Arizona

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Arizona State Seal.jpg
Arizona
Capital Phoenix
Nickname The Grand Canyon State
Official Language English
Governor Janice K. Brewer, R
Senator John McCain, R
(202) 224-2235
Contact
Senator Jon Kyl, R
(202) 224-4521
Contact
Ratification of Constitution/or statehood February 14, 1912
Flag of Arizona Motto: "Ditat Deus"(God Enriches)

Arizona on February 14, 1912 became the forty-eighth state to enter the union. It is known as the Grand Canyon State. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. [1]

Arizona has always been politically conservative, but until 1952 the conservative Democrats were in control. Thanks to Barry Goldwater, Republicans built a strong base and controlled the electoral vote. In recent years, the state has gained population rapidly and the two parties are evenly matched.

The growth engine of large scale immigration from California and Mexico, and housing construction collapsed with the Recession of 2008, and the economy is struggling.

Geography & Population

Tucson1.jpg
  • 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, and in 2008 John McCain won the state with 54% of the vote. Republicans control both chambers of the state legislature. Their two United States Senators are Republican. The lone Democrat to hold statewide office is Attorney General Samuel 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. Arizona has consistently been a red state in presidential elections since 1952, except in 1996 when Bill Clinton won the state. Excepting Clinton, the last Democrat to win Arizona in a presidential election was Harry Truman in 1948.

Notable Arizonans

Elected Officials

Federal

Governor Jan Brewer

Statewide

References