One of the most wonderful things about being an American citizen is the pride you have in living in a country that has such a rich and diverse landscape, culture, and history within each of the states. 

Arizona is often simply known as the ‘desert state’, but it has much, much more to offer for American citizens than that, and so, with that being said, continue reading to discover four fascinating and perhaps even surprising facts about the state of Arizona. 

1. Aliens Landed in Arizona…?

If you are someone who believes that aliens are not only real but regularly or even sporadically visit Planet Earth for research reasons, then you must visit the site of the crash of the Barringer Meteor

Scientists estimate that the Barringer Meteor fell to earth approximately fifty thousand years ago, and the location is still very much open to visitors today. The crater itself measures more than 1.6 kilometers across and is a flabbergasting one hundred and seventy meters deep. 

2. Arizona Used to Belong to Mexico 

Even though, if you think about it logically, due to how close Arizona state is to Mexico, this should come as no surprise, many people are still shocked to learn that Arizona, before becoming part of the United States, was actually a part of Mexico. 

Initially, the Spanish arrived in Arizona first, but then, when the Mexican people decided to take charge and control of their own country, Arizona became under their control. 

3. Arizona Is Home to America’s Largest Reservoir 

The Hoover Dam, built in 1931, is one of Arizona’s most impressive tourist sites and was and still remains the nation’s biggest reservoir, but what many people do not realize is that it actually stands directly on the border between Arizona and Nevada. 

Obviously, Nevada is home to the iconic and truly spectacular city of Las Vegas, and if you are planning a vacation in Arizona, you should at least consider spending a couple of days in Sin City. 

If you are unable to or are simply not particularly fussed about crossing the state border, you can still enjoy the online gambling experience from the comfort of the couch by registering with the best aussie online casino

4. The Most Protected State in the Country 

In smaller and more urban built-up states in the country, you would be hard-pressed to find yourself entirely alone and away from any sign or sight of civilization, particularly in the case of the East and West coasts.

Arizona, however, is in direct contrast to this, with the staggering statistic that only just over fifteen percent of the land is privately owned by either personal homeowners, farmers, or, indeed, commercial premises.

This leaves an absolutely staggering eighty-five percent of the land within the state that is either part of a national park or state park, reserved specifically for Native American settlements and reservations, state space or state trust land, and protected land.