Arizona

• Population- 5, 940,000
• Capital- Phoenix
• Largest cities– Phoenix, Tucson, Mesa
• Time zone- Mountain
• Date of Admission to the Union- February 14, 1912
• Slogan- Ditat Deus, or “God Enriches”
• State website URL- www.az.gov

Arizona is noted for its collection of natural wonders: the Grand Canyon and the Petrified Forest. Yuma, one of the larger cities, has the distinction of being one of the hottest in the U.S. But Yuma is also well known for its date and citrus farms. A more peculiar phenomenon makes Arizona a popular tourists spot--the state apparently has one of the highest counts of recorded UFO sightings in the U.S. In fact some of the most publicized sightings have come out of Arizona.

In the northeast corner of the state very large tracts of land belong to the Navajo and Hopi Indians. This was western territory renowned for battles like that at the O.K. Corral, which also serves as a popular tourist spot. Mining still goes on, though most of it is modern-day copper mining. Arizona reportedly sits atop some of the richest stores of copper.

At its border with Mexico, Arizona struggles with a continual stream of illegal immigrants. While crossing borders in neighboring states has become challenging, it seems that Arizona’s relatively remote areas offer more opportunity for illegal crossings. Perhaps it was this ruggedness that lent itself to the World War II internment camps located in the state. Japanese residents were interred to camps for the duration of the war and foreign POWs were held at camps strategically located within the state’s borders.

The desert border may be wild and scraggly, but urban and suburban areas figure significantly within the state. Mesa, primary suburb of Phoenix is the largest suburban area in the U.S.

The distance-learning pioneer, University of Phoenix, was founded in Phoenix where its main campus is still located. The state’s community colleges rank about as well as the state universities thanks to redistricting that put the schools into the hands of regional directors.

Much of Arizona does not recognize Daylight Savings Time.