New Mexico
New Mexico is a state of the United States of America. It is considered part of the American Southwest and is bordered by Texas to the east, Oklahoma to the northeast, Colorado to the north, and Arizona to the west. The northwest corner of the state also touches Utah. This area is known as the Four Corners because four states meet there. The state has the nickname Land of Enchantment. It has been inhabited since ancient times by the Pueblo people. It was first named and founded as Nuevo México (New Mexico) in the 1500s by Spain. The state’s ancient Native American and Hispanic history have given New Mexico a unique food type called New Mexican cuisine, and a distinct music style called New Mexico music.
New Mexico | |
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State of New Mexico Estado de Nuevo México (Spanish) Yootó Hahoodzo (Navajo) | |
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Nickname(s): Land of Enchantment | |
Motto(s): Crescit eundo (English: It grows as it goes) | |
Anthem: "O Fair New Mexico" and "Así Es Nuevo México" | |
![]() Map of the United States with New Mexico highlighted | |
Country | United States |
Before statehood | Nuevo México. (1598–1848) New Mexico Territory (1850–1912) |
Admitted to the Union | January 6, 1912 (47th) |
Capital | Santa Fe |
Largest city | Albuquerque |
Largest metro and urban areas | Greater Albuquerque |
Government | |
• Governor | Michelle Lujan Grisham (D) |
• Lieutenant Governor | Howie Morales (D) |
Legislature | New Mexico Legislature |
• Upper house | Senate |
• Lower house | House of Representatives |
U.S. senators |
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U.S. House delegation |
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Area | |
• Total | 121,590[1] sq mi (314,917 km2) |
• Land | 121,298[1] sq mi (314,161 km2) |
• Water | 292[1] sq mi (757 km2) 0.24% |
Area rank | 5th |
Dimensions | |
• Length | 371 mi (596 km) |
• Width | 344 mi (552 km) |
Elevation | 5,701 ft (1,741 m) |
Highest elevation | 13,168 ft (4,013.4 m) |
Lowest elevation | 2,845 ft (868 m) |
Population (2019) | |
• Total | 2,096,829 |
• Rank | 36th |
• Density | 17.2/sq mi (6.62/km2) |
• Density rank | 45th |
• Median household income | $46,744[5] |
• Income rank | 47th |
Demonym(s) | New Mexican (Spanish: Neomexicano, Neomejicano)[6] |
Language | |
• Spoken language | |
Time zones | |
entire state (legally) | UTC−07:00 (Mountain) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC−06:00 (MDT) |
Nara Visa (informally) | UTC−06:00 (Central) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC−05:00 (CDT) |
USPS abbreviation | NM |
ISO 3166 code | US-NM |
Traditional abbreviation | N.M., N.Mex. |
Latitude | 31°20′ N to 37°N |
Longitude | 103° W to 109°3′ W |
Website | www |
New Mexico state symbols | |
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Living insignia | |
Bird | Greater roadrunner |
Fish | Rio Grande cutthroat trout |
Flower | Yucca |
Grass | Blue grama |
Insect | Tarantula Hawk Wasp |
Mammal | American black bear |
Reptile | New Mexico whiptail |
Tree | Two-needle piñon |
Inanimate insignia | |
Colors | Red and yellow |
Food | Chile peppers, pinto beans, and biscochitos |
Fossil | Coelophysis |
Gemstone | Turquoise |
State route marker | |
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State quarter | |
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Lists of United States state symbols |
New Mexico became a state on 6 January 1912 and became the 47th state accepted into the United States. The state capital is Santa Fe. New Mexico's population is 2,096,829 as of the July 1, 2019 population estimate from the U.S. Census Bureau. Most of the people live in the biggest city, Albuquerque. New Mexico is home to one of the longest trams in the world, the Sandia Peak Tramway, in Albuquerque and one of world's longest zip lines, the Apache Eagle ZipRider, in Ruidoso.
Climate
The climate for most of the state is generally semi-arid. In the summer it can be very hot in southern New Mexico. The temperature is sometimes over 100 °F (37.8 °C) with lows over 70 °F (21.1 °C). It occasionally snows in the northern part of the state in the winter. It is drier in the southern portion of the state, and it rarely snows. New Mexico is usually affected by the North American monsoon from mid June to late September.
History
New Mexico is the long-time home of the Pueblo people, a group of Native Americans. The area was named Nuevo México (New Mexico) by the Spanish in the mid-1500s and officially settled in 1598, its capital Santa Fe was selected in 1610. In the late 1600s, the Pueblo people revolted against the Spanish. The Spanish returned twelve years later, and made a better attempt at giving the Pueblos better representation in New Mexico’s society and government. One such Spanish governor of New Mexico, that is most well known for his work with Native Americans, was named Tomás Vélez Cachupín.
When Mexico became independent in the early 1800s, New Mexico was part of it. Mexico wasn’t successful in representing the New Mexican people, which lead to another revolt called the Chimayo Rebellion.
In 1846, the United States and Mexico went to war over a border dispute in Texas (a former state of Mexico that, after being its own country for a time joined the US), and the United States won the war. The peace treaty the two countries signed gave what is now the American Southwest to the United States. While most of what was then Northern Mexico did not have a large amount of people living in it, New Mexico had population centers in Pueblo and Spanish towns, especially along the Rio Grande river and in the Sangre de Cristo mountains. The New Mexican citizens living there were allowed to stay if they agreed to become US Citizens; over 90% did.
After some time as a territory, the area became a state in 1912.
Coyote Sandia Peak Tramway The Kiva at Nambe Pueblo
References
- "United States Summary: 2010 - Population and Housing Unit Counts" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. September 2012. p. 41. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
- "Wheeler". NGS data sheet. U.S. National Geodetic Survey. Retrieved 24 October 2011.
- "Elevations and Distances in the United States". United States Geological Survey. 2001. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 24 October 2011.
- Elevation adjusted to North American Vertical Datum of 1988.
- "Median Annual Household Income". The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. Archived from the original on 20 December 2016. Retrieved 9 December 2016.
- Neomexicano definition Archived June 27, 2018, at the Wayback Machine by Royal Spanish Academy (Real Academia Española)
- "Most spoken languages in New Mexico in 2010". MLA Data Center. Archived from the original on 23 May 2013. Retrieved 4 November 2012.
Other websites

- New Mexico Indian Tribes Archived 2007-06-04 at the Wayback Machine
- New Mexico Monuments
- New Mexico National Parks
- Gila National Forest Archived 2007-07-26 at the Wayback Machine