Arizona is a state situated within the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The largest and capital city is Phoenix. Tucson is the 2nd largest city, followed in size by eight Phoenix metropolitan area cities: Mesa, Glendale, Chandler, Scottsdale, Gilbert, Tempe, Peoria, Surprise and next by Yuma within Yuma County.
Arizona State is the 48th state and last among the contiguous states admitted to the Union, achieving statehood on February 14, 1912. Arizona is noted for its mild winters, desert climate and extremely hot summers, but it likewise features mountain ranges and pine forests within the northern high country, with much cooler conditions compared to the lower deserts.
Arizona is one of the Four Corners states. It borders Utah, New Mexico, California and Nevada, touches Colorado State, and has a 389-mile or 626 km international border along with the states of Sonora and Baja California within Mexico. It is the biggest landlocked U.S. state by population. Along with the Grand Canyon, numerous other national forests, parks, and monuments are located in Arizona State, although over a quarter of its area is Federal Trust Land which serves as the home of the Navajo Nation, the Hopi tribe, the Tohono O'odham, Apache and Yaqui people and different Yuman tribes, like the Quechan, Hualapai and Yavapai.
The total gross state product during 2006 was $232 billion. If the state of Arizona were an independent country, 2005 numbers will rank them as the 61st largest economy in the world, based on the World Factbook provided by the CIA. This number gives the state of Arizona a larger economy than such nations like Finland, New Zealand and Ireland. Arizona currently has the 21st largest economy among states in the US. As a percentage of its overall budget, the estimated $1.7 billion deficit of Arizona for the year 2009 is amongst the largest in the US, behind such states as Texas, California, Michigan, and Florida, to name some.
The state's per capita income is $40,828, ranking 39th within the United States. The state of Arizona had a median household income of $50,958 making it 22nd in the US and just shy of the U.S. national median. Early in its history, Arizona's economy depended on the "five C's": cotton, cattle, copper, citrus, and climate (tourism). At one point Arizona was the biggest producer of cotton in the country. Copper is still extensively mined from numerous expansive open-pit and underground mines, responsible for roughly 66 percent of the nation's output.
With 17,343 staff in 2008, Walmart is the largest private company in Arizona State, while the state government is the biggest employer in general.
The U.S. government owns just about 70% of the land within Arizona, leasing a small portion of the public domain to ranchers and miners.