STATE OF ARIZONA OVERVIEW

The "Grand Canyon State," Arizona, was the 48th state to join the U.S. in 1912-- the last of 48 contiguous (connected) states to join the Union. The state's name comes from arizonac, from two Papago Indian words meaning "place of the young spring."

Ariozna Facts & Figures: Area, 113,909 sq mi (295,024 sq km). Pop. (2006) 6,305,210, a 72% increase since the 1990 census. Capital and largest city, Phoenix. Statehood, Feb. 14, 1912 (48th state). Highest pt., Humphreys Peak, 12,633 ft (3,853 m); lowest pt., Colorado River, 70 ft (21 m). Nickname, Grand Canyon State, Copper State. Motto, Ditat Deus [God Enriches]. State bird, cactus wren. State flower, blossom of the saguaro cactus. State tree, paloverde. Abbr., Ariz.; AZ

ARIZONA ENDLESS OPPORTUNITIES [Excerpted from FDI]

SUMMARY:

• First in GDP growth, according to the US Bureau of Economic Analysis (June 2006).
  
• First in job growth, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (October 2006).
  
• First on the Federal Funds Information for States (FFIS) index of state economic momentum (State Policy Reports, 2006).
  
• Fastest-growing state in the US (US Bureau of Labor Statistics).
  
• Fourth most desirable state for corporations (Chief Executives Magazine's poll).
  
• Ranked #1 in the US for starting and growing business ventures (Entrepreneur magazine, 2006)
  
• More than 100 foreign-owned companies have operations in Arizona.
  
• Arizona is a central gateway for companies to access robust US markets and also to tap into opportunities in Mexico and South America, says Jan Lesher, Arizona Department of Commerce director.
  
• Greater Phoenix is one of the fastest-growing regions in the nation. It's home to 3.7 million people with the population estimated to reach 5.9 million by 2030.
  
• Nearly 300 aerospace companies are located in Greater Phoenix, and major employers include Honeywell, Boeing and General Dynamics.
  
• Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport is the eighth busiest in the world, and Williams Gateway Airport is developing as an international aerospace centre with aircraft manufacturing, maintenance, modification, testing and pilot training.
  
• Central Arizona's next-generation electronics and ICT industries also flourish with a large presence of microelectronics and software firms, including Intel, Agilent Technologies and Google, as well as a pipeline of emerging technologies stemming from Arizona State University (ASU).
  
• Central Arizona is home to a photovoltaic testing laboratory – one of just three in the world and the only facility in the US where the reliability of solar models is tested.
  
• Greater Phoenix has emerged as a hub for the life sciences industry.
  
• For 10 consecutive years, Arizona has reduced taxes or passed legislation that is favorable to business. In 2005, significant property tax reductions were introduced along with a new law that allows multi-state businesses operating in Arizona to '"super-weight" their sales to reduce income tax liability to the state.
  
• Arizona also offers a unique Foreign Trade Zone Program, which provides qualifying companies with the lowest effective property tax rates available in the US.
  

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