Colorado State Geography

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Key Facts

Population (1994): 3,656,000 (26th in size)

State size: 104,091 square miles (8th in size)

State Capital: Denver (named after James William Denver, the 1858 governor of the Kansas Territory, which included Colorado).

Major cities: Denver, Pueblo, Colorado Springs, Aurora and Lakewood.

Admission to union: The 38th State

Date entered the union: August 1, 1876

Origin of state name: Named from the Spanish word Colorado meaning "Red", because the Spanish explorers thought the Colorado River looked red.

Nicknames: The Centennial State, since Colorado became a state in 1876, the centennial year.

Bordering states: Wyoming, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico and Utah.

State bird: Lark Bunting

State flower: Rocky Mountain Columbine

State tree: Colorado Blue Mountain Spruce

Motto: Nothing Without Providence

Geographic Landmarks

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Colorado is a diverse area covered by mountains, plateaus, canyons and plains.

The western half of Colorado is very mountainous with many valleys, canyons and high plateaus. These mountains give Colorado the highest average elevation of any state.

The Continental Divide cuts through west central Colorado from north to south. The Continental Divide splits the mountains into western and eastern slopes. Rivers and water west of the divide flow west toward the Pacific Ocean. Rivers and water to the east of the divide flow east towards the Atlantic Ocean.

Eastern Colorado is more flat, with high plains and rolling hills connecting to the foothills of the Rocky Mountains.

Points of Interest

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Colorado has a large number of state and national parks such as the Rocky Mountain National Park, Dinosaur Ridge and Mesa Verde National Park. These provide very dramatic scenery and plenty of wildlife.

Colorado's mountains are also a major tourist attraction for

Major Industries

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Historically, natural resources including mining of gold, silver, uranium and other metals have been the major contributor to the Colorado economy. The economy has now become much more dependent on manufacturing and other industries. Manufacturing includes a variety of high technology equipment, machinery, and chemicals.

Farming includes corn, sugarbeets and other vegetables, fruits, as well as cattle, hogs and sheep.