Arizona is the Grand Canyon State and so much more. Unforgettable Arizona and the remarkable natural beauty of its colorful rock formations, giant cactus plants, sweeping deserts, snow-capped mountains, ponderosa pine forests, swift rivers, sand dunes, grasslands, and mountain streams that tumble down cliffs and canyon walls in breathtaking waterfalls and cascades. Located in the southwest United States, Arizona is a festive year-round resort bordered by Mexico to the south, California to the southwest, Nevada to the northwest, Utah to the north, and New Mexico to the east. Its dry sunny climate attracts millions of visitors a year from around the world. The state's scenic beauty inspired the Grand Canyon Suite by Ferde Grofe and Arizona Sketches by Victor Young, and many of the highly prized paintings of Frederick Remington. Prehistoric reminders are scattered across Arizona in its ancient ruins, rock art galleries, stone and clay artifacts. The state name comes from the Indian word Arizonac meaning small springs. Its Native American culture is also preserved in Mexican and Spanish influences on the state's architecture, cuisine, crafts, and language. Arizona's principal cities are Phoenix, the capital, Tucson, Mesa, Flagstaff, Tempe, Scottsdale, and Yuma. Because of its healthy climate, the state continues to experience spectacular growth, with an estimated population now exceeding 4,500,000.

Arizona's diverse typography is captured in two main land regions. The Colorado Plateau covers about two-fifths of the state in the north and feature's Arizona's highest mountains and widest river gorges: the Grand Canyon, the Canyon de Chelly, the Canyon del Muerta, and Oak Creek Canyon. It also has scenic deserts and forests, flat-topped rock formations and green valleys. The region ends at the at the Mogollon Rim, a steep rock wall almost 2,000 feet high extending from central Arizona to southwest New Mexico. The Basin and Range Region, known also as the Sonoran Desert, covers the rest of the state. Wide valleys and basins lie between its chief mountain ranges: the Hakulpai, Mazatzal, Superstition, Santa Catalina, Santa Rita, Chiricahua, and Huachuca. The region's plains lie in the southwest. Arizona's principal river is the Colorado, and it's best known falls include Havasu, Navajo, Bridal Veil, Mooney, and Beaver Falls.

One key to Arizona's economy is an agriculture aided by the irrigation provided by the Hoover and other dams. Major economic factors also are tourism, forestry, mining of copper and other natural resources, service industries, and such manufactures as metals, transportation equipment, electronics, aviation and aerospace products, food processing, chemicals, printing and publishing. The state is served by nearly 300 airports, including Sky Harbor International in Phoenix, major railroads, extensive road and highway systems.

Arizona attractions include six national forests, 21 Indian reservations, 27 state parks, 26 national parks, monuments everywhere, and historic sites. Arts communities are widespread, even in the small mining towns. The metropolitan areas offer a wealth of galleries, museums, symphonies, ballets, operas, rock concerts, performing arts. Other notable points of interest are the Grand Canyon, Apache Trail, Montezuma's Castle National Monument, Navajo Indian Reservation, the Apache Trail, Dinosaur Canyon, Hopi Village, Meteor Crater, Tombstone (site of the OK Corral Shootout between the Earp brothers, joined by Doc Holiday, and the Clanton Gang), Painted Desert, San Xavier del Bac Mission, Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, the world renown Lowell Observatory, Wickenburg (called "the dude ranch capital of the world"), Humphreys Peak (the state's highest point) Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, the Arizona State Museum, the Museum of Northern Arizona and the Phoenix Art Museum, the London Bridge at Lake Havasu City, Colossal Cave at Tucson, and the Titan Missile Museum. You can tour Arizona by jeep, raft, horse, hot air balloon, glider, or helicopter.

There are luxury resorts, mountain lodges, historic hotels, dude ranches, campsites. Unlimited recreational opportunities range from hiking and biking to skiing and rafting, from rock climbing and kayaking to fishing, hunting, and more than 325 golf course, some of which are listed among America's greatest golf venues. Plus professional sports: NFL Arizona Cardinals, NBA Phoenix Suns, NHL Phoenix Coyotes, Arizona Diamondbacks major league baseball club, state-wide rodeos, and the International Raceway in Phoenix.

Archaeologists have unearthed evidence of human activity in the Arizona area dating back more than 12,000 years. Spanish explorer Francisco Coronado visited the region in 1540 searching for gold. The first white settlement was at Tubac in 1754. Arizona became a Mexican province (as part of New Mexico) when the country declared its independence from Spain in 1821. The treaty that ended the Mexican War gave the United States possession of New Mexico, including most of Arizona. The Gadsden Purchase of 1853 created Arizona's present boundaries. Statehood for Arizona was not obtained until February 14, 1912, when Arizona became the 48th state.