Arizona Facts |
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Nickname: |
Grand Canyon State |
Motto: |
Ditat Deus “God Enriches” |
Became a Territory: |
February 24, 1863 |
Entered the Union: |
February 14, 1912 (48th state to enter the Union) |
Capital: |
Phoenix |
Largest City: |
Phoenix |
State Flag: |
The 13 rays of red and gold on the top section of the flag represent the 13 original colonies of the Union and the rays of the Western setting sun. Red and gold were the colors carried by Coronado's Spanish expedition in search of the Seven Cities of Cibola in 1540. The color of the bottom section of the flag is the same Liberty blue as on the American flag. Since Arizona was the largest producer of copper in the United States, a copper color star was placed in the flag's center. |
Seal:
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The official state seal was adopted in 1911. Included on the seal is a miner beside an irrigated field with the sun rising in the background. From its original design, the seal has developed over the years to capture the essence of Arizona. My son, John Kyl, has traced this transformation which I discuss in my column “Ditat Deus”: Our Strange and Wonderful Seal. |
Arizona’s 5 Cs: |
Traditionally recognized as the driving force behind Arizona’s economy, the 5 Cs represent important industries in the state in its early years: cattle, citrus, climate, copper and cotton. |
Elected Officials |
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Governor: |
Jan Brewer (R) |
John McCain (R) and Jon Kyl (R) |
House Members: |
Ann Kirkpatrick (D) - 1st District |
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Trent Franks (R) - 2nd District |
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John Shadegg (R) - 3rd District |
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Ed Pastor (D) - 4th District |
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Harry Mitchell (D) - 5th District |
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Jeff Flake (R) - 6th District |
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Raul Grijalva (D) - 7th District |
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Gabrielle Giffords (D) - 8th District |
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Arizona Counties |
County Name: |
County Seat: |
Apache |
St. Johns |
Cochise |
Bisbee |
Coconino |
Flagstaff |
Gila |
Globe |
Graham |
Safford |
Greenlee |
Clifton |
La Paz |
Parker |
Maricopa |
Phoenix |
Mohave |
Kingman |
Navajo |
Holbrook |
Pima |
Tucson |
Pinal |
Florence |
Santa Cruz |
Nogales |
Yavapai |
Prescott |
Yuma |
Yuma |
Geographic Statistics |
Land Area: |
113,635 square miles |
Water Area: |
492 square miles |
Highest Point: |
Humphreys Peak, 12,633 feet above sea level |
Lowest point: |
Colorado River, 70 feet above sea level |
Geographic center: |
55 miles ESE of Prescott in Yavapai County |
Number of lakes: |
31 |
Largest natural lake: |
Mormon Lake |
Navigable rivers: |
24 |
Highest Temperature: |
128˚ at Lake Havasu, June, 1994 |
Lowest Temperature: |
-40˚ at Hawley Lake, January, 1971 |
Population: |
6,500,180 (2008 Estimate) |
State Symbols |
Song: |
Arizona March Song and Arizona |
Colors: |
Federal Blue and Old Gold |
Neckwear: |
Bola tie |
Bird: |
Cactus Wren |
Butterfly: |
Two-tailed Swallowtail |
Fish: |
AZ Trout (Oncorhynchus gilae apache) |
Flower: |
Saguaro Blossom (Carnegiea gigantea) |
Tree: |
Palo Verde |
Mammal: |
Ring-tailed cat (Bassariscus astutus) |
Reptile: |
Arizona Ridgenose Rattlesnake |
Amphibian: |
Arizona Treefrog (Hyla eximia) |
Fossil: |
Petrified wood |
Gemstone: |
Turquoise |
Insect: |
Two-tailed Swallowtail Butterfly |
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State Sports |
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Arizona Cardinals - Football - NFL
Arizona Diamondbacks – Baseball - MLB
Phoenix Coyotes - Ice Hockey - NHL
Phoenix Suns – Basketball - NBA
Phoenix Mercury - Women’s Basketball - WNBA |
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Public Arizona Universities: |
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University of Arizona (U of A)
Arizona State University (ASU)
Northern Arizona University (NAU) |
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