Land for Sale in New Mexico

A Mix of Old and New

New Mexico offers a blend of both modern and primitive feelings set against the stunning backdrop of the American Southwest. The capital, Santa Fe, is a cultural mecca for current art and dining. At the same time, it also boasts the country's oldest government building, The Palace of the Governors, built in 1610. The state is full of the old and new living side-by-side. In the same vast gypsum sand dunes where the first atom bomb was tested 10-thousand-year-old arrow tips have been found. That atom bomb was developed in Los Alamos National Laboratory, which is still a major hub of scientific research. Los Alamos is found just minutes from Bandelier National Monument, where you can explore the history of ancestral Pueblo peoples who settled in the area in roughly 1,150 A.D. Ranches are found across the state. If you’re looking for a great selection of New Mexico ranches for sale, Land Broker Co-op is a great choice.

Cities and Industries 

The largest city in New Mexico is Albuquerque, where the world's largest international hot air balloon festival is hosted every October. There are a number of smaller towns with more quirky celebrations, such as Deming, which is proud to host the annual Great American Duck Race. Las Cruces is home to the annual Whole Enchilada Fiesta, where they assemble the world's largest enchilada. Although there are large, modern cities full of residential homes such as Albuquerque and Santa Fe, there are also tiny, isolated rural communities that may tempt those looking either for residential homes or land for sale in New Mexico. In the north, there are towns such as Chimayo and Truchas that are populated by the descendants of Spanish Conquistadors. A form of Spanish is still spoken in these tiny communities that are spoken nowhere else in the world and seems most similar to Spanish spoken in the 16th century.

New Mexico is the eighth largest energy producer for the United States. It not only produces oil and gas, but its wide open plains and ample sunshine make it perfect for a booming solar and wind energy industry. Another major industry is scientific research. Nuclear energy is studied at Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque and Los Alamos National Laboratory is the senior laboratory for the Department of Energy. With many wide open plains, dairy and cattle ranching make up a large part of the agriculture in the state.

Climate and Landscape 

New Mexico is quite arid, with lakes and rivers covering only 0.002% of the land. With more than 320 days of sunshine a year, it is in second place for the state with most sun, right behind Arizona. Despite its latitude being so far south, its high altitude means there are four seasons a year. There are mountain peaks with year-round snow pack in each quadrant of the state, but the largest percentage of it lands in the plains.

25% of the landscape is forest, and the terrain ranges from mountains and high altitude basins to plains and valleys. In fact, the land varies so much that there are six out of the seven life zones found in New Mexico, geographic areas that are classified by altitude, vegetation, and animal population. For amazing New Mexico ranches for sale, browse our listings here!

Interesting Facts 

For newcomers looking to buy land for sale in New Mexico, the state offers a treasure trove of interesting facts. Smokey the Bear is based on an actual bear cub that was found in the Capitan Mountains of New Mexico. In 1950, a forest fire swept through, and when it was over firefighters found the cub in a tree, badly burned. A rancher among the crew took him home and nursed him back to health. Soon he became the poster bear for preventing forest fires.

There are 23 Native American nations in the state, each with its own government and culture. These many diverse cultures, along with the descendants of Spanish settlers from centuries ago, make a cultural landscape all its own. An image if this is the New Mexico flag, which is emblazoned with a symbol from the Zia Tribe. The red and yellow of the flag represent Old Spain, while the Zia symbol represents the sun and perfection. Together, the flag evokes the unique cultural combination that is uniquely New Mexico.

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