2. Introduction
Phoenix is the capital and largest city of Arizona, a
state in the U.S, and also the fifth largest city in
the U.S. It’s located in North-eastern of the
Sonoran desert, so Phoenix has a hot climate
with a little precipitation. It Phoenix has a
population of 1,601,587 according to the 2009
estimate of Census Bureau. Phoenix eventually
became a major transportation station in North
America, and a main financial, industrial, and
cultural center in South-western United States.
Phoenix was incorporated as a city in 1881 after
being founded in 1861 near the Salt River, near its
confluence with the Gila River.
3. Founding
The history of Phoenix as a city begins with Jack Swilling, an American Civil
War veteran who had come west to seek wealth in the 1850s and worked
mostly in Wickenburg. On a trip in 1857, he stopped to rest at the foot of
the White Tank Mountains. Swilling observed the abandoned river valley
and considered its potential for farming, much like that already cultivated
by the military further east near Fort McDowell, which was build by the
U.S army to put down the Native American riot. The terrain and climate
were optimal; only a regular source of water was necessary. The existence
of the old Hohokam ruins, showing clear paths for canals, made Swilling
imagine new possibilities. Swilling had a series of canals built which
followed those of the ancient Native American system. A small community
formed that same year about 4 miles (6 km) east of the present city. It was
first called Pumpkinville due to the large pumpkins that grew in fields along
the canals. Later it was called Swilling's Mill in his honor, though later
renamed to Helling Mill, Mill City, and finally, East Phoenix. Swilling wanted
to name the city "Stonewall", after General Stonewall Jackson. Others
suggested the name of "Salina". However, neither name was supported by
the community. Finally, Lord Darrell Duppa suggested the name "Phoenix",
as it described a city born from the ruins of a former civilization, and
everybody agreed to that name.
4. Modern Phoenix
Phoenix has maintained a growth streak in recent years,
growing by 24.2% since 2000. This makes it the second-
fastest-growing metropolitan area in the United States
following only Las Vegas, whose population has grown by
29.2% since 2000. In 2008, Phoenix was one of the hardest
hit by the Subprime mortgage crisis. In early 2009, the
median home price was $150,000, down from its $262,000
peak in recent years. Crime rates in Phoenix have gone down
in recent years and once troubled, decaying neighborhoods
such as South Mountain, Alhambra, and Maryvale have
recovered and stabilized. Recently Downtown Phoenix and
the central core have experienced renewed interest and
growth, resulting in numerous restaurant, stores and
businesses opening or relocating to central Phoenix.[
5. Government
As the capital of Arizona, Phoenix houses the state
government. In 1913, the commission form of government
was adopted. The city of Phoenix is served by a city council
consisting of a mayor and eight city council members. The
mayor is elected in a citywide vote to a four-year term.
Phoenix City Council members are elected to four-year
terms by voters in each of the eight separate districts that
they represent. The current mayor of Phoenix is Phil Gordon,
who was elected to a four-year term in 2003 and re-elected
to an additional four-year term in 2007. The mayor and city
council members have equal voting power to adopt
ordinances and set the policies that govern the city. Phoenix
operates under a council-manager form of government, with
a strong city manager supervising all city departments and
executing policies adopted by the Council.
6. Recreation
Phoenix is home to a large number of parks and
recreation areas. Many waterparks are scattered
around the valley to help residents cope with the
harsh desert heat during the summer months.
Some of the notable parks include Big Surf in
Tempe, Wet 'n' Wild Phoenix in Phoenix (has a
Glendale mailing address), Golfland Sunsplash in
Mesa, and the Oasis Water Park at the Arizona
Grand Resort - formerly known as Pointe South
Mountain Resort - in Phoenix. The area also has
two amusement parks, Castles N' Coasters in
north Phoenix, next to the Metrocenter Mall and
Enchanted Island located at Encanto Park.
7. Sports
Phoenix is home to several professional sports franchises, including
representatives of all four major professional sports leagues in the U.S. -
although only two of these teams actually carry the city name and play
within the city limits. The first major franchise was the Phoenix Suns of the
National Basketball Association (NBA), which started play in 1968 at the
Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum. In 1992 the Suns moved to the
America West Arena, which is now the US Airways Center. In 1997, the
Phoenix Mercury was one of the original eight teams to launch the
Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). Both teams play at
U.S. Airways Center. The U.S. Airways Center was the setting for both the
1995 and the 2009 NBA All-Star Games. The Phoenix Flame of the
International Basketball League began play in the spring of 2007. They
play at the Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum. The Phoenix Coyotes of
the National Hockey League moved to the area in 1996; they were formerly
the Winnipeg Jets franchise. They play at Jobing.com Arena, adjacent to
University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale. The Arizona Diamondbacks of
Major League Baseball (National League West Division) began play as an
expansion team in 1998. The team plays at Chase Field (downtown). In
2001, the Diamondbacks defeated the New York Yankees 4 games to 3 in
the World Series, becoming not only the city's first professional sports
franchise to win a national championship while located in Arizona, but also
one of the youngest expansion franchise in U.S. professional sports to ever
win a championship.
8. Transportation
Phoenix is served by Sky Harbor International Airport which is
centrally located in the metro area near several major freeway
interchanges east of downtown Phoenix. Sky Harbor is the ninth-
busiest airport in the U.S. and 17th in the world. for passenger
traffic, handling more than 42 million travelers in 2007. The airport
serves more than 100 cities with non-stop flights. Aeroméxico, Air
Canada, British Airways, and WestJet are among several
international carriers as well as American carrier US Airways
(which maintains a hub at the airport) providing flights to
destinations such as Canada, Costa Rica, and Mexico.Valley Metro
provides public transportation throughout the metropolitan area,
with its trains, buses, and a ride-share program. 3.38% of workers
commute by public transit. During the summer it is very difficult to
wait for a bus in the heat as many of the stops have no canopies.
Valley Metro's 20-mile (32 km) light rail project, called METRO,
through north-central Phoenix, downtown, and eastward through
Tempe and Mesa, opened December 27, 2008. Future rail segments
of more than 30 miles (48 km) are planned to open by 2025.
9. Conclusion
Phoenix is a incredible and beautiful city
with only canyons away from the biggest
desert in the U.S. The canyons beside the
city are very huge and truly amazing. It’s a
place where you can’t miss if you want to
go somewhere nice for holidays.
