Arizona Info
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Capital
City: Phoenix
Economy: Tourism, communications,
high technology, mining, agriculture and manufacturing.
Population: 5,130,632
Time Zone: 7 hours behind Greenwich
Mean Time (-7 GMT). Daylight Saving Time is observed only on the Navajo
Reservation, from the first Sunday in April to the last Sunday in October.
The rest of the state does not observe Daylight Saving Time
Arizona's Flag:
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.
History of Arizona:
Marcos de Niza, a Spanish Franciscan friar, was the first European to explore
Arizona. He entered the area in 1539 in search of the mythical Seven Cities
of Gold. Although he was followed a year later by another gold seeker, Francisco
Vásquez de Coronado, most of the early settlement was for missionary
purposes. In 1775 the Spanish established Fort Tucson. In 1848, after the
Mexican War, most of the Arizona territory became part of the U.S., and
the southern portion of the territory was added by the Gadsden Purchase
in 1853. In 1973 one of the world's most massive dams, the New Cornelia
Tailings, was completed near Ajo. Arizona history is rich in legends of
America's Old West. It was here that the great Indian chiefs Geronimo and
Cochise led their people against the frontiersmen. Tombstone, Ariz., was
the site of the West's most famous shoot-out—the gunfight at the O.K.
Corral. Today, Arizona has one of the largest U.S. Indian populations; more
than 14 tribes are represented on 20 reservations. Manufacturing has become
Arizona's most important industry. Principal products include electrical,
communications, and aeronautical items. The state produces over half the
country's copper. Agriculture is also important to the state's economy.
State attractions include the Grand Canyon, the Petrified Forest, and the
Painted Desert. Hoover Dam, Lake Mead, Fort Apache, and the reconstructed
London Bridge at Lake Havasu City are of particular interest.
Other Arizona Links:
Arizona Department of Education
Arizona Department of Library Archives
and Public Records
Arizona Office of Tourism
Arizona State Chamber of Commerce
League of Arizona Cities and Towns |
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