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Phoenix, Arizona

geography Maturity 11-13 Next article →

Phoenix is the capital city of Arizona in the United States.

Phoenix by Sentinel-2, 2020-09-09
Phoenix by Sentinel-2, 2020-09-09

It sits in the northeastern part of the Sonoran Desert. This area is often called the Valley of the Sun. The city is very large in size. It is the largest city by area in the state of Arizona.

Phoenix Urban Villages
Phoenix Urban Villages

The city is also the most populous state capital in the country. It is home to over 1.6 million people.

Ethnic Origins in Phoenix
Ethnic Origins in Phoenix

Many people live in the surrounding metropolitan area too. This larger region has about 5.19 million residents.

Long ago, the Hohokam people lived in this desert land. They stayed in the area for about 2,000 years.

OasisAmerica-es
OasisAmerica-es

They were very skilled at moving water to their crops. They built hundreds of irrigation canals to make the land useful for farming. These paths helped them grow food in a dry place. Later, other groups like the Akimel O'odham and Maricopa tribes used the land. The Akimel O'odham lived in villages near the Gila River Valley. They grew corn, beans, and squash for their food. They also grew cotton and tobacco.

Modern Phoenix began to grow in the year 1867. A man named Jack Swilling saw the potential for farming here. He noticed old mounds of dirt from ancient canals. He started a company to dig a new canal near the Salt River.

Phoenix-Duppa-Montgomery Adobe-1895-2
Phoenix-Duppa-Montgomery Adobe-1895-2

A settler named Darrell Duppa suggested the name "Phoenix." He thought the city would rise again like the mythical bird. The town was officially incorporated as a city in 1881. It became the capital of the Arizona Territory in 1889.

Phoenix1885-AerialMap HiRes
Phoenix1885-AerialMap HiRes

Soon, railroads arrived to help trade goods reach far away markets.

For a long time, the economy relied on the "Five C's." These were cotton, cattle, citrus, climate, and copper.

Phoenix downtown03.ca1940s
Phoenix downtown03.ca1940s

Farming was a huge part of life for many decades. People grew crops like alfalfa, cotton, and citrus fruits. After World War II, the city began to change. High-tech companies started moving into the valley. Air conditioning also made the hot summers much easier to live in.

Phoenix downtown03.ca1940s
Phoenix downtown03.ca1940s

The city grew very fast between the 1960s and the 2000s. It became one of the ten most populous cities in the nation by 1980.

Today, Phoenix is a major cultural center for the state. It has a very large and diverse population. About 42% of the people living there are Hispanic.

Ethnic Origins in Phoenix
Ethnic Origins in Phoenix

The city has many different parts to explore. You can see the tall buildings in the downtown core.

Downtown Phoenix Aerial Looking Northeast
Downtown Phoenix Aerial Looking Northeast

You can also see the beautiful desert mountains nearby.

Camelback Mountain aerial view
Camelback Mountain aerial view

The city manages a huge economy worth over $362 billion. It remains a busy and important place in the Southwest.

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🖼️ Images & Media (35)
File:OasisAmerica-es.svg
OasisAmerica-es.svg
File:Phoenix-Duppa-Montgomery Adobe-1895-2.JPG
Phoenix-Duppa-Montgomery Adobe-1895-2.JPG
File:Phoenix1885-AerialMap HiRes.jpg
Phoenix1885-AerialMap HiRes.jpg
File:Phoenix1908.jpg
Phoenix1908.jpg
File:Phoenix downtown03.ca1940s.jpg
Phoenix downtown03.ca1940s.jpg
File:The View of Phoenix's Urban Sprawl from 4000 Ft. South Mountain in Background , 6 1972.jpg
The View of Phoenix's Urban Sprawl from...
File:Phoenix by Sentinel-2, 2020-09-09.jpg
Phoenix by Sentinel-2, 2020-09-09.jpg
File:231209-2 Ahwatukee and South Mountain.jpg
231209-2 Ahwatukee and South Mountain.jpg
File:Phoenix Urban Villages.svg
Phoenix Urban Villages.svg
File:Hummingbird Springs Wilderness (9412743529).jpg
Hummingbird Springs Wilderness (9412743529).jpg
File:PhoenixDustStorm2.2011.jpg
PhoenixDustStorm2.2011.jpg
File:Median Household Income Maricopa County.png
Median Household Income Maricopa County.png

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