Colorado – Centennial State

Facts over Colorado

State: Colorado
Abbreviation: CO
Capital: Denver
State Since: August 1, 1876
Area Codes: 303, 719, 720, 970
Bird: Lark Bunting
Flower: Rocky Mountain Columbine
Largest City: Denver
Motto: Nil sine Nimine-Nothing without Providence
Nicknames: Centennial State, Colorful Colorado
Population: 4,301,261
Song: Where the Columbines Grow
Tree: Blue Spruce
Time Zone: -7

Adjacent States:

  • Wyoming
  • Nebraska
  • Kansas
  • Oklahoma
  • New Mexico
  • Arizona
  • Utah

Colorado Travel Information

Colorado is one of the states of the United States. The capital is Denver. Colorado is the Spanish word for “colored”. Colorado’s nickname is The Centennial State. The standard abbreviation for the state is CO.

History

Before the arrival of the Europeans, Colorado was inhabited by Native American tribes such as the Ute, Cheyenne and Comanche. Part of the state came into American hands through the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, while the rest became part of the US after the Mexican-American War in 1848. The state’s more recent history has been heavily influenced by the Colorado Gold Rush of 1859, which led to a major population increase. Many of the settlements built then turned into ghost towns when gold ran out or the market collapsed, but some survived as gambling or ski resorts. An example of the latter is chic Aspen.

Colorado Territory

In 1861 the Colorado Territory was formed but the pursuit of statehood was delayed by a wavering Congress. Colorado became the 38th state of the United States on August 1, 1876. In 1864 there was an armed conflict between the Indians on the one hand and the United States on the other, the Colorado War, which resulted in the removal of all Indians from Colorado and their transfer to Oklahoma.

Geography

Colorado borders the states of Wyoming, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah. The borders with the last three meet at the “four-state point” Four Corners. Colorado is in the Mountain time zone. Colorado has an area of ​​269,837 km² and is exactly rectangular, something that only applies to Wyoming. However, due to the curvature of the earth, the southern border is still a mile or so longer than the northern border. On average, the state is 2073 m above sea level. The highest point is the top of Mount Elbert (4399 m). Denver is located exactly 1 mile above sea level and is therefore called the Mile High City.

Great Plains

The eastern portion of Colorado belongs to the Great Plains, while the west is dominated by the Rocky Mountains. Major rivers such as the Colorado and the Rio Grande originate here. The majority of residents live along the eastern edge of the Rockies, in a narrow strip called the Front Range, through which the north-south highway I-25 runs. The other major artery is I-70, which crosses the state from east to west and cuts through the watershed of the Rockies through the Eisenhower tunnel.

Climate

Colorado is a dry state. There are about 300 days of sunshine a year and most precipitation falls as snow. Rain is relatively rare, with the exception of a single sudden thunderstorm (with or without large hailstones). The fairly flat eastern part is the driest and is largely treeless. In the mountains a lot of snow falls in winter, mainly in the form of loose, dry powder. Therefore it is an excellent ski area but much of that water drains to the west side of the watershed. The Front Range is starting to run into problems with its water supply.

National park in Colorado

The US state of Colorado has a number of parks that are managed by the National Park Service.

  • Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
  • Great Sand Dunes National Park
  • Mesa Verde National Park
  • Rocky Mountain National Park

In addition, there are a large number of other areas such as historical monuments and wilderness areas that have protected status.

Demography and economy

Colorado had 4,301,261 inhabitants (16 per km²) in 2000, of which more than 80% were white. The main religion is Christianity, which is adhered to by three quarters of the population.

Towns

The capital of Colorado and also the largest city is Denver with a population of 554,636. Other major cities are:

  • Colorado Springs – 360.890 inwoners
  • Aurora – 276,393 inhabitants
  • Lakewood (Colorado) – 144.126 inwoners
  • Fort Collins – 118.652 inwoners

See how many cities are in Colorado.

Economy and infrastructure

Although mining was the main economic pillar in the 19th century, agriculture has become very important today thanks to better irrigation methods, although this has led to salinization of the soil in the San Juan Valley, for example. Extensive livestock farming took place in the east. The government is a major employer in Colorado and many federal installations are located there, such as NORAD, the United States Geological Survey, the United States Air Force Academy, and NOAA. The National Parks Service is also prominently present. The state also does a relatively large amount of scientific research and development, and tourism is also an important source of income. The gross product of the state was $153 billion in 1999.

GREEN TABLE

Colorado

Facts over Mesa Verde

Name: Mesa Verde National Park
Location: Montezuma County
Nearest Town: Cortez
Opening: June 29, 1906
Admission: January – December $5.00 pp
May – September $8.00 pp
Hours of Operation: 8.00 am- 5.00 pm
Number of visitors: 498,333 per year

Travel information about Mesa Verde

Mesa Verde is a national park in southwestern Colorado in the United States of America. Mesa Verde covers an area of ​​211 km². The park entrance is about 15 kilometers east of the town of Cortez. The Visitor Center is 15 miles from the entrance and is 10 miles from Chapin Mesa, the most popular area of ​​Mesa Verde. The name Mesa Verde means “green table” in Spanish.

Mesa Verde has become known for its large number of well-preserved cliff dwellings; houses built in shallow caves in the walls of the ravine. From the 11th century to the 13th century, the Anasazi Indians, the probable predecessors of the Pueblo, lived here. It is still unclear why they suddenly left this area at the end of the 13th century. It may be that droughts failed crops or that the inhabitants were threatened by other tribes from the north. The Chapin Mesa Archaeological Museum provides information about Anasazi society. Archaeological finds and works of art can be viewed in the museum. Some of the cliff dwellings of Chapin Mesa and Wetherill Mesa are open to the public.

In addition to the cliff dwellings, Mesa Verda also has some ruins on top of the cliff. Some of these are also open to the public. There are also hiking trails, a camping site and other facilities in the park.

The ruins of Mesa Verda were first studied by Gustaf Nordenskiöld in 1891. The area was designated a national park in 1906. In 1978, Mesa Verde was placed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

In the summer of 2002, the park, which largely consists of forest, was hit by a large number of forest fires. It then had to be partially closed. Today, the entire national park is open again.

ROCKY MOUNTAIN

Colorado

Facts over Rocky Mountain

Name: Rocky Mountain National Park
Location: Colorado
Nearest Town: Estes Park, CO
Opening: January 26, 1915
Admission: $10.00 per person
Hours of Operation: 24 hours a day
Number of visitors: 3,187,889 per year

Travel information about Rocky Mountain NP

Rocky Mountain National Park is located in the north of the state of Colorado in the United States. Rocky Mountain National Park features majestic mountain vistas, varied climates and environments – from forests to mountain tundra – and easy-access hiking trails and camp sites. The park contains the sources of the Colorado River. The park is located northwest of Boulder ( Colorado ) in the Colorado Rockies. The park is surrounded by Roosevelt National Forest to the north and east, Routt National Forest to the northwest, and Arapaho National Forest to the southwest. The highest mountain is Longs Peak with a height of 4345 m.

Bezoek Rocky Mountain National Park

The park has five visitor centers. The headquarters, Beaver Meadows Visitor Center, is a National Historic Landmark designed by the Frank Lloyd Wrightdoor School of Architecture at Taliesin West. The park is crossed by three roads, US Highway 34 and 36, and Colorado State Highway 7. State Higway 7 runs less than a mile through the park, but provides access to the Lily Lake Visitor Center. Highway 36 enters the park from the east where it joins Highway 34 after a few miles. Also known as the Trail Ridge Road through the park, it goes from the town of Ested Park, Colorado, east to Grand Lake, Colorado, in the southwest. The road goes above 3700 meters and is closed in winter due to snowfall. The park is home to a wide variety of game. hawks, eagles.

COLORADO