The State of Arizona

THE STATE NAME:

It's said that a mining speculator named Charles D. Poston first suggested the name Arizona in a petition to the United States Congress to make Arizona a legal territory.

The name, Arizona, is derived from a combination of two words from the Papago Indian dialect of the Pima language; "Aleh" and "Zon" together as "Aleh-zon" meaning "little spring." The "little spring", located in Mexican territory, is near a large silver discovery made in Arizona Creek.

Pimeria was in reference to the land of the Pima Indians of the region.

Gadsonia was a Latin adaptation of the surname of James Gadsden. This suggested name is rooted in one man's dream/scheme to establish a southern transcontinental railroad running from Florida to the Pacific coast. Underlying this idea was Mr. Gadsden's desire to make the western territories economically dependent on the southern states rather than the northern states. James Gadsden was appointed U.S. Minister to Mexico and instructed to purchase, from Mexico, a strip of land south of the Gila River and lying in what is now southwestern New Mexico and southern Arizona. The Gadsden Purchase formalized the deal, providing Mexico with $10,000,000, the United States with 45,535 square miles of land and a clarified the U.S./Mexico boundary. The Gadsden Purchase also provided James Gadsden with a route for his transcontinental railroad. Click here for more about the Gadsden Purchase.

THE STATE NICKNAMES:

Grand Canyon National Park

The Grand Canyon State

This popular nickname for Arizona references the incomparable Grand Canyon in the northern part of the state, one of the world's natural wonders.

The Copper State

Producing more copper than any other state in the union, the Copper State is an apt nickname for Arizona. This nickname is reinforced by the copper star that is at the center of the Arizona State Flag.

The Apache State

Arizona was referred to as the Apache State because of the great numbers of Apache that lived in the territory. The Apache people fought bravely to keep newcomers from the state for many years in the 19th century.

The Aztec State

This nickname was probably in reference to the Aztec place names found in the Gila and Salt River valleys. Some of the ruins along these rivers may have been built by the Aztecs.

The Baby State

For a period of time, Arizona was the "baby" of the republic. It was the last of the contiguous 48 states to be admitted to the union in 1912. It was another 47 years later that Alaska and Hawaii gained statehood.

The Valentine State

Happy Valentines Day! Yes, Arizona has been referred to as the Valentine State because it was admitted to the union on February 14th!

Italy of America

The Italy of America nickname compares the beautiful and scenic mountain regions of the state of Arizona with the mountains of Italy.

The Sand Hill State

This nickname is a reference to the desert-like appearance of many areas throughout the state.

The Sunset State

This nickname most certainly stemmed from the beautiful sunsets throughout the state and particularly at the Grand Canyon. Arizona does provide a magnificent foreground for dramatic sunsets. "Sunset Land," a variation of the Sunset State, has also been recorded. Patrick Hamilton, in his book, The Resources of Colorado, published in 1884, stated "...there is no region on the globe, not even excepting he Italian peninsula, that can show such grand effects of light and shade, such gorgeousness of coloring, or such magnificent sun-bathed landscapes. When the banks of clouds around the western horizon look like masses of burnished gold set in a sea of silver, then is presented a picture to which neither pen nor pencil can do justice."

THE STATE CITIZENS:

People who live in or come from Arizona are referred to as Arizonans. According to A Book of Nicknames, by John Goff, published in 1892, Arizonans were sometimes referred to as "Sand Cutters" by people from outside the state, but it is not clear how this nickname for the people of Arizona came to be.

THE STATE QUARTER:

United States Mint Image

The third commemorative quarter-dollar coin released in 2008 honors Arizona, and is the 48th coin in the United States Mint's 50 State Quarters® Program. Arizona was admitted into the Union on February 14, 1912, becoming our Nation's 48th state, and the last in the continental United States.

The Arizona quarter features an image of the Grand Canyon with a Saguaro cactus in the foreground. A banner reading "Grand Canyon State" separates the two images to signify that the Saguaro cactus does not grow in the Grand Canyon. The coin also bears the inscriptions "Arizona" and "1912."

One of the seven natural wonders of the world, the Grand Canyon covers more than 1.2 million acres in northwestern Arizona. The Canyon, sculpted by the mighty Colorado River, is 6,000 feet deep at its deepest point and 18 miles at its widest. It is home to numerous rare and threatened plant and animal species. The Grand Canyon joined the National Park system in 1919 and is visited by more than four million tourists a year.

The Arizona Quarter Commission, appointed by Governor Janet Napolitano, solicited design suggestions from across the State. The Commission narrowed down more than 4,200 ideas to five narratives, which were sent to the United States Mint for consideration. The final artistic renderings, developed by Sculptor-Engravers of the United States Mint and artists in the United States Mint's Artistic Infusion Program, were then proposed to Arizona, and a statewide online vote was conducted. On May 1, 2007, Governor Napolitano announced her recommendation of the "Grand Canyon with Saguaro Cactus" design, based on the results of the online poll.

The Department of the Treasury approved the design on May 25, 2007. The other design concepts considered during the final selection process were "Grand Canyon," featuring an overview of the Grand Canyon; "Grand Canyon with Saguaro Cacti," featuring the Saguaro cactus as the central design with the Grand Canyon in the background; "Powell's Grand Canyon Expedition," depicting the John Wesley Powell expedition in a boat going through rapids; and "Navajo Code Talkers," depicting two Navajo Code Talkers using World War II field communication equipment.

For more about the state commemorative quarters, visit this page.

This 50 State Quarter Map is a great way to collect and display all 50 State Quarters.