Travel overview of Arizona – by Louise
The Grand Canyon State was the last of the 48 contiguous states to join the union, admitted in 1912. Arizona was carved from the western side of New Mexico during the Civil War in 1863, becoming a territory then and until statehood.
Mining became a major industry after the Gadsden Purchase of 1853, which granted U.S. possession of southern Arizona, and remained a strong contributor to region’s economy through the 1950s. The arrival of railroads in the 1880s only heightened the copper boom, and thousands of people flocked to the Wild West of Arizona’s mining towns.
Copper mining and cotton farming, another important industry, suffered during the Great Depression. Tourism became a huge driver of growth, with steadily more visitors attracted by the Grand Canyon each year, a trend that continues today.
During World War II, Arizona served as a site for German prisoner of war camps and Japanese-American internment camps. Many Native Americans from Arizona fought during the war, and advocated for their civil rights upon returning home. Today, about a quarter of the state is made up of Native American reservations, including the Navajo Nation Reservation.
Arizona’s population growth is among the highest in the country – it recorded 1.6 percent growthfrom 2016 to 2017, tying with Florida and falling behind only four other states.
Two-thirds of Arizona’s foreign-born population comes from Latin America and another 21 percent comes from Asia. While the state’s foreign-born population numbers are generally on par with the country’s, more people in Arizona speak a language other than English at home.
A number of well-known companies are headquartered in Arizona, including Best Western, Cold Stone Creamery, GoDaddy, P.F. Chang’s and U-Haul. Arizona’s top industries include agriculture, mining, manufacturing and tourism.
The median household income in Arizona, $53,558 in 2016, was lower than the national average of $57,617, and the poverty rate was slightly higher, at 16.4 percent. The cost of living in Arizona is relatively low.