Earning a Living

Worker

Modern Industries

Five major resources help Arizona's economy. They are called the five C's. Cattle, copper. cotton, citrus are four of them. The fifth resource is climate. Arizona's mild winters bring millions of tourists to the state. People also move here because they like our climate.

Learn more about the 5 C's

Farming and mining are still important, but many people have moved to big cities and the suburbs around them. There are other kinds of jobs in the cities. Today, a lot of people work in service businesses such as restaurants, and hospitals. People also work for the government.

Mining

Mining in Arizona has supplied jobs for over 150 years. Earlier in our history, people came to mine silver and gold. Today, copper and uranium mining are an important part of our economy.

Copper Mining

Copper is the most important mineral in Arizona. It is used in goods such as cars, toasters, radios, and washing machines. Electricity travels well across copper wire.

In 1881, the Phelps Dodge Company started a copper mine in Arizona. Phelps Dodge has been mining here ever since. Today, the Phelps Dodge Morenci copper mine is the largest in north America. Workers blast apart rocks that contain copper. Huge machines smash the large rocks. Big trucks can haul 350 tons of copper in one load.

Take a Virtual Copper Mine Tour

Uranium Mining

Uranium is mined on the Navajo lands. however, the largest uranium mine in the state is inside the Grand Canyon National Park. Uranium mining can be dangerous. Uranium is a mineral that is harmful to people and animals that come near it. Yet uranium has many uses. It is used for nuclear power plants that make electricity.

Some people believe that uranium mining should not be allowed near the Grand Canyon. The Havasupai Indians who live in the canyon worry that uranium could get into their water and make them sick. The mining companies, however, say they can protect the Havasupai and visitors to the National Park. They believe that they can mine uranium without hurting the Grand Canyon.

Learn more about Uranium mining at the Grand Canyon

Farming

Farming has always been important in Arizona, but it has changed a lot since pioneer days. Farms today are much larger. Fewer people have farm jobs because machines do much of the work. People are still need to help plant, weed, water and harvest the crops.

Play the AgVenture Game for Fun

Fruits, Vegetables and other crops

Farmers raise a lot of fruit, vegetables, and grains. They grow hay to feed cows, horses and other animals. Farmers grow carrots and onions in the Salt River Valley. They also grow potatoes. Some of the potatoes are used to make potato chips.

Citrus is the main fruit grown in Arizona. Citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and grapefruits are grown near Yuma and Phoenix. Arizona farmers also grow cantaloupe, grapes and apples. Most of the cantaloupe is grown near Yuma.

Pecans are another big crop in Arizona. The largest pecan grove in the country stretches through the called of the Santa Cruz river near Tucson. Pecan growers have to be patient, it takes about twelve years for a crop to grow. When harvest time comes they shake the nuts off the tree with machines.

Lettuce

Because lettuce makes up half of Arizona's vegetable crop, it is called "green gold." It is grown near Yuma, Wilcox and the Salt River Valley, and in other places where there is plenty of irrigation water. Our climate is good for lettuce because we don't have harsh winters and heavy rainfall that will hurt the lettuce.

At harvest time, the lettuce is cut, bound in cartons, and hauled to cooling plants. Then it is shipped in refrigerated trucks or railroad cars all over the country.

Cotton

Are you wearing clothes made from cotton? Cotton is Arizona's number one crop. not too long ago, people used to pick cotton by hand. One person could pick only 200 pounds per day. Now cotton-picking machines can pick 10,000 pounds per day.

Arizona grows about 10percent of the nation's cotton. A lot of cotton grown in Arizona is shipped to Asia.

Ranching

At one time, cows on open ranch land was the main part of the cattle industry. Cattle feeding was only a small part of that industry. Now feeding cattle in large pens called feedlots is a big business. Feedlots fatten cattle from Mexico, Arizona, and other states.

Today's ranchers face some problems. To get enough land for their animals, most cattle ranchers have to pay to use land that belongs to the government. Cattlemen pay higher and higher prices for feed, fence posts, wire and other supplies. But the price of beef goes up and down. The ranchers lose money if they raise to many cattle, and then the price for them goes down.

Find out what else is raised in Arizona

Manufacturing

Manufacturing means making things by hand or machine. The pioneers made adobe bricks by mixing dirt and straw with water, putting the mud mixture in a mold, and drying it in the sun. Sawmills and copper smelters are also kinds of manufacturing. Today most manufacturing is done in factories and employee many Arizonans.

Electronics

Motorola, a large electronics and communication company opened a research lab in Phoenix. They make goods such as radios, computers, and phones. Motorola also has offices in Chandler, Mesa, and Tempe. Motorola led the way in making electronics-the first big modern industry in Arizona. Motorola is one of Arizona's largest employers.

Many electronics companies have factories in Arizona today. The Phoenix area is fast becoming a major electronics center. Electronics is a good industry for Arizona. It provides jobs for people of all skill levels. It is also a "clean industry" because it does not pollute the air with smoke.

Food Processing Plants

Dairy, bakery and meat-packing plants all process food. This means they use milk, grain or meat to make other foods such as ice-cream, cereal, or hamburgers.

Spreckels Sugar Company began processing sugar beets to make sugar in Chandler. Arnold's pickle factory in Phoenix makes pickles from cucumbers. Can you name any food processing companies in your part of Arizona?

Tourism

Each year millions of people visit Arizona from other states and countries. Some of them are on a short vacation. They come to hike and ski in our mountains, boat on our waters, visit the Grand Canyon, enjoy our cities, and see our deserts. Many people have never seen a cactus or a palm until they come to Arizona.

Tourists spend their money in Arizona businesses. They stay in hotels, eat at restaurants, and shop at stores. They might go to a local fair, festival, or rodeo.

Some Arizonans work in hotels, gas stations, airports, restaurants, and stores that depend partly on tourists. Many people do not realize how important tourism is to Arizona. Tourism is good for out state because it helps us to learn about other people.

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