New Mexico

One of the youngest of the states, New México is the site of the oldest white settlement in the Western United States. Today New Mexico is an interesting blend of three cultures: Indian, Spanish, and American. It is the only state with two official languages, English and Spanish.

New México is a scenic highland of towering mountains, red rocks, and barren deserts. Amid all its natural beauty are colorful Indian villages, Spanish mission houses, and the remains of the ancient Cliff Dwellers. These attractions provide the basis of a thriving tourist industry and give the state its nickname, the Land of Enchantment.

The Spaniard Cabeza de Vaca was the first white man to visit the area. He crossed the present state to reach the Spanish settlements in Mexico in 1536. He told if rich cities he had heard from Indians. Marcos de Niza looked unsuccessfully for these cities in 1539. Coronado followed him the next year with an expedition from Mexico, he too failed to find gold, but he did conquest the province for Spain.

A wealthy Spaniard, Juan de Oñate, arrived with 400 colonists in 1598 but failes to establish a permanent settlement. Santa Fe was founded in 1610 and made capital of the province. The Pueblo Indians resisted the Spaniards and the rigid rule of the Franciscan monks. In the revolt of 1680 they burned Santa Fe. Twelve years later, however, Spanish rulers reestablished their authority.

In 1821 the province came under Mexican rule. A treaty with the United States established the boundary between the two nations in 1828. Meanwhile Americans were entering the area by way of the Santa Fe Trail. Captain William Becknell, Father of the Santa Fe Trail, opened this route across the Great Plains from Missouri in 1821.

In 1846, during the Mexican War, General Stephen W. Kerany seized the province for the United States. New Mexico was part of the territory ceded to the United States by the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo in 1848. Two years later the Territory of New Mexico was created by the Compromise of 1850. The Gadsden Purchase from Mexico established the southern boundary of the present state in 1853.

The northeastern section of the New Mexico territory was annexed in 1861 by the new Colorado Territory. The territory was reduced again, to the present boundaries of the state, in 1863 when the Territory of Arizona was created. During the Civil War, Santa Fe was occupied by Confederate forces for a time in 1862. They were driven back into Texas later in the year. Kit Carson, an early hero of the Southwest, maintained his family in Taos during the war and helped lead the 1st New Mexican Voluntary Infantry Regiment.

In 1864 Union troops defeated the Navajo Indians and compelled them to accept life within a reservation. The Apache, however, proved more troublesome and broke out in many raids. They were not beaten until 1886, when their chief, Jerónimo, surrendered to General Nelson A. Miles.

In 1901 Jim White, a cowboy, discovered the Carsbald Caverns in the southeast. The area was set aside as a national monument in 1923 and became a national park.New Mexico was admitted to the Union as the 47th state in 1912.

During the 1940´s New Mexico became an important site for testing modern weapons of war. Atomic research is carried on at Los Alamos.

Ancient pueblo ruins and cliff dwellings show that the region was inhabited long before the discovery of America. Of special interest is Acoma, the sky city, in Valencia County. It is an inhabited village on asheer cliff that rises 357 feet above the plains. Here are three story adobe houses built of mud carried up on human backs. Today many Indians live in plains villages and return to Acoma only for ceremonies and festivals.

The Indians of Acoma and similar villages were given the name Pueblo by Spanish explorers. They were peaceful, partly civilized farmers. Today they live in 19 separate villages, known as pueblos, in the western, northern and central parts of the state. A branch of the Pueblo, the Zuni, live on a separate pueblo located mostly in the McKinley County. Formerly less numerous than the Pueblo were the Navajo, who were chiefly herders. These Indians occupy Alamo, Canoncito, and Ramah Reservations. They farm and carry on craft industries, including the weaving of the famous navajo blankets.

The third major New Mexico tribe was the warlike Apache. These Indians migrated southward to the plain during the 1700s. Their fierce attacks forced the Pueblo to build dwellings in rocky places, hard to approach and easy to defend. Today the Apache occupy Mezcalero Reservation, and Jicarilla Reservation.

New Mexico is mainly a mountain land. Peaks are visible form ever part of the state except in the extreme southeast.

The Rocky Mountains enter New Mexico at the north. They extend southward about 120 miles in a chain of peaks. The Rockies are cplit by the southward flowing Rio Grande. East of the river, in the Sangre de Cristo Range, is Wheeler Peak (13,160 feet), the highest point in the state.

The Colorado Plateau occupies the northwestern quarter of the state and extends north and west into Colorado, Utah, and Arizona. It is a region of mesas, that rise straight up from the surrounding plains. One of the most famous is Acoma, about 55 miles southwest of Albuquerque. On its level summit is an Indian pueblo, believed to be the oldest continuously inhabited village in the continental United States. Other features of the Colorado plateau are lava tables, the San Juan Valley in the north, and the Zuni Mountains in McKinley and Valencia Counties.

The Basin and Range Region extends south of the Rocky Mountains into the southwestern quarter of the state. Here a series of isolated mountain ranges alternates with broad, barren basins. The region also contains many salt flats and white sand dunes. Flowering through the region is the Rio Grande. East of the river are Tularosa Valley, a desert containing White Sands National Monument, and the Guadalupe Mountains.

The Great Plains cover the eastern two fifths of the state. The southern part of this region is the vast tableland called the Llano Estacado, or Staked Plain. Close to the Texas border in the south is Carlsbad Caverns National Park. Nearby is the lowest point in the state, Red Bluff Lake, 2,817 feet. The northern section is more rugged and includes Capulin Mountain, the cinder cone of an extinct volcano.
#br>In the west the Continental Divide crosses the entire length of the state. West of this divide rise three major tributaries of the Colorado River, the San Juan, Little Colorado, and Gila. To the east is the historic Rio Grande. In its watershed are the state’s two most important cities, Santa Fe and Albuquerque. An important tributary of this river is the Pecos, draining the southeastern corner of the state. In the northeast are the Cimarron and Canadian rivers, part of the Mississippi River System.

Santa Fe

One of the oldest city in the United States is Santa Fe, the capital of New Mexico. From the time of its founding it has been a seat of government.

The Heart of the city is the old spanish plaza. A granite slab here marks the end of the Santa Fe trail. In the plaza are several museums that feature ethnic and regional arts and the Palace of Governors (1610), which has many historical exhibits. Other notable buildings are Rosario Chapel (1692), the Catedral of St. Francis (1869), and San Miguel Church, known as the oldest church. Later structures, including the Santa Fe Capitol, blend with Santa Fe´s Spanish and Indian architecture, a mix of mude and straw that form adobes.

The charm of the city has attracted artists and writers as permanent residents. Nearby are pueblos, dude ranches, and ski moutains. A moderate, dry climate has helped make the tourist trade Santa Fe´s chief business. The leading products are arts and crafts goods and electronic instruments.

Albuquerque

One of the fastest growing cities in the southern United States. New Mexico´s largest city. Albuquerque is rich with culture, heritage, and breathtaking landscape. It is situated on the banks of the Rio Grande. Today as a division point on the main line of the railway, Albuquerque is the leading commercial and distributing center of New Mexico. The city continues to grow its infrastructure, enhance its business policies and expand its outlook for current and future business prospects. The sheep ranches in the surrounding region have made it an important wool shipping center, and its packing plants process meat from livestock.

A warm, dry climate has made Albuquerque a center for tourism, attracting skiers, museum-goers, balloonists, and adventure-seekers. Jewelry and pottery for the economically important tourist trade are made by Indians in nearby villages and reservations.

Albuquerque has been a noted educational center ever since it was selected as the seat of the University of New Mexico in 1889.

Las Cruces

Las Cruces is home to many attractions, including numerous art galleries, museums, performing arts venues, theaters, and annual festivals. Visitors can enjoy a wide range of year-round outdoor activities such as hiking, golfing, or tennis. To the east, the majestic spires of the Organ Mountains rise from the floor of the Chihuahuan Desert with rolling hills and spindly plants. To the west, the Rio Grande cuts a wide green path of tall trees and fertile fields through the Mesilla Valley. Las Cruces is also home of New Mexico State University, is New Mexico’s only land grant institution.

Billy the Kid Museum, Fort Summer:Though he rests underground at the Fort Sumner Military Cemetary, his legend is alive and well at the Billy the Kid Museum. Here you will find 60,000 relics of the historic past.

Chaco Canyon Historic Park: From AD 850 to 1250, Chaco Canyon served as a major urban center of ancestral Puebloan culture. Remarkable for its monumental public and ceremonial buildings, engineering feats, astronomy, artistic achievements, and distinctive architecture, it served as a hub of ceremony, trade, and administration for the prehistoric Four Corners area for 400 years.

Carlsbad Caverns: One of the best and one of the largest caves in the world. The creation of the caves began some 250 million years ago, when the region was part of a vast inland sea. The caves weren't occupied until 1,000 years ago, when paleo-Indians first sought refuge there. The park contains more than 100 known caves, including Lechuguilla Cave - the nation's deepest limestone cave (1,567 feet) and third longest.

Sandia Peak Tramway
Travel to the top of the Sandia Mountains (4,000 feet) from Albuquerque by way of the world's longest aerial tram in the world.
International UFO Museum, Roswell
Famous for what is now known as the Roswell Incident, here you can decide for yourself about the flying saucer that crashed here in 1947. You’re likely to be intrigued by the many exhibits and programs about the crash itself and the phenomenon of UFO research.

Gila Cliff Dwellings
Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument offers a glimpse of the homes and lives of the people of the Mogollon culture who lived in the Gila Wilderness from the 1280s through the early 1300s.

The Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad, Chama
Built more than 120 years ago, is one of the most authentic steam-era railroads around. It's America's longest and highest narrow gauge railroad. It is an exotic scenic 64-mile ride from Chama to Antonito.

Santa Fe
Evidence of our 400-year-old history is everywhere. The historic downtown Plaza area will take you to the oldest public building in the nation, the Palace of the Governors, and the oldest church in North America, the San Miguel Mission. It’s also home to the nation's oldest community celebration, the Santa Fe Fiesta. The city continues to preserve its historic buildings and mandates new construction in the distinctive Spanish-Pueblo style of architecture that’s based on the adobe and wood of the past.

Taos Ski Valley
This ski mountain is consistently voted one of the best in the world, and the ski school also ranks among the finest. The European-style ski village provides all the amenities you’ll need, but you can enjoy the attractions of nearby Taos town as well.

White Sands, Alamogordo
At the northern end of the Chihuahuan Desert lies a mountain ringed valley called the Tularosa Basin. Rising from the heart of this basin is one of the world's great natural wonders the white sands of New Mexico.

These are the biggest and most popular events in Santa Fe, with a strong mix of Spanish, Indian and Anglo cultures.

New Mexico State Fair
Albuquerque - State Fair of milk goats and arm wrestle the month of September. It is a 121-year-old New Mexico State fair.
Santa Fe Indian Market
Santa Fe - Every year in August since 1924 artists from national and regional tribes have been sharing their culture, traditions, and art. You will see over 1,200 artists from about 100 tribes who show their work in over 600 booths.
Hatch Chile Festival
Hatch - More than 30,000 chile-lovers descend to Hatch,the Chile Capital of the World, on Labor Day weekend.
Whole Enchilada Fiesta
Las Cruces - The making of the largest enchilada you've ever seen at Las Cruces' Whole Enchilada Fiesta in September.
Spanish Market & Fiestas
Santa Fe - Every December with Spanish Market and Fiestas. The Spanish Market oldest (since 1951) and largest exhibition and sale of regional Spanish colonial art in the US.
International Balloon Fiesta
Albuquerque - Hundreds of colorful hot air balloons all at once during the 9-day International Balloon Fiesta in October.
All American Futurity Horse RACE, Ruidoso Downs
Ruidoso - Participate in the excitement of watching the worlds richest quarter horse race.
Inter-Tribal Indian Ceremonial
Gallup - A 5-day long event in August where more than 30 tribes from throughout the states join together to participate in parades, dances, rodeo contests, and more.
Santa Fe Film Festival
Santa Fe - Every December for Seven Festivals in One. This cinematic tradition started at the turn of 21st century and celebrates films from around the world.

Capital: Santa Fe

State abbreviation: N.M.

Governor: Bill Richardson, D (to Jan. 2007)

Organized as territory: Sept. 9, 1850

Entered Unión (rank) : Jan. 6, 1912 (47)

Present constitution adopted: 1911

Motto: Crescit eundo (It grows as it goes)

Nickname: Land of Enchantment (1999)

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

10 largest cities (2003 est.) : Albuquerque, 471,856;Las Cruces, 76,990; Santa Fe, 66,476; Rio Rancho, 58,981; Roswell, 44,228; Farmington, 41,420; Alamogordo, 35,551; Clovis, 32,815; Hobbs, 28,311; Carlsbad, 25,303

Land area: 121,356 sq mi.

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