Arizona is home to the Grand Canyon, hence its nickname, "The Grand Canyon State," but that’s not all it has to offer. Arizona is also home to about six million people and counting (it’s the fastest growing state in the Union) and more beautiful vistas than you can imagine. Only about 15% of Arizona’s stunning real estate is privately owned; the rest is in the hands of the state or federal governments or under tribal ownership. Almost six percent of Arizona’s population is Native American (mostly located on tribal lands), and almost 30% of the state’s residents are Hispanic. The remainder are white, African American and Asian.

Historically, Arizona’s economy was summed up by the Five C’s: cattle, copper, cotton, citrus, and climate (tourism). At one point, Arizona was the nation’s largest producer of cotton, but agriculture, including cattle ranching, plays a smaller part in Arizona’s economy today. Arizona’s economy does still rely heavily on tourism, and millions of people annually flock to its world-famous resorts and resort towns such as Scottsdale and Sedona in central Arizona and Miraval Day Spa and Canyon Ranch Resort in Southern Arizona. Copper mining is still a major industry in the state, and Arizona’s copper mines account for 2/3 of the nation’s copper output. Arizona’s economy has a large and growing service sector, and a rapidly growing high tech sector which includes software and computer production, electronics manufacture and aerospace manufacturing.

Geographically, 2/3 of Arizona is covered by the Colorado Plateau. The Plateau is a high, flat, windswept plain interrupted by even higher mountain peaks and Arizona’s most famous canyons: the Grand Canyon, Oak Creek Canyon, and Canyon de Chelly. Other breathtaking features of the Colorado Plateau include the towering stone spires of Monument Valley, the Petrified Forest, the Painted Desert, and Meteor Crater – one of the largest and best preserved meteorite impact sites in the world. The remainder of Arizona is comprised of a repeating pattern of soaring mountain ranges jutting out of the desert floor. Arizona’s many mountain ranges, which are high enough in altitude to house ski resorts and alpine forests, help provide respite from the searing temperatures of the Sonoran Desert below. Arizona’s deserts aren’t barren stretches of sand, but are instead rather lushly vegetated and are known the world-over for their vast biodiversity. Though Arizona is one of the driest states in the nation, receiving an average of only 11 inches of precipitation each year, it does have four running rivers. The Colorado River, which runs almost the entire length of the western United States, makes up its western border.

The awe-inspiring landscapes and over 350 days of sunshine a year allow Arizona residents to take great advantage of the outdoors, making Arizona among the healthiest of states. Both its major population centers – Phoenix, its capitol in Maricopa County, and Tucson in the southeastern part of the state – are repeatedly ranked among the healthiest cities in the nation. Even those who live in the very heart of the city are only minutes away from mountain hiking trails, (dry) river bike trails and extensive park systems. Arizona hosts several national marathons and bicycle races, including the internationally famous Tour de Tucson. For more leisurely exercise, Arizona is renowned for its beautiful and challenging golf courses, and it hosts three major PGA tournaments. Arizona is also represented in all four major sports: the Arizona Cardinals for football, the World Champion Arizona Diamondbacks for baseball, the always exciting Phoenix Suns for basketball, and the Phoenix Coyotes for hockey. Arizona also hosts several NASCAR and national rodeo events.