| Arizona is a U.S. state located in the | | | | canyon is one of the seven natural |
| Southwestern United States. It is best | | | | wonders of the world and is largely |
| known for its desert landscape, which | | | | contained in the Grand Canyon National |
| includes cacti. Arizona is also known | | | | Park -- one of the first national parks |
| for its exceptionally hot summers and | | | | in the United States. President Theodore |
| mild winters. Less well known is the | | | | Roosevelt was a major proponent of |
| pine-covered high country in the | | | | designating the Grand Canyon area, |
| north-central portion of the state, | | | | visiting on numerous occasions to hunt |
| which contrasts with the lower deserts | | | | mountain lion and enjoy the scenery. |
| of the state. | | | | The Canyon was created by the Colorado |
| Arizona is one of the Four Corners | | | | River cutting a channel over millions of |
| states. It borders New Mexico, Utah, | | | | years, and is about 277 miles (446 km) |
| Nevada, California, touches Colorado, | | | | long, ranges in width from 4 to 18 miles |
| and has a 389-mile (626 km) | | | | (6 to 29 kilometers) and attains a depth |
| international border with the states of | | | | of more than 1 mile (1.6 km). Nearly 2 |
| Sonora and Baja California in Mexico. | | | | billion years of the Earth's history has |
| Aside from the Grand Canyon, many other | | | | been exposed as the Colorado River and |
| National Forests, Parks, Monuments, and | | | | its tributaries cut through layer after |
| Indian reservations are located in the | | | | layer of sediment as the Colorado |
| state. Arizona was the 48th state | | | | Plateaus have uplifted. |
| admitted into the U.S. (1912), and the | | | | Arizona does not observe Daylight Saving |
| last of the contiguous states admitted. | | | | Time, except in the Navajo Nation |
| Arizona is located in the Western United | | | | located in the northeastern region of |
| States as one of the Four Corners | | | | the state. |
| states. Arizona is the sixth largest | | | | Due to its large area and variations in |
| state in area, after New Mexico and | | | | elevation, the state has a wide variety |
| before Nevada. Of the state's 118,000 | | | | of localized climate conditions. In the |
| square miles, approximately 15% is | | | | lower elevations, the climate is |
| privately owned. The remaining area is | | | | primarily desert, with mild winters and |
| government forest and park land, | | | | hot summers. Typically, from late fall |
| recreation areas and Native American | | | | to early spring, the weather is mild, |
| reservations. | | | | averaging a minimum of 60 degrees |
| Arizona is best known for its desert | | | | Fahrenheit (15°C). November through |
| landscape, which is rich in xerophyte | | | | February are the coldest months with |
| plants such as cactus. It is also known | | | | temperatures typically ranging from |
| for its climate, which presents | | | | 40-75 °F (4-24 °C), although |
| exceptionally hot summers and mild | | | | occasional frosts are not uncommon. |
| winters. Less well known is the | | | | About midway through February, the |
| pine-covered high country of the | | | | temperatures start to rise again with |
| Colorado Plateau in the north-central | | | | warm days, and cool breezy nights. The |
| portion of the state, which contrasts | | | | summer months of May through August |
| with the desertic Basin and Range region | | | | bring a dry heat ranging from 90-120 °F |
| in the southern portions of the state. | | | | (32-48 °C), with occasional high |
| Like other states of the Southwest, | | | | temperatures exceeding 125 °F (52 °C) |
| Arizona has an abundance of | | | | having been observed in the desert area. |
| topographical characteristics in | | | | Due to the primarily dry climate, large |
| addition to its desert climate. More | | | | temperature swings often occur between |
| than half of the state features | | | | day and night, with some as large as 50 |
| mountains and plateaus and contains the | | | | °F (28 °C) in the summer months. |
| largest stand of Ponderosa pine in the | | | | However, the northern third of Arizona |
| United States. The Mogollon Rim, a | | | | is a plateau at significantly higher |
| 2000-foot (600 m) escarpment, cuts | | | | altitudes than the lower desert, and has |
| across the central section of the state | | | | an appreciably cooler climate, with cold |
| and marks the southwestern edge of the | | | | winters and mild summers. Extreme cold |
| Colorado Plateau, where the state | | | | temperatures are not unknown; cold air |
| experienced its worst forest fire ever | | | | systems from the northern states and |
| in 2002. Arizona belongs firmly within | | | | Canada occasionally push into the state, |
| the Basin and Range region of North | | | | bringing temperatures below 0 °F (-18 |
| America. The region was shaped by | | | | °C) to the higher parts of the state. |
| prehistoric volcanism, followed by a | | | | Arizona has an average annual rainfall |
| cooling-off and related subsidence. The | | | | of 12.7 inches (322 mm),[2] which comes |
| entire region is slowly sinking. | | | | during two rainy seasons, with cold |
| Arizona is home to one of the largest | | | | fronts coming from the Pacific Ocean |
| and most well-preserved meteorite impact | | | | during the winter and a monsoon in the |
| sites in the world. The Barringer | | | | summer.[3] The monsoon season occurs |
| Meteorite Crater (better known simply as | | | | from the middle of July through August |
| "Meteor Crater") is a gigantic hole in | | | | and brings lightning, thunderstorms, |
| the middle of the high plains of the | | | | wind, and torrential, if usually brief, |
| Colorado Plateau, about 25 miles west of | | | | downpours. It is rare for tornadoes and |
| Winslow. A rim of smashed and jumbled | | | | hurricanes to occur in Arizona, but |
| boulders, some of them the size of small | | | | there are records of both occurring. |
| houses, rises 150 feet above the level | | | | Indicative of the variation in climate, |
| of the surrounding plain. The crater | | | | Arizona is the state which has both the |
| itself is nearly a mile wide, and 570 | | | | metropolitan area with the most days |
| feet deep. | | | | over 100 °F (37.8 °C) (Phoenix), and |
| The Grand Canyon is a colorful, | | | | the metropolitan area in the lower 48 |
| steep-sided gorge, carved by the | | | | states with the most days with a low |
| Colorado River, in northern Arizona. The | | | | temperature below freezing |