Phoenix (Arizona)
The town of Phoenix (in English) is the capital and more the big city of the State of the Arizona, with the the United States. In 2005, it counts 1.461.575 inhabitants (6th rank for the United States), and metropolis 3.865.077. A third of the population is of origin Hispanic. Phoenix is the seat of the county of Maricopa.
In the middle of the Deserted of Sonora, the city is located in the valley of the Salt River, whose bed is often drained. It is surrounded by the mounts McDowell, South Mountain Park, White Tank Mountains and Superstition Mountains. The irrigation makes it possible to undertake agricultural activities.
Phoenix knows on average 300 days of sunning per annum and belonged to the area of the Sun Belt. During the three summer months, it is frequent that the temperature exceeds 38 °C. The dry climate makes it bearable, except in August when the water content increases considerably and involves storms.
The climate attracts always more residents and the prosperous economic activity, in particular with the electronics industry. In ten years, the population increased by 25% and Arizona is the American State which has one of strongest demographic growth rates. In 2004, the towns of Mesa, Scottsdale, Glendale, Temple, Chandler, Gilbert, Peoria meet and form a metropolis which includes 22 municipalities.
History
Old story
The most former occupants of the Valley of the Sun ( Valley off the Sun ) are the améridiens Hohokam, which lived in the area from 300 before J. - C. Their civilization opened out thanks to the control of a sophisticated system of Irrigation. The water drawn from the Salt River was brought in the fields thanks to a canal system. One finds their traces in many sites of Arizona, in particular with Pueblo Grande (700-1400). Their disappearance at the 15th century remains a mystery for the historians. Several assumptions were advanced (dryness, wars, emigration) and certain specialists regard the people Pima and Tohono O' odham as their descendants.
Beginnings of Phoenix
In 1867, Jack Swilling of Wickenburg is the first to realize of the assets of the site of future the Phoenix, with the foot of the White Tank Mountains. It builds a channel since Salt River to feed a first colony of farmers. The place which was going to become the part Is Phoenix was baptized in its honor Swilling' S Mill . Darrell Duppa proposed the name of " Phoenix" , in connection with the rebirth of the agriculture irrigated in this area. The city was officially recognized by the council of Yavapai County, the May 4th 1868. It is not whereas a small village of stockbreeders and minors. The post office opened on June 15th of the same year, under the direction of Swilling Jack.The February 12th 1871, the authorities decide to create the county of Maricopa ( Maricopa County ) and Tom Barnum is selected like first Sheriff. The first public school functioned starting from the September 5th 1872, in the building of the county, before integrating a construction in adobe since 1873.
The time of prosperity
The arrival of the railroad in the Années 1880 disenclosed the area and made it possible Phoenix to begin its growth. One of the revealing signs of this new economic prosperity is creation in 1888 of a chamber of commerce. With the beginning of the year 1888, new the hotel-of-city is ready to accommodate the municipal administrations.
At the beginning of the 20th century, Phoenix attracts the asthmatic ones and the tuberculous ones which comes to benefit from its fresh air and dry. With the development of the car, the area will become an important holiday resort.
The May 18th 1911, the Barrage Theodore Roosevelt enters in service: it then constitutes most dam of the world. It generated behind him a lake of reserve (Roosevelt Lake) and made it possible to irrigate more grounds.
The February 14th 1912, the president William Howard Taft makes Phoenix the capital of the state of Arizona. The population growth accelerates since in 1920 the population reaches 29.053 inhabitants, then 48.118 ten years later. During the Second world war, Phoenix became a production center of armament, with the installation of Luke Field, Williams Field and Falcon Field.
Years 1930 are remembered by the installation of the famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright who builds the Arizona Biltmore. In 1950, 105.000 people live in the city. As from the years 1960, the town of Sun City attracts the pensioners of all the country.
Geography
Phoenix is located at 33° 31 ' 42" North, 112° 4 ' 35" West. According to the Office of the census of the United States, its surface is of 1 230,5 km ², including 0,6 km ² of water (0,05% of the total).
Climate
The arid climate of Phoenix is characterized by one of the seasonal temperatures hottest of the world. In fact, among all the big cities, only some cities located around the Persian Gulf as Baghdad have a hotter climate in summer. The temperature reached or exceeds 38°C per annum on average 89 days, especially between the beginning of the month of June and September. The June 26th 1990 Phoenix observed a temperature of 50°C. On another side the soft and sunny climate of the winter months makes the area interesting by cold rappord typical of the north of the the United States. The Neige is extremely rare in the area, although it can still fall from time to time. The first precipitation of snow was officially recorded in 1896, and since then of accumulations of 0,25 cm or more occurred only seven times.
Town planning and principal districts
the downtown area ( downtown ) : also called Copper Public garden , one can find Arizona Science Center, the Museum of History of Phoenix, the Museum of Art of Phoenix, and Burton Barr Central Library. If the downtown area has approximately 25 buildings, none are true Gratte-ciel, and the downtown area is thus regarded as rather small compared to the other big cities of the country. This irrefutable fact is due to several factors:
- the urban development especially privileged the urban spreading out (70 km length on 50 km of broad without the need to have a true district of businesses not being made feel,
- Phoenix forever truly considered an influential center, but rather a secondary metropolis, as a residential city being subject to the influence of Los Angeles.
- the population already rejected several projects of skyscraper and highways and a slope " anti-urbaine" always exist among the inhabitants
Several projects include nevertheless the construction of new skyscrapers of more than 150 m in the district, which currently knows a period of rebirth. This rebirth is symbolized by the Arizona center, a concert hall which accommodates the best orchestras of the United States.
West Phoenix , Southwest Phoenix , South Phoenix , Ahwatukee , Northwest Phoenix , and the East side are the principal different large districts of the city. Scottsdale is a residential suburb with villas of the Hispanic type.
The city knew a very fast urban growth, after the Second world war. Between 1980 and 1987, the number of inhabitants increased by 30%.
Demography
Economy
The first activity of the area was the agriculture and the production of cotton and citrus fruits. Today, the economic activities of Phoenix diversified. The administrations and the university employ many people. Industries of high technology (micro-electronic, aeronautical, telecommunications, etc) and tourism provide other employment. Industries related to the armament were also established in the agglomeration (Luke Air Force Bases). The climatic good conditions also attract film turnings.
Culture
The series Medium and the beginning of the film Psychose of Alfred Hitchcock proceed in Phoenix.
In 2000, the urban surface of Phoenix accommodated 45% of catholics, 13% of Mormons (concentrated in the suburbs of Mesa, and 5% of Jews. The 37% are mainly members of Protestant communities. The origins of the inhabitants are: 71,17% of White, 5,10% Afro-Americans, 2,02% of Amerindian S, 2% the Asian ones, 0,13% of the inhabitants of the islands of the Peaceful , 16,4% of other races, and 3,28% of two races or more. 34,06% of the population were of Hispanic or Latin-American origin.
Media
The first newspaper of Phoenix was the weekly magazine Salt River Valley Herald , which changed name for Phoenix Herald into 1880. Today, two famous daily newspapers serve the city: The Arizona Republic (and also the urban surface) and The East Valley Platform (which one especially finds in the cities of the East Valley ). Many free newspapers of vicinity also exist like the Phoenix New Times , the Arizona State University' S The State Close , and the College Times .
The urban Aire includes/understands many televised chains whose principal ones are KPNX 12 (NBC), KNXV 15 (ABC), KPHO 5 (CBS), KSAZ 10 (FOX), KUTP 45 (UPN), and KASW 61 (WB).
Museums and points of interest
Sports
- the agglomeration of Phoenix is a destination recognized for the practice of the Golf. A number impressing of courses makes this city a very important place of tourism " hivernal" for the residents of the States of North. The buildings call them: the snows birds .
Also let us note the organization of the Grand Prix of the United States of Formule 1 1989, 1990 and 1991 on an urban circuit traced within the city. It was the spectacular theater of the competition between Ayrton Senna and Jean Alesi.
Education
The public education of the area of Phoenix is directed by more than 30 districts. The Phoenix Union High School District directs the majority of the colleges of the city.
The principal institution of higher education is the Arizona State University, whose principal campus is located at Tempe, and the other campuses with Phoenix and Mesa. The Université of Phoenix is also located downtown and is one of the largest private universities of the country, with more than 130.000 students.
Transport
The principal airport of the area is the International airport Sky Harbor de Phoenix, which are located close to the intersections of the I-10, the I-17, the US 60 and State Routes 51 and Loop 202. It is the fifth airport of the the United States and one of the principal world airports: 36 million travellers passed in 2000 there. The Williams Gateway Airport manages as for him mainly the air commercial traffic and is based with Mesa.
Public transport is directed by Valley Metro, which currently builds a line of Light subway and manages already the lines of bus of the city.
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