The Grand Canyon State

Tweet

Arizona became the 48th state to join the Union. It is known by its nickname the “Grand Canyon State”. Its name comes from arizonac a combination of two Papago Indian words that mean “place of the young spring”. The state is popular for the Grand Canyon which is one of the “Seven Natural Wonders of the World” and for Monument Valley with sandstone monoliths. This state was home to the Indian leaders Geronimo and Cohise. The popular Western “Gunfight at the OK Corral” was filmed here. The capital is Phoenix and the state flower is the saguaro cactus blossom. Washington was the 42nd state to enter the Union and is named in honor of George Washington. It has a location along the Pacific coast and Puget Sound harbor so has a leading role in trade with Alaska, Canada and the Pacific Rim. There are two major mountain ranges in the state the Olympic Mountains and the Cascade Range. The Cascade Range includes the 14,410 ft. Mount Rainier and the volcanic Mount St. Helens. There are many mighty rivers in the state. Columbia River is home to the Grand Coulee Dam, providing 30% of the nation’s hydroelectric power. The capital is Olympia and the state flower is the western rhododendron. Oregon was first discovered by Spanish sailors. Settlers arrived with wagon trains along the Oregon Trail. It became the 33rd state to join the Union. It is home to the beauty of Crater Lake National Park and the Columbia River Gorge. This is a lovely state with forests and rugged coastline. There are amazing cliffs overlooking the Pacific. It is also home to the deepest lake in the U.S. Crater Lake. This is the one state where it is not really known how it got its name but one theory is that it might have come from the Wisconsin River which in French is “Ouaricon-sint”. The capital is Salem and the state flower the Oregon grape. Nevada got its name from the Spanish word meaning “snow clad” which is in reference to the snow-covered peaks of the Sierra Nevada. It became the 36th state to join the Union. The state is a mountainous region with semiarid grassland and sandy desert. Today there is a lot of mining for gold, silver, copper and other minerals in the state. It is popular for its casino cities Las Vegas and Reno. The capital is Carson City and the state flower is the sagebrush.