Arizona.

Arizona, once thought to be an almost worthlessdesert, has become a prosperous state of the United States. It is rich in farm and mineral products, and is growing rapidly in manufacturing and population. Vast irrigation systems transform the desert soil into rich farmland. Although the desert summers are very hot, Arizonans stay comfortable. They live in air-cooled homes, work in air-conditioned factories, and travel in air-conditioned automobiles. The desert winters are warm and pleasant. Arizonans, along with thousands of vacationers, enjoy the desert sun while winter chills other parts of the United States. Arizona's climate attracts so many people that the state has become one of the nation's fastest-growing areas. Between 1950 and 1990, Arizona's population grew by almost five times.

Most of Arizona's people live in desert areas, but more than half the state is mountain and plateau country. These higher, cooler areas have the largest ponderosa pine forest in the United States. Large herds of cattle and sheep graze in these regions. The northwestern part of the state has one of the greatest scenic attractions in the United States--the mighty Grand Canyon of the Colorado River. The spectacular Grand Canyon and other scenic wonders, including the Painted Desert and the Petrified Forest, attract millions of tourists to the state each year.
The federal government has an important part in Arizona's economy. The United States owns or controls about 70 per cent of the state's land. Dams built by the government or with federal funds provide water to irrigate large areas of land in Arizona. These dams also generate electric power for the state's cities and industries.
Arizona has the third-largest Indian population in the United States. Only Oklahoma and California have more Indians. Indian reservations cover more than a fourth of Arizona's land. About 155,000 Indians live in Arizona. About three-fourths of them live on 20 reservations in the state. Indians have contributed much to Arizona's exciting history. Some Indians still live in communities built more than 800 years ago. Indians developed the first irrigation systems hundreds of years before white people came. After the whites arrived, the Indians fought fiercely to keep their rugged, beautiful land. Cochise and Geronimo led war parties in Arizona long after most other Indians had surrendered.
Arizona's history also includes many years of rule by Spanish conquerors, and by Mexicans who freed the region from Spanish control. Today, a large number of Americans of Mexican ancestry live in Arizona. Their influence is apparent in the customs, foods, and place names found in the state.
The name Arizona comes from an Indian word, probably arizonac, but no one is sure what it means. Some people believe it means small spring. Arizona is nicknamed the Grand Canyon State. Phoenix is the capital and largest city of Arizona.


ARIZONA/People
Population. The 1990 United States census reported that Arizona had 3,677,985 people. The population had increased 35 percent over the 1980 figure, 2,718,425. According to the 1990 census, Arizona ranks 24th in population among the 50 states.
More than four-fifths of Arizona's people live in cities and towns. About three-fifths of the people live in the Phoenix-Mesa metropolitan area. Another fifth of the population lives in the Tucson metropolitan area (see METROPOLITAN AREA).
Phoenix, the largest city in Arizona, is a trading and shipping center for a rich agricultural district. Tucson, the second-largest city in the state, was originally a Spanish fort. It became famous as a resort town. Both of these cities are important manufacturing centers and vacation areas.
About 6 out of 100 Arizonans are American Indians. Arizona has the third-largest Indian population in the nation. Only Oklahoma and California have more Indians. The Navajo are the largest tribe in Arizona. The Indian settlement of Oraibi, in northern Arizona, is one of the oldest continuously inhabited places in the United States. Hopi Indians built the settlement in the 1100's. Arizona has 16 tribal councils. These councils help govern the various tribes and supervise their property.
Arizona also has many people of Mexican ancestry, particularly in the southern part of the state. Many families in these groups speak Spanish at home, but the children in the families learn English at school. Mexican foods and customs are extremely popular among residents of Arizona. The state also has many people of German, English, and Irish descent.
Schools. The first schools in Arizona were established in the late 1600's by Spanish missionary priests. These schools taught little except religion. In the 1820's, the Mexican government expelled the priests. It feared they might not be loyal to Mexico. The first public school in Arizona opened in Tucson in 1871.
Today, the state's school system is headed by an elected superintendent of public instruction. This official is a member of and carries out policy made by the State Board of Education. Other members of the board are appointed by the governor. They include a classroom teacher, a president of a state university, a representative of the state community colleges, a county school superintendent, a high school district superintendent, and three private citizens. Schools are financed chiefly by taxes.
Children are required to attend school from the ages of 6 to 16. For the number of students and teachers in Arizona, see EDUCATION (table).
Navajo Community College in Tsaile, Arizona, near Lukachukai, was the first U.S. college located on an Indian reservation. It opened in 1969.

Libraries and museums. Arizona's first library was probably the library established in Arivaca by Samuel Colt, the famous pistol maker. Colt had a mine located in Arivaca in the 1860's, and he provided books for his workers. Tucson had a rental library in the 1870's. By 1878, both Phoenix and Prescott had small libraries. The Arizona Territorial Library, which was founded in 1864, became the Department of Library, Archives, and Public Records.
Arizona museums feature art, science, history, and American Indian cultures. The Arizona State Museum and the Arizona Historical Society's Tucson museum are among the oldest in the state. The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, the International Wildlife Museum, and the Pima Air Museum are near Tucson. The Museum of Northern Arizona, near Flagstaff, has exhibits of American Indian arts and crafts. Museums in the Phoenix area include the Phoenix Art Museum; the Heard Museum, which features American Indian art; Pueblo Grande Museum, with a prehistoric Indian village; the Arizona State Capitol Museum; and the Champlin Fighter Museum, which has World War I and World War II fighter aircraft.
ARIZONA/Visitor's guide
Arizona attracts visitors throughout the year. But its winter season has become nationally famous. Thousands of vacationers flock to the sunny desert playgrounds when other parts of the country are cold. At the same time, ski resorts in the mountains of northern Arizona lure winter sports lovers. Dude ranches, historic sites, and magnificent scenery draw other travelers to the state. The outstanding scenic feature is the world-famous Grand Canyon, one of the seven natural wonders of the world. This giant gorge, 277 miles (446 kilometers) long and 1 mile (1.6 kilometers) deep, cuts through the rock of northwestern Arizona. Every year, over 4 million visitors gaze at its splendor. The Petrified Forest in northeastern Arizona is made up of ancient logs that were buried in mud, sand, or volcanic ash years ago and have turned to stone. The state has 15 national monuments, more than any other state. They are in areas of historic, archaeological, or scenic interest.
Arizona's popular annual events include rodeos, county fairs, and Indian ceremonials. These events are held throughout the year. On May 5, Arizona communities celebrate Cinco de Mayo. This Mexican holiday honors the victory of a Mexican army over an invading French force at Puebla, Mexico, in 1862.


ARIZONA/Land and climate
Land regions. Arizona has three main land regions: (1) the Colorado Plateau, (2) the Transition Zone, and (3) the Basin and Range Region.
The Colorado Plateau, in northern Arizona, covers about two-fifths of the state. The region consists of a series of plateaus with fairly level surfaces. This pattern is broken here and there by a few mountains and canyons. Humphreys Peak, the highest mountain in the state, rises 12,633 feet (3,851 meters) near Flagstaff. The deepest canyon is the famous Grand Canyon on the Colorado River. Tributaries of the Colorado have cut other beautiful canyons into the flat land. These include Canyon de Chelly and Oak Creek Canyon.
Many of the mountains are forested, but the region also has dry deserts with little vegetation. Along the Arizona-Utah border in the northeast, strange and beaut-iful rock formations rise from the floor of a broad val- ley. They gave the valley the name Monument Valley. The colorful Painted Desert and the Petrified Forest are well-known parts of the region (see PAINTED DESERT; PETRIFIED FOREST NATIONAL PARK).
The series of a level plateaus that makes up the Colorado Plateau Region end in the Mogollon Rim on the south. This rim is a steep rock wall almost 2,000 feet (610 meters) high. It extends from central Arizona to the Mogollon Mountains in southwestern New Mexico. The principal industries of the plateau region of Arizona are livestock raising, lumbering, and tourism.
The Transition Zone is a narrow strip of land that lies just south of the Colorado Plateau. This region has several mountain ranges. The ranges are close together in an area of rugged peaks and narrow valleys. This rough country in Arizona includes the Mazatzal, Santa Maria, Sierra Ancha, and White mountain ranges.
The Basin and Range Region includes most of the southern part of the state and a narrow strip in the west. Mountain ranges run through the Basin and Range Region from northwest to southeast. The most important mountain ranges are the Chiricahua, Gila, Huachuca, Hualapai, Pinaleno, Santa Catalina, Santa Rita, and Superstition ranges. These mountains are more heavily forested than the mountains in the Transition Zone, and the valleys are broad and fertile. This part of the Basin and Range Region produces excellent crops when the soil is irrigated. The state's largest cities developed in this area.
In the extreme west and south of the Basin and Range Region, the mountains are low and barren. Broad desert basins lie between the ranges. This area of the state gets little rain, and it has almost no vegetation. Along the western border of Arizona, water from the Colorado River is used to irrigate the dry land. The irrigated land produces excellent crops.
Rivers, waterfalls, and lakes. Arizona's most important river is the Colorado. In Arizona, the river is 688 miles (1,107 kilometers) long. It enters the state from Utah almost in the middle of the northern border. Then it winds west through the Grand Canyon and turns south. The river forms almost the entire western boundary of Arizona.
The Colorado and its tributaries drain most of the state. Before 1935, the muddy Colorado carried about a million tons of rich soil to the Gulf of California every day. Irrigation and power dams on the great river and its branches have helped control the flow, and the river is much clearer today.
Few small streams in Arizona flow all year. Some mountain creeks have a steady flow, but most streams often seem dry. Rushing water fills the riverbeds of the Bill Williams, Little Colorado, San Pedro, and Santa Cruz rivers after a rain. At other times, these rivers appear to be dry. However, water always flows beneath their sandy beds. Many mountain streams tumble down cliffs and canyon walls in waterfalls and cascades. The best-known falls include Beaver, Bridal Veil, Havasu, Mooney, and Navajo. All of these falls are on Havasu Creek in the Supai Canyon area of the Grand Canyon.
Several small natural lakes lie in the mountain areas of the state, but all the largest lakes are artificially created. Many artificial lakes have been made by damming streams for irrigation and for water conservation. The largest of these lakes include Theodore Roosevelt Lake and San Carlos Lake. Lake Mead, behind Hoover Dam, lies partly in Nevada. Part of Lake Havasu, formed by Parker Dam, is in California. Lake Powell, which was created by Glen Canyon Dam, lies partly in Arizona and partly in Utah.
Plant and animal life. Forests cover more than a fourth of Arizona. The mountain regions of Arizona have the largest area of ponderosa pine in the United States. Other trees in the state include aspen, blue spruce, cottonwood, Douglas-fir, juniper, pinon, walnut, and white fir.
Arizona is famous for its cactus plants. The sharp-spined cholla cactus is common in the hot desert areas. Creosote bushes and prickly pear cactuses also grow in the desert. The organ-pipe cactus is found in desert areas near sea level. The saguaro, which is common in southern Arizona, grows larger than any other cactus in the United States. The saguaro blossom is the state flower. Other unusual plants that grow in Arizona include the night-blooming cereus and several varieties of the yucca plant. Arizona wild flowers include the geranium, golden columbine, paintbrush, phlox, pink, poppy, and sand verbena.
Animal life in Arizona includes large numbers of mule deer and white-tailed deer. Other big-game animals include black bears, elk, mountain sheep, and pronghorns. Several members of the cat family, including bobcats, mountain lions, and ocelots, prowl in the forested areas. Other Arizona animals include badgers, beavers, foxes, raccoons, skunks, squirrels, weasels, and wild pigs called javelinas.
Arizona has over 40 kinds of lizards, including the poisonous Gila monster. Rattlesnakes live in most parts of the state, and the rare, poisonous coral snake is found in the desert. The state's hotter areas have scorpions and tarantulas.
Arizona's game birds include doves, grouse, quail, wild turkeys, and various waterfowl. Trout swim in the Colorado River and in the mountain streams. Other fishes include bass, bluegills, and crappies.
Climate. Temperatures vary greatly in Arizona. Mountain areas often have winter temperatures below 0° F (-18° C). The southern deserts may not have freezing weather for years. The dry air in the deserts makes cold or heat seem more comfortable there than in humid regions.
The state's highest temperature, 127° F (53° C), was recorded at Parker on July 7, 1905. Hawley Lake, near McNary, had the record low, -40° F (-40° C), on Jan. 7, 1971. In Phoenix, temperatures average about 91° F (33° C) in July, and about 51° F (11° C) in January.
Precipitation (rain, melted snow, and other forms of moisture) varies greatly throughout the state. The deserts of the southwest get only 2 to 5 inches (5 to 13 centimeters) of moisture a year. The high mountain areas may receive as much as 30 inches (76 centimeters) a year.

ARIZONA/Economy
Service industries provide the largest portion of Arizona's gross state product--the total value of goods and services produced in a state in a year. Service industries include such activities as education, health care, real estate, and retail trade. Many service industries benefit from spending by tourists and by retired people who live in the state all or part of the year.
Manufacturing in Arizona is based on such high-technology products as computers, electronic equipment, and aerospace vehicles. Agriculture and mining are also important in Arizona. The state has many cattle ranches and is the nation's leading copper producer.

Natural resources. Arizona's leading natural resources are its climate, water, and mineral deposits.
Water has special importance in Arizona because of the state's arid climate. Farmers must bring water to their land to make crops grow. A system of canals created by American Indians hundreds of years ago still supplies much of this water today. This water comes from mountain reservoirs fed by winter snow and spring rain. However, Arizona uses far more water than it can get from its streams and storage reservoirs. The state's underground water supply is being used up faster than nature can replace it.
In 1968, the United States Congress approved funding for the Central Arizona Project. This long-range project provides for pumping large quantities of water from the Colorado River to the Phoenix and Tucson areas for agricultural and other purposes. Arizona has also begun a statewide water management and water reclamation program to meet current water needs while replenishing the state's supply of underground water.
Minerals. Arizona's mountains and plains contain large deposits of minerals, the most valuable of which is copper. Sand and gravel come from all 15 counties in the state. Other minerals in Arizona include gold, petroleum, pumice, silver, stone, uranium, and coal. Molybdenum and vanadium, which are used in hardening steel, are also present. Arizona's less important mineral resources include clay, bentonite, feldspar, gypsum, iron, lead, natural gas, quartz, and salt.
Soil. Only about an eighth of Arizona's soil is suitable for farming because of the limited amount of water available for irrigation. Soils of the plateau region in northern and eastern Arizona are thin and gray. The mountain soils of Arizona also are thin and are either brown or gray. The lowlands of southwestern Arizona have red soils. In some parts of Arizona's lowland region, the soil lies over a layer of lime rock called caliche. The rock may be so hard that power tools may be needed to dig holes.
Service industries in Arizona account for the largest portion of the gross state product. Most of the service industries in the state are concentrated in the Phoenix and Tucson areas.
Community, business, and personal services lead Arizona's service industries in terms of the gross state product. This industry also employs more people than any of the state's other economic activities. It consists of a variety of businesses, including doctors offices and private hospitals, hotels and resorts, law firms, and repair shops. Arizona's hotels and resorts receive much business from tourists during the winter.
Ranking next among the service industries of Arizona are (1) wholesale and retail trade and (2) finance, insurance, and real estate. The wholesale trade of farm products, mineral products, and motor vehicles is important in the state. Major types of retail businesses include automobile dealerships, department stores, and food stores. Circle K, a large chain of convenience stores that also provides gasoline service, has its corporate headquarters in Phoenix.
Real estate is the most important part of the finance, insurance, and real estate industry in Arizona. The state's rapidly growing population has created a strong demand for new housing. A large number of office buildings and resorts are being developed. Phoenix is Arizona's major financial center. Several large banks are based in the city.
Government ranks next among Arizona's service industries. Government services include the operation of public schools and hospitals, military establishments, and Indian reservations. Arizona State University in Tempe and Phoenix and the University of Arizona in Tucson, two of the nation's largest universities, are among the state's leading employers. Military bases in Arizona include Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Fort Huachuca Military Reservation, Luke Air Force Base, and the Yuma Proving Ground. The state has several large Indian reservations. They include the Navajo reservation, which covers most of northeastern Arizona. The federal government owns or controls over 80 percent of the state's land.
Transportation, communication, and utilities rank fifth among Arizona's service industries. America West Airlines, a major U.S. transportation company, is based in Phoenix. Phoenix is also the home of Pinnacle West, a major electric power company. Telephone companies are the most important part of the communications sector. More information about transportation and communication appears later in this section.
Manufacturing. Products made in Arizona have a value added by manufacture of about $20 billion a year. This figure represents the increase in value of raw materials after they become finished products.
Arizona's leading manufactured products, in terms of value added by manufacture, are electrical equipment, transportation equipment, and scientific instruments. Factories in Phoenix or nearby cities produce most of the state's electrical equipment. Plants in Chandler, Mesa, Phoenix, and Tempe make semiconductors and other electronic components. Electronic communication systems are manufactured in Scottsdale. Radios are made in Phoenix. Both the Phoenix and Tucson areas turn out large amounts of transportation equipment. Plants in Phoenix and Tempe make aircraft parts. A factory just outside Phoenix makes space vehicles. Guided missiles are produced in Tucson. Factories in Phoenix and Tucson produce scientific measuring instruments. Several factories in the Phoenix area make navigational equipment.
Other types of manufactured products made in Arizona, in order of value added, include printed materials, primary metals, and food products. Newspapers are the most important type of printed material made in the state. Copper is, by far, the leading type of primary metal produced in the state. Food products include soft drinks, baked goods, animal feed, and dairy products.
Agriculture. Arizona has about 7,400 farms. Farmland covers about half the state. Crops are grown on less than 5 percent of the farmland. However, they account for about half of Arizona's farm income. Livestock and livestock products account for the other half of the farm income. Most ranches in Arizona are much larger than farms that produce crops. All of Arizona's 15 counties have some irrigated land. La Paz, Maricopa, Pinal, and Yuma counties have the most productive irrigated areas in the state.
Crops account for about 55 percent of Arizona's total farming income. Cotton is the most valuable crop, and Arizona ranks among the leading cotton-producing states. Cotton production is concentrated in south-central Arizona, between Phoenix and Tucson. Arizona is also among the leading producers of lettuce and citrus fruits. Other important crops in the state include hay, barley, potatoes, and wheat.
Livestock accounts for about 45 percent of Arizona's farm income. Beef cattle are the single leading source of farm income in the state. The leading region for raising beef cattle lies just south of the central mountains. The northeastern part of the state and the valleys in the mountain region also have many cattle ranches. Northeast Arizona also has many sheep pastures. Most of the state's dairy farms lie southwest of Phoenix.
Mining. Copper provides most of Arizona's mining income. Greenlee, Pima, and Pinal counties in the southern part of the state supply most of the copper. Gila and Yavapai counties also have major copper mines. Large amounts of gold, molybdenum, and silver are recovered as by-products of copper ore.
Coal, sand and gravel, and crushed stone are also important mineral products in Arizona. Coal is obtained from surface mines in Navajo County. Maricopa and Pima counties provide the most sand and gravel. Pima and Yavapai counties have large stone quarries.
Electric power. Power plants that burn coal supply about 45 percent of the electric power generated in Arizona. Nuclear plants generate about 40 percent of the state's power. Hydroelectric plants contribute most of the rest of the remaining power.
Transportation. Arizona has about 54,000 miles (88,000 kilometers) of roads and highways. Interstate 10 connects Tucson, Phoenix, and Los Angeles. The part of Arizona north of the Colorado River is isolated from the rest of the state by the Grand Canyon. No roads cross the canyon.
Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix is the state's busiest commercial airport. Tucson has the state's second busiest airport. In 1919, Tucson became the first U.S. city to have its own municipal airport.
Several railroads provide freight service, and passenger trains serve several cities in the state. The Southern Pacific became the first railroad to enter the region when it built its line into Yuma in 1877.
Communication. Arizona's first newspaper, the Weekly Arizonian, began publication in Tubac in 1859. Today, about 90 newspapers are published in the state, including about 20 dailies. The Arizona Republic of Phoenix has the largest circulation. The Arizona Daily Star and the Tucson Citizen, both of Tucson, also have large circulations. Arizona publishers also print about 80 magazines.
The state has about 160 radio stations and 25 television stations. KTAR, then called KFAD, was Arizona's first commercial radio station. It began broadcasting in Phoenix in 1922. The state's first television station, KPHO-TV, began broadcasting from Phoenix in 1949. Today, cable television systems serve many of Arizona's communities.
ARIZONA/Government
Constitution. Arizona is governed under its original Constitution, which was adopted in 1911. The Constitution has been amended (changed) about 120 times.
All amendments must be approved by a majority of the voters in an election. Amendments may be proposed by a majority of both houses of the state Legislature, by petition from the voters, or by a constitutional convention. A convention may be called if approved by a majority vote of both houses, and then by a majority of the people voting on the question in an election.
Executive. The governor of Arizona is elected to a four-year term. The governor may serve any number of terms, but no more than two terms in a row.
Arizona has no lieutenant governor. A governor who dies or resigns is succeeded by one of the other four state officials elected by the voters. These are, in order of succession, the secretary of state, attorney general, state treasurer, and superintendent of public instruction. All serve four-year terms. They may serve any number of terms, but no more than two in a row.

Legislature consists of a 30-member Senate and a 60-member House of Representatives. Each of Arizona's 30 legislative districts elects one senator and two representatives to two-year terms. These officials may serve any number of terms, but no more than four in a row. The Legislature meets each year on the second Monday in January. Rules have been adopted to end the sessions no later than the Saturday after the 100th day. But the president of the Senate and the speaker of the House of Representatives may extend a session for a period not to exceed seven additional days. After that, the session can be extended only by a majority vote of the Legislature. The governor may call a special session, which has no time limit.
Courts. The highest court in Arizona is the state Supreme Court. Its five justices are appointed to six-year terms by the governor from a list of candidates submitted by a Commission on Appellate Court Appointments. At the end of each justice's term, voters decide whether the judge should be retained. The justices elect one of their members as chief justice for a five-year term.
A state Court of Appeals was created in 1965. This court has two divisions, one centered in Phoenix and the other in Tucson. The Phoenix division has 15 judges, and the Tucson division has six judges. All Court of Appeals judges serve six-year terms and are selected in the same way as the Arizona Supreme Court justices. Superior Courts in each county handle most major criminal and civil cases. Superior Court judges in Maricopa and Pima counties are appointed by the governor to four-year terms. In the other counties, Superior Court judges are elected by the people to four-year terms. Justice-of-the-peace courts and municipal courts deal with less important cases.
Local government in Arizona is carried on through 15 counties and about 80 cities and towns. Counties are governed by a three- or five-member board of supervisors. Supervisors are elected to four-year terms. Most counties have either a county-manager or an administrator. This official conducts the daily business of the county and is guided by the board of supervisors.
Communities with over 1,500 people may vote to incorporate their community as a city or town. Towns in Arizona are governed by councils of five or seven members, depending on the size of the community. The council elects one of its members as mayor. Some Arizona cities also use this same system. However, a city may adopt a home rule charter, which allows it to change the form of its government. More than 40 cities, including most of the largest ones, have city managers.
Revenue. Taxes provide about 60 percent of the state government's general revenue (income). Four taxes produce almost all the tax money. These are (1) a sales tax, (2) income taxes on corporations and individuals, (3) a tax on motor fuels, and (4) property taxes. Federal grants and U.S. and local government programs provide about a fourth of the general revenue. Most of the rest of the government's revenue comes from taxes on licenses.
Politics. For many years, Democrats controlled Arizona politics, particularly on the local level. Since 1950, however, Republicans have won the support of many voters in Arizona's rapidly growing cities. In 1975, Raul H. Castro, a Democrat, became the first Mexican-American governor of Arizona.
Today, the large cities of Phoenix and Tucson usually produce Republican majorities. Democratic strength is greater in rural areas and small towns. Maricopa County, in which Phoenix is located, has a majority of the state's voters. As a result, that county is extremely important in elections. Among the Republican leaders who helped make Arizona a two-party state was U.S. Senator Barry M. Goldwater, the Republican candidate for President in 1964.
Arizona has voted for Republicans in presidential elections about two-thirds of the time. In 1964, Arizona was the only state outside the South to vote for Goldwater.
ARIZONA/History

Indian days. Indians probably lived in Arizona several thousand years ago. The earliest settlements were built by three Indian tribes--the Anasazi, Hohokam, and Mogollon. The Anasazi, who lived in the north, were the ancestors of the present-day Pueblo Indians. The Hohokam, who settled in the Gila and Salt river valleys, became known for the irrigation ditches that they dug for their fields. Their descendants are the Papago and Pima Indians. The Mogollon lived in what are now eastern Arizona and New Mexico. Not long before white people came, Apache and Navajo Indians moved into the Arizona area. See INDIAN, AMERICAN (Indians of the Southwest).
Exploration. During the 1530's, stories reached the Spaniards in Mexico telling about the great wealth of the Seven Cities of Cibola. The Spaniards grew eager to find this treasure, and several expeditions set forth. None of these attempts succeeded. Marcos de Niza, a Franciscan priest, became the first white person known to enter the Arizona region. He traveled through the San Pedro Valley in 1539, on his way to hunt for the seven cities. The next year, the Spanish explorer Francisco Vasquez de Coronado searched for the treasure. He visited the Hopi and Zuni villages in what are now Arizona and New Mexico. See CIBOLA, SEVEN CITIES OF.
During the late 1600's, the Roman Catholic Church sent priests into the region to establish missions. In 1692, Father Eusebio Kino traveled as far north as the present site of Fairbank. He founded 24 missions and made long exploring trips.
The Indians tried to drive out the Spaniards several times. But the Spanish soldiers always regained any territory they had lost. In 1752, Spanish troops established the state's first white settlement, a fort at Tubac. In 1776, Tucson also became a Spanish fort. It was surrounded by thick adobe walls to protect the soldiers and their families from the Apache Indians.
Mexico won its independence from Spain in 1821, and the land that is now Arizona became part of the new country. In 1846, the United States went to war with Mexico. U.S. forces took control of the region. Under the terms of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, which ended the war in 1848, the United States took possession of New Mexico. At that time, New Mexico included Arizona as far south as the Gila River. Many Easterners opposed the treaty because they feared that slavery would be established in the newly acquired land. But the U.S. Senate approved the treaty. The Gadsden Purchase in 1853 added the region south of the Gila River to form the present boundary between the United States and Mexico. See MEXICAN WAR; GUADALUPE HIDALGO, TREATY OF; GADSDEN PURCHASE.
Territorial days. The Civil War (1861-1865) brought great political changes to Arizona. In the 1850's, the settlers had asked Congress to create an Arizona Territory, but their requests were ignored. After the Confederacy was formed, many Arizona settlers wanted to join it because they had come from the South. They chose a delegate to the Confederate Congress.
In 1862, the Confederacy sent troops to occupy the New Mexico and Arizona areas. Union forces defeated the Southerners. In 1863, the Confederate government created the Confederate Territory of Arizona. However, the action had little meaning because of the earlier military defeat.
The Confederate activity led to action by the United States. Congress created the Arizona Territory with boundaries about the same as those of the present state. On Dec. 27, 1863, John N. Goodwin officially took control of the area as territorial governor. Goodwin established his headquarters at Fort Whipple. A log house was built for him not far from the fort. The town of Prescott grew up around this house.
Indian fighting. Arizona's few settlers lived in fear of hostile Indians. The Navajo were defeated in 1864 in a campaign led by the famous scout Kit Carson. But the fierce Apaches continued to fight. Small bands of warriors made hundreds of raids on lonely ranches and outposts throughout the Southwest. Under such famous leaders as Cochise, Geronimo, and Mangas Coloradas, the Apaches even attacked forts and towns. The last raiding party under Geronimo finally surrendered on Sept. 4, 1886. See INDIAN WARS (Desert battleground); COCHISE; GERONIMO.
Territorial progress. In spite of almost constant Indian fighting, Arizona made great progress. Gold and silver discoveries brought many miners to the territory. As early as 1867, farmers in the Salt River Valley near present-day Phoenix began irrigating their fields. Ranching became a large-scale business during the 1870's. The rich copper mines of Arizona became highly developed in the 1870's and 1880's. The Southern Pacific Railroad entered Arizona from California on Sept. 30, 1877.
Statehood. Strong movements began about 1890 to make the territory a state. But Congress refused to act. In 1910, Congress permitted Arizona to draw up a constitution and apply for statehood. But again there was a delay. President William Howard Taft vetoed the bill because the proposed state constitution would have permitted the voters to remove judges from office by a process known as recall (see RECALL). This clause was taken out of the constitution, and statehood was approved. Arizona became the 48th state on Feb. 14, 1912. The people soon changed their constitution to allow the recall of judges.
Progress as a state. George W. P. Hunt, a Democrat, greatly influenced Arizona's early history. He became the state's first governor, and served seven terms. Hunt supported the development of dams and irrigation systems, and worked for laws favorable to the ranching and mining industries.
Federal projects helped the new state in water development and tourism. The first big dam providing irrigation water was the Theodore Roosevelt Dam, completed in 1911 on the Salt River above Phoenix. More dams were built during the next 25 years. Coolidge Dam on the Gila River, Bartlett Dam on the Verde River, and three more dams on the Salt River added greatly to the state's irrigated area. The biggest dam, Hoover Dam on the Colorado River, was completed in 1936. The U.S. government helped increase tourism by developing scenic and historic spots. The warm, dry climate attracted health seekers and winter visitors.
Arizona's copper production increased through the 1920's and 1930's. Agricultural production also increased as more land was irrigated. The Great Depression of the 1930's forced workers in many parts of the nation to seek new jobs. Some of them settled in Arizona. Between 1920 and 1940, the state's population grew from 334,162 to 499,261.
The mid-1900's. During World War II (1939-1945), the government built many air bases in Arizona because the large number of sunny days provided ideal flying weather. The demand for Arizona's chief products--cattle, copper, and cotton--increased rapidly during the wartime boom. Phoenix doubled in size.
The boom continued into the 1950's. Thousands of veterans who had been stationed in Arizona returned with their families to live there. Air conditioning became widespread and made life pleasant in the desert region. As a result, many people, including large numbers of retired persons, moved to Arizona from the East. The state's population rose by about 50 per cent during the 1940's and by about 74 per cent in the 1950's.
In 1948, Arizona's Indians won the right to vote. The Arizona Supreme Court struck down parts of the state Constitution that had kept Indians from voting.
Arizona shifted from an agricultural to a manufacturing economy during the 1950's and 1960's. By 1967, the value of industrial production had reached $1 billion, compared with about $600 million for agricultural products. New factories produced a wide variety of electrical and electronic goods, including appliances, computers, and refrigeration equipment. Arizona's warm winters attracted an increasing number of vacationers, and tourism began to be a major industry.
Growth in agriculture, manufacturing, and population during the 1940's and 1950's strained Arizona's water resources. By the 1960's, the state was pumping more water from its underground water supply than it was getting from rainfall. In 1963, the Supreme Court of the United States gave Arizona rights to 2,800,000 acre-feet (3.5 billion cubic meters) of water a year from the Colorado River. One acre-foot (1,233 cubic meters) is equal to 1 acre (0.4 hectare) of water 1 foot (30 centimeters) deep and will supply approximately five city dwellers for one year.
In 1965, Judge Lorna Lockwood was elected chief justice of the Arizona Supreme Court. Her election by her fellow judges made her the first woman in the United States to head a state supreme court.
Arizona's Indians made economic gains during the 1960's. Several tribes started to operate business companies, factories, and industrial and recreational areas on their reservations. Navajo Community College, the first college ever built on an Indian reservation, opened at Many Farms in 1969. The college moved to Tsaile, near Lukachukai, in 1973.
Recent developments. In 1974, construction began on the Central Arizona Project, a system of canals, tunnels, and pipelines designed to ensure the state a sufficient supply of water. The project was completed in 1991. The system covers 336 miles (541 kilometers) and extends from Lake Havasu on the Colorado River to the Saint Xavier Indian Reservation southwest of Tucson.
The solution to another long-standing problem also began to take shape in 1974, when the United States government took action in a dispute over land ownership between the Hopi and Navajo Indians. Congress gave each tribe half of a 1,800,000-acre (720,000-hectare) reservation area in northeastern Arizona. Both tribes had used the area since 1962. Indians living on the other tribe's land--mostly Navajo--had to move. In 1986, with the relocation of these Indians still not completed, the Hopi officially took possession of their half of the land.
In 1981, President Ronald Reagan appointed Arizona Judge Sandra Day O'Connor to the Supreme Court of the United States. She became its first woman member.
In 1988, Governor Evan Mecham was removed from office by the state legislature. He had been charged with illegally lending state money to his automobile dealership and trying to block an investigation into charges that one of his aides had made a death threat against a grand jury witness. The state House of Representatives impeached him. The Senate convicted Mecham on the charges, resulting in his removal from office. Secretary of State Rose Mofford succeeded him, becoming Arizona's first woman governor. In 1997, Governor Fife Symington was convicted of fraud for filing false financial statements to banks. The actions occurred while he was a real estate developer, and before he was governor. Under state law, the conviction forced him to resign.
Arizona's economy remains strong. But declining prices for copper and long labor disputes have led to severe economic problems in several mining areas.
Today, Arizona is one of the nation's fastest-growing states. Its population increased by 53 percent between 1970 and 1980 and by 35 percent between 1980 and 1990. The population growth has shifted to cities and away from rural areas.