S. state.
Interesting Arizona Facts:
Arizona's capital is Phoenix.
Arizona encompassed an area of 113,990 square miles.
The name Arizona is believed to be derived from the O'odham name ali sonak, which means small spring.
Arizona's motto is Ditat Deus which means God enriches.
Arizona's state flower is the flower of saguaro cactus.
The state bird is the cactus wren.
Arizona's nickname is the Grand Canyon State.
Arizona has 15 counties, and 28 state parks.
Tombstone Arizona is the site of the most famous Wild West shootout - the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral.
There are 20 Indian reservations in Arizona, with a total of 14 tribes.
Arizona is responsible for producing more than half of the copper in the United States.
Arizona is home to many attractions including the Hoover Dam, the Painted Desert, the Grand Canyon, and the Petrified Forest.
Arizona has more mountains than any other Mountain State, a total of 3,928 peaks and summits.
Arizona has 90 wilderness areas, which is more than are in the entire Midwest.
Arizona's economy is highly dependent on climate, cotton, citrus, copper and cattle.
The largest solar telescope in the world is located in Sells, Arizona at the Kitt Peak National Observatory.
Arizona is also known as the Valentine State because it became a state on February 14th.
Arizona is home to the most southern ski resort in the U.S, Mount Lemmon, located in the Santa Catalina Mountains.
The official state fuel is petrified wood because it has the largest petrified wood deposit in the U.S.
The oldest football team in the NFL, the Arizona Cardinals, dates back to 1898.
The Grand Canyon is visited by almost 5 million people every year.
Arizona has 11.2 million acres of forest, covering one quarter of the state's land.
Arizona is home to the two largest manmade lakes in America, Lake Powell and Lake Mead.
Walmart is Arizona's largest private employer.
The U.S. government owns almost 70% of the land in Arizona.
Arizona has been used as the setting for many famous films including The Scorpion King, Raising Arizona, Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure, and many westerns.
There is a spot in the United States where a person can stand in four different states at the same time, called Four Corners. The four states include Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah.


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