New Mexico
New Mexico became a U.S. state on January 6, 1912 as the 47th state. Native Americans have been living in New Mexico for some twenty thousand years. The Pueblo, Apache, Comanche, Navajo, and Ute peoples were in the New Mexico region when Spanish settlers arrived. Spain claimed the area in 1539 and built missions to teach the Indians Christianity.
In 1821, Mexico gained its independence from Spain, and New Mexico came under Mexican control. This same year U.S. traders opened the Santa Fe Trail, connecting Missouri with Santa Fe. In 1848, the United States won the Mexican War and New Mexico became a U.S. territory.
Since 1945, New Mexico has been a leader in energy research and development with experiments conducted at Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory and Sandia Laboratories in the nuclear, solar, and geothermal areas.
The largest cities in New Mexico are Albuquerque, Las Cruces, Santa Fe and Rio Rancho.
Notable
Santa Fe is the highest capital city in the United States at 7,000 feet above sea level.
The world’s first Atomic Bomb was detonated on July 16, 1945 on the White Sands Testing Range near Alamogordo. The bomb was designed and manufactured in Los Alamos.
Each October Albuquerque hosts the world’s largest international hot air balloon fiesta.
Hatch is known as the “Green Chile capital of the world”.
Since New Mexico’s climate is so dry 3/4 of the roads are left unpaved. The roads don’t wash away.
Location
Colorado to the north, Oklahoma and Texas to the east, Texas and the Mexican states of Chihuahua and Sonora to the south, and Arizona (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.
Climate
New Mexico’s pleasant climate is one of its greatest attractions, especially for those seeking a comfortable retirement or relief from respiratory and other ailments. New Mexico’s average annual temperature is in the mid-50s F (about 12 °C), extremes can range from near 120 °F (about 48 °C) to the 50s F (about 46 °C). Variations are caused more by elevation than latitude, with temperatures falling by about 5 °F (3 °C) with every 1,000-foot (300-metre) increase in elevation. Nighttime temperatures tend to fall sharply. The average annual rainfall is about 13 inches (330 mm), though precipitation tends to increase with elevation. About 40 inches (1,000 mm) of rain fall in the higher mountains, whereas lower areas may get no more than 8 to 10 inches (200 to 250 mm).
Capital
Santa Fe
Population as of 2009
2,009,671 Ranked number 37 in the U.S.
Seats in the House of Representatives
3
Electoral College
5
Nick name
Land of Enchantment
Flower
Yucca
Bird
Roadrunner
Animal
Black Bear
