O-T: Tell me about New Mexico.

quote:

---

New Mexico (Spanish: Nuevo México ['nweßo 'mexiko]; Navajo: Yootó Hahoodzo [jo:tó haho:dzo]) is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It was admitted to the union as the 47th state on January 6, 1912. It is usually considered one of the Mountain States. New Mexico is the fifth-most extensive, the 36th-most populous, and the sixth-least densely populated of the 50 United States.

Inhabited by indigenous peoples of the Americas for many centuries before European exploration, New Mexico was subsequently part of the Imperial Spanish viceroyalty of New Spain. Later, it was part of Mexico before becoming a U.S. territory and eventually a U.S. state. Among U.S. states, New Mexico has the highest percentage of Hispanics, including descendants of Spanish colonists who have lived in the area for more than 400 years. It also has the second-highest percentage of Native Americans after Alaska, and the fourth-highest total number of Native Americans after California, Oklahoma, and Arizona.[6] The nations in the state consist of mostly Navajo, Pueblo, and Apache peoples. As a result, the demographics and culture of the state are unique for their strong Hispanic and Native American influences, both of which are reflected in the state flag. The scarlet and gold colors of the New Mexico flag are taken from the royal standards of Spain, along with the ancient sun symbol of the Zia, a Pueblo-related tribe.[7]

New Mexico, or Nuevo México in Spanish, is often incorrectly believed to have taken its name from the nation of Mexico. However, New Mexico was given its name in 1563, and again in 1581, by Spanish explorers who believed the area contained wealthy Indian cultures similar to those of the Mexica (Aztec) Empire.[8][9][10] Mexico, formerly a part of New Spain, adopted its name centuries later in 1821, after winning independence from Spanish rule. Consequently, New Mexico was only a part of the independent federal republic of Mexico for 12 years, 1836 through 1848. The two developed as neighboring Spanish-speaking communities, with relatively independent histories.

---

quote:

---

The state's total area is 121,412 square miles (314,460 km2).[11] The eastern border of New Mexico lies along 103° W longitude with the state of Oklahoma, and three miles (5 km) west of 103° W longitude with Texas.[12] On the southern border, Texas makes up the eastern two-thirds, while the Mexican states of Chihuahua and Sonora make up the western third, with Chihuahua making up about 90% of that. The western border with Arizona runs along the 109° 03' W longitude.[11] The southwestern corner of the state is known as the Bootheel. The 37° N latitude parallel forms the northern boundary with Colorado. The states New Mexico, Colorado, Arizona, and Utah come together at the Four Corners in the northwestern corner of New Mexico. New Mexico, although a large state, has very little water. Its surface water area is about 250 square miles (650 km2).

The New Mexican landscape ranges from wide, rose-colored deserts to broken mesas to high, snow-capped peaks. Despite New Mexico's arid image, heavily forested mountain wildernesses cover a significant portion of the state, especially towards the north. The Sangre de Cristo Mountains, the southernmost part of the Rocky Mountains, run roughly north-south along the east side of the Rio Grande in the rugged, pastoral north. The most important of New Mexico's rivers are the Rio Grande, Pecos, Canadian, San Juan, and Gila. The Rio Grande is tied for the fourth-longest river in the U.S.[13]

The U.S. government protects millions of acres of New Mexico as national forests, including:[14]

Carson National Forest
Cibola National Forest (headquartered in Albuquerque)
Lincoln National Forest
Santa Fe National Forest (headquartered in Santa Fe)
Gila National Forest
Gila Wilderness
Areas managed by the National Park Service include:[15]

Aztec Ruins National Monument at Aztec
Bandelier National Monument in Los Alamos
Capulin Volcano National Monument near Capulin
Carlsbad Caverns National Park near Carlsbad
Chaco Culture National Historical Park at Nageezi
El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro National Historic Trail
El Malpais National Monument in Grants
El Morro National Monument in Ramah
Fort Union National Monument at Watrous
Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument near Silver City
Old Spanish National Historic Trail
Pecos National Historical Park in Pecos
Petroglyph National Monument near Albuquerque
Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument at Mountainair
Santa Fe National Historic Trail
White Sands National Monument near Alamogordo
Rio Grande del Norte National Monument near Taos
Valles Caldera National Preserve
Visitors also frequent the surviving native pueblos of New Mexico. Tourists visiting these sites bring significant money to the state. Other areas of geographical and scenic interest include Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument and the Gila Wilderness in the southwest of the state.

Climate[edit]
The climate of New Mexico is generally semiarid to arid, though areas of continental and alpine climates exist, and its territory is mostly covered by mountains, high plains, and desert. The Great Plains (High Plains) are located in Eastern New Mexico, similar to the Colorado high plains in eastern Colorado. The two states share similar terrain, with both having plains, mountains, basins, mesas, and desert lands. New Mexico's average precipitation rate is 13.9 inches (350 mm) a year. The average annual temperatures can range from 64 °F (18 °C) in the southeast to below 40 °F (4 °C) in the northern mountains.[11] During the summer, daytime temperatures can often exceed 100 °F (38 °C) at elevations below 5,000 feet (1,500 m), the average high temperature in July ranges from 97 °F (36 °C) at the lower elevations down to 78 °F (26 °C) at the higher elevations. Many cities in New Mexico can have temperature lows in the teens. The highest temperature recorded in New Mexico was 122 °F (50 °C) at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant near Loving on June 27, 1994, and the lowest recorded temperature is -50 °F (-46 °C) at Gavilan on February 1, 1951.[16]

Flora and fauna[edit]

Greater roadrunner (the state bird of NM)
New Mexico contains extensive habitat for many plants and animals, especially in desert areas and piñon-juniper woodlands. creosote bush, mesquite, cacti, yucca, and desert grasses, including black grama, purple three-awn, tobosa, and burrograss, cover the broad, semiarid plains of the southern portion of the state. The northern portion of the state is home to many tree species such as ponderosa pine, aspen, cottonwood, spruce, fir, and Russian olive, which is an invasive species. Native birds include the greater roadrunner (Geococcyx californianus, the state bird of New Mexico)[17] and wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo).[18] Other fauna present in New Mexico include black bears, cougars, jaguars, coyotes, porcupines, skunks, Mexican gray wolves, deer, elk, Plains bison, collared peccary, bighorn sheep, squirrels, chipmunks, pronghorns, western diamondbacks, kangaroo rats, jackrabbits, and a multitude of other birds, reptiles, and rodents. The black bear native to New Mexico, Ursus americanus amblyceps, was formally adopted as the state's official animal in 1953.[19]

---

quote:

---

Population[edit]
The United States Census Bureau estimates that the population of New Mexico was 2,085,109 on July 1, 2015, a 1.26% increase since the 2010 United States Census.[2]

Of the people residing in New Mexico, 51.4% were born in New Mexico, 37.9% were born in a different US state, 1.1% were born in Puerto Rico, U.S. Island areas, or born abroad to American parent(s), and 9.7% were foreign born.[35]

About 7.5% of New Mexico's population was reported as under 5 years of age, 25% under 18, and 13% were 65 or older.[36] Women make up around 51% of the population.[36]

As of 2000, 8% of the residents of the state were foreign-born.[36]

Among U.S. states, New Mexico has the highest percentage of Hispanic ancestry, at 47% (as of July 1, 2012), including descendants of Spanish colonists and recent immigrants from Latin America.

Cities, towns, and counties[edit]
See also: List of settlements in New Mexico and List of counties in New Mexico
v t e
Largest cities or towns in New Mexico
Source:[37]
Rank Name County Pop.
Albuquerque
Albuquerque
Las Cruces
Las Cruces 1 Albuquerque Bernalillo 556,495 Rio Rancho
Rio Rancho
Santa Fe
Santa Fe
2 Las Cruces Dona Ana 101,324
3 Rio Rancho Sandoval / Bernalillo 91,956
4 Santa Fe Santa Fe 69,976
5 Roswell Chaves 48,611
6 Farmington San Juan 45,854
7 Clovis Curry 39,508
8 Hobbs Lea 36,041
9 Alamogordo Otero 31,500
10 Carlsbad Eddy 27,653
Race and ancestry[edit]
Race/Ethnicity in New Mexico (2010)[38]
White 68.4%
• Non-Hispanic white 40.5%
• White Hispanic 28.1%
American Indian 9.4%
Black/African American 2.1%
Asian 1.4%
Pacific Islander 0.1%
Other 15.0%
Two or more races 3.7%
Hispanic/Latino 46.3%
The U.S. Census Bureau estimated that 47.0% of the total 2012 population was Hispanic or Latino of any race, the highest of any state. The majority of Hispanics in New Mexico claim Spanish ancestry, especially those in the northern part of the state. These Hispanos of New Mexico are the descendants of Spanish colonists who arrived during the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries and they speak New Mexican Spanish and/or English at home. The state also has a large Native American population, second in percentage behind that of Alaska.[36][39] The 2012 racial composition of the population was estimated to be:

83.2% White American
10.2% American Indian and Alaska Native
2.4% Black or African American
1.6% Asian
0.2% Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander
2.4% Two or more races[36]
New Mexico Racial Breakdown of Population
[hide]Racial composition 1970[40] 1990[40] 2000[41] 2010[42]
White 90.1% 75.6% 66.7% 68.6%
Native 7.2% 8.9% 9.5% 9.4%
Black 1.9% 2.0% 1.9% 2.1%
Asian 0.2% 0.9% 1.1% 1.4%
Native Hawaiian and
other Pacific Islander – – 0.1% 0.1%
Other race 0.6% 12.6% 17.0% 15.0%
Two or more races – – 3.6% 3.7%
According to the United States Census Bureau, 1.5% of the population is multiracial/mixed-race, a population larger than both the Asian and NHPI population groups.[36] In 2008, New Mexico had the highest percentage (47%) of Hispanics (of any race) of any state,[36] with 83% of these native-born and 17% foreign-born.[43]

According to estimates from the United States Census Bureau's 2006–2008 American Community Survey 3-Year Estimate,[44] New Mexico's population was 1,962,226. The number of New Mexicans of different single races were: White, 1,375,334 (70.1%); Black, 43,931 (2.2%); American Indian or Alaskan Native, 182,136 (9.3%); Asian, 26,767 (1.4%), Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, 854 (0.1%), and 273,778 (14.0%) of some other race. There were 59,415 (3.0%) of two or more races. There were 873,171 (44.5%) Hispanics or Latino (of any race).

According to the 2000 United States Census,[45]:6 the most commonly claimed ancestry groups in New Mexico were:

Mexican (16.3%)
American Indian (10.3%)
German (9.8%),
Spanish (9.3%) and
English (7.2%).
Languages[edit]
Languages Spoken in New Mexico
English only 64%
Spanish 28%
Navajo 4%
According to the 2000 U.S. Census, 28.76% of the population aged 5 and older speak Spanish at home, while 4.07% speak Navajo.[46] Speakers of New Mexican Spanish dialect are mainly descendants of Spanish colonists who arrived in New Mexico in the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries.[47] New Mexican Spanish is an archaic form of 17th century Castilian Spanish.[48]

Official language[edit]
The original state constitution of 1912 provided for a bilingual government with laws being published in both English and Spanish;[49] this requirement was renewed twice, in 1931 and 1943.[50] Nonetheless, the constitution does not declare any language as "official."[51] While Spanish was permitted in the legislature until 1935, all state officials are required to have a good knowledge of English. Cobarrubias and Fishman therefore argue that New Mexico cannot be considered a bilingual state as not all laws are published in both languages.[50] Others, such as Juan Perea, claim that the state was officially bilingual until 1953.[52] In either case, Hawaii is the only state that remains officially bilingual in the 21st century.[53]

With regard to the judiciary, witnesses have the right to testify in either of the two languages, and monolingual speakers of Spanish have the same right to be considered for jury-duty as do speakers of English.[51][54] In public education, the state has the constitutional obligation to provide for bilingual education and Spanish-speaking instructors in school districts where the majority of students are hispanophone.[51]

In 1995, the state adopted an official bilingual song, "New Mexico – Mi Lindo Nuevo México".[55]:75,81 In 1989, New Mexico became the first state to officially adopt the English Plus resolution,[53] and in 2008, the first to officially adopt a Navajo textbook for use in public schools.[56]


San Miguel Chapel in Santa Fe. Oldest church structure in the U.S., built in 1610.
Religions in New Mexico
Roman Catholic 42%
Protestant 28%
• Mainline 8%
• Evangelical 20%
• Other Protestant 2%
LDS (Mormon) 3%
Jewish 2%
Buddhist 2%
Other religion 3%
Unaffiliated 22%
Religion[edit]
According to Association of Religion Data Archives(ARDA), the largest denominations in 2010 were the Catholic Church with 684,941; the Southern Baptist Convention with 113,452; The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints with 67,637, and the United Methodist Church with 36,424 adherents.[57] According to a 2008 survey by the Pew Research Center, the most common self-reported religious affiliation of New Mexico residents are mentioned in reference[58]:100

Catholic Church hierarchy[edit]
Within the hierarchy of the Catholic Church, New Mexico belongs to the Ecclesiastical Province of Santa Fe. New Mexico has three dioceses, one of which is an archdiocese:[59] Archdiocese of Santa Fe, Diocese of Gallup, Diocese of Las Cruces.

---