New Mexico is known for:
- Diverse landscape
- Birthplace of the nuclear bomb
- Ancient Pueblo People
- Los Alamos National Laboratory
- The Roswell Incident
- White sands
- Pecans
- Chile peppers
Geography & Demographics
| State Abbreviation |
NM |
| State Capital |
Santa Fe |
| State Size |
Total (Land + Water): 121,589 sq miles; Land Only: 121,356 sq miles |
| Number of Counties |
33 |
| Time Zone |
Mountain Time Zone |
| Bordering States |
Arizona, Colorado, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah |
| Highest Point | Wheeler Peak, 13,167 feet |
| Tallest Building | Albuquerque Plaza in Albuquerque, 351 feet |
| Largest Stadium | Dreamstyle Stadium in Albuquerque, capacity 40,094 |
| National Parks | Carlsbad Caverns National Park
White Sands National Park |
| State Population (2020) | 2,117,522 |
| State Population Density | 17.4 people / square mile |
| Area Codes |
505, 575 |
| Top 5 Cities (2020 population) |
Albuquerque (562,540)
Las Cruces (105,096)
Rio Rancho (99,885)
Santa Fe (84,996)
Roswell (47,596)
|
Government & Legislature
State Symbols
| State Aircraft | Hot air balloon |
| State Amphibian | New Mexico spadefoot toad |
| State Animal | New Mexico black bear |
| State Bird |
Roadrunner |
| State Butterfly | Sandia hairstreak |
| State Cookie | Bizcochito |
| State Cowboy Song | "Under the New Mexico Skies" |
| State Fish | New Mexico cutthroat trout |
| State Flower |
Yucca |
| State Folklorist | Claude Stephenson |
| State Fossil | Coelophysis |
| State Gem | Turquoise |
| State Grass | Blue grama grass |
| State Guitar | New Mexico sunrise |
| State Insect | Tarantula hawk wasp |
| State Mammal | Smokey bear |
| State Motto |
Crescit eundo (It grows as it goes) |
| State Necklace | Squash blossom necklace |
| State Nickname |
Land of Enchantment |
| State Poem | "A Nuevo Mexico" |
| State Question | "Red or green?" |
| State Reptile | New Mexico whiptail lizard |
| State Tie | Bolo tie |
| State Train | Cumbres & Toltec Railroad |
| State Tree |
Pinon pine |
| State Vegetable | Chile and frijoles |
Sports Teams
Popular Tourist Attractions
- ABQ BioPark: Aquarium in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
- Albuquerque Museum: Art and history museum in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
- Angel Fire Resort: Ski resort in Angel Fire, New Mexico.
- Bandelier National Monument: National monument near Los Alamos, New Mexico.
- Carlsbad Caverns National Park: National park in southern New Mexico.
- Cliff's Amusement Park: Amusement park in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
- Georgia O'Keeffe Museum: Museum in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
- Indian Pueblo Cultural Center: Museum in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
- Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array: Radio astronomy observatory on the Plains of San Agustin, about 50 miles west of Socorro, New Mexico.
- Loretto Chapel: Wedding chapel famous for its Miraculous Staircase, located in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
- Los Alamos: City in New Mexico, home to the Los Alamos National Laboratory, the research center for the Manhattan Project.
- Petroglyph National Monument: National monument in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
- Philmont Scout Ranch: Mountain ranch in Cimarron, New Mexico.
- Sandia Mountains: Mountain range near Albuquerque, New Mexico.
- Sandia Peak Tramway: Aerial tramway in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
- Taos Pueblo: Ancient pueblo (Native American community) near Taos, New Mexico.
- Taos Ski Valley: Ski resort in Taos County, New Mexico.
- White Sands National Monument: National monument located in southern New Mexico.
UNESCO Heritage Sites
Festivals and Events
Top festivals and events in New Mexico. They are listed in approximate order of when they take place during the year.
Popular Iconic New Mexico Foods
New Mexico is famous for the following foods:
- Carne Adovada
- Posole
- Biscochito
- Enchiladas
- Chiles Rellenos (green chiles stuffed with cheese, then deep fried)
- Green Chile Stew
- Sopaipillas
- Tamales
- Huevos Rancheros
- Blue Corn Pancakes
- Pinon Coffee
- Green Chile Cheeseburger
- Navajo Tacos
Famous People Born In New Mexico
Nobel Prize Winners
Pro Football Hall Of Fame Members
- Tommy McDonald (Wide Receiver. Inducted in 1998)
- Ronnie Lott (Cornerback, Safety. Inducted in 2000)
Baseball Hall Of Fame Players
- Ralph Kiner (Left Fielder. Inducted in 1975)
Famous Actors And Actresses
- Anna Gunn
- Neil Patrick Harris
- Demi Moore
Famous Singers
- John Denver
- Al Hurricane
- Demi Lovato
New Mexico Fun Facts
- New Mexico was named by the Spanish for lands north of the Rio Grande (Nuevo Mexico). The word Mexico is named after Mexitli, an Aztec war god. Mexico means 'place where Mexitli lives."
- At 7,198 feet above sea level, Santa Fe is the highest capital city in the United States.
- New Mexico has the largest Hispanic population of all the states. As of 2010, about 46.3% of the state's population are Hispanics.
- Micro-Soft was founded on April 4, 1975 by Bill Gates and Paul Allen in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The company moved to Bellevue, Washington, in 1979 since it was hard to recruit top programmers to Albuquerque.
- The nine-day Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta held each October is the largest balloon convention in the world.
- New Mexico's the only state with an official question: "Red or green?"
- Founded in 1610, Santa Fe, New Mexico is the oldest capital city in the United States.
- The world's first detonation of a nuclear weapon took place on July 16, 1945, in the Jornada del Muerto desert about 35 miles southeast of Socorro, New Mexico.
- New Mexico is one of the states that form the Four Corners, the only location in the United States where four states intersect at one point. The other three states are Arizona, Colorado, and Utah.
- New Mexico is the only state in the United States where lawmakers don't receive salaries. New Mexico's lawmakers do enjoy a generous pension plan.
This page was last updated on October 12, 2024.
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