In 1912, Arizona was the 48th state to be admitted to the United States. This makes it the last of the contiguous states to be admitted to the Union.

Before the arrival of European colonists, Arizona was home to many Native American Tribes, of which the Anazasi are the best known. Arizona was claimed from Indian American nations first by the Spanish, and later taken over as part of Mexico. It was then made part of the United States after the Mexican-American War. About a quarter of the state is presently made up of Indian Reservations.

When people think of Arizona, they often think of scorching hot summers and deserts. But although spectacular deserts can be found, especially in the south, Arizona is not all like that. As you move north through the state, you reach upland tablelands that are higher than the mountains in many other states. It is this high plateau, with is conifer forests and volcanic peaks, that is cut into by the Colorado River to make the Grand Canyon.

This northern area has snow every winter, and is home to several ski resorts. One of the most remarkable things about Arizona is how much public land there is: only 15% of Arizona is owned privately. A further quarter is Indian Reservation land, so that 60% is public forest and park land and state trust land.

Huge parts of southern Arizona fall into what is known as Basin and Range country, meaning that deep basins are paralleled by tall mountain ranges. The mountain ranges cut off moist air from the Pacific and the Gulf of Mexico, which is why it has deserts, and why summers are very hot and even winters mild. In the north, across the plateaulands, summers are cooler and wetter as giant thunderstorms rumble their way across the lands while even the Grand Canyon gets an annual covering of snow.

The mountains of Arizona are rich in minerals, especially copper, and mining has been a foundation of the wealth of the state. But there was farming, too, and cotton was widespread. These were both severely effected by the Great Depression in the 1920s and 30s. Today farming is still important, but using modern irrigation methods.

Without air conditioning, it is hard to live in many parts of Arizona, but with air-conditioning a large number of retired people arrived looking for somewhere relatively inexpensive, yet warm and comfortable to live. They became known as snowbirds, because they fled the snowy winters of the northern states. The main arrival of these people started in the 1960s and continues to this day, although the area is no longer inexpensive.