Information Arizona
Arizona, is a state with many National Parks such as the Grand Canyon, Antelope Canyon, Horseshoe Bend and Monument Valley. Most of these parks are reservations of the Navajo Indians. A large part of Arizona consists of the Rocky Mountains, the highest mountain is the 3850 meter high Humphreys Peak. Arizona is also largely desert. Historic Route 66 runs through Arizona with by far the most route 66 towns such as Williams, Seligman and Kingman.
Geography
Arizona is located in the southwestern United States and borders the states of California, Nevada, Utah and New Mexico. Arizona is one of the ‘Four Corner States’, and therefore borders Colorado. To the south, Arizona borders Mexico’s Sonoran Desert. Arizona is 625 kilometers from north to south and 540 kilometers from west to east.
Arizona consists for a large part of desert and in the north of the Colorado Plateau, in which the Grand is located. The steeply sloping Mogollon Rim that turns into mountain ridges lies on the southern edge of the Colorado Plateau. Arizona also consists for a large part of the Rocky Mountains. Just north of Flagstaff, Humphreys Peak is Arizona’s highest peak at 3,850 feet. See all cities in Arizona.
The lowest part in southwestern Arizona consists of the Sonoran Desert, while the west side is formed by the Grand Canyon. Arizona has a number of rivers such as the Gila River and Salt River, but the most famous is the Colorado River. The rivers contain reservoirs that serve as a water supply for the states of Arizona, Nevada and South California.
Montezuma Castle National Monument
When traveling in Arizona, be sure to visit the relatively well-preserved Montezuma Castle. It was created by the Sinagua Indians who lived here for many years. One of the best-preserved rock houses in North America can be found in the heart of Arizona, in Beaver Creek, which provided plenty of water for agriculture.
This Indian pueblo is situated in a large rock pocket of a high limestone bank. This unique building originally had 5 floors and all of the 20 rooms were interconnected by an ingenious system of wooden ladders. The Indians were thus able to move comfortably between the rooms. The location of the house also guaranteed its occupants perfect safety, because if there was a threat, it was enough to pull out wooden ladders and no one could get here. At that time, the pueblo was actually impregnable.
Indians in the area grew grain, beans and cotton. The Beaver River was a major source of water for irrigation. Archaeological excavations in the area have shown that the Sinagua Indians lived here more than 600 years ago.
The first white settlers to appear in the area were amazed at the ingenuity of the building and mistaken for it as the work of the Aztecs. The rock castle was named after the ruler of the Aztec Empire – Montezuma. However, later research has shown that the site was abandoned 100 years before the ruler Montezuma himself was born. The building underwent extensive reconstruction about 300 years ago after it was engulfed in a massive fire. Therefore, most of it has been preserved to this day and looks very well preserved.
Today, in the small Visitor Center located directly above the limestone cliff, you can learn about Indian life and see some of the objects found during the excavations in the area.
About 11 km (7mi) from Montezuma Castle there is an interesting phenomenon Montezuma Well. It is a flooded limestone depression, which was created by the collapse of a large underground cave. In the past, it provided an ideal refuge for the Indians, creating small stone dwellings on the sides of the cave, some of which have survived to this day. Since 1906, Montezuma Castle and Montezuma Well have been under the protection of the National Monument. Every year, thousands of visitors come here who want to get to know the way of life and living at that time.
History
The first inhabitants of Arizona were the Native Americans, the Ancient Pueblo, the Hopi and the Navajo. The cultures of these Indians have completely disappeared over the years.
In 1539, the first Spanish explorers entered the area in search of the Seven Cities of Gold, also known as the Cibola myth. On the other side of the desert, according to this myth, there should be seven cities of gold. Mission posts were established at the end of the 17th century to convert the original inhabitants to Christianity.
After the area had been in the hands of the Spaniards for several centuries, this area became part of Mexico in 1810. After the Mexican War ended in 1848, this area was largely ceded to America. The last piece was sold to the Americans in 1853, this transaction is also known as the Gadsden purchase. After years of being governed by the New Mexico Territory, Arizona became an independent Territory in 1863. Arizona became the 48th state of the United States on February 14, 1912.
Arizona was hit hard during the Great Depression, but was quickly recovered at the hands of the tourism industry. Arizona now has the largest Native American population in America with 14 tribes living in 20 reservations.
Economy
Mining used to be the main source of income for Arizona, today it is tourism. The Grand Canyon, Indian Reservations and National Monuments in particular attract millions of tourists every year. But the transport sector is also of great economic importance to Arizona. Arizona also attracts many retirees because of its beautiful weather and affordable homes. Sun City is a place where only retirees live.
| Abbreviation: | AZ |
| Nickname: | The Grand Canyon State |
| Joined the US as the 48th state on: | February 14, 1912 |
| Capital city: | Phoenix |
| Census: | 7.743.834 |
| Surface: | 295.254 km² |
| Geography: | Bordering Mexico, Utah, Colorado, Nevada and California |
| Governor: | Doug Ducey |
| state motto: | God enriches |
| Arizona official website: | az.gov |
