Arizona Education
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Schools
Arizona has a comprehensive statewide educational system. Many of the
state's cultural institutions are concentrated in its major cities,
notably Tucson and Phoenix.
Education
Although the first schools in Arizona were established by Spanish
missionaries in the 17th century, the area's first public school was not
opened until 1864, in Prescott. By the late 1980s Arizona had 1026
public elementary and secondary schools with a total yearly enrollment
of 451,300 elementary pupils and 156,300 secondary students. In
addition, some 35,500 students attended private schools.
Arizona State University, the state's oldest institution of higher
education, was established in 1885 in Tempe. By the the late 1980s
Arizona had 37 colleges and universities with a total annual enrollment
of approximately 252,600 students. Besides Arizona State, notable
schools included Northern Arizona University (1899), in Flagstaff; the
University of Arizona, in Tucson; and Navajo Community College (1969),
in Tsaile, the first United States college to be established on a Native
American reservation.
Arizona, one of the Mountain states
of the United States, bounded on the north by Utah, on the east by New
Mexico, on the south by Mexico, and on the west by California and
Nevada. The Colorado River forms much of the western boundary.
Arizona entered the Union on February 14, 1912, as the 48th state. Once
primarily a mining and agricultural area, the state developed a
diversified economy after 1950 and in the early 1990s was an important
producer of high-technology items, notably in the Phoenix region.
Arizona also enjoys successful copper-mining, cotton-growing, and
tourist industries. The name of the state is derived from a Native
American word (arizonac) believed to mean “place of the small spring.”
Arizona is called the Grand Canyon State.
Land and Resources
Arizona is the sixth largest U.S. state, with an area of 295,276 sq km
(114,006 sq mi). It encompasses terrain that ranges in elevation from 21
m (70 ft) above sea level, along the Colorado River near Yuma, to 3851 m
(12,633 ft), atop Humphreys Peak, in the San Francisco Mountains north
of Flagstaff. The approximate mean elevation is 1251 m (4100 ft). The
state is roughly rectangular in shape, and its extreme dimensions are
about 635 km (about 395 mi) from north to south and about 555 km (about
345 mi) from east to west. The federal government owns 42% of Arizona's
land area.
Physical Geography
Arizona can be divided into three geographic regions—the Sonoran Desert,
in the southwest; the Colorado Plateau, in the north; and the Mexican
Highland, mainly in the central and southeastern parts of the state.
The Sonoran Desert, also known as the Gila Desert, is an arid area
consisting mostly of broad stream-carved valleys, with isolated
mountains rising above the alluvial soil deposited by flood-waters of
modern and ancient streams. Ranges in the region include the Big Horn,
Castle Dome, Gila Bend, Harcuvar, and Maricopa mountains. The southern
edge of the Colorado Plateau region, which contains a number of level
plateaus and several mountains and deep gorges, is marked by the
Mogollon Rim, which has elevations ranging between about 2000 and 2500 m
(about 6560 and 8200 ft). From the edge of the plateau the land slopes
gently to the north; higher elevations are in the northeast. In the
western part of the region lies the spectacular Grand Canyon; in the
center is the Painted Desert, along the Little Colorado River; and in
the southeast is the Petrified Forest. Between the Sonoran Desert and
the Colorado Plateau is the Mexican Highland, a series of valleys and
mountains taking in lofty areas such as the White Mountains near the
border with New Mexico.
Rivers and Lakes
Virtually all of Arizona is drained by the Colorado River and its
tributaries, notably the Little Colorado and Gila. The waters of the
Salt, Santa Cruz, San Pedro, and Verde rivers join the Gila before
entering the Colorado. Many of Arizona's smaller rivers do not flow
year-round, but only after periods of considerable rainfall.
Dams along the Colorado have created several large, elongated lakes,
such as Powell, Mead, Mohave, and Havasu, all of which lie partly in
neighboring states. Similar artificial lakes are on the Gila, Salt, and
Verde rivers.
Climate
Because of the variety of Arizona's topography, the average annual
temperature and precipitation vary widely. Nevertheless, the state can
be divided into three distinct climatic zones. The arid Sonoran Desert
is hot in summer but experiences frost in most winters. Most of the
Sonoran Desert receives less than about 200 m (about 8 in) of
precipitation each year. The Colorado Plateau region is hot and
relatively dry in summer and windy and cold in winter. In most parts of
the region annual precipitation is less than 400 mm (about 16 in). The
Mexican Highland region receives significant precipitation in both the
summer and the winter, and yearly precipitation in lofty sections can
reach about 760 mm (about 30 in). Temperatures in summer are appreciably
lower than in the Sonoran Desert, and temperatures on winter nights are
generally below freezing (0° C/32° F). The recorded temperature in
Arizona has ranged from -40° (-40° F), in 1971 near McNary, to 52.8° C
(127° F), in 1905 at Parker.
Plants and Animals
In most parts of Arizona the amount of natural vegetation varies
proportionately with the amount of precipitation. The sparsely covered
Sonoran Desert is known for its cacti, including the organ-pipe cactus,
the giant saguaro cactus, and the cholla cactus. Also found in the
region are many types of wild flowers, creosote bushes, mesquite,
ocotillo, and yucca. At higher elevations in the state, forests of piñon
and juniper occur below the commercial timber zone, where white and
silver fir, Douglas fir, ponderosa pine, birch, ash, and elder grow.
Altogether, nearly 25% of Arizona is covered with forest, approximately
one-fifth of which contains commercially useful timber.
Big game animals in Arizona include large numbers of white-tailed deer
and mule deer and some elk, antelope, and bighorn sheep. Buffalo roam
freely in the northern part of the state, and bear are found in remote
areas. Smaller animals, such as the mountain lion, badger, beaver,
otter, raccoon, muskrat, and weasel, live in mountain districts. The
peccary, or javelina, a type of wild pig, is also found here. In the
Sonoran Desert, many different species of lizard (including the Gila
monster), spiders, and snakes abound. Eagles, vultures, hawks, and owls
are among Arizona's birds of prey; game birds include wild turkey, which
are limited to the higher mountains, dove, grouse, and quail. Fish in
the state's rivers and lakes include trout, bass, crappie, and bluegill.
Mineral Resources
Arizona contains a variety of minerals, including large-scale deposits
of low-grade copper ore, coal, sand and gravel, and stone. Other
minerals are gold, silver, lead, tin, molybdenum, zinc, vanadium,
manganese, mercury, uranium, petroleum, and natural gas.
Population
According to the 1990 census, Arizona had 3,665,228 inhabitants, an
increase of 34.8% over 1980; Arizona was the third fastest growing state
in the U.S., after Nevada and Alaska. The average population density in
1990 was 12 people per sq km (32 per sq mi). Whites made up 80.8% of the
population and blacks 3%. There were also 203,009 Native Americans (5.6%
of the total). The two major Native American groups were the Navajo (see
NAVAJO INDIANS) and the Hopi; California and Oklahoma were the only
states with larger Native American populations. Some 688,338 persons,
about 19% of the total population, were of Hispanic background. Mostly
of Mexican descent, Hispanics were concentrated in the southern half of
the state. Roman Catholics made up the largest single religious group,
accounting for 23.9% of the population, followed by Baptists (11.6%),
Methodists (6.6%), and Mormons (4.9%). In 1990, about 88% of the people
of Arizona lived in areas defined as urban, and the rest lived in rural
areas. The state's largest cities were Phoenix, the capital; Tucson;
Mesa; Glendale; Tempe; and Scottsdale.
Cultural Institutions
Many of Arizona's foremost museums are located in Tucson and Phoenix.
The Arizona Historical Society, Tucson Museum of Art, the University of
Arizona Museum of Art, Arizona State Museum, and Arizona-Sonora Desert
Museum are in Tucson, and the Arizona Mineral Museum, Phoenix Art
Museum, Heard Museum, and Pueblo Grande Museum are in Phoenix. Tucson is
also the site of the Flandrau Science Center and Planetarium, the
Arizona Opera Company, and the Tucson Symphony Orchestra. Phoenix
contains the Desert Botanical Garden, the Phoenix Zoo, and the Phoenix
Symphony Orchestra. Three museums of special interest are the Navajo
Tribal Museum, in Window Rock; the Mohave Museum of History and Arts, in
Kingman; and the Colorado River Indian Tribes Museum, in Parker.
Historical Sites
A number of Arizona's historical sites include remains of early Native
American cultures. Among these are Canyon de Chelly, Casa Grande,
Montezuma Castle, Navajo, and Wupatki national monuments. Dating from
more recent times are Hubbell Trading Post National Historic Site, near
Ganado, a still-active post for trade with Native Americans; London
Bridge, transported from England, in Lake Havasu City; the Old
Governor's Mansion, completed in 1864, in Prescott; and Mission San
Xavier del Bac, established in 1700, in Tucson.
Sports and Recreation
Arizona's mountains, parks, rivers, and lakes provide ideal conditions
for hunting, fishing, camping, hiking, boating, swimming, skiing, and
horseback riding. Among Arizona's favorite outdoor spots are the Glen
Canyon and Lake Mead national recreation areas.
Communications
In the early 1990s Arizona had 73 AM and 76 FM radiobroadcasting
stations and 27 television stations. The state's first radio station,
KFAD in Phoenix, was licensed in 1922. KPHO-TV in Phoenix, the first
commercial television station, began operation in 1949. The Weekly
Arizonian, Arizona's first newspaper, was initially published in Tubac
in 1859. By the early 1990s Arizona had 20 daily newspapers with a total
daily circulation of about 737,400 copies. Influential dailies include
the Arizona Republic and the Phoenix Gazette, in Phoenix, and the
Arizona Daily Star and Tucson Citizen, in Tucson.
Government and Politics
Arizona is governed under its original constitution, adopted in 1911 and
put into effect in 1912, as amended. An amendment to the constitution
may be proposed by the legislature, by a voters' initiative, or by a
constitutional convention. To be adopted, a proposed amendment must be
approved by a majority of the persons voting on the issue in an
election.
Executive
The chief executive of Arizona is a governor who is popularly elected to
a 4-year term and may be reelected any number of times. The same
regulations apply to the secretary of state, who succeeds the governor
should the latter resign, die, or be removed from office. Other elected
state officers include the attorney general, treasurer, superintendent
of public instruction, mine inspector, and the corporation commissioner.
Legislature
The bicameral Arizona legislature is made up of a senate and a house of
representatives. The 30 members of the senate and the 60 members of the
house are elected to serve 2-year terms.
Judiciary
Arizona's highest court, the supreme court, is composed of 5 justices
who serve 6-year terms. The intermediate court of appeals has 21 judges
who serve 6-year terms, and the major trial courts, the superior courts,
have 116 judges who serve 4-year terms. Supreme court justices and court
of appeals judges are appointed by the governor.
Local Government
Arizona has 15 counties and 86 municipalities. Most counties are
governed by either a three- or five-member elected board of supervisors.
Many cities employ the council-manager form of government.
National Representation
Arizona elects two senators and six representatives to the U.S.
Congress. The state has eight electoral votes in presidential elections.
Politics
In both state and national elections Arizona was a stronghold of the
Democratic party from the advent of statehood until the early 1950s. The
election of a conservative Republican, Barry M. Goldwater, to the U.S.
Senate in 1952 marked the emergence of a Republican trend that continued
into the 1980s. In 1988 Republican Governor Evan Mecham (1925- ), found
guilty by the Arizona senate on two charges of official misconduct,
became the first U.S. governor to be impeached and removed from office
since 1929.
Economy
In the 20th century Arizona has experienced remarkable economic growth,
developing from a region of scattered mining, ranching, and
cotton-growing operations into a state with a diversified modern
economy. In the early 1990s the chief employers were commercial firms,
government agencies, service industries (especially health services) and
manufacturing concerns.
Agriculture
Arizona has some 8000 farms, averaging about 1820 hectares (about 4500
acres)—the highest such average of any U.S. state. About 58% of the
annual farm income derives from the sale of crops, and the rest comes
from sales of livestock and livestock products. The most valuable
agricultural commodities are cattle, cotton, dairy products, vegetables,
and hay. Citrus fruits and lettuce are also significant sources of
income.
Crop farming in Arizona depends almost entirely on irrigation. Most
cultivated land is in the south, especially in the Salt River valley,
near Phoenix. Citrus fruit, particularly oranges and grapefruit, market
vegetables, and alfalfa all occupy much farmland around Phoenix, but the
leading cash crop in the region is cotton, which occupies more than 40%
of the entire state's cropland. Elsewhere in Arizona productive
agricultural land is found along the upper Gila River, in several basins
between Phoenix and Tucson, and near the lower Colorado River. In the
Colorado Plateau region of northern Arizona are numerous large ranches
on which livestock is raised, but few crop farms.
Forestry and Fishing
Arizona has a relatively small lumbering industry, the annual cut being
composed almost exclusively of softwoods such as ponderosa pine, yellow
pine, and Douglas fir. Numerous lumbering operations are situated near
Flagstaff. Commercial fishing in the state is negligible; most of the
catch is taken by people fishing for recreation.
Mining
Arizona is the leading U.S. state in copper production, usually
accounting for more than half of the country's annual output. Copper
mines are located in the southern half of the state, mostly situated
between the Salt River and the Mexican border. One of Arizona's largest
copper mines is an open-pit operation at Morenci, and a very big
underground copper mine is located at San Manuel, northeast of Tucson.
Gold and silver ores exist in the southern Arizona mountains and are
frequently recovered in conjunction with copper extraction, as is
molybdenum. Coal is found in a number of areas on the Colorado Plateau
and is mined in considerable quantity in the Black Mesa region of the
northeast. Other minerals produced in significant quantities include
sand and gravel, stone, lead, and tin.
Manufacturing
Beginning in the 1940s Arizona's manufacturing capacity increased
markedly, and in the late 1980s firms engaged in manufacturing accounted
for more than $22 billion in annual sales and employed more than 180,000
workers. Leading types of manufactures are transport equipment,
electronic items, instruments and related products, industrial
machinery, and primary metal and fabricated metal goods. Arizona's most
visible manufacturing concerns are the great copper concentrators,
located adjacent to every important mine. In addition, the state has
several big copper smelters. Large factories producing electronic
equipment are located in and around Phoenix and Tucson.
Tourism
The tourist industry annually contributes more than $6.8 billion to the
economy of Arizona. The state's best-known attractions are in the
Colorado Plateau region in the north, where the dramatic landscape in
Grand Canyon National Park is the most famous lure. More than 3.5
million persons visit the Grand Canyon each year, and most of them also
spend some time at other northern Arizona attractions, which include
Petrified Forest National Park, the Navajo and Hopi reservations, the
Anasazi ruins in Canyon de Chelly National Monument, and skiing areas
near Flagstaff. To the west, Lakes Mead and Havasu, both on the Colorado
River, combine varied water-sport opportunities with clear desert air;
in southern Arizona the mission ruins at Tumacacori National Historical
Park, the giant cacti in Saguaro National Monument, and countless
mountain trails draw many visitors.
Transportation
Despite the presence of vast desert expanses, deep canyons, and numerous
mountains, buttes, and mesas, Arizona has a well-knit transportation
network. The state is served by about 2870 km (about 1785 mi) of
operated railroad track, including parts of two major transcontinental
railroad lines. Arizona has some 83,060 km (some 51,610 mi) of roads,
and hard-surfaced routes serve all communities of significant size.
Major road hubs are Phoenix, Tucson, and Flagstaff. Arizona has 181
airports, of which the busiest serve the Phoenix and Tucson areas; there
are also 90 heliports.
Energy
About half of Arizona's electricity is generated in thermal plants using
coal or natural gas; another 12% comes from hydroelectric plants, and
33% from nuclear installations. The state draws power from such major
hydroelectric facilities as Glen Canyon, Hoover, Davis, and Parker dams,
all on the Colorado River. Power plants in Arizona have an aggregate
electricity generating capacity of about 14.9 million kw and produce
some 62.3 billion kwh of electricity each year.
History
Long before its discovery by Europeans, the region comprising
present-day Arizona was inhabited by culturally advanced tribes of
Native Americans. The ruins of irrigation canals and aqueducts, cities,
and fortifications built by these ancient peoples are scattered
throughout the valleys and canyons of the state. The first European
known to have visited the region was the Franciscan missionary and
explorer Marcos de Niza (circa 1495-1558), leader of an expedition
(1539) from Mexico City. The Spanish explorer Francisco Vásquez de
Coronado, impressed by de Niza's accounts of riches in the area, led
another expedition from Mexico in 1540. Members of that group crossed
the Colorado River and came upon the Grand Canyon.
Inspired by reports of mineral wealth in Arizona, other explorers
followed, but the hostility of the Native Americans discouraged attempts
at colonization. The Spanish government made the region part of New
Spain in 1598. Christianity and Spanish culture were introduced to the
Native Americans by the Jesuit missionary Eusebio Francisco Kino, who
was active also in northern Mexico. Among the missions Kino founded in
Arizona was San José de Tumacacori (now a national historical site).
Other Jesuit missions were founded during the first half of the 18th
century, and in 1776 the Spaniards established a presidio at Tucson. As
a result of a serious Native American uprising in 1802, the disorders
attending the successful Mexican revolt (1821) against Spain, and other
Native American uprising in 1827, almost all of the Spanish Arizona
settlements and missions were abandoned.
American settlers, traders, and explorers, however, had begun to move
into the region. During the Mexican War (1846-48) U.S. troops seized
control of Arizona and adjoining New Mexico. Under the terms of the
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, the agreement terminating the war, Mexico
ceded all of Arizona and New Mexico north of the Gila River to the
United States. The section south of the Gila was acquired by the United
States through the Gadsden Purchase in 1853. In 1863 Arizona, until then
a part of the territory of New Mexico, was established as a separate
territory. Serious Native American uprisings occurred in the territory
during the American Civil War and at sporadic intervals until 1896.
The U.S. Congress rejected an application by Arizona for statehood in
1891. Legislation admitting Arizona and New Mexico as a single state was
enacted by Congress twice between 1904 and 1906, but the measure failed
(1906) to win the approval of the Arizona electorate. In January 1910,
Congress authorized the territory to hold a constitutional convention
for the purpose of drafting a state constitution. The convention
completed its work in December 1910, and the document was ratified in
February 1911. Shortly thereafter Congress passed a resolution
conferring statehood on Arizona. President William Taft vetoed the
resolution because the proposed state constitution provided for the
recall of elective judges. In August, Congress and the president
approved a resolution making the admission of Arizona to the Union
conditional upon the elimination of the constitutional provision for
recall. The state's electorate endorsed the amendment on December 12,
and on February 14, 1912, Taft signed the proclamation admitting Arizona
as the 48th state. On November 5, 1912, the voters restored the
provision for recall to the constitution.
A series of federal irrigation projects, especially those of the 1930s,
accelerated Arizona's development, which increased sharply with the
post-World War II demand for the state's chief products—copper, cattle,
and cotton.
In 1948, Arizona Native Americans won the right to vote and began to
enjoy some economic gains. In 1969 the first college on a Native
American reservation, Navajo Community College, opened in Tsaile.
Arizona's warm, dry climate and diverse recreational lands have, since
the early 1950s, attracted both a great number of new residents and a
heavy stream of tourists. A commensurate increase in social and consumer
services, followed by expanding industry, has dramatically affected the
state's economic and political profile. As the population of Arizona
nearly tripled between 1960 and 1990, the state acquired a national
reputation for conservatism in politics and for probusiness policies
that favored rapid growth.
Increased real estate development has led to a degradation of air
quality, depletion of freshwater resources, and encroachment on the
state's unique desert and forest reserves. Pollution controls, land-use
restrictions, and water conservation measures have been only
sporadically effective. The Central Arizona Project, extending 541 km
(336 mi) and built at a cost of $3.7 billion, began supplying Colorado
River water by pipeline to Phoenix in 1985 and Tucson in 1991.
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