Arizona
Arizona became the forty-eighth state to enter into the union on February 14, 1912. It is known as the Grand Canyon State. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. [1]
| Capital | Phoenix |
|---|---|
| Nickname | The Grand Canyon State |
| Official Language | English |
| Governor | Janice K. Brewer, R |
| Senator | Jon Kyl, R (202) 224-4521 Contact |
| Senator | John McCain, R (202) 224-2235 Contact |
| Ratification of Constitution/or statehood | February 14, 1912 |
| Flag of Arizona | Motto: "Ditat Deus"(God Enriches) |
Geography & Population
- The state is bordered by the following states: California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, and New Mexico, as well as Mexico.
- Total Land Area: 113,635 square miles
- Highest Elevation: 12,633 ft (Humphreys Peak)
- Population (in 2005): 5,939,292
- Most populated cities in Arizona:
- Phoenix, Population: 1,321,045
- Tucson, Population: 486,699
- Mesa, Population: 396,375
- Glendale, Population: 218,812
- Scottsdale, Population: 202,705 [2]
Arizona has a large population of people of Native American descent. The Indian tribes who inhabited the land that is now Arizona include the Apache, Navajo, Mojave and Yavapai. [3]
Political culture
In more recent years, the Republican Party has generally dominated Arizona politics. In 2004, President George W. Bush won the state's ten electoral votes by a margin of 10 percentage points with 55% of the vote. Republicans control both chambers of the state legislature. Their two United States Senator's are also Republicans. The only statewide Democratic Arizona officials was Ex-Governor Janet Napolitano and Attorney General Terry Goddard. However, Arizona became the first U.S. state to vote against an anti-gay marriage amendment in the 2006 midterm elections. Although gay marriage is still illegal in Arizona, this amendment would have abolished civil unions and domestic partnerships for homosexual couples.
Notable Arizonans
- Barry Goldwater (Politician)
- Frank Lloyd Wright (Architect)
- Stewart Udall (former Congressman and Secretary of the Interior)
- Cesar Chavez (Labor leader)
- Erma Bombeck (Writer)
State Motto
The state motto is: "Ditat Deus," (God Enriches).
Elected Officials
Federal
- Senator John McCain (R)
- Senator Jon Kyl (R)
- Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick [D, AZ-1]
- Rep. Trent Franks [R, AZ-2]
- Rep. John Shadegg [R, AZ-3]
- Rep. Edward Pastor [D, AZ-4]
- Rep. Harry Mitchell [D, AZ-5]
- Rep. Jeff Flake [R, AZ-6]
- Rep. Raul Grijalva [D, AZ-7]
- Rep. Gabrielle Giffords [D, AZ-8]
Statewide
- Governor Jan Brewer (R)
- Attorney General Terry Goddard (D)
- Secretary of State
- State Treasurer Dean Martin (R)
References
See Also