Arizona
There is some disagreement over the proper etymology of the name "Arizona." Possible origins supported by historians are the Basque phrase aritz ona, "good oak" and the O'odham phrase ali( s.onak, "small spring". The Basque etymology is the one preferred by Arizona state historian Marshall Trimble, among other specialists. The name Arizonac was initially applied to the silver mining camp, and later (shortened to Arizona) to the entire territory.
Arizona has had more female governors than any other U.S. state.
The largest stand in the world of Ponderosa pine trees is contained in Arizona.
The entire region is slowly sinking.
The canyon is one of the seven natural wonders of the world and is largely contained in the Grand Canyon National Park—one of the first national parks in the United States.
Arizona is home to one of the most well-preserved meteorite impact sites in the world.
Arizona does not observe Daylight Saving Time, except in the Navajo Nation, located in the northeastern region of the state
In March 2000, Arizona was the site of the first legally binding election to nominate a candidate for public office ever held over the internet. voter turnout increased more than 500% over the 1996 primary.
The state government is Arizona's largest employer, while Wal-Mart is the state's largest private employer, with 17,343 employees (2008).
In 2008, Arizona passed an amendment to the state constitution to define marriage as a union of one man and one woman. It was the first state to do so.
New Mexico
New Mexico has the highest percentage of Hispanics at 45% (2008 estimate)
The name Nuevo Mйxico was first used by a seeker of gold mines named Francisco de Ibarra who explored far to the north of Mexico in 1563 and reported his findings as being in "a New Mexico
During World War II, the first atomic bombs were designed and manufactured at Los Alamos and the first was tested at Trinity site in the desert on the White Sands Proving Grounds between Socorro and Alamogordo
New Mexico has no official language.
The streamliner Super Chief in New Mexico, a favorite of early Hollywood stars, was one of the most famous named trains in the United States and one of the most esteemed for its luxury and exoticness.
On March 18, 2009, the Governor signed the law abolishing the death penalty in New Mexico after the assembly and senate vote the week before, thus becoming the 15th U.S. state to abolish the penalty.
Due to the state's various research facilities, New Mexico had the highest concentration of Ph.D holders of any state in 2000.
New Mexican Spanish has vocabulary often unknown to other Spanish speakers.
Upham, near Truth or Consequences is the location of the world's first operational and purpose-built commercial spaceport, Spaceport America.
Colorado
Colorado entered statehood in 1876 and was nicknamed the “Centennial State”.
Residents of Colorado are properly known as "Coloradans", although the archaic term "Coloradoan" is still used
Colorado, Wyoming, and Utah are the only three U.S. states that have only lines of latitude and longitude for boundaries and that have no natural borders.
Colorado is the only U.S. state that lies entirely above 1,000 meters (3,281 ft) elevation.
Colorado is also one of only four states in the United States to share a common border (Four Corners), along with Arizona, New Mexico and Utah. At this intersection, it is possible to stand in four states at once.
The Eastern Plains in Colorado have some of the biggest hail storms in North America.
The name Colorado was chosen because it was commonly believed that the Colorado River originated in the territory
Early Spanish explorers named the river the Rio Colorado for the reddish-brown silt the river carried from the mountains. In fact, the Colorado River did not flow through the State of Colorado until House Joint Resolution 460 of the 66th United States Congress changed the name of the Grand River to the Colorado River on July 25, 1921.
Colorado women were granted the right to vote beginning on November 7, 1893, making Colorado the first U.S. state to grant universal suffrage by popular vote.
Colorado also has a reputation for being a state of very active and athletic people. According to several studies, Coloradans have the lowest rates of obesity of any state in the US.
Colorado did not have a native-born governor from 1975 (when John David Vanderhoof left office) until 2007, when Bill Ritter took office.
Utah
The name "Utah" is derived from the Ute Indian language, meaning "people of the mountains."
It is not widely known that Utah was the source of many pioneer settlements located elsewhere in the West. From the beginning, Salt Lake City was seen as only the hub of a "far-flung commonwealth" of Mormon settlements.
In 1847 when the first pioneers arrived, Utah was still Mexican territory.
In 2008, the US Census Bureau determined Utah to be the fastest growing state in the country in terms of population growth.
Historically a majority of Utah's lawmakers have been church members
Utah has a high total birth rate, and the youngest population of any U.S. state. It is also one of the few non-Southern states that has more males than females.
Utah granted full voting rights to women in 1870, 26 years before becoming a state.
Utah is also one of only two states in the United States to outlaw all forms of gambling; the other is Hawaii.
As of October 1, 2008, Utah is the only state in America to ban the sale of fruity alcoholic drinks at grocery stores and convenience stores in an effort to keep them from minors.
Since becoming a state in 1896, Utah has had only two non-Mormon governors.
According to a study based on prescription claims from one mail-order pharmaceutical provider, Utah (as of 2000) ranked first in antidepressant and narcotic painkiller use, and was in the top three for prescriptions for thyroid medications, anticonvulsants and anti-rheumatics
According to the National Restaurant Association, Utah has the lowest rate of restaurants per capita, with 4,691 restaurants at a rate of 1.90 restaurants per person.
In the Doctor Who episode "Dalek", Utah was the base of operations for the fictional character Henry van Statten.
In an episode of The Simpsons, Bart and his girlfriend drive to Utah to get married, because of the marriage laws.
In the book “Around the World in Eighty Days”, the characters pass through Utah by train.
Scenes from Dumb and Dumber were filmed in Utah.
Jon Bon Jovi-"Blaze of Glory" was shot in or around Moab, Utah
Some parts of Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest and Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End were shot at the Salt Flats, Utah.
The final Curious © phrase:
“Every truth has four corners: as a teacher I give you one corner, and it is for you to find the other three”
(Confucius)
