Arizona

Here in Arizona, we love our pets and we love our state.

There are four deserts in North America—the Mojave, the Sonoran, the Chihuahuan, and the Great Basin—and all four extend into Arizona. Desert covers 42 percent of the Southwestern state, which ranks among the nation’s driest and warmest. In Yuma, rainfall averages just 3 inches yearly, and average daily highs top 100 degrees in summer. The state capital of Phoenix is located in the aptly named Valley of the Sun, where the sun shines 86 percent of days.

The Grand Canyon is Arizona’s greatest landmark and on every list of the world’s natural wonders. Dug by the Colorado River as it winds through the northwest part of the state, it’s 277 miles long and a mile deep. Grand Canyon Nation Park draws 5 million tourists yearly, and it’s just one of 22 national parks in the state. Others include Saguaro, outside of Tucson, with its namesake cactuses that grow up to 50 feet high.

The last among the 48 contiguous states admitted into the union, Arizona’s history extends far beyond statehood in 1912. Indigenous cultures date back 12,000 years, and 22 sovereign tribes have lands covering more than a quarter of the state today. Navajo, Apache, Hopi, and Zuni communities are among them.

The outside settlement was limited until the completion of Route 66 in the 1930s. The Chicago-to-California highway, dubbed “Main Street of America” and immortalized in song, turned Arizona into a tourist destination. The advent of home air-conditioning in the 1950s convinced many to stay. Fewer than 750,000 people called Arizona home in 1950, but its population grew 74 percent in that decade.

It’s one of the fastest-growing states still, with a population of almost 7.2 million. Its economy is among the fastest-growing, too. Besides tourism, mining remains a big industry. Arizona leads the nation in copper production, and it’s such a part of history that the star on the state flag is copper-colored.

Arizona has never produced a president, but two candidates are among its famous figures. U.S. Senators John McCain and Barry Goldwater were their party’s nominees in 2008 and 1964, respectively. Other notable Arizonans include labor leader Cesar Chavez, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, Apache leader Geronimo, and movie director Steven Spielberg.

State symbols include:

  • State Bird – Cactus Wren
  • State Mammal – Ringtail
  • State Flower –White Blossom of the Saguaro Cactus
  • State Gem – Turquoise
  • State Tree – Palo Verde