Interesting Facts About New Mexico

The State of New Mexico is known for its highest percentage of Hispanic Americans, and also records the third highest percentage of Native Americans in the country. With a lot of attractions in store for tourists that flock this place from all over the world, New Mexico has plenty of sites of historical significance as well as some of the most beautiful state parks and scenic areas. Here are some interesting facts about New Mexico, that will really interest you and make you want to visit it at least once in your lifetime.

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New Mexico

Cowboy

Picada Fiesta

Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta

St. Francis Cathedral

Rio Grande River

Yucca

White Sands

Carlsbad Caverns

Pueblo del Arroyo

Interesting Facts: New Mexico

• The state of New Mexico is the most important hub of American Indian culture.
• This state got its name in the 16th century from Spanish explorers, who had come here in the hope of finding a lot of gold.
• A third of the people in New Mexico speak Spanish.
• New Mexico's flag comprises red and gold colors, and these are meant to represent Spain, as well as the ancient native American symbol for the sun.
• This state has four seasons - spring, summer, fall and winter.
• The economy of New Mexico is mostly based on dairy products, food processing, cattle, chilies, petroleum, coal, stone, clay, glass, electric equipment, printing, publishing, and of course tourism.
• New Mexico has more cattle than human beings.
• New Mexico also boasts of the fourth longest river in all of North America - the Rio Grande.
• The Yucca is New Mexico's state flower and its fibrous leaves are used to make rope.
• The first people to inhabit New Mexico were the members of the Clovis culture of Paleo-Indians. These inhabitants were followed by Native Americans of the Anasazi as well as the Mogollon cultures.
• On the 16th of July, 1945, the world's first atomic bomb (Designed and manufactured in Los Alamos) was denoted on the White Sands testing range. This lies near Alamogordo.
• The Governor's Palace in Santa Fe is well-known for being the oldest seat of the government in the United States, besides being the oldest government building too in the country.
• Santa Fe, the capital of New Mexico, situated at 7,000 feet above sea level, is the highest capital city in the U.S.
• The total area of the State of New Mexico is around 121,665 square miles.
• Yet another interesting fact about New Mexico is that it holds the sixth position for the most sparsely inhabited US state.
• The first ever-recorded Europeans that moved to New Mexico were the Spaniards, in their search for gold.
• Torrance County that lies in the town of Manzano, holds the center of population.
• The State of New Mexico borders three other states - Colorado, Arizona and Utah, and also shares an international border with Mexico.
• When it comes to religion, New Mexico records the highest percentage of Catholics that are seen in any western U.S. state.
• Since 1898, when The Indian School was filmed in New Mexico, many films have used New Mexico as a backdrop, which has provided ample job opportunities as well.
• Although the state of New Mexico is large, it shows very little water surface. The total surface water area is only 250 square miles.
• Although this area is known for its mountainous terrain, there are areas towards the northern side that are heavily forested as well.
• The Rio Grande River also serves as a natural boundary between Texas and New Mexico.
• The White Sands National Monument in New Mexico lies at an elevation of 4235 feet. This area contains white-colored sand dunes, which are actually composed of gypsum crystals.
• The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, which is held in October, draws millions of visitors from across the globe to watch the colorful hot-air balloons rise into the air.
• The Carlsbad Cavern National Park located in Southwest New Mexico is known for its beautiful 'rooms' or caves.
• The State of New Mexico has around seven National Forests, and also includes the nation's largest Gila National Forest, which is around 3.3 million acres in size.
• The New Mexico State Parks remain to be a popular destination with most tourists. Approximately 5 million people visit these parks every year to discover their scenic beauty.
• The largest fire recorded in New Mexico history happened on May 4, 2000, at the National Park Service's Bandelier Monument. Due to this fire, many people had to evacuate their homes.

There are many other interesting facts about New Mexico too, and visiting this amazing state will let you in on more of the unique landscape and culture that is prevalent in this part of the United States.