New Mexico

Introduction

The area that is New Mexico was claimed by Spain in the 16th century, became part of Mexico in 1821, and was ceded to the United States in 1848 (through the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo). Tensions between New Mexico's Spanish American (Hispano), Native American, and Anglo populations are a continuing reminder of the bitter antagonisms that characterized the state's long history; these tensions drive such novels as N. Scott Momaday's House Made of Dawn (1968), Rudolfo Anaya's Bless Me, Ultima (1972), Leslie Marmon Silko's Ceremony (1974), and John Nichols's The Milagro Beanfield War (1974), all of which are part of the modern New Mexican literary canon. As part of the American Southwest, New Mexico shares the “Old West” legacy of cattle drives, cowboys, and clashes between pioneers and Native Americans. Indeed, from the vastness of its slice of the Great Plains to the rough, weather-scored peaks of its mountain ranges, New Mexico retains much of its frontier flavour.

Despite the traditionally agrarian nature of the state, New Mexico has become increasingly urbanized. About two-fifths of its residents live in Albuquerque (founded 1706) and the surrounding Bernalillo county. Santa Fe, a much smaller city, was founded in 1610 and is the oldest continuously used seat of government in North America. It was also the terminus of the Santa Fe Trail, a wagon trail that was a major commercial and migration route from Missouri to the Southwest from 1821 to 1880, when the railroad was completed.

Area 121,590 square miles (314,917 square km).

Pop. (2000) 1,819,046; (2007 est.) 1,969,915.

Land

Relief

New Mexico has some of the flattest land as well as some of the most rugged mountains in the country. Some portions of the state are rich in pine forests, meadows, and fish-laden mountain streams, while other areas are devoid of any water bodies, and even cacti struggle to survive. The eastern third of the state is an extension of the Great Plains that includes the Llano Estacado (“Staked Plain”), so named because of its abundance of spiky agaves (century plants). The Rocky Mountains extend into the north-central part of the state. Southwest of the Rockies is part of the Basin and Range Province, consisting of mountain ranges running in a north-south direction interspersed with valleys that are indispensable to agriculture and grazing. Northwestern New Mexico, part of the Colorado Plateau, is characterized by unique volcanic formations that are a result of past lava flows. This region also contains many plains and short mountain ranges.

The average elevation ranges from 5,000 to 8,000 feet (1,500 to 2,500 metres) above sea level in the northwest to less than 4,000 feet (1,250 metres) in the southeast. More than four-fifths of the state is higher than 4,000 feet above sea level. The highest mountain peaks, Wheeler Peak (13,161 feet [4,011 metres]) and Truchas Peak (13,103 feet [3,994 metres]), are in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains in the north-central part of the state. The lowest elevation, 2,842 feet (866 metres), lies along Red Bluff Lake in the southeastern corner of the state.

Two of New Mexico's most unique physical features are the caverns near Carlsbad, which are among the most spectacular natural rock formations in the world, and the extensive gypsum sand dunes at White Sands National Monument in south-central New Mexico, which were created by wind and water erosion.

Drainage

Five major river systems—the Rio Grande, the Pecos, the Canadian, the San Juan, and the Gila—drain the state. The Rio Grande, which has played an influential role in New Mexico's history, virtually bisects the state from north to south. Agriculture in its floodplain has been significant since prehistoric times; European settlers initially lived exclusively in its valleys and those of its tributaries, areas where perennial supplies of water were nearby and relatively safe from attack. The Pecos, east of the Rio Grande and approximately parallel to it, was also a popular route for explorers. The Canadian River, rising in the Sangre de Cristo range and flowing east across the arid plains, was a useful avenue for explorers despite its deep canyons. The San Juan and Gila rivers lie west of the Continental Divide, in the northwest and southwest, respectively. All but the Gila, which is not dammed in New Mexico, provide water for irrigation, recreation, and flood control. Few other natural water bodies are found in the state, aside from artificial lakes and reservoirs, the largest of which, Elephant Butte Reservoir, was created by the damming of the Rio Grande.

Climate

New Mexico's pleasant climate has long been one of its greatest attractions, especially for those seeking a comfortable retirement or relief from respiratory and other ailments. Although New Mexico's average annual temperature is in the mid-50s F (about 12 °C), extremes can range from near 120 °F (about 48 °C) to the 50s F (about 46 °C). Variations are caused more by elevation than latitude, with temperatures falling by about 5 °F (3 °C) with every 1,000-foot (300-metre) increase in elevation. Nighttime temperatures tend to fall sharply. The average annual rainfall is about 13 inches (330 mm), though precipitation tends to increase with elevation. About 40 inches (1,000 mm) of rain fall in the higher mountains, whereas lower areas may get no more than 8 to 10 inches (200 to 250 mm). Generally, precipitation is greatest in the eastern third of the state and least in the western third.

Plant and animal life

New Mexico has six vegetation zones, which are determined mainly by elevation. The Lower Sonoran Zone, in the southern sections of the Rio Grande and Pecos valleys and in the state's southwestern corner, usually occurs at elevations below 4,500 feet (1,400 metres). It includes nearly 20,000 square miles (52,000 square km) of New Mexico's best grazing area and irrigated farmland. The Upper Sonoran Zone, comprising about three-fourths of the state and including most of the plains, foothills, and valleys above 4,500 feet, is a region of prairie grasses, low piñon pines, and juniper shrubs. At higher elevations, better stands are a result of more abundant rainfall. The Transition Zone, covering some 19,000 square miles (49,000 square km), is identified chiefly by the ponderosa pine. The Canadian Zone, covering 4,000 square miles (10,000 square km) at elevations of 8,500 to 9,500 feet (2,600 to 2,900 metres), contains blue spruce and Douglas fir. The Hudsonian and Arctic-Alpine zones, above 9,500 feet, are too small in area and too sparsely covered to be of great importance.

Elevation also is a primary factor in the distribution of the state's diverse wildlife. Mule deer, brown bears, bighorn sheep, minks, muskrats, foxes, mountain lions, and bobcats live in the mountain and forest areas above 7,000 feet (2,100 metres), while at lower elevations antelopes, coyotes, and jackrabbits are found. Barbary sheep from North Africa have been introduced into several mountain areas. Many species of trout are common in the mountain streams, and warm-water fish abound in lower streams. Approximately 300 species of birds can be found year-round, including various game birds; dozens more migratory species of birds cross the state via the Rio Grande. Rattlesnakes and black widow spiders are common. Despite the establishment of federal and state parks, forests, and refuges, many of New Mexico's animal species are endangered; among them are the long-nosed bat, the least tern, and the Mexican gray wolf, the last of which was reintroduced in 1999.