List of Arizona state symbols

The state of Arizona has numerous symbols, many of which are officially recognized after a law passed by the state legislature, and were adopted in the 20th century. The first symbol was the motto, which was made official in 1864 for the Arizona Territory. Arizona became the second state to adopt a "state firearm" after Utah adopted the Browning M1911.^[1]

Location of the state of Arizona in the United States of America

Insignia

Further information: List of U.S. state, district, and territorial insignia

Type	Symbol	Description	Year	Image
Flag	The flag of Arizona	The flag of Arizona does not contain a state seal but consists of 13 rays of red and gold (the conquistador colors of the flag of Spain) on the top half, representing the original 13 American colonies, 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.[2]	1917
Seal	The seal of Arizona	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	1911[3]

Mottoes and nickname

Type	Symbol	Year	Image
Motto	Latin: Ditat Deus (God enriches)	1864[4]
Nickname	The Grand Canyon State[5][a]	Traditional

Plant

Type	Symbol	Year	Image
Flower	Saguaro cactus blossom (Carnegiea gigantea)	1931[6]
Tree	Palo verde (Parkinsonia florida)	1954[7]

Animal

Type	Symbol	Year	Image
Amphibian	Arizona tree frog (Hyla eximia)[b]	1986[8]
Bird	Cactus wren (Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus)	1973[9]
Butterfly	Two-tailed swallowtail (Papilio multicaudata)	2001[10]
Dinosaur	Sonorasaurus (Sonorasaurus thompsoni)	2018[11][12]
Fish	Apache trout (Oncorhynchus gilae apache)[c]	1986[7][8]
Mammal	Ring-tailed cat (Bassariscus astutus)[d]	1986[13][8]
Reptile	Arizona ridge-nosed rattlesnake (Crotalus willardi willardi)[e]	1986[8]

Geology

Type	Symbol	Year	Image
Fossil	Petrified wood	1988[14]
Gemstone	Turquoise	1974[15][16]
Metal	Copper	2015[17][18]
Mineral	Wulfenite	2017[19][20]
Soil	Casa Grande	N/A[21]

Culture

Type	Symbol	Year	Image
Colors	Blue and old gold[22]	1915[23]
Firearm	Colt Single Action Army	2011[1]
Neckwear	Bolo tie	1973[24]
Songs	"Arizona March Song" "Arizona"	1919[25] 1982[26]
Drink	Lemonade	2019[27][28]

Other

Type	Symbol	Year	Image
Planet	Pluto	2024[29]

See also

• Arizona portal

• List of Arizona-related topics
• Lists of United States state insignia
• Vehicle registration plates of Arizona

Notes

1. Unofficial nicknames include: the Apache State, the Aztec State, the Baby State, the Copper State, the Valentine State, Italy of America, the Sand Hill State, and the Sunset State.^{[citation needed]}
2. The Arizona treefrog was chosen by students around Arizona. The students studied 800 species in an effort to select four finalists for every category. Three other amphibians were considered: the Colorado River toad, red-spotted toad, and the spadefoot toad.
3. The Apache trout was chosen by students around Arizona. The students studied 800 species in an effort to select four finalists for every category. Three other fish were considered: the Colorado River squawfish, the desert pupfish, and the bonytail chub.
4. The ring-tailed cat was chosen by students around Arizona. The students studied 800 species in an effort to select four finalists for every category. Three other mammals were considered: the whitetail deer, the desert bighorn sheep, and the javelina.
5. The Arizona ridge-nosed rattlesnake was chosen by students around Arizona. The students studied 800 species in an effort to select four finalists for every category. Three other reptiles were considered: the Gila monster, the desert tortoise, and the regal horned lizard.