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New Mexico Quiz: 12 Questions on the Land of Enchantment
New Mexico mixes Native American, Hispanic and frontier history with some of the strangest landscapes in the United States. This New Mexico quiz asks 12 questions on its cities, parks and history.
Fort Union National Monument, a former outpost on the Santa Fe Trail, recently featured on the Bing homepage, so the trail gets its own questions.
Play the New Mexico Quiz
Pick A, B or C for each question. The right answer turns green and a short fact explains it.
New Mexico Quiz Questions and Answers
Every question with its answer and explanation. Open “Show answer” after you guess.
1 What is the capital of New Mexico?
- A Santa Fe
- B Las Cruces
- C Albuquerque
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✓ Answer: A. Santa Fe
Did you know? Santa Fe, founded around 1610, is the oldest state capital city in the U.S.
2 Fort Union was a major outpost on which historic trail?
- A Oregon Trail
- B Santa Fe Trail
- C Chisholm Trail
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✓ Answer: B. Santa Fe Trail
Did you know? The Santa Fe Trail linked Missouri with Santa Fe from 1821 until the railroad arrived.
3 What is New Mexico's official nickname?
- A The Centennial State
- B The Sunshine State
- C Land of Enchantment
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✓ Answer: C. Land of Enchantment
Did you know? It appears on New Mexico license plates.
4 White Sands National Park is the world's largest dunefield made of which mineral?
- A Salt
- B Gypsum
- C Quartz
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✓ Answer: B. Gypsum
Did you know? Gypsum sand stays cool to the touch because it reflects sunlight.
5 Which famous cave system is in southeastern New Mexico?
- A Carlsbad Caverns
- B Wind Cave
- C Mammoth Cave
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✓ Answer: A. Carlsbad Caverns
Did you know? Its Big Room is one of the largest cave chambers in North America.
6 Which town became famous for a reported UFO crash in 1947?
- A Roswell
- B Taos
- C Gallup
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✓ Answer: A. Roswell
Did you know? The U.S. military later said the debris came from a high-altitude balloon program.
7 Where was the first atomic bomb tested in July 1945?
- A The Trinity site
- B Nevada Test Site
- C Los Alamos lab
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✓ Answer: A. The Trinity site
Did you know? The Trinity test took place on July 16, 1945, in the Jornada del Muerto desert.
8 In what year did New Mexico become a U.S. state?
- A 1959
- B 1848
- C 1912
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✓ Answer: C. 1912
Did you know? New Mexico became the 47th state on January 6, 1912.
9 Which city hosts a famous International Balloon Fiesta every October?
- A Santa Fe
- B Albuquerque
- C Farmington
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✓ Answer: B. Albuquerque
Did you know? Hundreds of hot-air balloons launch together during the fiesta's mass ascensions.
10 Which crop is New Mexico's official state vegetable, alongside pinto beans?
- A Corn
- B Squash
- C Chile peppers
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✓ Answer: C. Chile peppers
Did you know? The question 'Red or green?' is New Mexico's official state question, about chile.
11 Which inhabited Native American village near Taos is a UNESCO World Heritage Site?
- A Mesa Verde
- B Chaco Canyon
- C Taos Pueblo
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✓ Answer: C. Taos Pueblo
Did you know? Parts of Taos Pueblo's multi-story adobe buildings are believed to be over 1,000 years old.
12 Which Latin American country celebrates independence on September 15, the date of this Bing quiz?
- A Argentina
- B Costa Rica
- C Mexico
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✓ Answer: B. Costa Rica
Did you know? Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador and Nicaragua all mark independence on September 15, 1821.
About New Mexico
New Mexico is in the southwestern United States. Its capital, Santa Fe, was founded by the Spanish around 1610, making it the oldest state capital city in the U.S. Pueblo peoples lived in the region for centuries before, and Taos Pueblo is still inhabited today and listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The state is known for White Sands National Park, the largest gypsum dunefield in the world, and for Carlsbad Caverns. It is also where the first atomic bomb was tested, at the Trinity site in July 1945, and where the 1947 “Roswell incident” created a lasting UFO legend.
Fort Union and the Santa Fe Trail
The Santa Fe Trail was a 19th-century trade route between Missouri and Santa Fe. Fort Union, established in northeastern New Mexico in 1851, protected travelers and supplied other forts in the region; its adobe ruins are now a national monument. It was the focus of the September 15, 2026 Bing Homepage Quiz.
New Mexico Quiz FAQ
What is the capital of New Mexico?
Santa Fe, founded around 1610. It is the oldest state capital city in the United States.
Why is New Mexico called the Land of Enchantment?
The nickname, used on license plates since the 1940s, reflects the state's landscapes, light and mix of cultures.
What was Fort Union?
A U.S. Army fort on the Santa Fe Trail in northeastern New Mexico, active from 1851 to 1891. Its ruins are now Fort Union National Monument.