Table of Contents

Introduction                                                                    3

Statehood                                                                         4

Arizona's Flag                                                                10

Geography                                                                      12

Geographic Areas                                                         18       

    The Colorado Plateau                                                19

    The Transition Zone                                                   22   

    The Basin and Range Area                                        25

Arizona's Capital                                                           29

Conclusion                                                                      38

Glossary                                                                           40

Index                                                                                44

     When people think of Arizona, they often think of barren deserts and hot temperatures.   It's true!  Northern Arizona is part of the Great Basin (a huge desert covering several states).  It is also home to the Mohave Desert, The Chihuahuan Desert, and the  Sonoran Desert where summers are smoldering hot, and winter is marked with mild, pleasant weather.  But Arizona is so much more than just its deserts.  Arizona is an amazing state with many exciting places to see and explore.  Welcome to Arizona!

Introduction

History

      Statehood.  It was not easy for Arizona to become a state.   Congressmen thought the land in Arizona was too desolate to help the US.  Even though people in  Arizona tried for statehood as early as 1863, it took them 49 years to convince Congress that Arizona should be its own state.   

    Arizona finally became a state on February 14, 1912. Children all over the state celebrated this wonderful day. In Phoenix, there was a big parade with decorations in red, white, and blue. The parade was filled with cowboys on horses, people in cars, and marching bands.

Left:  These cars are similar to the cars people drove in 1912.  

     Before the parade, Arizona inaugurated its first governor, George W. P. Hunt.  The inauguration began with a canon salute.  The plan was for 48 canons to be fired that day to honor Arizona becoming the 48th state to join the Union.  

Right:  This canon is on display in Camp, Verde, AZ.

But the noise of the booming canons broke windows and scared the horses waiting for the parade to start.  The horses bucked and threw their riders to the ground! The canon salute had to be stopped after only 38 canons had been fired. 

Left:  Horses are an important part of any parade, even in modern times.

     Other Celebrations.   Everyone was very excited when Arizona finally became a state. People in Bisbee ignited 48 sticks of dynamite, making a huge explosion.

Right:  People all over Arizona celebrated becoming the 48th state with fireworks displays.

In the town of Snowflake, people ignited explosives under an anvil, and it flew high into the sky because of the huge explosion.  In Tucson, the day was made a holiday, and students were allowed to stay home from school.  In Prescott, children planted a statehood tree that still stands today.  Arizonans were very excited to join the US in 1912.  

Above:  The statehood tree planted in Prescott in 1912 stands over 100 feet tall today. 

Left:  This is the plaque that the children placed under the statehood tree.

Arizona's Flag

 Symbolism.   Arizona's flag is filled with symbolism.  The copper colored star in the middle represents copper mining.  Arizona is one of the largest producers of copper in the United States.

The bottom half of the flag is a solid blue that is the same color as the blue on the US flag.  Some say it represents the Colorado River, and some say it represents patriotism.

Above:  The Arizona flag display can be seen at the park at Arizona's capitol museum.

         The top half of the flag has 13 red and yellow stripes.  The red and yellow colors represent Arizona's beautiful sunsets, and the 13 stripes represent the 13 original colonies of the United States. 

Above:  Arizona's colorful sunsets are represented in the flag's yellow and red stripes.

Geography

     Geography is the study of places.  When we study geography we can study maps, types of land or land features, and how people interact with and affect the land.  

       Arizona is located in the southwestern part of the United States.  

Arizona is surrounded by five states:  California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, and New Mexico.

Arizona meets with Utah, Colorado, and New Mexico at Four Corners.  It is the only place in the United States where four states meet at a perfect corner.

Four Corners

You can visit the Four Corners Monument.  It is part of the Navajo Nation. When you are there, you can be in four states at once!  

Left:  A tourist (the author!) visits four corners and "stands" in four states at once.

Mexico is the country to the south of Arizona.  Arizona borders the Mexican state of Sonora.

Geographic Areas

     A geographic area is a way to organize land and places.  Arizona organizes its land into three main geographic areas:  the Colorado Plateau, the Transition Zone, and the Basin and Range Area.  These three land areas have very different types of land.

The Colorado Plateau

     The northeastern part of the state is called the Colorado Plateau.  The area is filled with tall mountains,  deep canyons, and high altitude plains.  The Colorado Plateau is home to Arizona's tallest mountain, Mount Humphreys.  It is also home to the Grand Canyon and the Painted Desert. 

Right:  The Painted Desert is an example of a high altitude plain in the Colorado Plateau.  The Painted Desert is part of the Great Basin, and it is also a part of the Navajo Nation.

The Grand Canyon.  The Grand Canyon is part of the Colorado Plateau.  It is one of the deepest and most famous canyons in the United States.

Above:  The Colorado River runs through the Grand Canyon.

Left:  You can see how deep the Grand Canyon is in this image taken from a helicopter.

The Colorado River. The Colorado River begins in Colorado, but it also runs through Arizona.  It starts in the north at Lake Powell and goes through the Grand Canyon in the Colorado Plateau.  The Colorado River also forms the curvy, western border of the state.  The Colorado River is one of the most important water sources in the state of Arizona.

Above:  The Colorado River forms the curvy western border of Arizona.

The Transition Zone

    The Transition Zone is in the middle of Arizona, and this area is known for its steep cliffs and pine forests.  This is the area where the land transitions, or changes, from the Colorado Plateau to the Basin and Ridge area.  

Above:  The Transition Zone is made of steep cliffs and pine forests, as seen in these two photographs.

The Mogollan Rim.  The Mogollan Rim, which forms the southern edge of the Colorado Plateau, is part of the transition zone.  This rim, which is made of steep cliffs, is over 200 miles long.

Below and Right:  The Mogollan Rim is the southern edge of the Colorado Plateau.  It is made of steep cliffs.

Ancient People.  The steep cliffs of the Transition Zone made rocky overhangs that provided shelter for people who lived in the area. These ancient people, called the Sinagua people, built cliff dwellings.  There are many of these cliff dwelling sites in the Transition Zone.  

Left:  Montezuma's Castle is a cliff dwelling site of the Sinagua people.  Today, it is a National Monument.

Right:  The ruins at Honanki near Sedona are another Sinagua cliff dwelling site.

The Basin and Range Area

     The southern part of Arizona is called the Basin and Range Area.  There are three deserts with basins and many rugged mountain ranges in the Basin and Range Area. 

Above:  The mountains of the Basin and Range area are rugged.

Right:  These mountains near Tucson are part of the Sonoran Desert, which makes up a large portion of the Basin and Range area.

Mohave Desert.  The Mohave Desert is mainly in California and Nevada, but it also stretches into the northwestern part of Arizona.  It is known for its Joshua Trees.

Right:  The Joshua Tree is native to the Mohave Desert.  Although it looks like a tree, it is really a succulent plant that is able to store water for long periods of time.

Sonoran Desert.  The Sonoran Desert is the biggest desert in Arizona.  It covers most of the southern part of the state.  There are many plants and animals unique to the Sonoran Desert, including the Saguaro Cactus.

Left:  The saguaro cactus grows only in the Sonoran Desert.

The Chihuahuan Desert.  The Chihuahuan Desert is mostly in Mexico and is named for the Mexican state of Chihuahua.  This desert covers parts of Texas, New Mexico, and southeastern Arizona. 

Arizona's Capital

Phoenix

     Every state has a capital city.  This is where the government is, and this is where lawmakers make new laws for the people who live in the state.  Arizona's capital city is in Phoenix.

     Today, Arizona's capital city is Phoenix.  However, it wasn't always that way.  When Arizona was a territory, the capital city was in Prescott, and then it moved to Tucson.  Finally, in 1889, the capital moved to Phoenix where it has been since then.

Right:  Arizona's capitol building was built in 1901, and served as the territorial capitol until Arizona became a state in 1912.