New Mexico "Land of enchantment". From early man to the Indian cliff-dwellers to the Spanish conquistadors and priests to the Anglo arrival in the mid-1800s, New Mexico has lived through thousands of centuries. We became a state in 1912 and to this day the Indian, Hispanic, and Anglo cultures mix their cultures, traditions, and talents, and yet they remain distinct. While New Mexico is filled with justifiably famous attractions, you can still find out-of-the-way sites and hidden pockets of culture and history that haven't made it into the standard guidebooks. New Mexico is famous for its amazing natural beauty and ancient past. From dinosaurs to volcanos to Native American Anasazi ruins you won't be disappointed. New Mexico's arts scene covers a broad range of expression, mediums, schools, styles, and histories, and is a good part of what makes New Mexico's quality of life so very rich. Most people are aware that the capital city of Santa Fe is the third largest art market of America - what most people don't know is that the rest of the state has a lot going on in the fine arts, photography, music, dance, concerts and theater as well. New Mexico Art Museums New Mexico holds a rich treasure trove of art museums that encompass nearly every period and style of work that has appeared in our state. The opportunities for outdoor sports and recreation in New Mexico are as varied as the state's terrain. Few states can boast six of the earth's seven climatic zones, nor are they blessed with the towering mountains that rise above New Mexico's high desert plains. With thirteen National Monuments and Parks, 29 State Parks, and five National Forests, New Mexico has an outdoor adventure for the weekend sightseer and avid backcountry explorer alike! The eastern border of New Mexico lies along 103° W with Oklahoma, and 3 miles (5 km) west of 103° W with Texas. Texas also lies south of most of New Mexico, although the southwestern boot-heel borders the Mexican states of Chihuahua and Sonora. The western border with Arizona runs along 109° W. The 37° N parallel forms the northern boundary with Colorado. The states of New Mexico, Colorado, Arizona, and Utah come together at the Four Corners in the northwestern corner of New Mexico. The landscape ranges from wide, rose-colored deserts to broken mesas to high, snow-capped peaks. Despite New Mexico's arid image, heavily forested mountain wildernesses cover a significant portion of the state. Part of the Rocky Mountains, the broken, north-south oriented Sangre de Cristo (Blood of Christ) range flanks both sides of the Rio Grande from the rugged, pastoral north through the center of the state. Cacti, yuccas, creosote bush, sagebrush, and desert grasses cover the broad, semiarid plains that cover the southern portion of the state. The Federal government protects millions of acres of New Mexico as national forests including: Carson National Forest Cibola National Forest (headquartered in Albuquerque) Lincoln National Forest Santa Fe National Forest (headquartered in Santa Fe) Other protected lands include the following national monuments: Aztec Ruins National Monument at Aztec Bandelier National Monument in Los Alamos Capulin Volcano National Monument near Capulin Carlsbad Caverns National Park near Carlsbad Chaco Culture National Historical Park at Nageezi El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro National Historic Trail El Malpais National Monument in Grants El Morro National Monument in Ramah Fort Union National Monument at Watrous Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument near Silver City Old Spanish National Historic Trail Pecos National Historical Park in Pecos Petroglyph National Monument near Albuquerque Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument at Mountainair Santa Fe National Historic Trail White Sands National Monument near Alamogordo Visitors also frequent the surviving native pueblos of New Mexico. Tourists visiting these sites bring significant monies to the state. Other areas of geographical and scenic interest include Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument and the Valles Caldera National Preserve. The Gila Wilderness lies in the southwest of the state.