The beautiful southwestern state of New Mexico has an extensive history and has been occupied by a variety of inhabitants, from the Native Americans to part of the viceroyalty of New Spain, a province of Mexico, to Americans, as one of the U.S. territories and states. Today, New Mexico’s almost 2 million residents are among the United States’ most diverse populations, with an ethnic make-up of approximately 45 percent non-Hispanic, 42 percent Hispanic and almost 10 percent Native American.
      Native Americans of the Clovis culture, and later the Pueblo peoples, were the first inhabitants of the region. Following the Mexican-American War in the 1840s, the United States gained control of the southwest. New Mexico had a prominent place in the legendary Old West with the establishment of the Santa Fe Trading Company in the 1820s and the prevalence of gunfighters, Native Americans, cowboys and ranchers. Billy the Kid gained fame during the Lincoln County Wars in the New Mexico Territory.
      New Mexico, the “Land of Enchantment,” still retains much of the mystique and magnetism of the Old West today, as well as the quiet beauty the southwest is famous for. New Mexico is a haven for Native American art, including pottery, jewelry and sculpture, especially at Santa Fe’s annual Indian Market, which attracts over 1,200 artists from over 100 tribes.

Did You Know...

State Nickname: The Land of Enchantment State Capital: Santa Fe State Flower: Yucca Flower State Bird: Roadrunner

There are also many casinos located on Native American reservations that attract thousands of visitors each year. From modern pueblos and reservations to ancient cliff dwellings, visitors can immerse themselves in Native American culture and traditions.
      The region’s Spanish and Hispanic heritage is also evident in its many historic sites, including many centuries-old missions, chapels and plazas.

Today’s Hispanic residents even speak a unique dialect of Spanish that is a result of the population’s isolation from other Spanish speakers and combines some late medieval Castilian vocabulary with Native American words for local features and Anglicized words for modern inventions and concepts.
      Like many southwestern states, New Mexico also has many natural attractions. Its gorgeous deserts, mesas, mountains and forests cover a significant part of the state.
Taos and the Sangre de Cristo Mountains offer skiing, hiking and other mountain activities, while sites such as Carson National Forest, Capulin Volcano National Monument, Gila Wilderness, Carlsbad Caverns National Park and White Sands National Monument preserve this unique natural landscape for generations to come. New Mexico is also known for a thriving artistic community. Georgia O’Keefe was one of the state’s best known artists and visitors can tour O’Keefe museums or wander the many art galleries in Taos or Santa Fe. Other artistic and cultural attractions include the world-renowned Santa Fe Opera and many flamenco performances.
      In contrast to New Mexico’s artistic and historical attributes are its role in the development of the atomic bomb and its place as a focal point of UFO lore. The U.S. government established the Los Alamos Research Center in 1943 and the atomic bomb was first detonated in New Mexico’s desert in July 1945. The government still operates the Los Alamos National Laboratory and the Sandia National Laboratories and tourists can check out many atomic museums. New Mexico’s Roswell is important to many UFO enthusiasts as the site of (supposed) extraterrestrial landing and subsequent cover-up by the U.S. government.

The federal government is still one of the state’s largest employers, providing more than a quarter of New Mexico’s jobs. The state plays host to three large air force bases, a testing range and an army proving ground, in addition to the many national observatories, research facilities and spacecraft proving grounds. With its vast landscape, the National Park Service, the United States Forest Service and the United States Bureau of Land Management are also large employers. Agriculture also plays an important role in the state’s economy, predominantly through livestock, pecans, hay, chile peppers and pinto beans. Mining is another big industry, as is tourism and aerospace, with Lockheed Engineering and Sciences and Virgin Galactic, the first company to develop commercial space flights, calling the state home.
      No other state can match New Mexico in geographical and cultural diversity, or in historical richness. Millions of tourists and new residents find their horizons expanded each year by this haunting, exceptional place that no one can ever forget.