Arizona Faces and Features In the past, Arizona’s economy was based mostly on “the five Cs”— copper, cattle, cotton, citrus, and climate. Here is the story of the historic 5 Cs of Arizona. The 5 Cs of Arizona For generations, Arizona school children learned the 5 Cs of Arizona as they studied the history and development of their state. These 5 Cs were the economic industries upon which the state of Arizona grew. So, what were these 5 Cs around which early Arizona developed? The 5 Cs of Arizona were Copper, Cotton, Cattle, Citrus, and Climate. Open pit copper mine of the Asarco mining company, located just south of Tucson, Arizona. 1 Copper Arizona was born of copper. As long as copper is one of the best conductors of electricity, Arizona’s copper will play a vital role in our electric world. 2 Cotton is still grown throughout central and southern Arizona. Arizona’s Pima cotton is still known around the world for its long staple and fine quality. 3 Cattle are still roaming the Arizona Pima cotton ready to be picked from a cotton field of southern Arizona. range, but are becoming less common than they were at the turn of the 20th century. Yet, the romantic Old West is still what most people recall when they think about the place named Arizona. 156  Chapter 15 • People at Work Today