Arizona

Geography

Like other states of the Southwest, Arizona has an abundance of topographical characteristics in addition to its desert climes. More than half of the state features mountains and plateaus and contains the largest stand of Ponderosa pine in the United States. The Mogollon Rim, a 600-meter (2000-foot) escarpment, cuts across the central section of the state and marks the southwestern edge of the Colorado Plateau, where the state experienced its worst forest fire ever in 2002.

Related Topics:
Desert - Mountains - Plateaus - United States - Mogollon Rim - Escarpment - Colorado Plateau - Worst forest fire ever - 2002

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The Grand Canyon is a colorful, steep-sided gorge, carved by the Colorado River, in northern Arizona. The canyon 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 the Grand Canyon area, visiting on numerous occasions to hunt mountain lion and enjoy the breathtaking scenery.

Related Topics:
Grand Canyon - Gorge - Colorado River - Seven natural wonders of the world - Grand Canyon National Park - National parks - United States - Theodore Roosevelt - Mountain lion

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The canyon, created by the Colorado River cutting a channel over millions of years, is about 277 miles (446 km) long, ranges in width from 6 to 29 kilometers (4 to 18 miles) and attains a depth of more than 1 mile (1.6 km). Nearly 2 billion years of the Earth's history has been exposed as the Colorado River and its tributaries cut through layer after layer of sediment as the Colorado Plateaus have uplifted.

Related Topics:
Colorado River - Earth - Sediment - Colorado Plateau

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:Statistics

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:*Largest City: Phoenix

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:*Highest Point: Humphreys Peak - 12,633 ft. (3,851 m) near Flagstaff

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:*Lowest Point: Colorado River - 70 ft. (21 m)

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~