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Phoenix Facts & Worksheets

Phoenix is the most populous city in Arizona and the fifth most populous city in the USA. It is also Arizona’s capital city.

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Phoenix is the most populous city in Arizona and the fifth most populous city in the USA. It is also Arizona’s capital city. The city is referred to as The Valley of the Sun or The Valley.

See the fact file below for more information on the Phoenix or alternatively, you can download our 26-page Phoenix worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

Geography

  • Area: 518 square miles
  • Population: Approximately 1.6 million people
  • Phoenix is in south-central Arizona.
  • Its metropolitan area is placed in the Salt River Valley, hence being dubbed as “The Valley of the Sun”.
  • It is surrounded by low mountain ranges: the McDowell Mountains in the northeastern part, the White Tank Mountains in the western part, the Superstition Mountains in the far eastern part, the South Mountain in the southern part, and the Sierra Estrella in the southwestern part.
  • Within the heart of the valley lies the Camelback Mountain (the highest point at 2,706 feet), the North Mountain, the Sunnyslope Mountain, and the Piestewa Peak.
  • Phoenix is also the seat of Maricopa County, the state’s most populous county.
  • It is the center of the Phoenix Metropolitan Area, more popularly known as the Valley of the Sun, which includes much of the central part of Arizona.
  • Since 1979, the city of Phoenix has been divided into 15 urban villages namely: Ahwatukee Foothills, Alhambra, Camelback East, Central City, Deer Valley, Desert View, Encanto, Estrella, Laveen, Maryvale, North Gateway, North Mountain, Paradise Valley, Rio Vista, and South Mountain.
  • Phoenix also has commonly referred-to regions and districts in addition to its urban villages, such as Downtown, Midtown, Uptown, West Phoenix, North Phoenix, South Phoenix, Biltmore Area, Arcadia, and Sunnyslope.

Climate

  • The city of Phoenix is located within the sunniest region in the world, receiving more sunshine than any other major city.
  • It is sunny almost all year round, with an average of 299 sunny days per year.
  • The summers can be incredibly hot while the winters are warm.

History

  • The first inhabitants of the land which would become Phoenix were hunters and gatherers called Paleo-Indians.
  • Upon their departure, archaic Indians moved onto the land, originally nomads whose culture slowly became agricultural over the centuries.
  • The Hohokam tribe were the earliest permanent Native American inhabitants of the Phoenix area.
  • The Hohokam Tribe created a system of irrigation canals roughly 135 miles in length which would later be used as the basis for modern irrigation system projects.
  • In the 16th century, Spanish explorers traveled through the area and left behind a slew of European diseases that the Native American tribes weren’t immune to.
  • In 1848, at the end of the Mexican-American War, the Phoenix area became part of the New Mexico Territory.
  • In 1867, Jack Swilling, a veteran of the Civil War, saw potential in the Phoenix area as a farming community and organized the Swilling Irrigation Canal Company.
  • A small community was formed four miles from the area. The settler’s named the area “Phoenix” to describe a new city being born from the ruins of an earlier civilization.
  • On May 4, 1868, Phoenix was officially recognized as a new town by the Yavapai County Board of Supervisors.
  • On February 12, 1871, Maricopa County becomes independent from Yavapai County. Phoenix was elected as county seat.
  • In the 1880s, a rapid growth in Phoenix’s trading industry brought the construction of major railroads to the area.
  • In 1906, construction of the Theodore Roosevelt Dam began. It was the first multi-purpose dam, supplying both water and electricity.
  • In 1907, a tuberculosis treatment center opened. Phoenix weather attracted tuberculosis patients because of its dry and warm climate.
  • On May 18, 1911, the Theodore Roosevelt Dam was dedicated by the President himself, starting a new era of farming in the area.
  • On February 14, 1912, Arizona became the 48th state of the United States, with Phoenix as its state capital.
  • In 1913, Phoenix shifted from its mayor-council system of government to a council-manager system.
  • In the 1930s, Phoenix and its surrounding area began to be called “The Valley of the Sun”. It’s farming culture steadily slowed down as Phoenix started to grow into a metropolis.
  • A growth in the population occurred after World War II, spurred on by the advances in air conditioning technology.
  • Over the decades, Phoenix and its citizens kept developing and has transformed into a major American city, winning various All-America City awards.

People and Culture

  • The majority of Phoenix residents are of European ancestry.
  • More than two-fifths of the population identify as Hispanic, a huge portion of this population coming from Mexico.
  • Other minorities in the population include Asians, African Americans, and Pacific Islanders.
  • Phoenix has several Native American reservations, having one of the largest urban concentrations of Native Americans in the United States.
  • The Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport serves more than 40 million passengers annually and is dubbed as America’s Friendliest Airport.
  • The South Mountain Park and Preserve, North America’s largest municipal park is located in Phoenix, making it a hiking and biking attraction.
  • Phoenix is home to several fine art facilities. The Phoenix Art Museum holds a collection of more than 130,000 pieces while the Heard Museum houses more than 75,000 works of art. The Pueblo Grande archaeological museum is dedicated to studying and preserving the ruins of the Hohokam civilization.
  • In 1962, the Phoenix Desert Botanical Garden and Phoenix Zoo was opened to the public. Phoenix zoo is the largest privately-owned nonprofit zoo in the United States.
  • In 1997, the Arizona Science Center opened its doors. It’s a complex which includes a big-screen cinema, a planetarium, and exhibit halls.
  • Baseball is immensely popular in Phoenix. Major League Baseball teams hold training camps all over the city.
  • Phoenix is among the few American cities with all four major professional sports franchises: Phoenix Suns (NBA), Arizona Diamondbacks (MLB), Arizona Cardinals (NFL), and Arizona Coyotes (NHL).
  • The city boasts more than 200 golf courses, making it one of the top golf destinations in the world.

Phoenix Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about Phoenix across 26 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Phoenix worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about the Phoenix which is the most populous city in Arizona and the fifth most populous city in the USA. It is also Arizona’s capital city. The city is referred to as The Valley of the Sun or The Valley.

Complete List Of Included Worksheets

  • Phoenix Facts
  • Describing Phoenix
  • Mountains Everywhere
  • False to Phoenix
  • People of Phoenix
  • History Timeline
  • Noteworthy Places
  • Sports Franchises
  • How’s and Why’s
  • Phoenix Acrostics
  • Photos of Phoenix

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Link will appear as Phoenix Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, November 20, 2018

Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

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