Phoenix is the state capital of Arizona in the Southwest United States. With a population of almost 1.5 million people, it is the most populous capital in the entire United States and the 6th most populous city
in the nation after New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston and Philadelphia.
Being in a desert location, Phoenix is often considered as America’s sunniest metropolitan center. A panorama of a desert landscape all around and a dramatic backdrop of the Phoenix Mountains and South Mountains create a vista most new visitors to the city awe in admiration. The climate of Phoenix belongs to the subtropical arid climate classification typical of most desert places. They say that most visitors come to Phoenix for its sunny weather. There’s no less truth than that. The city’s average annual temperature rises to 72 degrees Fahrenheit and could be as low as 65 degrees Fahrenheit in winter. The climate in Phoenix, in general, is pleasant most of the year. Precipitation in the city generally comes in the form of rainfall and is usually sparse anywhere in the metro. The average annual precipitation is 210 mm.
Despite its desert location, Phoenix is blessed with lush vegetation and colorful desert landscapes. The rugged Phoenix Mountains and South Mountains create an awe-inspiring backdrop to the city skyline. The winter offers hikers and bikers alike a much milder weather when cooler temperature hovers at 67 degrees Fahrenheit. The desert cacti and wildflowers come in full bloom during spring which blankets the hillsides and low valleys.
Phoenix hosts to a number of the best art and cultural facilities in the United States such as art galleries, museums and theaters. Most notable of all museums is the Phoenix Art Museum. It boasts of a comprehensive collection of more than 18,000 art works from Asia, Europe, Latin America, Western America, as well as American, modern and contemporary and fashion design. Other prominent museums include Heard Museum, Phoenix Museum of History, Arizona Science Center, Musical Instrument Museum, Pueblo Grande Museum and Cultural Park.
The metropolis is also home to the world’s largest municipal park, the South Mountain Park that covers a total area of 67 square kilometers. Other parks include Camelback Mountain, and Sunny slope Mountain also called S Mountain. The Desert Botanical Garden is likewise a noteworthy destination where desert plants from around the world are found.
Phoenix is a sporting city who is home to all four major professional sports leagues in the U.S namely: the Phoenix Suns, Phoenix Mercury, Arizona Cardinals and Arizona Diamondbacks. US Airways Center is a major sports and entertainment arena in downtown Phoenix.
Shopping is never a boring activity in Phoenix. It hosts to some of the most exciting and largest shopping centers in the Southwest, of which Scottsdale Fashion Square is the biggest. Phoenix is served by Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. Major US airlines fly to and from Phoenix connecting to most major cities in the United States and Canada.
Probably the most exciting and the most vibrant capital city in the Southwest, Phoenix is a mix of metropolitan urban culture and a natural desert landscape straddling in the northern reaches of the Sonoran Desert.
