city (1990 pop. 983,403), state capital and seat of Maricopa co., S Ariz., on the Salt River; inc. 1881. It is the ninth largest city in the United States, the hub of the rich agricultural region of the Salt River valley, and an important center for research and development, electronics, telecommunications, and the aerospace industry. Production of aircraft parts, electrical appliances, agricultural chemicals, and leather goods remains central to its manufacturing base.

The city was founded on the site of ancient Native American canals; hence its name, signifying a new town which had risen from the ruins of an old civilization. In 1868, pioneers developed what remained of the Native Americans' irrigation system; water was diverted from the Salt River, and farming began, supplemented by mining and ranching in the surrounding desert and mountains. The completion (1911) of the Roosevelt Dam on the Salt River brought power and abundant water to the community and opened a new era of farming in the valley.

Phoenix grew as an important trade and distribution center. It boomed during World War II, when three airfields were opened. The phenomenal growth continued after the war; veterans who had been stationed in Phoenix returned to stay, and manufacturing concerns moved there to utilize the large labor supply. The expanding metropolitan area includes the suburbs of Mesa, Scottsdale, Tempe, and Glendale, all of which are among the fastest-growing cities in the United States.

Among the area's many outstanding parks are the Desert Botanical Gardens, Camelback Mountain, and the nearby South Mountain Park, which has an active gold mine. Also in the area are a number of Native American communities and reservations, national monuments, and state parks. Among its museums are the Arizona Museum, with ancient and pioneer relics; the Heard Museum, with Native American exhibitions; the Phoenix Art Museum; the Pueblo Grande Museum, containing the excavations of Native American ruins c.800 years old; and the State Dept. of Archives Museum. Other attractions are the Phoenix Zoo, the Arizona Science Center, and the Mystery Castle, built of native rock.

Phoenix is the seat of Grand Canyon College and has a symphony orchestra and opera company. The Phoenix Suns play in the National Basketball Association, the Coyotes in the National Hockey League, and the Arizona Diamondbacks in the National League (baseball). The Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League play in nearby Tempe. Several major-league baseball teams have spring-training camps in the area.

See J. E. Buchanan, Phoenix: A Chronological and Documentary History, 1865–1976 (1978); G. W. Johnson Jr., Phoenix (1982); B. Luckingham, Phoenix: The History of a Southwestern Metropolis (1989).

The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition Copyright© 2004, Columbia University Press. Licensed from Lernout & Hauspie Speech Products N.V. All rights reserved.

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