Explore a destination located in Arizona, United States
Arizona is one of the fifty states of America, located in the Southwestern and Mountain subregions. It is the 6th largest state in size and 14th largest state by population. The most populous city is Phoenix, which ranks 5th among the largest cities in the United States. From the mid-1960s to the 2000s the annual population growth rate was up by an average of four percent. From 2000 to 2007 this rate decreased during the Great Recession period but has gradually rebounded.[2] A fair amount of visitors come during the spring and fall seasons when temperatures are in the 70s and 80s, mainly to engage in outdoor activities and see natural landmarks such as the Grand Canyon, Lake Powell, or the Tonto National Forest. The Grand Canyon alone receives more than 5 million visitors annually.[8] Daytime temperatures during the summer months reach a scorching high of up to 115 degrees Fahrenheit, although the lack of humidity can make the extreme heat temperatures somewhat more bearable.[3] August receives the most rainfall and precipitation, whereas June is generally the driest month of the year. Desert shrub covers a large portion of the state’s land and plain grasses cover nearly one-third of the Colorado Plateau. The main native plant species that grows throughout the majority of Arizona is cacti.[1]
Arizona is most famously known for its geographic landmarks, national parks, and natural land structures. The Colorado River, in particular, encompasses 277 miles of the Grand Canyon National Park.[2] The river flows west and south in the Rocky Mountains for 1,450 miles and ends in the Gulf of California. The international border between Arizona and Mexico is formed by the river for nearly 17 miles. Natural environments developed around the river with a wide variety of animals inhabiting the area, some of which include mountain lions, bobcats, mountain sheep, elk, pronghorn, coyote, and mule deer in the upper and middle elevations. Along the river banks, beavers, birds, and muskrats can be found, as well as bald eagles.[4]
Lake Powell is also conjoined with the Colorado River in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. It is relatively expansive and extends to nearly 2,000 miles of shoreline. An immense number of visitors visit the lake each year to engage in activities such as boating, hiking, paddle boarding, and camping, to name a few.[5]
The most populous city in Arizona is Phoenix, the state capital. It ranks 5th among the nation's largest cities and is the most populous state capital in the United States. Phoenix contributes greatly to the economy of the Phoenix metropolitan area, which is part of the Salt River Valley. The city is located in the northeastern part of the Sonoran Desert and has a hot climate with high temperatures reaching past 100 degrees Fahrenheit on average. The city receives over 16 million annual visitors. A popular tourist activity in Phoenix is golf, with more than 200 golf courses in the area.[6]
One of Arizona’s most distinguishable natural structures is The Grand Canyon, located in the northern area of the state. The canyon stretches over 270 miles long, with a depth of one mile and an average width of 18 miles. Scientists estimate the canyon’s formation has taken approximately five to six million years as erosion from the Colorado River cut deeply through multiple layers of rock. Many ruins and artifacts that belonged to prehistoric settlers nearly 12,000 years ago have been discovered by archaeologists in the canyon's area. Several twig figurines resembling deer and bighorn sheep were found in caves of the canyon walls that anthropologists believe were used by prehistoric hunters for rituals to ensure a successful hunt.[7] In 2019, The Grand Canyon received about 5.9 million visitors.[8]
One-third of Arizona's regions are considered to have an arid climate, half are semi-arid, and the remainder are humid. Most visitors who visit Arizona in the winter season go to the Basin and Range regions because of the arid and semi-arid subtropical climate in the area. Occasionally, a light frost will occur in these regions during the winter months.[1]
The most ideal time to visit Arizona is generally November through April during the spring and fall months when temperatures stay within the 60s, 70s, and 80s.[9] Overall, the state is primarily desert and tends to have more extreme heat temperatures for the majority of the year and very mild winters. The average annual precipitation ranges from 3 inches in the southwest to nearly 40 inches in east-central Arizona. Daytime temperatures during the summer range between 105 to 115 degrees Fahrenheit, while winter daytime temperatures average in the lower 60s.[3]
Arizona’s bordering states include Utah to the north, New Mexico to the east, the Mexican state of Sonora to the south, California to the west, and Nevada to the northwest. The majority of the state’s vegetation consists of the desert shrub with approximately one-tenth being forests, one-fourth being woodlands, and another one-fourth being grasslands. Cacti is abundant in Arizona, inhabiting the majority of the state. Much of the animal life that can be found include black bears, deer, antelope, elk, bobcats, mountain lions, skunks, foxes, and desert bighorns.[1]
The first European to explore Arizona was Marcos de Niza, a Spanish Franciscan friar, who arrived on the land in 1539, in search of the mythical Seven Cities of Gold. After the Mexican War in 1848, a large area of the Arizona territory became part of the United States.[1] Arizona was originally admitted by the United States government as part of the Territory of New Mexico. In 1847 during the Mexican-American War, the U.S. Army occupied the national capital of Mexico City and pursued its claim for a large portion of northern Mexico. This included what later became the Arizona territory, which eventually attained statehood in 1912. The state’s name originates from an earlier Spanish name, "Arizonac", derived from the O’odham name, "ali ?onak," meaning “small spring”. The European settlers pronounced the name as "Arissona."[2]
Many gold and silver rushes began in the nineteenth century in the Arizona territory. When copper was discovered in 1854, copper production began to rise above all other metals in the 1880s up until the 1950s.[10] By 1907, copper mining prospered in the territory, producing more copper than any other state. Arizona had developed the nickname “the Copper State” in the early years of attaining statehood.[2] Eventually, refrigeration and air conditioning were created, causing the population of Arizona to increase rapidly. This resulted primarily in Phoenix becoming one of the fastest-growing cities in the United States. Since the mid-20th century, Arizona’s population has continuously been predominantly urban.[10]
In the mid-nineteenth century, the patriarchal leader of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Brigham Young, directed the Mormons to Arizona where they settled in Phoenix Valley, Prescott, and Tempe, and additionally founded towns such as Heber, Snowflake, and Safford. This particular religion became very prominent within the state and now has approximately 410,263 church members amongst its residents, making it the second-highest number of adherents in the state—the first being The Catholic Church with about 930,001 members.[2]
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