Phoenix ( , O'odham Skikik, Western Apache Fiinigis, Navajo Hoozdo, Mojave Hachpa 'Anya Nyava ) is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona and the county seat of Maricopa County, as well as being the largest state capital in the United States by population. It is the largest city in the American Southwest and the Mountain Time Zone, and is the region's primary political, cultural, economic, and transportation center. Phoenix is located along the banks of the now normally dry Salt River, and was incorporated as a city on February 25 1881. Residents of Phoenix are known as Phoenicians.
The city's estimated population as of 2006 was 1,512,986, making it the fifth largest city in the United States. At 515 square miles, its city proper is the 10th largest land area for a city in the United States, resulting in a lower population density. As of 2006, the Phoenix Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) was the 13th largest in the United States, with an estimated population of 4,039,182.
