How does New Mexico's (Albuquerque and Santa Fe) media (newspapers) Essay

How does New Mexico's (Albuquerque and Santa Fe) media (newspapers) portray issues of drought and water allocation in the state o Geography of Albuquerque and Santa Fe - Essay Example The Albuquerque MSA population includes the city of Rio Rancho, one of the fastest growing cities in the United States, a hub for many master-planned communities which are expected to draw future businesses and residents to the area. According to the United States Census Bureau, Albuquerque has a total area of 181.3 square miles (469.6km). 180.6 square miles (467.8km) of it is land and 0.6 square miles (1.6km) of it (0.35%) is water. The metro area has over 1,000 square miles developed. Albuquerque lies within the northern, upper edges of the Chihuahuan Desert ecoregion, based on long-term patterns of climate, associations of plants and wildlife, and landforms, including drainage patterns. Located in central New Mexico, the city also has noticeable influences from the adjacent Colorado Plateau Semi-Desert, Arizona-New Mexico Mountains, and Southwest Plateaus and Plains Steppe ecoregions, depending on where one is located. Its main geographic connection lies with southern New Mexico, while culturally, Albuquerque is a crossroads of most of New Mexico."(Albuquerque, 2007) Wikipedia goes on to further detail the geography of the region as follows: "Albuquerque has one of the highest elevations of any major city in the United States, though the effects of this are greatly tempered by its southwesterly continental position. The elevation of the city ranges from 4,900 feet (1,490m) above sea level near the Rio Grande (in the Valley) to over 6,400 feet (1,950m) in the foothill areas of the Northeast Heights. At the airport, the elevation is 5,352 feet (1,631m) above sea level. The Rio Grande is classified, like the Nile, as an 'exotic' river because it flows through a desert. The New Mexico portion of the Rio Grande lies within the Rio Grande Rift Valley, bordered by a system of faults, including those that lifted up the adjacent Sandia and Manzano Mountains, while lowering the area where the life-sustaining Rio Grande now flows".( Albuquerque,2007) Santa Fe is located within the same region .Santa Fe is situated in the northern part of the Rio Grande Valley which essentially falls at the southern edge of the Rocky Mountains. It enjoys an area of 37.33 square miles and is situated at an elevation of 7,000 feet above sea level. The city is located in the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo mountain range, and has a dense pine forest on the outskirts which can be reckoned as near to the city. Mountain terrains enforce a kind of semi arid continental climate in Santa Fe and due to this climate the city has moderate summers and winters. In general the humidity is experienced at low levels and the bright sun shine is present almost 300 days per year. However Santa Fe receives very good snowfall and the annual average is clocked at 32 inches with deeper snows remaining fast at higher altitudes during the winter. General Climate of Albuquerque and Santa Fe Albuquerque and Santa Fe represent arid to semi arid kind of climate .Wikipedia describes the climate of Albuquerque as follows: "Albuquerque's climate is usually sunny and dry, with low relative humidity. Brilliant sunshine defines the region, averaging more than 300 days a year; periods of variably mid and