After more skirmishes over one problem or another in the years following the Civil War, New Mexico was admitted to the Union on January 6, 1912. The first atomic bomb was tested in New Mexico in 1945 near Alamorgordo. The research continues today at both Alamogordo and at the Los Alamos National Laboratories in Los Alamos. New Mexico has been blessed with many varieties of mineral resources. There is much oil and natural gas as well as coal, copper, uranium, and more.
Agriculture is an important part of the economy.
Most of this takes place in the eastern and southern sections of the state. A large portion of the economy is based on government trade and services. The government is the leading employer in the state. Many large federal installations are found throughout the state. Tourism has become an important part of the economy also.