The Flag of the State of Arizona consists of 13 rays of red and gold (the conquistador colors and of the flag of Spain) on the top half, representing the 13 original counties of Arizona (there are 15 counties today), as well as symbolizing Arizona's picturesque sunsets. There is a copper colored star in the center representing Arizona's copper-mining industry. The rest of the flag is colored blue, representing liberty.
In 1910, Colonel Charles W. Harris, head of the Arizona National Guard, designed a flag for the Arizona Rifle Team when they attended the National Matches at Camp Perry. Arizona had been the only team in past matches to compete without a flag.
The flag was adopted on February 17, 1917 by the third state legislature. It was passed into law without the signature of Governor Thomas Campbell. The governor did not officially state his reasons for taking no action on the bill.
In a 2001 poll conducted by the North American Vexillological Association, the Arizona flag was identified as one of the "10 best flags on the continent," ranking 6th out of 72 North American flags for overall design quality.[1]
The Great Seal of the State of Arizona is ringed by the words “Great Seal of the State of Arizona” on the top, and 1912 the year of Arizona’s statehood, on the bottom. The motto Ditat Deus (Latin: "God Enriches"), lies in the center of the seal. In the background is a range of mountains with the sun rising behind the peaks. At the right side of the mountains is a water storage reservoir and a d*m, with irrigated fields and orchards. There are cattle grazing on the right, and a quartz mill and a miner (George Warren) with a pick and shovel on the left.
The state seal is representative of the foundational elements of the Arizona economy: cattle, cotton, copper, citrus, and climate, which are all visible on the seal. The Five Cs, as they are commonly known, appear as follows: Cattle, of course, are grazing on the lower right. Citrus is represented by the irrigated orchard slightly left of the middle. Cotton is represented by the irrigated fields to the upper right. Copper is represented by the miner on the left. Climate, as expressed and exported in the flora and fauna, is represented by the dry desert sunset.
It is now, and ever shall be, my home.....no matter where I may be physically.
