Geography of New Mexico

Introduction to Geography of New Mexico

New Mexico, one of the southwestern states of the United States. It is bordered by Arizona, Colorado, Oklahoma, Texas, and Mexico. New Mexico's northwest corner touches Utah at a point where Colorado and Arizona also meet. This is the only point in the United States common to four states.

New Mexico has a total area of 121,598 square miles (314,939 km 2). Except for slightly irregular boundaries in the northeast and southwest, the state is virtually rectangular in shape.

Physical Geography

New Mexico occupies part of four major physical regions of the United States: the Rocky Mountains, the Great Plains, the Colorado Plateau, and the Basin and Range.

The Rocky Mountains cover north-central New Mexico and consist of almost parallel ranges jutting southward from Colorado. They are the Sangre de Cristo Mountains in the east and the San Juan and Jemez mountains in the west. Between them is the Rio Grande Valley. In many places the ranges are rugged and contain peaks of 10,000 to 13,000 feet (3,000 to 3,900 m). Wheeler Peak, near Taos in the Sangre de Cristo Range, rises 13,161 feet (4,011 m>—the high est elevation in the state.

The Great Plains occupy the easternmost third of the state. Unlike the terrain in many parts of the Great Plains, the topography here is quite diverse. The High Plains lie along the northeastern Texas-New Mexico border. The northernmost section of the Great Plains, around Raton, is hilly and dotted with such volcanic landforms as lavacapped mesas and buttes, necks, and cones. The land becomes extremely flat south of the Canadian River in the Llano Estacado (Staked Plain). West of the Llano Estacado lies the broad, relatively low Pecos Valley The valley, which stretches for about 250 miles (400 km) along the Pecos River, consists of fairly level land fringed by mesas, canyons, and cliffs. The lowest point in the state is Red Bluff Lake on the Pecos River; its surface is 2,817 feet (859 m) above sea level.

The Basin and Range region occupies the southwest and a corridor northeastward to Santa Fe. It consists of alternating dry basins and barren mountain ranges. Some of the ranges are rugged, but most are rounded and of relatively low relief. Among the chief ranges, those with elevations above 8,000 feet (2,400 m) are the Sacramento, Guadalupe, San Andres, Manzano, Black, Mogollon, San Mateo, and Gallo mountains.

The basins, also called bolsons when completely enclosed by mountains, lie at elevations of 4,000 to 7,000 feet (1,200 to 2,100 m). Within them are such features as salt flats, sand dunes, and lava flows. Among the larger basins are Tularosa Valley, Jornada del Muerto, and Estancia Valley.

The Colorado Plateau, in the northwest, is an area of broad tablelands rising 5,000 to 7,000 feet (1,500 to 2,100 m) in height. Breaking its surface are high mesas and buttes, deep canyons, sharp ridges, and several mountain ranges. Landforms of volcanic orgin, such as lava flows, necks, and dikes, are prominent landmarks, especially in the south.

Most of New Mexico is drained by two southerly-flowing rivers—the Rio Grande and the Pecos, its tributary. The northeast is drained mainly by the Canadian River; the northwest, by the San Juan; and the southwest, by the Gila. The San Juan and Gila systems lie west of the continental divide and flow to the Pacific Ocean; the rest drain southeasterly to the Gulf of Mexico.

The state's principal rivers have varying seasonal flows and carry little water during much of the year. Most other rivers are intermittent (seasonally wet and dry). Some of these are enclosed within basins and have no outward drainage. There are also numerous channels, called arroyos, that flow only after heavy rains.

Because of the undependable water supply, some of New Mexico's rivers have been dammed. Their reservoirs provide water for irrigation, power, domestic use, and recreation. Chief among these man-made lakes are Elephant Butte and Caballo reservoirs, on the Rio Grande; Conchas Lake, on the Canadian; and Navajo Reservoir, on the San Juan. There are few natural lakes in the state.

Except in the mountains, where the climate varies with elevation, New Mexico has a dry continental climate, known also as a middle-latitude steppe climate. Among its chief characteristics are a wide range in annual and daily temperatures, little precipitation, low humidity, and abundant sunshine throughout the year.

Summers are cool in the high mountains, but elsewhere they range from warm to hot. Average temperatures for July, the wannest month, vary from about 65° F. (18° C.) on some northern mesas to more than 80° F. (27° C.) in the low-lying valleys of the south. Daytime temperatures are high everywhere, often reaching 90° to 100° F. (32° to 38° C.) or more. Nights are generally cool throughout most of the state.

Winters are mild in the south, with average January temperatures hovering near 40° F. (4° C.). They drop to below freezing in the north and much lower in the mountains. Temperatures below 0° F. (-18° C.) occasionally occur in the northernmost mountains.

Precipitation varies greatly within the state and from year to year. The mountains receive as much as 20 to 25 inches (510 to 630 mm); the Great Plains, 12 to 16 inches (300 to 400 mm); and the southern and western lowlands as little as 8 inches (200 mm). Most of the moisture is brought by thunderstorms during warm months. Winter is the driest season. The average annual snowfall ranges from about 3 inches (75 mm) along the southern border to well over 100 inches (2,500 mm) in the northern mountains. Destructive storms that occasionally strike the state include blizzards, tornadoes, and hailstorms.

New Mexico's numerous mountain ranges support a wide variety of plant life. In the Rocky Mountains, the lower slopes have mixed forests of mainly Douglas fir, ponderosa pine, and aspens. On the upper slopes Engelmann spruce, various firs, and Rocky Mountain white pine are intermixed with stands of aspen. Above the timberline is alpine tundra. In most of the state's other mountain ranges ponderosa pine and Douglas fir are the predominant types of trees.

Grasslands prevail in much of the rest of the state, especially on the eastern plains Areas of desert shrub vegetation interspersed with grasslands are found in the west. Desert shrub vegetation includes pi-non and juniper trees, sagebrush, and sometimes yuccas, cacti, and creosote bushes.

Economy

New Mexico's economy is based primarily on livestock raising, mining, and tourism. The federal government plays a large role in the state's economy. It maintains large defense-related installations, including military bases and the Los Alamos National Laboratory, which specializes in the design of nuclear weapons. Government, at federal, state, and local levels, is one of the state's largest employers— providing jobs for about a fifth of the labor force. Employment in tourism-related activities is also high.

Manufacturing is a relatively small part of the economy.

The raising of livestock is the predominant agricultural activity. Beef cattle are the most numerous and valuable animals, but large numbers of poultry and sheep are also raised.

The chief crops are hay, cotton, wheat, and sorghum. Reservoirs provide water for irrigating much of the cropland.

Natural gasand petroleum account for over 80 per cent of the value of all minerals mined. The state is a leading national producer of natural gas. It is also a major producer of coal, copper, uranium, and potash. Valuable quantities of molybdenum, silver, gold, and perlite are mined as well.

Forests cover about a fifth of New Mexico; however, much of the timberland is of no commercial value. National forests are a major portion of the timberland. The chief commercial trees are ponderosa pine, Douglas and white fir, and spruce.

About 10 per cent of the state's labor force is employed in manufacturing. Computer and electronic equipment is New Mexico's leading manufactured product. Other items of importance are telephone equipment and petroleum products. Albuquerque is the manufacturing center for almost all types of products.

A fairly extensive system of federal and state highways serves the major cities and towns of New Mexico. Interstate highways, converging at Albuquerque and Las Cruces, provide the main north-south and east-west routes across the state, Large parts of the state, particularly in the mountain and desert areas and on the Great Plains, have chiefly gravel or dirt roads. Commercial airline operations are mainly through Albuquerque International Sunport and Santa Fe airports.

The People

The population density of New Mexico is 15.0 persons per square mile (5.8 per km 2), about 20 per cent that of the United States as a whole. Whites made up about 66.8 per cent of the population and blacks, about 1.9 per cent. People of Hispanic origin accountfor 42.1 per cent of the population.

Most of New Mexico's American Indians live on or near reservations. The principal tribes are the Navajo, Apache, and Cherokee, and the Pueblo, who occupy a number of ancient homesites extending from Taos to Isleta.

Education

School attendance is compulsory from age 6 to age 18. The superintendent of public instruction is the chief state education officer and heads the state department of education. The superintendent is appointed by the state board of education, whose members are elected.

The University of New Mexico is the state's largest institution of higher learning. It was chartered in 1889 and opened in Albuquerque in 1892; it is state-supported. There is a two-year branch at Gallup. New Mexico State University, established in 1888, is a state institution and also a land-grant college. Its main campus is at Las Cruces. There are two-year branches at Alamogordo, Carlsbad, and Grants.

Government

New Mexico is governed under its 1911 constitution, adopted just before admission as a state in 1912. The legislature consists of the Senate of 42 members and the House of Representatives of 70. Senators are elected for four years, representatives for two. The legislature meets annually.

The state's elected officials include the governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, treasurer, attorney general, auditor, and commissioner of public lands. All are elected for four years and may hold office for any number of terms, but not for more than two terms in a row.

The judiciary consists of the Supreme Court of five justices, an appeals court, district courts, municipal courts, and justices of the peace.

New Mexico is divided into 33 counties. It is represented in the U.S. Congress by two senators and three representatives.