THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:
STATE FLAG (SEE ABOVE):
STORY ABOUT STATE FLAG
(SEE RIGHT HAND SIDE)   
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 stretching 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:
• 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.
• All of these are bound by a circle of life
and love, without a beginning or end.
Prepared by: Helen Barela
WHERE IS NM?
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State Capital: Santa Fe
Admission to Statehood: January 6, 1912;
47th State
Current Governor: Honorable Bill Richardson
State also sometimes called:
“Land of Enchantment”
New Mexico’s Economy
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Agriculture: Cattle, dairy products, hay, nursery stock, chilies.
Industry: Electric equipment, petroleum and coal products, food
processing, printing and publishing, stone, glass, and clay products,
tourism.
•Enjoy the sunshine and beautiful
year-round weather and much more
in Las Cruces, southern New Mexico's
largest city.
•Whether you want to sightsee, hike,
mountain bike, camp, canoe, raft, fish,
ski, snowboard, swim, or just hang
out, you have your pick of adventures.
•A city of more than 80,000, Las
Cruces is located in the fertile Mesilla
Valley with 9,000 foot peaks of the
Organ Mountains to the east and the
Rio Grande to the west.
Las Cruces is 45 minutes
from the El Paso airport, 1 hr from
White Sands National Monument, 1
hr from Elephant Butte Lake, 2.5 hrs
from Ski Apache, 2.5 hrs from Gila, 3
hrs from Albuquerque, 4 hrs from
Tucson, Arizona, 6 hrs from
Farmington, 8 hrs from Pueblo,
Colorado.
•Source:
http://www.nmsu.edu/exploretheregion.html
THERE ARE Total of 21 Traditional Colleges/Universities
throughout New Mexico
• Two Major Rival College Teams:
New Mexico State University
called
The AGGIES!!
From Las Cruces, NM
VS.
University of New Mexico
Called The Lobos
From Albuquerque, NM
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New Mexico State Flower
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Yucca flower (Yucca glauca)
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Adopted as State Flower on March 14, 1927.
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Member of lily family
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Symbol of sturdiness and beauty.
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Early summer, pale ivory flowers bloom at
tips of its long, fibrous stalks. At base of the
plant are broad, sharp edged leaves that look
like stilettos.
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Yucca sometimes grows to the height of a
small tree.
•State Bird of New Mexico
•Roadrunner (Geococcyx californianus).
•Adopted as State Bird on March 16,
1949. "Chaparral Bird".
•Roadrunner prefers running to flying
and has been clocked at speeds of 15
miles per hour.
•Is approximately 22 inches in length
•Its’ diet consists of:
insects, lizards, centipedes, mice and
snakes.
Arts/Culture
•April 2005, Governor Bill Richardson signed executive order
Establishing first New Mexico Music Commission.
•Governor Richardson stated, "New Mexico has a rich and treasured musical
tradition. Diverse and vibrant, it is time to recognize the contributions of
thousands of New Mexico musicians and to work with them to preserve our
heritage, promote continued creativity and assist the state's music industry in
reaching its full potential."
•The New Mexico Music Commission works with other state agencies such as
the Tourism and Film Departments to further develop and promote New
Mexico’s many musical traditions, from ancient melodies of New Mexico's
Native nations, tribes and pueblos, to chart topping current hits of New
Mexico resident and country music star Randy Travis and state's thousands
of Mariachi musicians.
Source: http://www.governor.state.nm.us/history.php?mm=8
The Culture of New Mexico
“New Mexico is rich in personality. No other state can claim our geographical or cultural
diversity, or match our historical complexity. Our state has been home to successive
waves of Native American hunters, farmers and herdsmen, Spanish explorers,
missionaries and settlers, Yankee traders, Southern expatriates, emancipated Black
Americans, Irish railroad workers, Italian stonecutters, Japanese farmers, Jewish and
Lebanese merchants, hard rock miners from Eastern Europe, cowboys, soldiers,
artists, scientists, and many others who have added to the unfolding tapestry of our
state's evolving history.
In all of our cultures flows a rich tradition of artistic endeavors and achievements, and
we are pleased to benefit from all the expressions that each has to offer, from opera to
flamenco, traditional fine art to retablos, classical music to mariachi, del canto
singing, ballet and ritual dancing, drumming, ceramics and southwestern style jewelry.
All of these expressive traditions – and many more - are ALIVE in New Mexico, and are
continuing meeting each other and re-combining into the rich cultural stew that is
every New Mexican’s birthright.
Each community of New Mexico owns its own small piece of this enormously
interesting story. New Mexico's cultural heritage is part of everyday life here, and we
invite you to join us in celebrating the uniqueness of our people and places.”
For more information about the rich blend of cultural diversity in New Mexico, please
visit the Department of Cultural Affairs at http://www.newmexicoculture.org/
Source: http://www.governor.state.nm.us/history.php?mm=8
Native American Drummers
Photo Credit, Jack Parsons
New Mexican Cowboys
Photo Credit, Chris Corrie
During September (New Mexico State Fair)
Albuquerque, NM
WHITE SANDS Is About an hour from LAS CRUCES, NM
RUIDOSO, NM
Elephant Butte, NM Is About 70 miles from LAS CRUCES, NM
Sadly, this Lake has been down quite a bit :(
Gila National Forest,
Close to Silver City, NM;
Reserve, NM
Gila National Forest,
(During a Dry Season)
Surrounding Areas (El Paso, Texas)
Less an hour from Las Cruces, NM
El Paso County Courthouse
Old Popular Department Store
Building
El Paso/Las Cruces
Types of Restaurants
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American
• Fine Dining
• Mexican
• Steaks
• BBQ
• Bars
• Bar & Grill
• Night Club
• Clubs
• Italian
• Asian
• Burgers
• Coffee House
• Casual
• Quick Lunch
New Mexico State University-Some Pictures of
Main Campus
WANT TO KNOW MORE?
CHECK OUT THESE LINKS:
(Request a visitor’s guide—the 1st link)
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http://www.newmexico.org/guides/index.php
http://www.nmtourism.org
nmsu.edu
http://www.lascrucessymphony.com