Navajo Nation: The Land The Navajo Nation is the largest Indian reservation in the United States, comprising about 16 million arcres, or about 25,000 square miles, approximately the size of the state of West Virginia. Some of the most photographed scenery in the United States is on the reservation, notably Monument Valley near Kayenta, Arizona, and Canyon de Chelly near Chinle, Arizona. The geological history of the area is so apparent and stunning that it begs close investigation. Volcanic plugs and cinder cones, uplifted domes of rock that form mountains, and twisted meandering streams that have carved canyons over many hundreds of years make the high desert plateau inhabited by the Navajo people among the most interesting locations to live and work in the United States. Average precipitation on the Reservation ranges from five inches in the lower elevations to 25 inches in the heights. Some of this is in the form of snow. The entire area is subject to winter snow and temperatures below freezing; summer temperatures may top 100 degrees with extreme aridity. During the late summer, seasonal torrential rains render many unpaved roads impassible and flash floods common to the Southwest US are not uncommon. THE LAND HISTORY - THE PEOPLE LIFESTYLE