Honestly, when I first came to Phoenix, the most confusing thing was not knowing where it started and where it ended.

When driving, you can't see the boundaries between Scottsdale, Phoenix, and Tempe at all. It just flows together.

The city of Phoenix itself is divided into 8 city council districts. It covers an area of about 516 square miles, which is quite large.

That's about 85 percent of the area of Seoul. However, with a population of 1.6 million, which is one-sixth of Seoul's population (about 9.5 million), the density is extremely low.

Surrounding Phoenix are metro cities like Scottsdale, Tempe, Chandler, Gilbert, Mesa, Glendale, Peoria, and Surprise, all of which are separate independent cities.

Together, they are referred to as the Phoenix Metropolitan Area, or the Valley of the Sun.

Maricopa County oversees this entire area as the county administrative region. Phoenix is also the state capital.

However, what's practically important for immigrants is that the school district, taxes, and services vary depending on which city you have an address in.

You must check this when deciding where to live in the Phoenix metro area. Like the weather in Phoenix, this can feel overwhelming at first, but you'll get used to it.