Arizona is one of the youngest states in America, home to the oldest Native American settlement in the USA, several abandoned towns, and some of America’s most stunning natural wonders.
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36 Interesting Facts About the State of Arizona
- The rivers in this state are home to a unique species of fish – the Arizona cutthroat trout, which isn’t commonly found anywhere else.
- The official flower of Arizona is the saguaro cactus, which typically blooms during May and June. The saguaro is the largest cactus in America.
- Saguaro cacti are characterized not by their width but by their height.
- Arizona is home to the Grand Canyon National Park.
- The geographic center of the state of Arizona is 55 mi southeast of the city of Prescott.
- Arizona produces more copper than any other state in the USA.
- In the Arizona town of Lake Havasu City, there is a local, ancient stone bridge that was dismantled stone by stone and rebuilt at the site.
- The USS Arizona, an American warship, was named after the state. She was commissioned in 1915 at the Brooklyn Navy Yard in New York City.
- The time zone of Arizona is MST (Mountain Standard Time) throughout the year. The only exception is the Navajo Nation territory in the northeastern part of the state, which follows daylight saving time.
- A resident of this state is known as an Arizonan.
- The Apache trout found in local waters is considered an endangered species in the USA.
- The amount of copper used on the roof of the Capitol building in Phoenix is equivalent to 4,800,000 pennies.
- Arizona has the highest proportion of land managed by Native American tribes of any state in the USA.
- There’s a place in Arizona called the Four Corners – where one can stand in four American states at the same time.
- The capital of the Navajo Indian Reservation is the town of Window Rock.
- Throughout Arizona’s history, the Castilian and Burgundian flags of Spain, the Mexican flag, the Confederate flag, and the flag of the USA have flown over the state.
- The city of Phoenix was founded in 1866 as an agricultural community to support Fort McDowell.
- Arizona was connected to the eastern USA by the Southern Pacific Railroad in 1926.
- Arizona became the 48th state of the USA on February 14, 1912.
- American activist of Mexican descent, Ceasar Estrada Chavez, was born in Yuma, Arizona.
- Camels were once used to transport goods across Arizona.
- The Hopi Indians are known in Arizona for growing their colorful corn.
- The town of Bisbee in the Tombstone Canyon area was once the king of the copper mines. At its peak, it was the largest town between Saint Louis and San Francisco.
- Between 1692 and 1711, Jesuit priest Eusebio Kino worked in the area. During this time, several farms were established in Arizona.
- The land area of Arizona consists of 57% pasture, 24% forest, 2% farmland, with the remaining classified as other land.
- The oldest Native American settlement in the USA, Oraibi, is located in the northeastern part of the state. It was founded by the Hopi Indians.
- Arizona’s major natural landmarks include the Grand Canyon, Havasu Canyon, Grand Canyon Caves, Lake Powell, Rainbow Bridge, Petrified Forest National Park, Monument Valley, Sunset Crater and Meteor Crater, Sedona Oak Creek Canyon and Salt River Canyon, Superstition Mountains, Picacho Peak State Park, Saguaro National Park, the Colorado River, and Chiricahua National Monument.
- Several abandoned towns in Arizona are known as ghost towns. The most famous among them are Tombstone, Ruby, Gillette, and Gunsight.
- American politician, senator, and presidential candidate Barry Goldwater was born in Phoenix.
- The annual rainfall in Arizona varies significantly depending on the location. The city of Flagstaff receives 47 cm per year, Phoenix gets 19 cm per year, and the city of Yuma receives just over 3 cm per year.
- Among the 11 species of rattlesnakes found in Arizona, the Willard’s rattlesnake (Crotalus willardi) is probably the most beautiful.
- Jerome was a significant copper mining center at the turn of the 19th century, with a population of about 2,500. After the mines closed in 1953, the population dropped to 50. The situation has improved slightly in recent decades, and today Jerome has around 440 permanent residents.
- In 1939, one of America’s most famous architects, Frank Lloyd Wright, opened his studio Taliesin West near Phoenix. He designed the Guggenheim Museum in New York City.
- The world’s largest solar telescope is located at Kitts Peak Observatory near Sells, Arizona.
- The town of Fountain Hills houses a fountain believed to be the tallest in the world. It spurts water up to 561 ft once every hour.
- The highest mountain in Arizona is Mount Humphreys, which is 12,644 ft high and located north of Flagstaff.
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