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New MexicoCapital: Santa Fe State abbreviation/Postal code: N.M./NM Governor: Bill Richardson, D (to Jan. 2011) Lieut. Governor: Diane Denish, D (to Jan. 2011) Senators: Jeff Bingaman, D (to Jan. 2013); Pete V. Domenici, R (to Jan. 2009) U.S. Representatives: 3 Historical biographies of Congressional members Secy. of State: Mary Herrera, D (to Jan. 2011) Atty. General: Gary K. King, D (to Jan. 2011) State Treasurer: James B. Lewis, D (to Jan. 2011) 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: | flower | yucca (1927) | | tree | pinon (1949) | | animal | black bear (1963) | | bird | roadrunner (1949) | | fish | cutthroat trout (1955) | | vegetables | chili and frijol (1965) | | gem | turquoise (1967) | | song | “O Fair New Mexico” (1917) | | Spanish-language song | “Asi Es Nuevo Méjico” (1971) | | poem | “A Nuevo México” (1991) | | grass | blue gramma (1973) | | fossil | coelophysis (1981) | | cookie | bizcochito (1989) | | insect | tarantula hawk wasp (1989) | | ballad | “Land of Enchantment” (1989) | | bilingual song | “New Mexico—Mi Lindo Nuevo Mexico”, (1995) | | question | “Red or Green?” (1999) |
Nickname: Land of Enchantment (1999) Origin of name: From Mexico, “place of Mexitli,” an Aztec god or leader 10 largest cities (2005 est.): Albuquerque, 494,236; Las Cruces, 82,671; Santa Fe, 70,631; Rio Rancho, 66,599; Roswell, 45,199; Farmington, 43,161; Alamogordo, 36,245; Clovis, 33,357; Hobbs, 29,006; Carlsbad, 25,300 Land area: 121,356 sq mi. (314,312 sq km) Geographic center: In Torrance Co., 12 mi. SSW of Willard Number of counties: 33 Largest county by population and area: Bernalillo, 603,562 (2005); Catron, 6,928 sq mi. State parks: 31 Residents: New Mexican 2005 resident population est.: 1,928,384 2000 resident census population (rank): 1,819,046 (36). Male: 894,317 (49.2%); Female: 924,729 (50.8%). White: 1,214,253 (66.8%); Black: 34,343 (1.9%); American Indian: 173,483 (9.5%); Asian: 19,255 (1.1%); Other race: 309,882 (17.0%); Two or more races: 66,327 (3.6%); Hispanic/Latino: 765,386 (42.1%). 2000 percent population 18 and over: 72.0; 65 and over: 11.7; median age: 34.6. See additional census data Area codes Tourism office |
Francisco Vásquez de Coronado, a Spanish explorer searching for gold, traveled the region that became New Mexico in 1540–1542. 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 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, Bandelier National Monument, and the Chaco Culture National Historical Park. See more on New Mexico:
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National Public Radio Stations Selected famous natives and residents:
- Ernest L. Blumenshein artist;
- Dennis Chavez former senator;
- Neil Patrick Harris actor;
- Preston Jones playwright and actor;
- Popé San Juan Pueblo medicine man and leader;
- Harrison Schmitt astronaut and representative;
Information Please® Database, © 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. More on New Mexico from Infoplease:
- University of New Mexico - New Mexico, University of New Mexico, University of, main campus at Albuquerque; state supported; ...
- New Mexico: Temperature Extremes - New Mexico: Temperature Extremes Month Maximum °F Year Place Minimum °F Year Place Jan. 89 ...
- New Mexico - Map of New Mexico & articles on flags, geography, history, statistics, disasters, and current events.
- New Mexico - New Mexico New Mexico, state in the SW United States. At its northwestern corner are the so-called ...
- New Mexico: Bibliography - Bibliography See W. A. Beck, New Mexico: A History of Four Centuries (1962, repr. 1982); A. K. ...
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