A Santa Fe Journey
The
History of New Mexico
The
Land of Enchantment
New Mexico was once a part of Mexico,
but the United States claimed it in 1846. Its now part of the Sun
Belt. Despite its many attractions, New Mexico still has a
relatively small population, about one and a half million.
Over one-third live in the middle of the state in the largest city,
Albuquerque.
New Mexico includes the Native Americans who
have been on the land for thousands of years. Many residents in
the northern part of the state and in the capital, Santa Fe--a city of
about 60,000--can trace their ancestry directly to Spanish noblemen and
explorers who came in the 1500's. Mexicans arrived somewhat later.
"Anglos" and black Americans came to trade and settle after
the Civil War. Most recently, Asian and Indochinese immigrants
have found New Mexico a comfortable place.
The weather is ideal, high and dry
mostly, but you can pick the climate you'd like, winter or summer, by
altitude. If you're a Midwesterner, used to everything being
various shades of green, you may be shocked to see lots of 'bare
ground." If you're an Easterner, used to humidity, haze and
leaden skies, the great distances you can see in the dry air and open
spaces may give you agoraphobia. If you're a Californian, used to
crowded freeways and millions of people, you might enjoy the elbow room
If you crave seeing lots of cars, however, drive Albuquerque's two
freeways during rush hours. And if the altitude gives you a
headache or fatigue in the afternoon, a siesta works quite well for lots
of people.
New Mexico is geologically complex: it's
located where the Great Plains, Rocky Mountains, and range and basin
landforms meet. It includes hot springs and artesian wells, caves,
extinct volcanoes, old and recent lava flows, ash deposits, ancient
coast and sea beds, upheavals and faults, the fifth largest river in the
United States, and the Continental Divide. Elevations range from
2,800' to more than 13,000 feet above sea level and include six of the
seven life zones found on earth, from Lower Sonoran to Arctic-Alpine.
Ten million acres are national forest land;
another 13 million acres of public land are managed by the Bureau of
Land Management. Native American pueblos and reservations occupy a
smaller, yet significant portion of New Mexico. More than 44.6
million acres are in farms and ranches. There are some stretches
of malpais (badlands) that are fun to visit but you couldn't live there.
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