Where can you find thousands of bats living inside a coral reef? The answer is New Mexico, nicknamed the Land of Enchantment.
If you think New Mexico is nothing but desert, consider this: New Mexico boasts more species of mammals and birds than almost any other state. This is partly because four great geologic regions meet in New Mexico—the Rocky Mountains, Great Plains, Colorado Plateau, and Basin and Range.
Some of the flattest lands on earth are found in the grasslands of eastern New Mexico, which borders Texas. This region of the treeless Great Plains is called the Llano Estacado in Spanish—“staked plains.” The name may derive from the stake-like stalks of the spiny-leaved yucca, New Mexico’s state flower.
Black bears are among the animals that live in the Rocky Mountains of north-central New Mexico. In fact, the most famous black bear in the world was rescued from a forest in New Mexico and later named Smokey.
The Colorado Plateau covers much of northwestern New Mexico, stretching into neighboring Arizona, Utah, and Colorado. This is a highland area, out of which numerous canyons, mesas, and other landforms have been eroded.
New Mexico’s state bird, the roadrunner, is at home in the state’s largest region, the Basin and Range. This arid region covers much of southern New Mexico. Most New Mexicans live in some of the broad basins that separate mountain regions here.
In southeastern New Mexico is Carlsbad Caverns. This series of connected caverns is among the largest in the world. Thousands of bats roost in the caverns, which were eroded out of a prehistoric reef.
New Mexico’s most important river is the Rio Grande, which flows southeast into Texas. Another important river in southeastern New Mexico is the Pecos, which has carved a canyon 1,000 feet deep and 30 to 50 feet wide.
After Spanish Florida, New Mexico was the second area in the United States to be permanently settled by Europeans. Founded in 1610, Santa Fe is the oldest capital city in the United States. Today, New Mexico’s clear, sunny skies, wide open spaces, spectacular scenery, and exotic cultures attract painters, writers, craftspeople, and other artists.
New Mexico may have the most enchanting of state flags. The colors red and yellow recall the Spanish conquistadors who explored New Mexico. The red design in the center is an ancient Zia Indian sun symbol. Red and yellow are appropriate colors for the Land of Enchantment.
The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism - 
