The capital of New Mexico, Santa Fe is one of the oldest cities in North America. The city is located in the north-central part of the state, at the foot of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains.

Places of interest

Santa Fe is a popular tourist destination. A plaza area in the center of the city has several museums that feature ethnic and regional arts. The Palace of the Governors, which was built in 1610, was the seat of the New Mexico government for more than 300 years. It was restored as a museum in 1914. The Museum of New Mexico has sections on Spanish colonial and American Indian art. The Museum of Fine Arts contains a number of art objects made by early 20th-century Santa Fe artists. The Museum of International Folk Art has more than 125,000 displayed objects collected from all over the world. These include toys, jewelry, paintings, woodcarvings, and religious items.

Other notable buildings are the Loretto Chapel and the Cathedral of St. Francis. The 17th-century San Miguel Church was rebuilt in 1710 and restored in 1955. Later structures, including the State Capitol, blend with Santa Fe's Spanish and Indian architecture.

Economy

Tourism is Santa Fe's chief business. The leading products are art and craft goods. The railroad arrived in 1880, and there were brief mining booms in the nearby mountains. The Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory (later renamed Los Alamos National Laboratory) for atomic research is about 35 miles (56 kilometers) northwest of the city. It was built in the 1940s and helped bring economic growth to the area.

History

Spanish colonial official Don Pedro de Peralta founded Santa Fe in 1610. It was named Villa Real de la Santa Fé de San Francisco de Asis (Royal City of the Holy Faith of St. Francis of Assisi). Don Pedro de Peralta built the plaza and the Palace of the Governors.

During the 18th century Santa Fe served as the administrative, military, and missionary headquarters for a vast area under Spanish rule, extending from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean.

From 1821, when Mexico gained independence from Spain, the area was part of Mexico. It became one end of the Santa Fe trail, over which merchants traveled from the East. In 1846, during the Mexican War, United States forces occupied the city. Two years later Mexico surrendered to the United States, and the area became part of the United States. Santa Fe became the capital of the Territory of New Mexico in 1851 and of the state in 1912. Population (2000 census), 62,203.