In the far southwestern corner of Arizona lies the city of Yuma. While already occupied by ancestors of the present-day Quechan and Cocopah tribes, Spanish explorers discovered in the 1500s that the area made for a natural crossing of the Colorado River. The river crossing helped sustain the area until the military’s realization that Yuma was also a perfect environment for pilot training.
While that remains true today, Yuma’s climate helps the area’s agriculture industry which generates close to $3 billion per year. Tourism plays a major role in Yuma’s economy, with estimated annual gross revenue of around $400 million.
– The Arizona 100 reports