Arizona is a state in the southwest region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the West Mountain states. It is the sixth largest and most populous of the 15 of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix.
It has borders with New Mexico, Utah, Nevada, California, and Mexico, and a point in common with the southwest corner of Colorado. Arizona's border with Mexico is 389 miles (626 km) long, on the northern border of the Mexican states of Sonora and Baja California.
Arizona is the 48th and last state of the contiguous states to be admitted to the Union, admitted as a state on February 14, 1912. It was previously part of the territory of Alta California, New Spain, before being transmitted to independent Mexico, which later ceded to the United States after the Mexican-American War.
The southernmost part of the state was acquired in 1853 through the purchase of Gadsden.
About a quarter of the state is made up of Indian reservations, which serve as home to a number of Native American tribes.

---

There are ski resorts in the Flagstaff, Alpine, and Tucson areas. In addition to the Grand Canyon National Park, there are several national forests, national parks and national monuments.
In Arizona, the choice is yours - and nowhere else is much to choose from. With five distinct regions, dozens of national and state parks - including the Grand Canyon - and hundreds of towns and cities, Arizona's landscape is as diverse as it is beautiful.
For those looking for outdoor adventure, quiet solitude or simply breathtaking scenery, you will find Arizona's many national and state parks, monuments and recreation areas. From the majestic Grand Canyon to the famous hills and pinnacles of Monument Valley to the thrilling waters of Lake Havasu, there's plenty to explore here in the Grand Canyon State.
Vast, magnificent, and arguably beautiful, the Grand Canyon is easily distinguishable from Arizona's most landmark - and a natural wonder that simply has to be seen to be believed. With 277 miles from end to end, steep, rocky walls descend more than a mile from the bottom of the gorge where the wild Colorado River traces a swift course southwest.
Another of the grandest, most photographed landmarks in the United States, the Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park is a sandy beach that stretches across the Arizona-Utah border, bathing the region in rich red hues. Dominated by red plateaus and surreal sandstone towers, some as high as 1,000 feet, the area is also known to be dramatic, with the sun illuminating the towers and casting long shadows across the valley floor.
One of the most popular lakes in Arizona, Lake Powell is a narrow lake surrounded by deep canyons, rocky outcrops and spectacular scenery of the Canyon National Recreation Area. Formed by one of the largest dams in the world and the waters of the Colorado River, the lake has a surface area of ​​162,700 hectares and 1,960 miles of winding coastline, making it the perfect destination for fishing, water sports and a myriad of other outdoor activities. open air.
One of the largest dams of its time and an Arizona landmark, Hoover Dam is situated in the Black Canyon between Arizona and Nevada USA, about half an hour from Las Vegas, at the bottom of Lake Mead. Steeped in history and a colossal sight, Hoover Dam becomes an imposing stop on a sightseeing trip to Arizona.
For an unforgettable encounter with Arizona nature, take a trip to the Painted Desert area. A wide region of difficult rocky land covering more than 93,500 hectares, where this vast landscape features rocks in all shades, from deep and gray lavenders, rich reds, oranges and even pink. Located in northern Arizona, the Painted Desert stretches from Grand Canyon National Park east to Petrified Forest National Park, with a large portion within the Navajo Nation.
In Petrified Forest National Park, located east of Winslow, over 200 million-year-old fossils tell the story of the Earth and its prehistoric inhabitants among the beautiful and picturesque areas of the Arizona Painted Desert. The Petrified Forest is an amazing kingdom of fascinating landscape.

---

Arizona is known for its desert climate in its southern half, with very hot summers and very mild winters. The northern half of the state has pine forests, and a large plateau (Colorado Plateau) and some mountain ranges, such as the San Francisco Mountains, as well as large, deep gorge, with much more moderate summer temperatures, and significant snowfalls.

---