New Mexico

Capital: Santa Fe

State abbreviation/Postal code: N.M./NM

Governor: Susana Martinez, R (to Jan. 2019)

Lieut. Governor: John Sanchez, R (to Jan. 2019)

Senators: Tom Udall, D (to Jan. 2021); Martin Heinrich, D (to Jan. 2019)

U.S. Representatives: 3

Historical biographies of Congressional members

Secy. of State: Dianna J. Duran, R (to Jan. 2019)

Atty. General: Hector Balderas, D (to Jan. 2019)

State Treasurer: Tim Eichenberg, D (to Jan. 2019)

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:

Nickname: Land of Enchantment (1999)

Origin of name: From Mexico, “place of Mexitli,” an Aztec god or leader

10 largest cities (2012 est.): Albuquerque, 555,417; Las Cruces , 101,047; Rio Rancho, 90,818; Santa Fe , 69,204; Roswell , 48,477; Farmington, 45,854; South Valley, 40,976; Clovis, 39,197; Hobbs, 35,007; Alamogordo, 31,500

Land area: 121,589 sq mi (315,194 km²)

Geographic center: In Torrance Co., 12 mi. SSW of Willard

Number of counties: 33

Largest county by population and area: Bernalillo, 662,564 (2010); Catron, 6,928 sq mi.

State parks: 31

Residents: New Mexican

2016 resident population est.: 2,085,109

2010 resident census population (rank): 2,059,179 (36). Male: 1,017,421 (49.4%); Female: 1,041,758 (50.6%). White: 1,407,276 (68.4%); Black: 42,550 (2.1%); American Indian: 193,222 (9.4%); Asian: 28,208 (1.4%); Other race: 308,503 (15.0%); Two or more races: 77,010 (3.7%); Hispanic/Latino: 953,403 (46.3%). 2010 percent population 18 and over: 74.8; 65 and over: 13.2; median age: 36.7.

See additional census data

Area codes

Tourism office

Map of New Mexico

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. About two-thirds of New Mexico's farm income comes from livestock products, especially dairy and cattle. Pecans, hay, and onions 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:
Encyclopedia: New Mexico
Encyclopedia: Geography
Encyclopedia: Economy
Encyclopedia: Government
Encyclopedia: History
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Selected famous natives and residents:

• Kathy Baker actress;
• Notah Begay III golfer;
• Judy Blume author;
• Ernest L. Blumenshein artist;
• William “Billy the Kid” Bonney outlaw;
• Richard Bradford author;
• Ralph Bunche Nobel Peace Prize winner;
• Bruce Cabot actor;
• Kit Carson army scout and trapper;
• Dennis Chavez former senator;
• John Chisum cattle king;
• Mangus Coloradas Apache leader;
• Edward Condon physicist;
• Bill Daily actor;
• John Denver singer;
• Bo Diddley blues guitarist;
• Patrick Garrett lawman;
• Greer Garson actress;
• Sid Gutierrez astronaut;
• William Hanna animator;
• Neil Patrick Harris actor;
• Carl Hatch senator;
• Tony Hillerman author;
• Conrad Hilton hotel executive;
• Dennis Hopper actor;
• Peter Hurd artist;
• Preston Jones playwright and actor;
• Ralph Kiner baseball player and sportscaster;
• Nancy Lopez golfer;
• Maria Martínez San Ildefonso Pueblo potter;
• Demi Moore actress;
• Jim Morrison singer and songwriter;
• Bill Mauldin political cartoonist;
• Popé San Juan Pueblo medicine man and leader;
• Georgia O'Keeffe painter;
• Harrison Schmitt astronaut and representative;
• Kim Stanley actress;
• Slim Summerville actor;
• Clyde Tombaugh astronomer;
• Al Unser, Bobby Unser auto racers;
• Victorio Apache chief;
• Linda Wertheimer NPR correspondent;
• Kathy Whitworth golfer.