New Mexico
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- Where is New Mexico located in the United States?
- What is the capital of New Mexico?
- What are some important symbols found on New Mexico's state flag?
- What are the geographical features that define New Mexico's landscape?
- What is the cultural significance of the New Mexico region, particularly in relation to Native American and Hispanic heritage?
- What are some prominent historical events that took place in New Mexico?
- How does New Mexico's economy benefit from its natural resources?
- How do tourism and outdoor activities contribute to New Mexico's identity and economy?
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New Mexico,constituentstate of theUnited States of America. It became the 47th state of the union in 1912. New Mexico ranks fifth among the 50 U.S. states in terms of total area and is bounded byColorado to the north,Oklahoma andTexas to the east, Texas and the Mexican states ofChihuahua andSonora to the south, andArizona (which was part of the Territory of New Mexico from 1850 to 1863) to the west. At its northwestern corner New Mexico joins Arizona,Utah, and Colorado in the only four-way meeting of states in the United States. The capital of New Mexico isSanta Fe.
The area that is NewMexico was claimed by Spain in the 16th century, became part of Mexico in 1821, and was ceded to the United States in 1848 (through theTreaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo). Tensions between New Mexico’s Spanish American (Hispano),Native American, and Anglo populations are a continuing reminder of the bitter antagonisms that characterized the state’s long history; these tensions drive such novels asN. Scott Momaday’sHouse Made of Dawn (1968),Rudolfo Anaya’sBless Me, Ultima (1972),Leslie Marmon Silko’sCeremony (1974), andJohn Nichols’sThe Milagro Beanfield War (1974), all of which are part of the modern New Mexican literary canon. As part of the AmericanSouthwest, New Mexico shares the “Old West”legacy ofcattle drives, cowboys, and clashes between pioneers and Native Americans. Indeed, from the vastness of its slice of theGreat Plains to the rough, weather-scored peaks of its mountain ranges, New Mexico retains much of its frontier flavour.
- Capital:
- Santa Fe
- Population1:
- (2020) 2,117,522; (2024 est.) 2,130,256
- Governor:
- Michelle Lujan Grisham (Democrat)
- Date Of Admission:
- Jan. 6, 1912
- U.S. Senators:
- Martin Heinrich (Democrat)
- Ben Ray Luján (Democrat)
- State Nickname:
- Land of Enchantment
- Sunshine State
- State Motto:
- "Crescit Eundo (It Grows As It Goes)"
- State Bird:
- roadrunner
- State Flower2:
- yucca flower
- State Song:
- “O, Fair New Mexico”
- Seats In U.S. House Of Representatives:
- 3 (of 435)
- Time Zone:
- Mountain (GMT − 7 hours)
- Total Area (Sq Km):
- 314,917
Despite the traditionally agrarian nature of the state, New Mexico has become increasingly urbanized. About two-fifths of its residents live inAlbuquerque (founded 1706) and the surrounding Bernalillo county.Santa Fe, a much smaller city, was founded in 1610 and is the oldest continuously used seat of government inNorth America. It was also the terminus of theSanta Fe Trail, a wagon trail that was a major commercial and migration route fromMissouri to the Southwest from 1821 to 1880, when the railroad was completed. Area 121,590 square miles (314,917 square km). Population (2020) 2,117,522; (2024 est.) 2,130,256.
Land
Relief
New Mexico has some of the flattest land as well as some of the most rugged mountains in the country. Some portions of the state are rich in pine forests, meadows, and fish-laden mountain streams, while other areas are devoid of any water bodies, and evencacti struggle to survive. The eastern third of the state is anextension of the Great Plains that includes theLlano Estacado (“Staked Plain”), so named because of its abundance of spiky agaves (century plants). TheRocky Mountains extend into the north-central part of the state. Southwest of the Rockies is part of theBasin and Range Province, consisting of mountain ranges running in a north-south direction interspersed with valleys that are indispensable to agriculture and grazing. Northwestern New Mexico, part of theColorado Plateau, is characterized by unique volcanic formations that are a result of past lava flows. This region also contains many plains and short mountain ranges.
The average elevation ranges from 5,000 to 8,000 feet (1,500 to 2,500 meters) abovesea level in the northwest to less than 4,000 feet (1,250 meters) in the southeast. More than four-fifths of the state is higher than 4,000 feet above sea level. The highest mountain peaks,Wheeler Peak (13,161 feet [4,011 meters]) andTruchas Peak (13,103 feet [3,994 meters]), are in theSangre de Cristo Mountains in the north-central part of the state. The lowest elevation, 2,842 feet (866 meters), lies alongRed Bluff Lake in the southeastern corner of the state.
Two of New Mexico’s mostunique physical features are the caverns nearCarlsbad, which are among the most spectacular natural rock formations in the world, and the extensive gypsum sand dunes atWhite Sands National Monument in south-central New Mexico, which were created by wind and water erosion.
Drainage
Five major river systems—theRio Grande, thePecos, theCanadian, theSan Juan, and theGila—drain the state. The Rio Grande, which has played an influential role in New Mexico’s history, virtually bisects the state from north to south. Agriculture in its floodplain has been significant since prehistoric times; European settlers initially lived exclusively in its valleys and those of its tributaries, areas whereperennial supplies of water were nearby and relatively safe from attack. The Pecos, east of the Rio Grande and approximately parallel to it, was also a popular route for explorers. The Canadian River, rising in the Sangre de Cristo range and flowing east across the arid plains, was a useful avenue for explorers despite its deep canyons. TheSan Juan and Gila rivers lie west of theContinental Divide, in the northwest and southwest, respectively. All but the Gila, which is not dammed in New Mexico, provide water forirrigation, recreation, andflood control. Few other natural water bodies are found in the state, aside from artificial lakes andreservoirs, the largest of which, Elephant ButteReservoir, was created by the damming of the Rio Grande.
