Santa Fe, New Mexico
From Freepedia
Santa Fe (Spanish, "Holy Faith") (full form: La Villa Real de la Santa Fe de San Francisco de Asís, English: Royal City of the Holy Faith of St. Francis of Assisi) is the capital of New Mexico, a state of the United States of America. It has a population of around 62,203 (2000). It is the county seat of Santa Fe County.
The elevation of Santa Fe is 6,996 feet (2,132 meters) above sea level, compared with 5,430 ft. (1655.4 m) for Denver, Colorado and around 5,352 ft for Albuquerque, New Mexico.
The city administration consciously attempts to preserve and display a regional architectural style. By a law passed in 1958, new and rebuilt buildings, especially those in designated historic districts, must exhibit a Spanish Territorial or Pueblo style of architecture, with flat roofs and other features suggestive of the area's traditional adobe construction. Many contemporary houses in the city are built from lumber, concrete blocks, and other materials but with stucco surfaces (fondly known by the locals as "fakeadobe", pronounced as one word) reflecting the historic style.
In addition to serving as the state capital, the city depends economically on art, tourism, construction, and real estate development. Set at the base of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, the city's intellectual climate and cultural attractions have drawn an influx of new residents with an above average income and educational level. Restaurants, boutiques, and galleries line the streets of the city center and Canyon Road. In many demographic trends, Santa Fe exhibits several differences from other areas of New Mexico.The growth boom flagged temporarily in the mid-1990s when Debbie Jaramillo, who opposed the focus on tourism, was elected mayor. Although she was voted out after serving one term, the city continues to face the challenges of continuing drought conditions and a widening divide between locals and recent arrivals. Still, art and tourism remain Santa Fe's biggest industries.
Some visitors find Santa Fe particularly attractive around the second week of September when the aspens in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains turn yellow and the skies are clear and blue. This is also the time of the annual Fiesta to celebrate the "reconquering" of New Mexico by Don Diego DeVargas, a highlight is when Santa Feans burn Zozobra, a fifty-foot puppet also called "Old Man Gloom."
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| Image:NMMap-doton-SantaFe.PNG {{{2 }|1{{{1|}}}={{{3|}}}}}}|Location in New Mexico| }} | ||||||
| Founded Incorporated | 1607 | |||||
| County | Santa Fe County | |||||
| Mayor | Larry A. Delgado | |||||
| Area - Total - Water | 96.9 km² (37.4 mi²) 0.2 km² (0.1 mi²) 0.21% | |||||
| Population - City (2000) - Density - Metropolitan | 62,203 643.4/km² | |||||
| Time zone | Mountain (UTC –7) | |||||
| Coordinates WGS-84 (GPS) | 35.6872° N 105.9439° W | |||||
Contents |
History
A settlement on the site that would become Santa Fe was first established by Juan Martinez de Montoya in 1607.[1] The town was formally founded and made a capital in 1610, making it the oldest capital city and the second oldest surviving city founded by the European colonists in what land was later to become part of the United States, behind St. Augustine, Florida (1565). (Jamestown, Virginia was also settled in 1607.) Santa Fe was the capital of Nuevo México, a province of New Spain explored by Coronado and established in 1598. The city was founded by Don Pedro de Peralta, New Mexico's third governor. Peralta gave the city its full name, "La Villa Real de la Santa Fe de San Francisco de Asís", or "The Royal City of the Holy Faith of Saint Francis of Assisi".
Except for the years 1680-1692, when the native Pueblo people drove the Spaniards out of the area known as New Mexico later to be "reconquered" by Don Diego de Vargas, Santa Fe remained Spain's provincial seat until 1810, with the outbreak of the Mexican War of Independence, and, in 1824, the city's status as the capital of the Mexican territory of Santa Fe de Nuevo México was formalized in the 1824 Constitution. In 1848 New Mexico was seized by the United States from Mexico, and in 1912 New Mexico became that country's 47th state, with Santa Fe as its capital.
Culture
The city has an impressive number of outdoor sculptures. There are many statues of Saint Francis, and quite a few of other saints, such as Kateri Tekakwitha. Given that Saint Francis was known for his love of animals it is not surprising that there are great numbers of representations of crows, bulls, elephants, livestock and other beasts, all over town. The styles run the whole spectrum from Baroque to Post-modern.
The town and the surrounding areas have a high concentration of artists. They have come over the decades to capture on canvas and in other media the natural beauty of the landscape, the flora and the fauna. Performance artists and authors followed the influx of specialists in the visual arts. Famous writers like Roger Zelazny and Jack Schaefer have been long time residents.
Geography
Image:Santa fe nm 1846 47.jpg Santa Fe is located at 35°40'2" North, 105°57'52" West (35.667231, -105.964575)1.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 96.9 km² (37.4 mi²). 96.7 km² (37.3 mi²) of it is land and 0.2 km² (0.1 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 0.21% water.
Demographics
As of the census2 of 2000, there are 62,203 people, 27,569 households, and 14,969 families residing in the city. The population density is 643.4/km² (1,666.1/mi²). There are 30,533 housing units at an average density of 315.8/km² (817.8/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 76.30% White, 0.66% African American, 2.21% Native American, 1.27% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 15.29% from other races, and 4.20% from two or more races. 47.82% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 27,569 households out of which 24.1% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.6% are married couples living together, 12.1% have a female householder with no husband present, and 45.7% are non-families. 36.4% of all households are made up of individuals and 10.2% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.20 and the average family size is 2.90.
In the city the population is spread out with 20.3% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 29.0% from 25 to 44, 28.0% from 45 to 64, and 13.9% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 40 years. For every 100 females there are 91.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 89.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $40,392, and the median income for a family is $49,705. Males have a median income of $32,373 versus $27,431 for females. The per capita income for the city is $25,454. 12.3% of the population and 9.5% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 17.2% of those under the age of 18 and 9.2% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
Santa Fe is located along Interstate 25, but the highway does not run through the city proper. Most tourist activity takes place in the historic downtown, especially on and around the Plaza, a one-block square adjacent to the Palace of the Governors, the original seat of New Mexico's territorial government since the time of Spanish colonization. Canyon Road, east of the Plaza, has the highest concentration of art galleries and restaurants in the city, and is a major destination for wealthy tourists and locals. Santa Fe's art market is the third largest in the United States, after New York and Los Angeles, and the Canyon Road galleries showcase a wide array of contemporary Southwestern, indigenous American, and experimental art, in addition to older Russian, Taos Masters, and Native American pieces.
External links
- Santa Fe Convention & Visitors Bureau
- Santa Fe Chamber of Commerce
- Santa Fe New Mexican Newspaper
- Santa Fe Travel Tourism & Relocation Guide
- Maps and aerial photos
- Street map from Google Local or Yahoo! Maps
- Topographic map from TopoZone
- Aerial image or topographic map from TerraServer-USA
- Satellite image from Google Local or Microsoft Virtual Earth
| Santa Fe, New Mexico | Image:New Mexico state flag.png |
|---|---|
| Suburbs | |
| Agua Fria | La Cienega | Tesuque | |
| Santa Fe County |
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Categories: Cities in New Mexico | Cities on U.S. Highway 66 | Santa Fe County, New Mexico | U.S. state capitals
