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68-761: The Arizona Interscholastic Association ( AIA ) is one of two regulatory bodies for high school athletics and activities in the state of Arizona . It comprises all of the state's public district high schools (except Ajo High School , Beaver Dam High School and Gila Bend High School ), various charter and private schools, plus a full member in Winterhaven, California and an associate member in Nogales, Sonora, Mexico . The AIA has 264 members, including 262 full members (Rincon/University are one team and Bowie/San Simon are one team) and 2 associate members. Its associate members are BASIS Chandler and Colegio Gante . The AIA
136-552: A gunman shot congresswoman Gabby Giffords and 18 others at a gathering in Tucson. Giffords was critically wounded. The incident sparked national attention regarding incendiary political rhetoric. Three ships named USS Arizona have been christened in honor of the state, although only USS Arizona (BB-39) was so named after statehood was achieved. Arizona is in the Southwestern United States as one of
204-536: A Japanese invasion of the U.S. West Coast (which in fact materialized in the Aleutian Islands Campaign in June 1942), from 1942 to 1945, persons of Japanese descent were forced to reside in internment camps built in the interior of the country. Many lost their homes and businesses. The camps were abolished after World War II. The Phoenix-area POW camp site for Germans was purchased after
272-528: A Spanish Franciscan , became the first European to contact Native Americans. He explored parts of the present state and made contact with native inhabitants, probably the Sobaipuri . The expedition of Spanish explorer Coronado entered the area in 1540–1542 during its search for Cíbola . Few Spanish settlers migrated to Arizona. One of the first settlers in Arizona was José Romo de Vivar . Father Kino
340-587: A channel over millions of years, and is about 277 miles (446 km) long, ranges in width from 4 to 18 miles (6 to 29 km) and attains a depth of more than 1 mile (1.6 km). Nearly two billion years of the Earth 's history have been exposed as the Colorado River and its tributaries cut through layer after layer of sediment as the Colorado Plateau uplifted. Arizona is home to one of
408-757: A divine hero to the Pima people of the Gila River Valley . It was probably considered – and rejected – for its sentimental value before Congress settled on the name "Arizona".) Brigham Young , leader of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Salt Lake City in Utah , sent Mormons to Arizona in the mid- to late 19th century. They founded Mesa , Snowflake , Heber , Safford , and other towns. They also settled in
476-403: A dry heat from 90 to 120 °F (32 to 49 °C), with occasional high temperatures exceeding 125 °F (52 °C) having been observed in the desert area. Arizona's all-time record high is 128 °F (53 °C) recorded at Lake Havasu City on June 29, 1994, and July 5, 2007; the all-time record low of −40 °F (−40 °C) was recorded at Hawley Lake on January 7, 1971. Due to
544-764: A third list organized by New7Wonders and determined by another global vote, includes entire cities: The list of "Seven Wonders of the Underwater World" was drawn up by CEDAM International, an American-based non-profit group for divers that is dedicated to ocean preservation and research. In 1989, CEDAM brought together a panel of marine scientists, including Eugenie Clark , to choose underwater areas which they considered worthy of protection. The results were announced at The National Aquarium in Washington, D.C., by actor Lloyd Bridges , star of TV's Sea Hunt : British author Deborah Cadbury wrote Seven Wonders of
612-671: A total metropolitan population of just over 4.7 million. The average high temperature in July, 106 °F (41 °C), is one of the highest of any metropolitan area in the United States, offset by an average January high temperature of 67 °F (19 °C), the basis of its winter appeal. Tucson , with a metro population of just over one million, is the state's second-largest city. Located in Pima County , approximately 110 miles (180 km) southeast of Phoenix, it
680-655: Is a state in the Southwestern region of the United States , sharing the Four Corners region of the western United States with Colorado , New Mexico , and Utah . Its other neighboring states are Nevada to the northwest and California to the west. It also shares an international border with the Mexican states of Sonora and Baja California to the south and southwest. It is the 6th-largest and
748-811: Is considered as relatively vulnerable to climate change, which can make six of Arizona`s 15 counties uninhabitable for humans by the years 2040-2060. This was the cautionary warning made by a December 2020 study released by ProPublica and Rhodium Group. Phoenix , in Maricopa County , is Arizona's capital and largest city. Other prominent cities in the Phoenix metro area include Mesa (Arizona's third largest city), Chandler (Arizona's fourth largest city), Glendale , Peoria , Buckeye , Sun City , Sun City West , Fountain Hills , Surprise , Gilbert , El Mirage , Avondale , Tempe , Tolleson and Scottsdale , with
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#1732779942412816-493: Is home to a diverse population. About one-quarter of the state is made up of Indian reservations that serve as the home of 27 federally recognized Native American tribes , including the Navajo Nation , the largest in the state and the country, with more than 300,000 citizens. Since the 1980s, the proportion of Hispanics has grown significantly owing to migration from Mexico and Central America. A substantial portion of
884-612: Is in Arizona. The Mogollon Rim ( / ˌmoʊ gəˈyoʊn / ), a 1,998-foot (609 m) escarpment , cuts across the state's central section and marks the southwestern edge of the Colorado Plateau. In 2002, this was an area of the Rodeo–Chediski Fire , the worst fire in state history until 2011. Located in northern Arizona, the Grand Canyon is a colorful, deep, steep-sided gorge, carved by the Colorado River . The canyon
952-629: Is less well known for its pine-covered north-central portion of the high country of the Colorado Plateau (see Arizona Mountains forests ). Like other states of the Southwest United States, Arizona is marked by high mountains, the Colorado plateau, and mesas. Despite the state's aridity, 27% of Arizona is forest, a percentage comparable to modern-day Romania or Greece. The world's largest stand of ponderosa pine trees
1020-494: Is not the only high school sports regulatory body in Arizona (the Canyon Athletic Association coordinates events for smaller schools, especially charter schools), but it is the largest. Arizona Arizona ( / ˌ ær ɪ ˈ z oʊ n ə / ARR -iz- OH -nə ; Navajo : Hoozdo Hahoodzo [hoː˥z̥to˩ ha˩hoː˩tso˩] ; O'odham : Alĭ ṣonak [ˈaɭi̥ ˈʂɔnak] )
1088-671: Is one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World and is largely contained in the Grand Canyon National Park – one of the first national parks in the United States. President Theodore Roosevelt was a major proponent of designating the Grand Canyon area as a National Park, often visiting to hunt mountain lion and enjoy the scenery. The canyon was created by the Colorado River cutting
1156-477: Is one of the hottest cities in the United States, with an average July high of 107 °F (42 °C). For comparison, the same month's average in Death Valley is 115 °F (46 °C). The city features sunny days about 90% of the year. The Yuma Metropolitan Statistical Area has a population of 160,000. Yuma attracts many winter visitors from all over the United States. Seven Natural Wonders of
1224-556: The 14th-most-populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix , which is the most populous state capital in the United States. Arizona is the 48th state and last of the contiguous states to be admitted to the Union, achieving statehood on February 14, 1912. Historically part of the territory of Alta California and Nuevo México in New Spain , it became part of independent Mexico in 1821. After being defeated in
1292-549: The Arizona Legislature enacted the Stupid Motorist Law . It is rare for tornadoes or hurricanes to occur in Arizona. Arizona's northern third is a plateau at significantly higher altitudes than the lower desert, and has an appreciably cooler climate, with cold winters and mild summers, though the climate remains semiarid to arid. Extremely low temperatures are not unknown; cold air systems from
1360-561: The Colorado Plateau ; mountain ranges (such as the San Francisco Mountains ); as well as large, deep canyons , with much more moderate summer temperatures and significant winter snowfalls. There are ski resorts in the areas of Flagstaff , Sunrise , and Tucson . In addition to the internationally known Grand Canyon National Park , which is one of the world's seven natural wonders , there are several national forests , national parks , and national monuments . Arizona
1428-479: The Four Corners states. Arizona is the sixth largest state by area , ranked after New Mexico and before Nevada . Of the state's 113,998 square miles (295,000 km ), approximately 15% is privately owned. The remaining area is public forest and parkland, state trust land and Native American reservations. There are 24 National Park Service maintained sites in Arizona, including the three national parks of Grand Canyon National Park , Saguaro National Park , and
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#17327799424121496-459: The Kingdom of Spain and its Spanish Empire in 1821, what is now Arizona became part of its Territory of Nueva California , ("New California"), also known as Alta California ("Upper California"). Descendants of ethnic Spanish and mestizo settlers from the colonial years still lived in the area at the time of the arrival of later European-American migrants from the United States. During
1564-762: The Mediterranean rim and in the ancient Near East . The number seven was chosen because the Greeks believed it represented perfection and plenty, and because it reflected the number of planets known in ancient times (five) plus the Sun and Moon. The Greek historian Herodotus (484 – c. 425 BC) and the scholar Callimachus of Cyrene (c. 305–240 BC), at the Museum of Alexandria , made early lists of seven wonders. These lists have not survived, however, except as references in other writings. The classic Seven Wonders were: In
1632-551: The Mexican–American War (1847–1848), the U.S. Army occupied the national capital of Mexico City and pursued its claim to much of northern Mexico, including what later became Arizona Territory in 1863 and later the State of Arizona in 1912. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo (1848) specified that, in addition to language and cultural rights of the existing inhabitants of former Mexican citizens being considered as inviolable,
1700-487: The Mexican–American War , Mexico ceded much of this territory to the United States in 1848, where the area became part of the territory of New Mexico . The southernmost portion of the state was acquired in 1853 through the Gadsden Purchase . Southern Arizona is known for its desert climate, with very hot summers and mild winters. Northern Arizona features forests of pine, Douglas fir , and spruce trees;
1768-521: The O'odham name alĭ ṣonak , meaning ' small spring ' . Initially this term was applied by Spanish colonists only to an area near the silver mining camp of Planchas de Plata, Sonora . To the European settlers, the O'odham pronunciation sounded like Arissona . The area is still known as alĭ ṣonak in the O'odham language. Another possible origin is the Basque phrase haritz ona '
1836-485: The Petrified Forest National Park . Arizona is well known for its desert Basin and Range region in the state's southern portions, which is rich in a landscape of xerophyte plants such as the cactus . This region's topography was shaped by prehistoric volcanism , followed by the cooling-off and related subsidence . Its climate has exceptionally hot summers and mild winters. The state
1904-558: The Phoenix Valley (or "Valley of the Sun"), Tempe , Prescott , and other areas. The Mormons settled what became northern Arizona and northern New Mexico. At the time these areas were in a part of the former New Mexico Territory . During the nineteenth century, a series of gold and silver rushes occurred in the territory, the best known being the 1870s stampede to the silver bonanzas of Tombstone, Arizona , in southeast Arizona, also known for its legendary outlaws and lawmen. By
1972-650: The Territory of New Mexico from 1850 until the southern part of that region seceded from the Union to form the Territory of Arizona . This newly established territory was formally organized by the federal government of the Confederate States on Saturday, January 18, 1862, when President Jefferson Davis approved and signed An Act to Organize the Territory of Arizona , marking the first official use of
2040-605: The 16th century and the word " medieval " was not invented until the Enlightenment era. Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable refers to them as "later list[s]", suggesting the lists were created after the Middle Ages. Many of the structures on these lists were built much earlier than the Middle Ages but were well known throughout the world. Typically representative of such lists are: Other structures sometimes included on such lists include: Following in
2108-551: The 19th and early 20th centuries, some writers emulated the classical list by creating their own lists with names such as "Wonders of the Middle Ages", "Seven Wonders of the Middle Ages", "Seven Wonders of the Medieval Mind", and "Architectural Wonders of the Middle Ages". It is unlikely that any of these lists actually originated in the Middle Ages since the concept of a "Middle Age" did not become popular until at least
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2176-463: The American national newspaper USA Today and the American television show Good Morning America revealed a list of the "New Seven Wonders", both natural and human-made, as chosen by six judges. The Grand Canyon was added as an eighth wonder on November 24, 2006, in response to viewer feedback. Similar to the other lists of wonders, there is no consensus on a list of seven natural wonders of
2244-600: The Industrial World , a book telling the stories of seven great feats of engineering of the 19th and early 20th centuries. In 2003, the BBC aired a seven-part docudrama exploring the same feats, with Cadbury as a producer . In a 1999 article, Astronomy magazine listed the "Seven Wonders of the Solar System". This article was later made into a video. Many authors and organisations have composed lists of
2312-718: The Pacific Ocean during the winter and a monsoon in the summer. The monsoon season occurs toward the end of summer. In July or August, the dewpoint rises dramatically for a brief period. During this time, the air contains large amounts of water vapor . Dewpoints as high as 81 °F (27 °C) have been recorded during the Phoenix monsoon season. This hot moisture brings lightning , thunderstorms , wind, and torrential, if usually brief, downpours. These downpours often cause flash floods , which can turn deadly. In an attempt to deter drivers from crossing flooding streams,
2380-492: The Phoenix metropolitan area. Situated in pine tree forests at an elevation of about 5,500 feet (1,700 m), Prescott enjoys a much cooler climate than Phoenix, with average summer highs around 88 °F (31 °C) and winter temperatures averaging 50 °F (10 °C). Yuma is the center of the fourth-largest metropolitan area in Arizona. Located in Yuma County , it is near the borders of California and Mexico. It
2448-555: The Spanish term Árida Zona ' Arid Zone ' is considered a case of folk etymology . For thousands of years before the modern era, Arizona was home to many ancient Native American civilizations. Hohokam , Mogollon , and Ancestral Puebloan cultures were among those that flourished throughout the state. Many of their pueblos, cliffside dwellings, rock paintings and other prehistoric treasures have survived and attract thousands of tourists each year. In 1539, Marcos de Niza ,
2516-670: The World Various lists of the Wonders of the World have been compiled from antiquity to the present day, in order to catalogue the world's most spectacular natural features and human-built structures. The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World is the oldest known list of this type, documenting the most iconic and remarkable human-made creations of classical antiquity ; it was based on guidebooks popular among Hellenic sightseers and as such only includes works located around
2584-617: The chance to take part in the flavor and activities of the "Old West". Several upscale hotels and resorts opened during this period, some of which are still top tourist draws. They include the Arizona Biltmore Hotel in central Phoenix (opened 1929) and the Wigwam Resort on the west side of the Phoenix area (opened 1936). Arizona was the site of German prisoner of war camps during World War II and Japanese American internment camps . Because of wartime fears of
2652-544: The city in the Tucson Mountains , is the site of the world's largest collection of Saguaro cacti. The Prescott metropolitan area includes the cities of Prescott, Cottonwood , Camp Verde and many other towns in the 8,123 square miles (21,000 km ) of Yavapai County area. With 212,635 residents, this cluster of towns is the state's third largest metropolitan area. The city of Prescott (population 41,528) lies approximately 100 miles (160 km) northwest of
2720-404: The good oak ' , as there were numerous Basque sheepherders in the area. A native-born Mexican of Basque ancestry established the ranchería ( small rural settlement ) of Arizona between 1734 and 1736 in the current Mexican state of Sonora . It became notable after a significant discovery of silver there around 1737. The misconception that the state's name purportedly originated from
2788-472: The last engagement in the American Indian Wars , which lasted from 1775 to 1918. U.S. soldiers stationed on the border confronted Yaqui Indians who were using Arizona as a base to raid the nearby Mexican settlements, as part of their wars against Mexico. Arizona became a U.S. state on February 14, 1912, coinciding with Valentine's Day . Arizona was the 48th state admitted to the U.S. and
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2856-609: The last of the contiguous states to be admitted. Cotton farming and copper mining, two of Arizona's most important statewide industries, suffered heavily during the Great Depression . But during the 1920s and even the 1930s, tourism began to develop as the important Arizonan industry it is today. Dude ranches, such as the K L Bar and Remuda in Wickenburg, along with the Flying V and Tanque Verde in Tucson, gave tourists
2924-462: The late 1880s, copper production eclipsed the precious metals with the rise of copper camps like Bisbee, Arizona , and Jerome, Arizona . The boom and bust economy of mining also left hundreds of ghost towns across the territory, but copper mining continued to prosper with the territory producing more copper than any other state by 1907, which earned Arizona the nickname "the Copper State" at
2992-418: The level of the surrounding plain. The crater itself is nearly a mile (1.6 kilometers) wide and 570 feet (170 m) deep. Arizona is one of two U.S. states, along with Hawaii, that does not observe Daylight Saving Time , though the large Navajo Nation in the state's northeastern region does. Due to its large area and variations in elevation, the state has a wide variety of localized climate conditions. In
3060-518: The lower elevations the climate is primarily desert, with mild winters and extremely hot summers. Typically, from late fall to early spring, the weather is mild, averaging a minimum of 60 °F (16 °C). November through February are the coldest months, with temperatures typically ranging from 40 to 75 °F (4 to 24 °C), with occasional frosts. About midway through February, the temperatures start to rise, with warm days, and cool, breezy nights. The summer months of June through September bring
3128-485: The most well-preserved meteorite impact sites in the world. Created around 50,000 years ago, the Barringer Meteorite Crater (better known simply as " Meteor Crater ") is a gigantic hole in the middle of the high plains of the Colorado Plateau, about 25 miles (40 km) west of Winslow . A rim of smashed and jumbled boulders, some of them the size of small houses, rises 150 feet (46 m) above
3196-753: The name "Territory of Arizona". The Southern territory supplied the Confederate government with men, horses, and equipment. Formed in 1862, Arizona scout companies served with the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War . Arizona has the westernmost military engagement on record during the Civil War with the Battle of Picacho Pass (1862). The Federal government declared a new U.S. Arizona Territory, consisting of
3264-583: The needs of senior citizens and attracted many retirees who wanted to escape the harsh winters of the Midwest and the Northeast . Sun City , established by developer Del Webb and opened in 1960, was one of the first such communities. Green Valley , south of Tucson, was another such community, designed as a retirement subdivision for Arizona's teachers. Many senior citizens from across the United States and Canada come to Arizona each winter and stay only during
3332-442: The northern states and Canada occasionally push into the state, bringing temperatures below 0 °F (−18 °C) to the state's northern parts. Indicative of the variation in climate, Arizona is the state which has both the metropolitan area with the most days over 100 °F (38 °C) ( Phoenix ), and the metropolitan area in the lower 48 states with the most days with a low temperature below freezing ( Flagstaff ). Arizona
3400-556: The population are followers of the Roman Catholic Church and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . Arizona's population and economy have grown dramatically since the 1950s because of inward migration, and the state is now a major hub of the Sun Belt . Cities such as Phoenix and Tucson have developed large, sprawling suburban areas. Many large companies, such as PetSmart and Circle K , have headquarters in
3468-496: The primarily dry climate, large diurnal temperature variations occur in less-developed areas of the desert above 2,500 ft (760 m). The swings can be as large as 83 °F (46 °C) in the summer months. In the state's urban centers, the effects of local warming result in much higher measured night-time lows than in the recent past. Arizona has an average annual rainfall of 12.7 in (323 mm), which comes during two rainy seasons, with cold fronts coming from
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#17327799424123536-638: The several armies fighting in Mexico. Only two significant engagements took place on U.S. soil between U.S. and Mexican forces: Pancho Villa 's 1916 Columbus Raid in New Mexico and the Battle of Ambos Nogales in 1918 in Arizona. After Mexican federal troops fired on U.S. soldiers, the American garrison launched an assault into Nogales, Mexico . The Mexicans eventually surrendered after both sides sustained heavy casualties. A few months earlier, just west of Nogales, an Indian War battle had occurred, considered
3604-471: The state, and Arizona is home to major universities, including the University of Arizona , Arizona State University , and Northern Arizona University . The state is known for a history of conservative politicians such as Barry Goldwater and John McCain , though it has become a swing state in recent years. The state's name appears to originate from an earlier Spanish name, Arizonac , derived from
3672-513: The state. After Maricopa County did not allow them to register to vote, in 1948 veteran Frank Harrison and Harry Austin, of the Mojave-Apache Tribe at Fort McDowell Indian Reservation , brought a legal suit, Harrison and Austin v. Laveen , to challenge this exclusion. The Arizona Supreme Court ruled in their favor. Arizona's population grew tremendously with residential and business development after World War II, aided by
3740-528: The state. In 2004, voters passed Proposition 200 , requiring proof of citizenship to register to vote. The Supreme Court of the United States struck this restriction down in 2013. In 2010, Arizona enacted SB 1070 which required all immigrants to carry immigration papers at all times, but the Supreme Court also invalidated parts of this law in Arizona v. United States in 2012. On January 8, 2011,
3808-434: The sum of $ 15 million in compensation (equivalent to $ 528,230,769.23 in 2023) be paid to the Republic of Mexico. In 1853, the U.S. acquired the land south below the Gila River from Mexico in the Gadsden Purchase along the southern border area as encompassing the best future southern route for a transcontinental railway. What is now the state of Arizona was administered by the United States government as part of
3876-405: The territory gained and lost political influence with the growth and development of the territory. Although names including "Gadsonia", "Pimeria", "Montezuma" and "Arizuma" had been considered for the territory, when 16th President Abraham Lincoln signed the final bill, it read "Arizona", and that name was adopted. ( Montezuma was not derived from the Aztec emperor, but was the sacred name of
3944-408: The time of statehood. During the first years of statehood the industry experienced growing pains and labor disputes with the Bisbee Deportation of 1917 the result of a copper miners' strike. During the Mexican Revolution from 1910 to 1920, several battles were fought in the Mexican towns just across the border from Arizona settlements. Throughout the revolution, many Arizonans enlisted in one of
4012-432: The tradition of the classical list, modern people and organisations have made their own lists of wonderful things, both ancient and modern, natural and artificial. Some of the most notable lists are presented below. In 1994, the American Society of Civil Engineers compiled a list of Seven Wonders of the Modern World, paying tribute to the "greatest civil engineering achievements of the 20th century". In November 2006,
4080-432: The traditional Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, was not one of the winners announced in 2007 but was added as an honorary candidate. A similar contemporary effort to create a list of seven natural (as opposed to human-made) wonders chosen through a global poll, called the New 7 Wonders of Nature , was organized from 2007 to 2011 by the same group as the New 7 Wonders of the World campaign. New 7 Wonders Cities ,
4148-547: The war by the Maytag family (of major home appliance fame). It was developed as the site of the Phoenix Zoo . A Japanese-American internment camp was on Mount Lemmon , just outside the state's southeastern city of Tucson. Another POW camp was near the Gila River in eastern Yuma County . Arizona was also home to the Phoenix Indian School , one of several federal Indian boarding schools designed to assimilate Native American children into mainstream European-American culture. Children were often enrolled in these schools against
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#17327799424124216-421: The western half of earlier New Mexico Territory, in Washington, D.C. , on February 24, 1863. These new boundaries would later form the basis of the state. The first territorial capital, Prescott, was founded in 1864 following a gold rush to central Arizona. The capital was later moved to Tucson, back to Prescott, and then to its final location in Phoenix in a series of controversial moves as different regions of
4284-501: The widespread use of air conditioning , which made the intensely hot summers more comfortable. According to the Arizona Blue Book (published by the Arizona Secretary of State 's office each year), the state population in 1910 was 294,353. By 1970, it was 1,752,122. The percentage growth each decade averaged about 20% in the earlier decades, and about 60% each decade thereafter. In the 1960s, retirement communities were developed. These age-restricted subdivisions catered exclusively to
4352-515: The winter months; they are referred to as snowbirds . In March 2000, Arizona was the site of the first legally binding election ever held over the internet to nominate a candidate for public office. In the 2000 Arizona Democratic Primary, under worldwide attention, Al Gore defeated Bill Bradley . Voter turnout in this state primary increased more than 500% over the 1996 primary. In the 21st century, Arizona has frequently garnered national attention for its efforts to quell illegal immigration into
4420-483: The wishes of their parents and families. Attempts to suppress native identities included forcing the children to cut their hair, to take and use English names, to speak only English, and to practice Christianity rather than their native religions. Numerous Native Americans from Arizona fought for the United States during World War II. Their experiences resulted in a rising activism in the postwar years to achieve better treatment and civil rights after their return to
4488-427: The world, and there has been debate over how large such a list should be. One of many existing versions of this list was compiled by CNN in 1997: In 2001, an initiative was started by the Swiss corporation New7Wonders Foundation to choose the New 7 Wonders of the World from a selection of 200 existing monuments through online votes. The Great Pyramid of Giza—part of the Giza Pyramids , the only remaining wonder of
4556-464: Was incorporated in 1877, making it the oldest incorporated city in Arizona. It is home to the University of Arizona . Major incorporated suburbs of Tucson include Oro Valley and Marana northwest of the city, Sahuarita south of the city, and South Tucson in an enclave south of downtown. It has an average July temperature of 100 °F (38 °C) and winter temperatures averaging 65 °F (18 °C). Saguaro National Park , just west of
4624-429: Was the next European in the region. A member of the Society of Jesus (" Jesuits "), he led the development of a chain of missions in the region. He converted many of the Indians to Christianity in the Pimería Alta (now southern Arizona and northern Sonora ) in the 1690s and early 18th century. Spain founded presidios ("fortified towns") at Tubac in 1752 and Tucson in 1775. When Mexico achieved its independence from
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