Local Information
for
New Mexico
The yellow field and red symbol colors are the colors of Spain. First brought to New Mexico by Spanish explorers in 1540. On New Mexico's flag we see a red sun with rays streching out from it. There are four groups of rays with four rays in each group. This is an ancient sun symbol of a 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:
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The four directions - north, east, south and west.
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The four seasons - spring, summer, fall and winter.
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The day - sunrise, noon, evening and night.
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Life itself - childhood, youth, middle years and old age.
All of these are bound by a circle of life and love, without a beginning or end.
Did you know:
New Mexico joined the Union on January 6, 1912 as the 47th State.
Our Capital is Santa Fe.
New Mexico's motto is Crescit Eundo (It Grows As It Goes).
New Mexico is known as the "Land of Enchantment."
Our flag consists of the Zia Sun Symbol on a field of yellow.
New Mexico has two state songs, "O, Fair New Mexico" and "Asi es Nuevo Mejico."
New Mexico's state bird is the roadrunner (Geococcyx californianus).
Our state flower is the Yucca (Yucca glauca).
Our state tree is the Pinon Pine (Pinus edulis)
I didn't know all that!
And there's some famous New Mexicans but I don't know any of them.
Bruce Cabot actor, Carlsbad
Dennis Chavez senator, Los Chavez
Mangus Coloradas apache leader
Edward Condon physicist, Alamogordo
Robert Crichton author, Albuquerque
John Denver singer, Roswell
Pete Domenici senator, Albuquerque
Harvey Fergusson author, Albuquerque
Sid Gutierrez astronaut, Albuquerque
William Hanna animator, Melrose
Neil Patrick Harris actor, Albuquerque
Conrad Hilton hotel executive, San Antonio
Peter Hurd artist, Roswell
Ralph Kiner baseball player, sportscaster, Santa Rita
William Henry Bill Mauldin political cartoonist, Mountain Park
John Madden sportscaster, Austin
Demi Moore actress, Roswell
Harrison Schmitt politician, Santa Rosa
Kim Stanley actress, Tularosa
Slim Summerville comedian, Albuquerque
Al Unser auto racer, Albuquerque
Bobby Unser auto racer, Albuquerque
Victorio Apache chief
Thomas Weaver anthropologist, author Greenville
Linda Wertheimer NPR correspondent, Carlsbad