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Colorado
Colorado is a state in the western United States. The name of Colorado came from the Spanish word [Us-co.png] [Coloradostateseal.jpg] "colorado" which means "reddish". It (In Detail) (Full size) is famous for the Rocky Mountains, State nickname: The Centennial State where the highest peaks of the range exist. The state capital and largest [Map of USA highlighting Colorado.png] city is Denver. As of the 2000 census, Colorado's population is Other U.S. States 4,301,261. The U.S. Post Office abbreviation for the state is CO. Capital Denver Largest City Denver USS Colorado was named in honor of Ranked 8th this state. Area 269,837 km2 Ê- Total 268,879 km2 Ê- Land 962 km2 Ê- Water 0.36% Ê- % water Population Ranked 24th Ê- Total (2000) 4,301,261 Ê- Density 16/km2 Admittance into Union Ê- Order 38th Ê- Date August 1, 1876 Time zone Mountain: UTC-7/-6 Latitude 37¡N to 41¡N History Longitude 102¡W to 109¡W Width 451 km The Colorado Gold Rush of 1859 Length 612 km brought large numbers of settlers to Elevation Ê the Denver area. Gold in paying Ê-Highest 4399 meters quantities was soon discovered in Ê-Mean 2,073 meters the Central City area. By 1860 the Ê-Lowest 1021 meters population of Central City was 60,000. Like all resource ISO 3166-2: US-CO extraction, mining is a boom or bust situation and over the years many small towns were established then abandoned when the paying ore ran out or the market collapsed. Some like Aspen, Telluride, and Cripple Creek have found new life as ski resorts, cultural centers, or gambling towns; others never recovered and became ghost towns. * History prior to joining the United States * Colorado was organized as a United States territory on February 28, 1861. * when first came under U.S. control (if it was a territory prior to being a state) * Attained statehood: 1876 * Major historical events Law and Government Like the majority of the states, Colorado's current constitution provides for 3 branches of government: the legislative, executive and judicial branches. The legislative body is the General Assembly made up of two houses, the House of Representatives and the Senate. The House of Representatives has 65 members and the Senate has 35. The governor, currently Bill Owens (Republican), heads the executive branch.See: List of Colorado Governors Geography East of the front range of the Rocky Mountains are the Great Plains, within Colorado at elevations ranging from 3500 to 7000 feet. Kansas, Nebraska and Oklahoma border Colorado to the east. The plains are sparsely settled with most settlements along the South Platte and the Arkansas rivers and the I-70 corridor. Rainfall is meager, averaging about 15 inches per year. There is some irrigated farming, but much of the land is used for dryland farming or ranching. Winter wheat is a typical crop and most small towns in the region boast both a water tower and a grain elevator. The major cities and towns lie just east of the front range, in the I-25 corridor. The majority of the population of Colorado lives in this densely urbanized strip. To the west lies the front range of the Rocky Mountains with notable peaks such as Long's Peak, Mount Evans, Pike's Peak, and the Spanish Peaks near Walsenburg in the south. This area drains to the east, is forested, and is partially urbanized. With urbanization, utilization of the forest for timbering and grazing was retarded which resulted in accumulation of fuel. During the drought of 2002 devastating forest fires swept this area. To the west of the front range lies the Continental divide. To the west of the continental divide is the Western Slope of Colorado. Water west of the continental divide drains into the Pacific Ocean via the Colorado River. Within the interior of the Rocky Mountains there are several large parks or broad high basins. In the north, on the east side of the Continental divide is North Park. North Park is drained by the North Platte River which flows north into Wyoming. Just south, but on the west side of the continental divide is Middle Park, drained by the Colorado River. South Park is the headwaters of the South Platte River. To the South lies the San Luis Valley the headwaters of the Rio Grande which drains into New Mexico. Across the Sangre de Christo Range to the east of the San Luis Valley lies the Wet Mountain Valley. These basins, particularly the San Luis Valley, lie along the Rio Grande Rift, a major geological formation, and its branches. See Great Rift Valley. The Rocky Mountains within Colorado contain 52 14,000 foot peaks. The mountains are timbered with conifer and aspen to an elevation of about 12,000 feet in southern Colorado to about 10,500 feet in northern Colorado which is Timberline, above which only alpine vegetation grows. The Rockies are snow-covered only in the winter; most snow melts by mid August with the exception of a few small glaciers. The Colorado Mineral Belt stretching from the San Juan Mountains in the southwest to Boulder and Central City on the front range contains the historic gold and silver mining districts of Colorado. The Western Slope is generally drained by the Colorado River and its tributaries. Notable to the South are the San Juan Mountains an extremely rugged mountain range and to the west of the San Juans, The Colorado Plateau a high desert bordering Southern Utah. Grand Junction is the largest city on the Western Slope. Grand Junction is served by Interstate Hiway I-70. To the southeast of Grand Junction is Grand Mesa, a large flat-topped mountain. Further east lie the ski resorts of Aspen, Vail, Crested Butte, and Steamboat Springs. The northwestern corner of Colorado bordering Northern Utah and Western Wyoming is mostly sparsely populated rangeland. From west to east, the state consists of desert-like basins, turning into plateaus, then alpine mountains, and then grasslands. Mount Elbert is the largest peak in the Rocky Mountains within the continental United States. The famous Pike's Peak is just west of Colorado Springs. Its lone peak is visible from near the Kansas border on clear days. Colorado Tourism and Recreation National Parks * Black Canyon Of The Gunnison National Park * Mesa Verde National Park * Rocky Mountain National Park Monuments and Historical Sites * Colorado National Monument * Dinosaur National Monument * Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument * Great Sand Dunes National Monument Economy The state's economy broadened when irrigated agriculture developed, and by the late 19th century livestock raising had become important. Early industry was based on the processing of minerals and agricultural products. Current agricultural products are cattle, wheat, dairy products, corn and hay. In the second half of the 20th century the industrial and service sectors have expanded greatly. The state's economy is diversified and is notable for its concentration of scientific research and high-technology industries. Other industries include food processing, transportation equipment, machinery, chemical products, minerals such as gold and tourism. Denver is an important financial center. The total state product in 1999 was $153 billion putting Colorado the 21st. Per capital personal income in 2000 was $32,949. Demographics * racial/ethnic makeup of state * religious makeup of state Important Cities and Towns The major cities of Colorado include: * Arvada * Greeley * Aspen -- renowned ski resort * Lakewood * Aurora * Leadville * Boulder * Littleton * Broomfield * Longmont * Castle Rock * Loveland * Colorado Springs * Pueblo * Denver * Thornton * Durango * Trinidad * Englewood * Walsenburg * Fort Collins * Westminster Education Colleges and Universities * Adams State College * Naropa Institute * Colorado Christian * National Technological University University * Nazarene Bible College * Colorado College * Regis University * Colorado School of Mines * Rocky Mountain College of Art and * Colorado State University Design * Colorado Technical * United States Air Force Academy University * University of Colorado System * Fort Lewis College o University of Colorado at * Jones International Boulder University o University of Colorado at * Mesa State College Colorado Springs * Metropolitan State College o University of Colorado at of Denver Denver o University of Colorado Health Sciences Center * University of Denver * University of Northern Colorado * University of Southern Colorado * Western State College Professional Sports Teams * Denver Broncos, National * Colorado Avalanche, National Football League Hockey League * Denver Nuggets, National * Colorado Rapids, Major League Basketball Association Soccer * Colorado Rockies, Major League * Colorado Springs Sky Sox, minor Baseball league baseball Major Highways * Interstate 25 * United States Highway 36 * Interstate 70 * United States Highway 50 * Interstate 76 * United States Highway 85 * United States Highway 6 * United States Highway 87
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