Most people, all two of them, who have asked me where the most beautiful place I have been are shocked when I respond with "Arizona". To them, all two of them, Arizona seemed like an empty, desolate state with nothing to look at other than the Grand Canyon. On the contrary, Arizona is an amazing place to experience physical geographic beauty. Hawaii is overrated.
Like the Intermontaine Basin and Plateau Region in which Arizona is located, it too is divided into three subregions: the Colorado Plateau, the Transition Zone, and the Basin and Range Province. The Colorado Plateau is a semi-arid and mostly flat-lying area ranging from 5,000 to 8,000 feet in elevation and encompassing nearly all of the entire northern half of Arizona at 140,000 square miles. The Colorado River played a major role in the plateau's geology. The Grand Canyon is one of the major features of this region. The Transition Zone is the clever name given to the transitional zone between the Colorado Plateau and the Basin and Range Province. The Transition Zone is a northwest-trending escarpment or moutainous terrain that actually has characteristics of its surrouding regions. The area consists of several mountain ranges, including the White Mountains and the Sierra Ancha. Because of its range of elevation, the area receives heavy rainfall and varying climatic conditions. The Basin and Range Province includes the entire southern half of Arizona and the western borders of the state. The Basin and Range is characterized by steep, linear mountain ranges alternating with "lengthy" deserts. ( Wikipedia <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geography_of_Arizona#Physiographic_regions>)
Arizona's major features also include its deserts and rivers. The Painted Desert is located on the Colorado Plateau and covers 146 square miles. The Sonoran Desert, one of the hottest in the country, is located in the southwestern portion of the state and includes the cities of Phoenix, Tuscon, and Yuma. Despite being the state with the second lowest water area, Arizona is home to an impressive river system. It's most popular and major resourceful river, the Colorado, is vital for Arizona's irrigation and also plays a major role in the production of hydroelectric power through the use of several dams along its route. (Wikipedia <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arizona>)
Arizona's climate is another reason why I enjoy it so much. The climate varies because of its large area and changes in elevation. High temperatures are common throughout the summer months at the lower elevations. In the desert, temperatures as high as 125 degrees F can be reached. Great extremes occur between day and night temperatures throughout the state as well. The daily range between maximum and minimum temperatures can be as much as 50 to 60 degrees F during the drier portions of the year. During winter months, daytime temperatures may average 70 degrees F, with night temperatures often falling to freezing of slightly below in the lower desert valleys. (http://www.wrcc.dri.edu/narratives/ARIZONA.htm)
Our textbook classified Arizona's soil as aridisols, this meaning that the soil is relatively low in organic matter and with little agricultural value. Minerals are the major constituent in Arizona soils and are derived from the parent material by weathering (http://southwest.library.arizona.edu/azso/body.1_div.6.html). Despite this, Arizona has 3,666 species of native and naturalized plants in 1,003 genera and 145 families. The composites, the grasses, and the legumes constitute the three largest families. The state is divided into several vegetation zones including: the Spruce-Alpine Fir Forest zone, the Montane Conifer Forest zone, the Riparian Deciduous zone, the Pinyon-Juniper Woodland zone, the Encinal and Mexican Oak-Pine Woodland zone, the Interior Chaparral zone, and the Grasslands zone. (http://southwest.library.arizona.edu/azso/body.1_div.4.html)
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