The Grand Canyon State was the last of the 48 contiguous states to join the union, admitted in 1912. Arizona was carved from the western side of New Mexico during the Civil War in 1863, becoming a territory then and until statehood.

Mining became a major industry after the Gadsden Purchase of 1853, which granted U.S. possession of southern Arizona, and remained a strong contributor to the region’s economy through the 1950s. The arrival of railroads in the 1880s only heightened the copper boom, and thousands of people flocked to the Wild West of Arizona's mining towns.

During World War II, Arizona served as a site for German prisoner of war camps and Japanese-American internment camps. Many Native Americans from Arizona fought during the war, and advocated for their civil rights upon returning home. Today, about a quarter of the state is made up of Native American reservations, including the Navajo Nation Reservation.

Following the war, the increasingly widespread use of air conditioning resulted in massive population and business growth in the state, including in the state capital, Phoenix. Today, it is the only state capital with more than 1 million people.

Arizona is the sixth largest state physically and is perhaps best known for its weather and geography. Southern Arizona features a hot desert climate, while northern Arizona is full of forests, mountain ranges and canyons. There are several national parks, monuments and forests in the state, including the Grand Canyon.