4 COLORADO INTRODUCTION The Rocky Mountain state of Colorado has the highest average elevation in the nation In fact the entire state is 3,300 feet or more above sea level World-famous ski slopes bring skiers by the millions to the state Thousands of years ago it was the grazing bison often called buffalo surrounded by grassy plains that drew the first inhabitants to the area The first signs of human existence in Colorado date back more than 10,000 years Prehistoric spearheads have been discovered near piles of bison bones This finding suggests that early inhabitants were migratory hunters They would have followed their source of food from place to The American bison is commonly known as the buffalo place without making permanent homes Houses and other evidence of people who lived approximately 2,000 years ago indicate that farming was an important way of life for them Today farming remains an important industry in the state The Colorado River was named for the red silt that colored the water Colorado means red in Spanish With an area of 104,100 square miles Colorado is the eighth largest state The Colorado state flag has two horizontal blue stripes that represent the sky and a white stripe in the middle that stands for snow A large red C stands for Colorado A gold ball in the middle of the C represents sunshine
INTRODUCTION 5 On a map it is apparent that Colorado is almost a perfect rectangle But the state’s rugged landscape is hardly made of straight lines Two thirds of Colorado is dominated by jagged mountains and plateaus The rest of the state contains rolling foothills and sweeping plains Located in the west-central region of the United States Colorado is bordered by Nebraska and Wyoming to the north Kansas to the east Oklahoma and New Mexico to the south and Utah to the west Although by size it is the eighth largest state Colorado’s population ranks only 24th in the nation With so many mountains and protected parklands much of the state remains unoccupied The Royal Gorge Bridge took seven months to construct Four Corners Monument in southwestern Colorado allows you to stand in four states at one time Utah Arizona New Mexico and Colorado all meet at one point The Royal Gorge Bridge is the highest suspension bridge in the world The quarter-mile-long bridge was built over a 1,053-foot canyon in 1929 Black Canyon in Gunnison National Park is known for its sheer cliff walls that rise up from the river It reaches a depth of 2,722 feet Picking wildflowers on public land is against the law in Colorado 0 0 Colorado Location Map Capital Denver Interstate highways 40 80 64 129 Mi Km Scale Population 4,301,261 Size 104,100 square miles Highest peak Mount Elbert 14,433 feet
The state’s central location in the nation makes it a popular place for large companies to base their headquarters Many people across the United States go to Denver for business The U S Army and Air Force have large presences in the area and many military personnel train and work in the state Human traffic into the state has made Denver International Airport among the busiest in the world The huge numbers of visitors also create a large demand for hotels and restaurants The service industry is the biggest employer of Coloradans Denver is often referred to as the Mile-High City because it is a mile above sea level 6 COLORADO Colorado’s State Capitol resembles the U S Capitol in Washington D C In 1894 one of the largest silver nuggets found in the United States was discovered in Aspen Colorado’s major rivers are the Rio Grande the Platte the Arkansas and the Colorado Water from Colorado rivers is used in other states for crops and for drinking
INTRODUCTION 7 Colorado is more than just a business center For many it is a retreat from the busyness of everyday life Tourists visit Colorado to relax and enjoy the beauty of nature Skiing rock climbing and camping are just a few of the activities that delight visitors and residents away from the bustle of city life Whether people go for business or pleasure Colorado remains a land of promise to many much as it was during the days of the gold rush Go West young man was the advice of a famous newspaper reporter back in the mid-1800s Today businesspeople and tourists alike are still following that advice Because the state has so many mountains rock climbing is a popular sport in Colorado More than 50 mountain peaks in Colorado are over 14,000 feet high Climbers call these peaks 14ers Mount Elbert is Colorado’s highest peak at 14,433 feet The state bird is the lark bunting The Southern Rockies which are located in Colorado are generally higher in elevation than the Middle or Northern Rocky Mountains
