The state of New Mexico lies in the southwestern United States, bordering Mexico. The region was part of Mexico from 1821 until 1848, when it became part of the United States. New Mexico remains a blend of three cultures—Native American, Spanish American, and American—and is the only state with two official languages, English and Spanish. The capital is Santa Fe.
The fifth-largest state, New Mexico covers an area of 121,593 square miles (314,925 square kilometers). It is shaped like a rectangle, except for a small panhandle in the southwestern corner. New Mexico is bordered by Arizona on the west, Colorado on the north, Oklahoma and Texas on the east, and Texas and the Mexican state of Chihuahua on the south.
New Mexico is called the Land of Enchantment because of its beautiful desert and mountain landscapes. The Rocky Mountains enter the state from the north. They extend southward for about 120 miles (190 kilometers) and include the state's highest point—Wheeler Peak, at 13,161 feet (4,011 meters). The eastern part of the state is a high plains region that includes the Llano Estacado, or Staked Plains. The rest of New Mexico is a high plateau with many short mountain ranges. In the northwest is a region of mesas, or flat-topped hills. The Rio Grande and the Pecos River both cross the state from north to south. The other major rivers are the Canadian, San Juan, and Gila.
New Mexico has a dry and pleasant climate. Summer days are hot, but nights are always cool. Sunshine is abundant.
New Mexico's deserts have few plants. The plains have prairie grasses and shrubs, and the mountains have evergreen forests. The state tree is the piñon, which is a small pine tree. The yucca is the state flower.
Mule deer, brown bears, minks, muskrats, and mountain lions live in the mountains. Antelopes, coyotes, and jackrabbits are found at lower elevations. The state bird is the roadrunner, which feeds on lizards, insects, and snakes in the desert.
Native Americans have lived in New Mexico for thousands of years. The largest of the state's Native American groups are the Pueblo and the Navajo. Other tribes include the Zuni, Apache, and Ute. In the early 21st century Native Americans made up about 10 percent of the state's population.
The first European settlers in the region were Spaniards who came from Mexico in the early 16th century. Today more than 40 percent of the population is of Spanish origin. About half of this group are Mexican Americans. The others are descendants of the original Spanish settlers; they are known as Hispanos. African Americans make up only about 2 percent of the state's people.
New Mexico still has a large rural population, but its cities are growing. Albuquerque, located in the central part of the state, is the state's largest city by far. It is a trading center and a health and tourist resort. Santa Fe is the oldest state capital in the United States. It is also a cultural center.
Many tourists come to New Mexico for its climate and natural beauty. The state has many resorts and dude ranches. Rodeos, skiing, and water sports are also popular.
White Sands National Monument is famous for its vast expanses of white gypsum sands, which drift into dunes up to 60 feet (18 meters) high. Carlsbad Caverns National Park is a natural wonder in southeastern New Mexico. Among its miles of underground caves is the Big Room, with a ceiling 255 feet (78 meters) high.
People also visit New Mexico to see the Native American cultures. The Acoma Indian pueblo (village) in the west-central part of the state is believed to be the oldest continuously inhabited place in the United States. The town of Gallup is the site of the Intertribal Indian Ceremonial, which attracts thousands of Native Americans and tourists every summer.
The first public schools in what is now New Mexico were opened in 1721. All classes were taught in Spanish. The first English-language school opened in Santa Fe in 1851. The state's largest institution of higher learning is the University of New Mexico, at Albuquerque.
New Mexico has much open land for grazing cattle. Modern cowboys herd animals much as they always have, but in addition to riding horses, they use pickup trucks and sometimes helicopters. The sale of cattle is the state's largest source of income from agriculture. Next in value are dairy products, especially milk.
Because of the dry climate, irrigation is important to farming in New Mexico. The main crop is hay, which is grown mainly to feed the livestock. Other crops include corn, melon, cotton, wheat, nuts, and chili peppers.
New Mexico is rich in minerals. It is among the leading states in the production of oil and natural gas. New Mexico also produces most of the nation's potash, which is a potassium compound used in agriculture and industry. Copper, coal, gold, and other minerals are also mined.
Manufacturing in New Mexico includes the production of electronic equipment, food processing, and oil refining. The federal government conducts nuclear weapon and energy research at Los Alamos National Laboratory and the Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque. Missiles and electronic systems are tested at military bases. Tourism is also important to the economy.
Native American villages dotted New Mexico long before Spanish explorers and missionaries arrived in the 16th century. The Pueblo were the largest Native American group. In 1540 Francisco Coronado led a group of Spaniards to New Mexico while searching for legendary cities of gold.
Santa Fe was founded in 1610. An Indian uprising in 1680 cleared out the Europeans for a time, but by 1700 the Spanish had reasserted their authority. Albuquerque was founded in 1706.
New Mexico became part of Mexico when that country gained its independence from Spain in 1821. By that time New Mexico had already had begun to trade with the United States over the Santa Fe Trail.
During the Mexican War (1846–48) the United States invaded New Mexico. At the end of the war Mexico was forced to give its land north of the Rio Grande, including New Mexico, to the United States. The United States Congress created the Territory of New Mexico in 1850.
Native Americans and the settlers in the area often fought one another. The Apache were particularly feared for their attacks on settlements and wagon trains. In the second half of 19th century the United States military won a series of battles against the Native American tribes and settled them on reservations.
At the same time the cattle industry developed in the territory. New Mexico saw many battles as cattlemen, sheepmen, large landowners, and small farmers all tried to protect their interests. One of the fiercest land conflicts was the Lincoln County War in the 1870s.
By the start of the 20th century agriculture was flourishing and irrigation systems had been built. New Mexico was admitted to the Union in 1912 as the 47th state.
The world's first atomic bomb was built in Los Alamos during World War II. Scientists exploded the bomb in a test on July 16, 1945, near Alamogordo. After the war New Mexico remained a center of scientific and technological research.
The population of New Mexico has grown rapidly since the 1950s. Between 1990 and 2000 the state experienced a population increase of more than 20 percent. Attracted by the mild winters, many people moved to New Mexico from the northern and eastern parts of the United States. Population (2000 census), 1,819,046.
