Phoenix, the capital of Arizona, United States, is Arizona's main commercial, manufacturing, and financial centre and a distribution point for the agricultural products of the irrigated Salt River valley. The major products of the metropolitan area are aerospace and electronic equipment, processed food, metal products, cosmetics, sporting goods, paper items, and clothing. Government operations, tourism, research and development concerns, and construction are also very important to the city's economy. Phoenix is served by major interstate highways, railways, and Sky Harbor International Airport. Its fine climate, beautiful parks, and diversified industries made Phoenix one of the fastest-growing cities in the United States since the end of World War II.

Phoenix is the site of the University of Phoenix (1976), Grand Canyon University (1949), and the Devry Institute of Technology (1967). Among the city's museums are the Heard Museum; the Pueblo Grande Museum, which contains artefacts of the Hohokam civilization; and the Arizona State Capitol Museum, which contains Native American relics and modern handicrafts. Other points of interest include the Desert Botanical Garden; and America West Arena, home of the Phoenix Suns basketball team. The Phoenix Cardinals, the city's American football team, play their home games in nearby Tempe. Annual events include the Arizona State Fair.

The Hohokam civilization of desert farmers flourished in the area that is now Phoenix from the 8th to the 14th centuries. Settled by whites in the late 1860s, the community grew around the network of irrigation canals that had been built here by the Hohokam some 500 years earlier. The railway arrived in 1887, and in 1870 the settlement was given its present name. In 1889 it was made the capital of Arizona. The completion of Theodore Roosevelt Dam on the Salt River in 1911 assured the city of an adequate water supply and provided power necessary for the development of industries. The tremendous growth of the city began in the 1940s and brought with it urban problems, including air pollution. The desert climate of Phoenix has encouraged the development of planned communities for senior citizens. Population (1980) 789,704; (1990) 983,403.

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