New Mexico - Land of Enchantment

New Mexico was admitted to the union as the 47th state of the USA in 1912. It is usually considered one of the Mountain States. New Mexico is the 5th most extensive, the 36th most populous, and the 6th least densely populated of the 50 United States. The state's total area is 121,412 square miles (314,460 km2). The population of New Mexico in July 2014 was estimated to be almost 2.1 million. Among U.S. states, New Mexico has the highest percentage of Hispanic ancestry, at 47 percent including descendants of Spanish colonists and recent immigrants from Latin America.

New Mexico is frequently referred to as “The Land of Enchantment” and its capital is Santa Fe.  The largest city in the state is Albuquerque.

This postcard from Arik (24 July 2015) DS Swap-bot shows various state symbols of New Mexico.

SW EG-339 A New Mexico Windmill US-4070403 A Western Windmill

The first postcard shows a lonely windmill standing in the middle of New Mexico desert country furnishing water for thirsty livestock.

This is my second American windmill - see http://flynnfrogg.blogspot.com.au/2014/09/sw-dt-301-texan-windmill.html where there is more information on American-style windmills in general.
This postcard came from Maxine K. (10 November 2014) one of five postcards sent in a Swap-bot swap.

I have since received a third American windmill postcard.  This one is merely titled "A Western Windmill" and there is no indication of locality.  This postcard came from Amy (1 July 2016) Postcrossing.

Chaco Culture - the Ancient Pueblo Peoples

Chaco Culture National Historical Park has several pre-Columbian pueblos. It is the largest concentration of ancient structures of this nature in the American Southwest. The park is located in northwestern New Mexico in a remote canyon.

Between AD 900 and 1150, Chaco Canyon was a major centre of culture for the Ancient Pueblo Peoples. These people quarried sandstone blocks and hauled timber from great distances and assembled fifteen major complexes.  It is believed that climate change beginning with a fifty-year drought commencing in 1130 led to the abandonment of the canyon.

The sites are considered sacred ancestral homelands by the Hopi and Pueblo people, who maintain oral accounts of their historical migration from Chaco and their spiritual relationship to the land. The area is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

 

This postcard came from Donna (8 September 2014) Direct Swap Postcrossing.