New Mexico

C

Plants and Animals

More than 6,000 species of plants have been identified in New Mexico, ranging from desert plants to alpine vegetation. Types include grasses and shrubs, cactus, piñon pine, and forests of yellow, ponderosa, and bristlecone pine.

Because of the diversity of natural environments, New Mexico has a great variety of wildlife. Among the larger mammals are black bear, pronghorn antelope, and mountain lion. Barbary sheep from North Africa have been introduced in mountain areas. Rattlesnakes are also present, and the tarantula is found in the south-west.

D

Resources, Products, and Industries

New Mexico is particularly rich in energy-related mineral resources such as coal, oil, and natural gas. It is also the nation’s leading supplier of potash. Leading crops are hay, cotton, and vegetables. Principal manufacturing products are electronic equipment, precision instruments, transport equipment, printed materials, and industrial machinery. The making of arts and crafts items is important to most Native American communities. Tourism is a major industry.

III

Population

New Mexico has 1,969,915 (2007 estimate) inhabitants. In 1990 whites made up 75.6 per cent of the population and blacks 2 per cent. Also residing in the state were some 134,100 Native Americans, constituting about 9 per cent of the total population. The principal Native American groups living in New Mexico were the Pueblo, Navajo, and Apache; many of the Native Americans resided on reservations in the state. Some 579,200 people, or more than 38 per cent of the total population, were of Latino background. The Spanish-Mexican cultural influence is strong, and many people in the state speak both Spanish and English.

New Mexico’s major cities are the capital Santa Fe (72,056 (2006)), Albuquerque (504,949 (2006)), Las Cruces (86,268 (2006)), Roswell (45,582 (2006)), Farmington (43,573 (2006)), and Rio Rancho.

A

Education

New Mexico has had to overcome the problems presented by a widely scattered and bilingual population in order to proceed with the development of the state’s educational system. In the late 1990s New Mexico spent about US$5,825 on each student's education, compared to a national average of about US$6,835. At the start of the 21st century New Mexico had 44 institutions of higher education; among the most notable of these institutions were New Mexico State University (1888), in Las Cruces; New Mexico Highlands University (1893), in Las Vegas; Western New Mexico University (1893), in Silver City; and the University of New Mexico (1889), in Albuquerque.

B

Places of Interest

New Mexico honours its Native American and Spanish heritage in many historical sites. The Pueblo of Acoma is believed to be the oldest continually occupied settlement in the United States. The Palace of the Governors, built by the Spanish in 1610 in Santa Fe, is the oldest public building in the United States, and the Mission of San Miguel of Santa Fe is one of the oldest churches in the country. Other Native American sites include Taos Pueblo; Aztec Ruins National Monument; Chaco Culture National Historical Park; and Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument. Two important natural sites are Carlsbad Caverns National Park, near Carlsbad, and El Morro National Monument, encompassing Inscription Rock, near Grants; Bandelier National Monument is near Santa Fe.

Among the state’s major museums are the Museum of New Mexico and the Institute of American Indian Arts Museum, in Santa Fe, and the Art Museum of the University of New Mexico, the Maxwell Museum of Anthropology, and the National Atomic Museum, in Albuquerque. Also of importance are the Roswell Museum and Art Center, in Roswell, and the International Space Hall of Fame, in Alamogordo.