Flag of Arizona

What the flag looks like

A blue lower half; the upper half has 13 alternating red and yellow rays fanning out from a copper-colored star in the center.

What it means

The 13 rays recall the original colonies and a western sunset, red and yellow are the colors of Spain, blue matches the US flag, and the copper star stands for the state's copper mining.

How to remember it

Arizona is a desert sunset: 13 red and gold rays fanning up from a copper star over a plain blue lower half.

Fun facts

• Arizona is the largest copper-producing state in the US, which is why the star is copper rather than white or gold.
• The design grew out of a banner made for Arizona's rifle team at the 1910 national shooting matches at Camp Perry, Ohio.

Arizona at a glance

Nickname

The Grand Canyon State

Statehood

1912

Capital

Phoenix

Region

Mountain

Population

7.2 million

Area

295,234 km²

Flag adopted

1917