New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico entered the Union on January 6, 1912, as the forty-seventh state. Located in the southwestern United States, it is bordered by Colorado , Oklahoma , Texas , Mexico, Arizona , and Utah . New Mexico is the fifth-largest state, with a total area of 121,593 square miles (314,924 square kilometers).
The first major European expedition to New Mexico began in 1540 and was led by Francisco Vásquez de Coronado (c. 1510–1554). These Spanish explorers met several Native American tribes, including the Pueblo, Navajo, and Apache.
The first settlement was formed in 1599, and in 1610 the Spanish developed Santa Fe as the center of all activity. In 1821, New Mexico fell under Mexican rule and remained so for twenty-five years. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, signed in 1848, officially made New Mexico a part of the United States. Two years later, it became a U.S. territory.
As greater numbers of white settlers traveled the Santa Fe Trail seeking homes in the Southwest, Native Americans resisted having their lands taken from them. The conflicts were sometimes violent. Cattle ranchers and merchants also fought over land in the Lincoln County War (1878–81). The most famous participant in the war was outlaw Billy the Kid (c. 1859–1881), who fought on the side of the ranchers.
The 1920s brought prosperity to New Mexico, as reserves of potash salts and petroleum were discovered. The Great Depression (1929–41) brought an end to that period of economic development, but World War II (1939–45) revived the economy once more.
In more recent years, New Mexico experienced an influx of newcomers, which has brought about major social, cultural, and political change. In 2006, New Mexico had the highest percentage of Hispanic and Native American populations (43.6 percent and 9.6 percent, respectively) in the United States. Total population that year was just under two million.
Santa Fe remains the center of cultural activity in New Mexico, a state renowned for its dedication to multicultural arts. The state's largest city, Albuquerque, attracts millions of visitors each year, as does Taos.
New Mexico's economy depends on major industries such as petroleum, food, and manufacturing. Tourism is a flourishing sector of the state's economy, with natural attractions like the Carlsbad Caverns and Roswell, the site of an alleged UFO crash in 1947, as main attractions. Roswell is also home to the New Mexico Military Institute.