Arizona's Name
Is a Spanish interpretation of an Aztec Indian word "arizonac" meaning "silver-bearing." Arizona is also based on a Pima Indian word "arizonac" meaning "little spring place."

Largest Cities:
Phoenix, Tucson, Mesa, Glendale, Scottsdale, Chandler, Tempe, Gilbert, Peoria, Yuma, Flagstaff

Arizona Climate
Maximum temperature 1961 to 1990: 122 F Minimum temperature 1961 to 1990: 19 F
Mean Annual Precipitation: 7.7 inches Mean Annual Snowfall: 0.0 inches

Spanish names: saguaro - (giant cactus)
The huge green columns of saguaros have captivated the attention of nearly every tourist who has set eyes on one. The high esteem O’odham peoples have for saguaros is reflected in their many creation stories for this plant, which tend to share the common theme of people being turned into saguaros. These giant cacti are not plants to the Tohono O’odham; they’re another form of humanity. The saguaro is the largest cactus in the United States, commonly reaching 40 feet tall; a few have attained 60 feet and one was measured at 78 feet . White blossoms adorn the tops, mostly in May and June. Saguaros are excellent nesting places for many birds. The primary nesting associates are Gila woodpeckers and gilded flickers, both of which excavate nest holes in the fleshy stems

Spanish name volador (flying bush) is a nearly spherical annual herb, usually about 2 feet (60 cm) tall, but more than twice that in favorable conditions. The threadlike leaves are spine-tipped. The dried plant breaks from its root and blows across the ground, dispersing seeds as it tumbles - (The familiar song “Tumbling Tumbleweeds” was written in Tucson and first published as a poem in a University of Arizona literary quarterly. The Sons of the Pioneers, a singing group of the 1940s, made the song popular, and retired to Tucson 40 years later.)

Economy:
Agriculture: cotton,dairy products, lettuce,nursery stock, hay
Industry: Copper and other mining, electric equipment, transporation equipment machinery, printing and publishing, food processing, electronics, tourism

The Palo Verde is Arizona’s state tree. Its name comes from the Spanish palo verde, or “green stick” or “green pole."