AMANDA POOPUUANNEMARI TATRAEGERT L INKMANN

8A CLASS

New Mexico

New Mexico the Land of Enchantment

Capital City: Santa FeAdmission to Statehood: January 6, 1912Area:314,460 km2 Area Code: 505Official Languages: English(82%)Spanish(29%)Governor: Susana Martinez

The Flag of New Mexico

The yellow field and red symbol colors are the colors of Spain. First brought to New Mexico by

Spanishexplorers in 1540. This is an ancient sun symbol of Native American people called the Zia. The Zia

believed that the giver of all good gave them gifts in groups of four. These gifts are:

The four directions - north, east, south and west. The four seasons - spring, summer, fall and winter. The day - sunrise, noon, evening and night. Life itself - childhood, youth, middle years and old

age.

State Flower State Bird

Yucca flower. Roadrunner

State Symbols

Leaves can be used to make rope, sandals and baskets.

State Tree State Animal

Piñon Black bear

State Symbols

New Mexican cuisine

New Mexican cuisine is a regional cuisine found in New Mexico, mixing the Native American, Mexican, Spanish and United States cultures. New Mexican Cuisine is also very different than the preferred Tex-Mex style of Mexican-American. One of its most defining characteristics is the dominance of the New Mexican chile - in red and green varieties, depending on the stage of ripeness when picked.

Chiles

Green Chile-In the past few years, green chile has grown increasingly more common outside of New Mexico, and it is a popular ingredient in everything from enchiladas and burritos to cheeseburgers, bagels, and pizzas within the state's borders.

Red Chile-The plant produces green fruit, which turns red if the pods are left on the plant. The red fruit is usually dried and ground into Chile powder.

The music of New Mexico

Mexico has a musical history that is full of cultural contrasts, with many different musical styles and influences. Dating back more than a thousand years before any contact was made with Europeans in the 16th century, the area was dominated by the Aztec culture, a culture that maintained an important and complex musical tradition.

After Cortes’ invasion and conquest, Mexico became a Spanish colony and remained under Spanish dominion for the next two hundred years, incorporating their Pre-Columbian roots together with the lasting influence that came with the Spanish. Both folk and classical music have drawn from these, and regional styles reflect these traditions. The Spanish regime also imported African slaves, adding a third dimension to the areas music.

Traditions

Northern New Mexico is among the richest places in the world when it comes to culture and tradition. New Mexico has more Native Americans and a higher percentage of Hispanics than any other state. The Pueblo, Spanish and Anglo cultures are the three major cultural groups of the area. The original Indian Civilization was blended with that of the Spanish, and this distinctive civilization was, in turn, modified by the impact of the Anglos during the nineteenth century. This cultural heritage of modern New Mexico is unique among the fifty states.

At San Juan Pueblo, about 100 of the adobe homes are 700 years old, built long before the arival of the first Europeans to the Southwest. At Taos Pueblo, the site has been occupied for nearly 1000 years and the residents live in the largest existing multi-storied adobe structure in the United States, and possibly the world. Adobe structures keep the heat in during the winter and out in the summer. Because of this mud it’s often a more desirable resource than many others.

Although adobe contruction techniques were used by Native Americans long before the Spanish arrived, the Spaniards introduced their own innovative architectural elements to the area. The horno (meaning "oven") was used to cook food outdoors. Today, hornos are still used my many New Mexicans, especially to make bread.

Facts about New Mexico

New Mexico has far more sheep and cattle than people. There are only about 12 people per square mile.

The town of Deming is known for its annual duck races.

On the same desert grounds where today's space age missiles are tested, ten-thousand-year-old arrowheads have been found. Few states can claim such a distinctive past.

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