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Capital:
Santa Fe
Governor: Gary E. Johnson, R (to Jan. 2003)
Lieut.
Governor: Walter Bradley, R (to Jan. 2003)
Senators: Jeff Bingaman, D (to Jan. 2007); Pete V. Domenici,
R (to Jan. 2003)
Secy.
of State: Rebecca Vigil-Giron, D (to Jan. 2003)
Atty.
General: Patricia A. Madrid, D (to Jan. 2003)
State
Auditor: Domingo P. Martinez, D (to Jan. 2003)
State
Treasurer: Michael A. Montoya, D (to Jan. 2003)
Commissioner of Public Lands: Ray Powell, D (to Jan. 2003)
Organized as territory: Sept. 9, 1850
Entered
Union (rank): Jan. 6, 1912 (47)
Present
constitution adopted: 1911
Motto:
Crescit eundo (It grows as it goes)
State Symbols:
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flower
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yucca (1927) |
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tree
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pinon (1949) |
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animal
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black bear (1963) |
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bird
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roadrunner (1949) |
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fish
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cutthroat trout (1955) |
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vegetables
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chili and frijol (1965) |
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gem
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turquoise (1967) |
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song
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"O Fair New Mexico" (1917) |
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Spanish-language song
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"Asi Es Nuevo Méjico" (1971) |
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poem
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A Nuevo México (1991) |
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grass
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blue gramma (1973) |
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fossil
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coelophysis (1981) |
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cookie
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bizcochito (1989) |
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insect
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tarantula hawk wasp (1989) |
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ballad
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"Land of Enchantment" (1989) |
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bilingual song
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"New Mexico-Mi Lindo Nuevo Mexico", (1995) |
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question
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"Red or Green?" (1999) |
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Francisco
Vásquez de Coronado, a Spanish explorer searching for gold,
traveled the region that became New Mexico in 1540-42. In 1598
the first Spanish settlement was established on the Rio Grande
River by Juan de Onate; in 1610 Santa Fe was founded and made
the capital of New Mexico.
The U.S.
acquired most of New Mexico in 1848, as a result of the Mexican
War, and the remainder in the 1853 Gadsden Purchase. Union
troops captured the territory from the Confederates during the
Civil War. With the surrender of Geronimo in 1886, the Apache
Wars and most of the Indian conflicts in the area were ended.
Since
1945, New Mexico has been a leader in energy research and
development with extensive experiments conducted at Los Alamos
Scientific Laboratory and Sandia Laboratories in the nuclear,
solar, and geothermal areas.
Minerals
are the state's richest natural resource and New Mexico is one
of the U.S. leaders in output of uranium and potassium salts.
Petroleum, natural gas, copper, gold, silver, zinc, lead, and
molybdenum also contribute heavily to the state's income.
The
principal manufacturing industries include food products,
chemicals, transportation equipment, lumber, electrical
machinery, and stone-clay-glass products. More than two-thirds
of New Mexico's farm income comes from livestock products,
especially sheep. Cotton, pecans, and sorghum are the most
important field crops. Corn, peanuts, beans, onions, chilies,
and lettuce are also grown.
Tourist
attractions in New Mexico include the Carlsbad Caverns National
Park, Inscription Rock at El Morro National Monument, the ruins
at Fort Union, Billy the Kid mementos at Lincoln, the White
Sands and Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monuments, and the Chaco
Culture National Historical Park.
Nickname: Land of Enchantment
(1999)
Origin of name: From the
country of Mexico
10 largest cities (1999 est.):
Albuquerque, 420,578; Las Cruces, 75,786; Santa Fe, 69,299; Rio
Rancho, 52,012; Roswell, 47,644; Farmington, 40,599; Clovis,
31,504; Alamogordo, 28,411; Hobbs, 26,898; Carlsbad, 26,262
Land area:
121,365 sq mi. (314,334 sq km)
Geographic center: In Torrance
Co., 12 mi. SSW of Willard
Number of counties:
33
Largest county by population and area:
Bernalillo, 523,472 (1999 est.); Catron, 6,928 sq mi.
State-owned forested land:
933,000 ac.
State parks: 31 (267,302 ac.)
Residents:
New Mexican
1999 resident population est.:
1,739,844
1990 resident census population (rank):
1,515,069 (37). Male:
745,253; Female: 769,816.
White: 1,146,028 (75.6%);
Black: 30,210 (2.0%);
American Indian: 134,355
(8.9%); Asian: 14,124
(0.9%); Other race: 190,352
(12.6%); Hispanic: 579,224
(38.2%). 1990 percent population under
18: 29.5; 65 and over:
10.8; median age:
31.1. |
