Amazing Arizona!

Date Admitted:	Feb. 14, 1912
Constitution:	48th State
Rank:	6th Largest State
Population:	5,130,632
State Motto:	God Enriches
State Song:	Arizona
State Flower:	Saguaro Cactus Blossom
State Tree:	Palo Verde
State Bird:	Cactus Wren
Gem-Stone -	Turquoise


Time Zone: Mountain (GMT -7)

Origin of state's name:
Spanish interpretation of "arizuma" an Aztec Indian word meaning "silver-bearing." Also based on Pima Indian word "arizonac" for "little spring place."

Arizona State Flag

Adopted in 1917, the Arizona state flag colors are symbolic of the sun setting over the desert, as well as representing the colors of the first settlers from Spain.

The 13 rays of red and gold on the top half of the flag represent both the 13 original colonies of the Union, and the rays of the Western setting sun. Red and gold were also the colors carried by Coronado's Spanish expedition in search of the Seven Cities of Cibola in 1540. The bottom half of the flag has the same Liberty blue as the United States flag. Since Arizona was the largest producer of copper in the nation, a copper star was placed in the flag's center.

Arizona State Seal

The great seal of Arizona features a miner. The seal has been changed many times, and the miner was in the first seal in 1863. Later added; deer,pine trees, cactus, grass and mountains. Today the miner is shown with a pick and shovel. The background of mountains with the sun rising behind the peaks. There is a storage reservoir, a dam and mountainside with a quartz mill. In the middle distance are irrigated fields and orchards reaching into foreground with a cow grazing on the right.

Geography:
The area of Arizona is 114,006 square miles. About 42% of the land is covered by desert; 25% of the land is grassland; and 33% is covered by forest. Of the land that is covered by forest 15% is national forest.

Uncle Sam owns one-half of Arizona's land; The Grand Canyon, Petrified Forest, seven national forests, and 20 national monuments, recreation areas and historical sites. Another one-quarter of the land is held in trust by the government as Indian Reservations and military facilities. What's left for Arizona? An area the size of Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire and Rhode Island combined.

Number of Counties:	15
Highest Point:	Humphreys Peak: 12,633 feet
Lowest Point:	Colorado River: 70 feet above sea level
Inland water:	492 sq.mi.
Largest City:	Phoenix
Border States:	California - Colorado - Nevada - New Mexico - Utah
Border Countries:	Mexico

Climate:
Arizona's climate is warm and arid, moderated by altitude in the mountains. Annual precipitation ranges from under 10 inches to 30 inches. View the Current Weather in Arizona's major cities, or Average, Minimum or Maximum temperature charts.

Population
Arizona was the second fastest growing state in the nation in the 1990s. Arizona’s July 1, 2004 reached 5.83 million, according to the latest estimates from the Arizona Department of Economic Security Population Statistics Unit. The Arizona population is expected to reach 11.17 million by 2050, a 118% increase of the state’s population from 5.13 million in 2000.

Demographics
Arizona’s population is slightly younger than the national average, with more young adults (20 to 29) and children, but fewer middle-aged residents (age 35 to 54). The state’s median age is 34.2, while the nation’s is 35.4 years. The proportion of people younger than 25, as well as those over 65, is roughly the same as the United States as a whole. Persons in their prime working years between 25 and 64 represent over 50 percent of Arizona’s population. (Source: Arizona Department of Commerce)

Arizona is Famous for:
Grand Canyon, Painted Desert, Petrified Forest, Copper Mines, Gila Monster, Lake Mead (largest manmade lake in the world), Tombstone (Wyatt Earp's fight at the OK Corral), and Cliff Dwellings, among other things.

Mineral-rich Arizona

Everyone knows that Arizona leads the country in copper production, but few realize that the state also leads the nation in molybdenum output. This unusual mineral looks similar to graphite, but is a bluer grey. When used as an alloy, it gives steel its hardness and durability.

Arizona also ranks second in the nation in production of gemstones, 3rd in

perlite - a generic term for naturally occurring siliceous rock. The distinguishing feature which sets perlite apart from other volcanic glasses is that when heated to a suitable point in its softening range, it expands from four to twenty times its original volume.)
4th in construction sand and gravel, silver and zeolites - zeolites are a popular group of minerals for collectors and an important group of minerals for industrial and other purposes. They combine rarity, beauty, complexity and unique crystal habits.
5th in pumice, and sixth in iron oxide pigments.

Gemstones are created from blue azurite and green malachite. Malachite is an important ore of copper and azurite’s royal blue color is due to the presence of copper (a strong coloring agent), and the way the copper chemically combines with the carbonate groups (CO₃) and hydroxyls (OH)

Green malachite is closely associated with azurite in many ways. Not only do they frequently occur together they also have very similar formulae.


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