New Mexico – The Land of Enchantment

Each state has its own interesting facts that are unique from all the others. But did you know that New Mexico is the only state with its own official question? Red or green? That’s it. Adopted in 1996, the question refers to whether you prefer red or green chile sauce. Answer “Christmas” in a restaurant, and you’ll be served both!

That’s just one fun fact. The state’s capital, Santa Fe, was founded in 1610 and is the oldest capital city in the US. New Mexico also joins Colorado, Utah, and Arizona as one of the Four Corners states. It is the only place in the US where four states connect at one point. There are plenty of incredibly interesting things to learn about America’s 47th state.

The Beginning

Before New Mexico became a US state, it was home to several groups of indigenous peoples. Many Native American tribes and Spanish settlers inhabited the land. In 1680, the Pueblo Revolt against Spanish colonizers drove out around 2,000 Spanish and freed the area from foreign rule for a time, though the Spanish did return in 1692. The territory later fell under the influence of the Comanche Empire and the large area of land they controlled called the Comancheria. The Mexican-American War in 1848 led to the annexation of New Mexico as part of the larger New Mexico Territory, and it remained that for 64 years before it was admitted into the Union as America’s 47th state on January 6, 1912.

World War II greatly affected New Mexico. The rugged landscape allowed precisely placed military installations to be built in hard-to-reach areas. Perhaps the best known is Los Alamos, where the first atomic bombs were designed.

Landscape, Climate, and Population

New Mexico has one of the most diverse natural environments in the US. Day and night temperatures swing drastically, and varying elevation levels create a wide variety of landscapes. The Rocky Mountain Zone is home to several mountains, while the Llano Estacado offer a vast expanse of flatlands. The rest of the state is the Intermountain Plateau, which is an abundant area in the state made up of basins and plateaus.

With such vastly different landscapes, New Mexico also experiences varying weather conditions. The snowy mountains and dry, arid deserts, along with monsoon seasons in the plains, offer up nearly every kind of weather there is.

It’s the fifth largest of the 50 states, but New Mexico’s population of just over 2.1 million people is rather low for its size. It has grown in more recent years, of course, but the slow growth is due mostly to much of its land being generally inhospitable. Today, however, New Mexico is a hot spot for retirees.

Interesting Facts About New Mexico

• In 1881, Billy the Kid escaped from the Lincoln County jail in Lincoln, New Mexico.
• In 1945, as part of the Manhattan Project, the first detonation of an atomic bomb took place at Trinity Site, Alamogordo, New Mexico.
• There were reports that a UFO landed in Roswell, New Mexico, in 1947.
• William Hanna, the animator of Tom and Jerry and Scooby-Doo, as well as a co-founder of Hanna-Barbera, was born in Melrose, New Mexico.
• Famous American songwriter John Denver was born in New Mexico in 1943.
• Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon, and Demi Moore, a famous American actress, were both born in New Mexico.