New Mexico Land for Sale

New Mexico is located in the Southwestern United States, and borders Colorado to the north, Oklahoma to the northeast, Texas to the east and south, Mexico, specifically the states of Chihuahua and Sonora, in the southwest, and Arizona to the west. The southeast corner of Utah touches New Mexico's northwest corner, forming the Four Corners, the only place in the country where four states meet. It is considered one of the Mountain States. It is the fifth largest in the county by area but the 36th in population, making it the sixth least densely populated of the 50 states. It is known as "The Land of Enchantment," due to its scenic beauty and rich history. The state's name comes from Spanish explorers in the region in the late 1500s who incorrectly believed it contained wealthy Mexican Indian cultures similar to the Aztec Empire, even though the natives in the state's area had no connection to Mexico or the Mexican Indian tribes. Albuquerque is the largest city in the state, and Santa Fe is the state capital. Other large or important cities include Rio Rancho, Las Vegas, Farmington, Roswell, Carlsbad and Las Cruces. The state is home to 22 Native American tribes, with the Navajo Nation reservation covering 16 million acres of New Mexico and Arizona, being one of the largest in the country. The Apache and some Ute also live on federal reservations in the state, and there are a number of Pueblo Indian communities scattered throughout New Mexico. Their rich history is celebrated in museums, ceremonial dances, arts, crafts, language, and traditional villages.

The landscape of New Mexico is very diverse. Though there are some desert areas, much of the land is covered with heavily forested mountain wilderness, especially in the north. There are more than 20 mountain ranges in the state. Important rivers in the state include the Rio Grande, Pecos, Canadian, San Juan, and Gila Rivers. The Rio Grande is the fourth longest river in the U.S. There are millions of acres of protected national forests in the state, including Carson National Forest, Cibola National Forest, Lincoln National Forest, Santa Fe National Forest, Gila National Forest, and Gila Wilderness. There are nearly 20 other parks, trails, historical sites and monuments managed by the National Park Service. In addition, there are more than 50 state parks, hatcheries, and wildlife refuges and areas. Most notable are Conchas Lake State Park, Rio Grande Gorge State Park, Sugarite Canyon State Park, Carlsbad Caverns National Park, with some of the largest underground caves and chambers in the world, Pecos National Historic Park, Navajo Lake State Park, Puye Cliff Dwellings National Historic Landmark, and Chaco Culture National Historic Park, featuring an ancient city built between 850 and 1250 AD.

Oil and gas production, tourism, and federal government installations are important drivers of New Mexico's economy. The state is the third leading producer of crude oil and natural gas in the country. Many of the federal jobs relate to the military, with three large air force bases, Kirtland Air Force Base, Holloman Air Force Base, and Cannon Air Force Base, White Sands Missile Range, for testing, and an army proving ground and maneuver range, Fort Bliss-McGregor Range. Nearly 12 percent of the state's total employment comes from military spending. Other federal installations include Los Alamos Laboratory and Sandia National Laboratories. New Mexico offers a number of economic incentives to businesses operating in the state, including tax credits and exemptions. New Mexico is also an important corridor for trade and migration, sharing the border with Mexico, and historically through the Santa Fe Trail, the 19th century's vital commercial and military highway link with the eastern part of the country. New Mexico has six major state universities, which include University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, Eastern New Mexico University in Portales, New Mexico Highlands University in Las Vegas, Western New Mexico University in Silver City, and New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology in Socorro. There are more than 20 other public, private, and two-year institutions and graduate schools. There is also one tribal university: Navajo Technical University.