Phoenix is the capital and the biggest city in the state of Arizona, in addition to being the sixth most populated city in the whole of the United States and the most populated state capital. According to the US Census Bureau, in 2010 there were 1,445,632 people living in Phoenix. By population, Phoenix is also the biggest metro area in the United States, one of the biggest cities in the country in terms of land area and the county seat of Maricopa County.
Incorporated as a city in 1881, Phoenix was founded near the Salt River in 1861; it has a famous and highly notable political culture, playing home to a number of influential American dignitaries and politicians such as Barry Goldwater, Carl Hayden, Sandra Day O’Connor, John McCain and William Rehnquist. People who live in the city are referred to as Phoenicians.
Phoenix has a subtropical desert climate as a result of being situated in the northeastern area of the Sonoran Desert, with the average high temperatures in the summer generally being more than 104F. The city has experienced a growth streak in recent times, with an increase people wishing to move to the area resulting in a growth of about 24.2% prior to 2007, making it the second fastest growing metropolitan area in the country. It was beaten only by Las Vegas, which had seen so many people interested in a relocation to the area that by 2007 its growth figure was 29.2%.
Jon Huser