 New
Mexico Information
Capital
City: Santa Fe
Language Description:
English, Spanish, various Native American languages
Passport/Visa U.S.:
Canadians need to show proof of citizenship: either a passport or
a certified copy of a birth certificate accompanied by photo ID
(we recommend a passport). Reconfirm travel document requirements
with your carrier prior to departure.
Population: 1,829,146
Religion: Christian
(Roman Catholic, Protestant), though most major religions are represented
Time Zone: 7 hours
behind Greenwich Mean Time (-7 GMT). Daylight Saving Time is observed
from the first Sunday in April to the last Sunday in October
Voltage Requirements:
110 volts
New Mexico's
Flag: The yellow field and red symbol colors are
the colors of Spain. First brought to New Mexico by Spanish explorers
in 1540. On New Mexico's flag we see a red sun with rays streching
out from it. There are four groups of rays with four rays in each
group. This is an ancient sun symbol of a Native American people
called the Zia. The Zia believed that the giver of all good gave
them gifts in groups of four. These gifts are: The four directions
- north, east, south and west. The four seasons - spring, summer,
fall and winter. The day - sunrise, noon, evening and night. Life
itself - childhood, youth, middle years and old age. All of these
are bound by a circle of life and love, without a beginning or end.
History
of New Mexico: Francisco V?squez de Coronado, a
Spanish explorer searching for gold, traveled the region that became
New Mexico in 1540–42. In 1598 the first Spanish settlement
was established on the Rio Grande River by Juan de Onate; in 1610
Santa Fe was founded and made the capital of New Mexico. The U.S.
acquired most of New Mexico in 1848, as a result of the Mexican
War, and the remainder in the 1853 Gadsden Purchase. Union troops
captured the territory from the Confederates during the Civil War.
With the surrender of Geronimo in 1886, the Apache Wars and most
of the Indian conflicts in the area were ended. Since 1945, New
Mexico has been a leader in energy research and development with
extensive experiments conducted at Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory
and Sandia Laboratories in the nuclear, solar, and geothermal areas.
Minerals are the state's richest natural resource and New Mexico
is one of the U.S. leaders in output of uranium and potassium salts.
Petroleum, natural gas, copper, gold, silver, zinc, lead, and molybdenum
also contribute heavily to the state's income. The principal manufacturing
industries include food products, chemicals, transportation equipment,
lumber, electrical machinery, and stone-clay-glass products. More
than two-thirds of New Mexico's farm income comes from livestock
products, especially sheep. Cotton, pecans, and sorghum are the
most important field crops. Corn, peanuts, beans, onions, chilies,
and lettuce are also grown. Tourist attractions in New Mexico include
the Carlsbad Caverns National Park, Inscription Rock at El Morro
National Monument, the ruins at Fort Union, Billy the Kid mementos
at Lincoln, the White Sands and Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monuments,
and the Chaco Culture National Historical Park.
Other New Mexico Links:
New Mexico Department of Education
New Mexico Department of Tourism
New Mexico State Library
New Mexico Municipal League
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