ARIZONA, one of the Mountain states of
the U.S., bounded on the N by Utah, on the E by New Mexico, on the S by Mexico,
and on the W by California and Nevada. The Colorado R. forms much of the W
boundary.
Arizona entered the Union on Feb. 14, 1912, as the 48th
state. Once primarily a mining and agricultural area, the state developed a
diversified economy after 1950 and in the 1990s was an important producer of
high-technology items, notably in the Phoenix region. Arizona also enjoys
successful copper-mining, cotton-growing, and tourist industries. The name of
the state is derived from an Indian word (arizonac) believed to mean "place of
the small spring." Arizona is called the Grand Canyon State.
In most
parts of Arizona the amount of natural vegetation varies proportionately with
the amount of precipitation. The sparsely covered Sonoran Desert is known for
its cacti, including the organ-pipe cactus, the giant saguaro cactus, and the
cholla cactus. Also found the region are many types of wild flowers, creosote
bushes, mesquite, ocotillo, and yucca. At higher elevations in the state,
forests of piñon and juniper occur below the commercial timber zone,
where white and silver fir, Douglas fir, ponderosa pine, birch, ash, and elder
grow. Altogether, nearly 25% of Arizona is covered with forest, approximately
one-fifth of which contains commercially useful timber.
Big game animals in Arizona include large
numbers of white-tailed deer and mule deer and some elk, antelope, and bighorn
sheep. Buffalo roam freely in the N part of the state, and bear are found in
remote areas. Smaller animals, such as the mountain lion, badger, beaver,
otter, raccoon, muskrat, and weasel, live in mountain districts. The peccary,
or javelina, a type of wild pig, is also found here. In the Sonoran Desert,
many different species of lizard (including the Gila monster), spiders, and
snakes abound. Eagles, vultures, hawks, and owls are among Arizona's birds of
prey; game birds include wild turkey, which are limited to the higher
mountains, dove, grouse, and quail. Fish in the state's rivers and lakes
include trout, bass, crappie, and bluegill.
|
|
