Since the 15th century BC e. until about the 12th century. n. e. In the present territory of Colorado lived Indian tribes who called themselves “Anasazi”, representatives of an advanced agricultural civilization. Their possible descendants - the Ute and Cheyenne tribes - are familiar to us from American westerns.
In the 17th century The Spaniards came to the territory of the future Colorado, who gave the region its current name. Following them, the French arrive from the already developed colony of Louisiana. A long struggle for control over this territory begins.
At the beginning of the 19th century. The United States of America occupies Colorado, and in 1876 it becomes the thirty-eighth state.
During 1913, thanks to a Norwegian, a passion for skiing developed among local residents. This is how Colorado becomes one of the main centers of the “white madness” of alpine skiing. Even earlier, in the seventies of the 19th century, with the advent of the railway in the region, crowds of gold miners poured here. But the Colorado gold rush was short-lived.

At first glance, the state of Colorado is all rocks and mountains, but in fact it is replete with attractions.

Most of the state of Colorado is located in the mountain range, which marks the climatic boundary between the western states (California, Utah and Nevada), the central and eastern parts of the United States. The Sawatch is one of two mountain ranges that crosses the state from north to south and serves as the hydrographic boundary between the Pacific and Atlantic basins.
The highest peak in Colorado is Elbert (4398 m).
The eastern part of Colorado is a flat region. Here they engage in livestock farming and produce significant quantities of oil, gas, tin, molybdenum, zinc, coal and silver.
Colorado Springs is home to electronics and information technology companies.
Tourism plays a very big role in Colorado. Aspen, located 354 km southwest of Denver, is known to winter sports enthusiasts around the world. Influential and wealthy people looking for exciting experiences come here every year to enjoy the exciting slopes.
Near Colorado Springs is the Garden of the Gods - cliffs of red and white sandstone and other sedimentary rocks surrounded by evergreen cypress trees. It is an amazing landscape, especially during sunrise.
Colorado Springs is a must see. Here is a restored old ranch that looks like it came to us from Westerns. It is also worth taking a walk through the National Park, which is declared a UNESCO cultural heritage site. Here you can find traces of the first inhabitants of this state, related to the culture of the Anasazi tribes.

general information

Thirty-eighth state of the United States (since 1876).
Common borders with states: Wyoming, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah.

Capital: Denver 598,707 people, in the metropolitan area - 2,506,626 people. (2008).

English language.

Currency: US dollar.

Religion: Christianity.

The most significant cities: Colorado Springs, Lakewood, Boulder, Pueblo, Arvada.
Rivers: Colorado. Arkansas, South Platte, Rio Grande.

Mountains: Medicine Bow Range, Sawatch Range, San Juan.

Numbers

Area: 269,837 km2.

Population: 4,301,261 people (2000).
Population density: 15.9 people/km 2 .
Average altitude above sea level: 2100 m.
Highest point: Elbert (4398 m).

Economy

Minerals: metal ores, coal, natural gas, uranium.

Agriculture: growing potatoes, sugar beets, livestock.

Curious facts■ Colorado means “colored red” in Spanish. Apparently, the whole point is that the Colorado River flows between red rocks.
■ From 1858 to 1860, Denver, the capital city of Colorado, was called Auraria.
■ Near Colorado Springs is one of the most significant educational institutions in the United States - the United States Air Force Academy.
■ Around 1850, over 10,000 gold rushers flocked to Colorado Springs in search of fortune. Colorado

Colorado is the eighth largest state in the United States, with an area of ​​269,837 km². The state's population is 5,268,367 people (22nd in the United States). The capital and largest city is Denver. Other major cities are Arvada, Boulder, Westminster, Colorado Springs, Lakewood, Aurora, Pueblo, Centennial, Thornton, Fort Collins.

Colorado is the 38th state of the United States, it was formed on August 1, 1876, when the country celebrated its centennial. Because of this, Colorado's official nickname is the "Centennial State".

Story

At the beginning of the 16th century. The territory of the future state was explored by the Spaniards. Since 1706, the territory of Colorado has been declared a colony of Spain. The land got its name from the Colorado River, which in turn was named because of the red-brown silt contained in the water. The province then passed to France. The United States received eastern Colorado as a result of the Louisiana Purchase (). The central part of Colorado passed to the United States in 1848, and the western part - in 1848, as a result of the war with Mexico.

In the 1850s, gold was discovered near Denver, and crowds of settlers poured here. In 1862, the Civil War began. Many gold miners were Confederate sympathizers, but most gold miners were loyal to the Union. In 1862, the Confederate army under the command of Brigadier General Henry Hopkins Sibley left Fort Bliss in Texas and marched along the Rio Grande, invading the northern part of New Mexico Territory. The goal of the campaign was control of the Colorado Territory, particularly the gold fields, and California. The 1st Colorado Volunteers, under Colonel John Slough, marched from Denver via Raton Pass and entered the decisive battle of Glorieta Pass in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains of the Rocky Mountains on March 26.

In 2014, Colorado became the first American state to legalize marijuana.

Coat of arms and flag

Relief

To the east, the Rocky Mountains merge into the Great Plains, a plateau with predominantly steppe vegetation. In the west of the state is the Colorado Plateau, a semi-desert area with canyons, outcrops and other characteristic landforms.

Mountains

Climate

Population

Also in the state live many African Americans, people of Chinese, Korean and other nationalities. They mostly live in the east of Denver, in the Aurora area. Many of them are descendants of settlers who arrived in Colorado during the Gold Rush.

Religious composition

Christianity is the most popular religion in the state - it is professed by 65% ​​of the population. Protestantism is the most popular branch of Christianity - it is professed by 44% of Colorado residents. Catholicism is practiced by about 19% of the state's population.

Religious composition of the population of Colorado.

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Colorado(English: Colorado or) - a state in the west of the central part, one of the so-called Mountain states. Colorado is bordered by the states (north), (northeast), (east), (southeast), (south), (southwest), (west).

Colorado is the eighth largest state in the United States, with an area of ​​269,837 km². The state's population is 5,268,367 people (22nd in the United States). The capital and largest city is . Other major cities are Arvada, Boulder, Westminster, Lakewood, Aurora, Pueblo, Centennial, Thornton, Fort Collins.

Colorado is the 38th state of the United States, it was formed on August 1, 1876, when the country celebrated its centennial. Because of this, Colorado's official nickname is the "Centennial State".

Story

The territory of the future Colorado in 1860 was part of the territories of Nebraska, Utah, New Mexico and Kansas.

At the beginning of the 16th century. The territory of the future state was explored by the Spaniards. Since 1706, the territory of Colorado was declared a colony of Spain. The land got its name from the Colorado River, which in turn was named because of the red-brown silt contained in the water. The province then moved to . received eastern Colorado as a result of the Louisiana Purchase (1803). The central part of Colorado passed to the United States in 1845, and the western part - in 1848, as a result of the war with.

In the 1850s, gold was discovered near Denver, and crowds of settlers poured here. In 1862, the Civil War began. Many gold miners were Confederate sympathizers, but most gold miners were loyal to the Union. In 1862, the Confederate army under the command of Brigadier General Henry Hopkins Sibley left Fort Bliss and marched along the northern New Mexico Territory. The goal of the campaign was control of the Colorado Territory, particularly the gold mines, and California. The 1st Colorado Volunteers, under the command of Colonel John Slough, marched from Raton Pass and entered the decisive battle of Glorieta Pass in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains of the Rocky Mountains on March 26.

On March 3, 1875, the U.S. Congress passed a law defining the requirements for the Colorado Territory to become a state. Finally, on August 1, 1876, 28 days after the centennial celebration of Independence Day, the President of the United States signed an executive order admitting the 38th US state to the Union.

According to the 1930 census, the state's population exceeded one million people. Colorado was hit hard by the Great Depression, but its fortunes were restored after World War II. The most important sectors of the state's economy are mining, agriculture and tourism.

In 2014, Colorado became the first state in America to legalize marijuana.

Coat of arms and flag

According to the law of 1911, the official flag of the state is a rectangular panel. The red letter “C” stands for “Colorado” (the state is named after the river of the same name), which means “red” in Spanish (the meaning of “colored”, “dyed”, which is often given in publications, is less common). The gold ball inside the "C" indicates the presence of gold mines in the state. The blue and white stripes on the flag symbolize the blue skies and white snows of the Colorado Rockies. On the state's coat of arms, which was officially adopted in 1877, the triangular figure symbolizes the all-seeing eye of God. The coat of arms features the state's mountains, land, and a pickaxe, which symbolize Colorado's mining industry, the backbone of the state's economy.

Geography

Great Continental Divide

Colorado is one of three states (along with and), all of whose boundaries are parallels and meridians, and, like Wyoming, it forms simply a “rectangle” (more precisely, a sector of the earth’s surface) between a pair of latitudes and a pair of longitudes. The area occupied by Colorado is 269,837 km². 37% of Colorado is national parks.

Relief

Colorado's topography is varied. In the central part, the state's territory is crossed from north to south by the ridges of the Rocky Mountains (the highest point is Mount Elbert, 4399 m). They form the so-called Great Continental Divide: the rivers flowing to the west of these mountains belong to the Pacific Ocean basin, and those rivers that are located to the east belong to the Atlantic Ocean basin. The mountain slopes are mostly covered with coniferous forest - only a few peaks are covered with snow all year round. Most of the state's population lives near the eastern slopes of the mountains, as this place is protected from the stormy winds of the Pacific Ocean. Colorado contains 55 of the 104 US mountain peaks with an absolute height of more than 4,000 meters and a relative height of more than 500 meters.

To the east, the Rocky Mountains merge into the Great Plains, a plateau with predominantly steppe vegetation. In the west of the state is the Colorado Plateau, a semi-desert area with canyons and other characteristic landforms.

Climate

The climate picture of Colorado is heterogeneous: the southern part of the state is not always warmer than the northern part, the climate is strongly influenced by the Rocky Mountains: with increasing altitude, the temperature decreases and humidity increases. According to climatic conditions, the state is divided into two parts: the eastern plains and the western foothills.

Arkansas River in Colorado

In the east, the climate is temperate continental: low humidity, moderate precipitation (380-630 mm per year). One of the highest average daily temperatures in . In summer, temperatures rise to 35 °C (on average), and in winter they can drop to −18 °C.

Western Colorado's climate is more uniform. There are arid areas and a mountainous climate at higher elevations. The hottest month is July (21 °C). Winters here are very wet, which is the opposite of the eastern part of the state.

Hydrography

The Colorado River is one of the largest in the state. Here in the north is its source. It flows in western Colorado. In the south of the state is the source of another large river - the Rio Grande. It originates in the Rocky Mountains and descends to the south. You can also highlight the Arkansas River, the source of which is also in Colorado. It flows east across the Great Plains and then into the Mississippi River. Another major river in the state is the South Platte.
The largest lake in the state by area and depth is Grand Lake, followed by Lake San Cristobal.

Population

As of July 2013, 5,268,367 people live in Colorado. Population growth is high due to high birth rates and a large number of immigrants. The greatest population growth is expected in the eastern foothills of the Rocky Mountains, especially in Denver.

The state's most populous city and its capital is . Its Denver-Aurora-Boulder metropolitan area is home to 2,927,900 people, approximately two-thirds of the state's total population.

Colorado has a large Hispanic population. They live primarily in Denver and the south of the state and are descendants of the first settlers of these lands. The 2000 Census found that 10.5% of the state's residents spoke Spanish.

Also in the state live many African Americans, people of Chinese, Korean and other nationalities. They mostly live in the east of Denver, in the Aurora area. Many of them are descendants of settlers who arrived in Colorado during the Gold Rush.

Religious composition

Catholic Church near Boulder

Christianity is the most popular religion in the state - it is professed by 65% ​​of the population. Protestantism is the most popular branch of Christianity - it is professed by 44% of Colorado residents. Catholicism is practiced by about 19% of the state's population.

Religious composition of the population of Colorado:

• Christianity - 65%
  • Protestantism - 44%
  • Catholicism - 19%
  • Mormons - 2%
  • Orthodoxy - 1%
• Judaism - 2%
• Islam - 1%
• Other religions - 5%
• Atheism - 25%

On average 17% are atheists, in Colorado - 25%.

Economy

Corn plantation in Colorado

US National Bank in Denver

Colorado's GDP in 2007 was $236 billion. The per capita income was $41,192. According to this indicator, the state ranks 11th in the. Since the mid-19th century, the state's economy began to be based on mining and agriculture. In the second half of the 20th century, the role of the service sector increased.

Colorado has a developed food industry, mechanical engineering, chemical industry, and metallurgy. The state has deposits and mining of coal, oil, natural gas, vanadium, uranium, zinc, gold, silver and molybdenum. The state is one of the leaders in the US in beer production. The state's economy is highly technological and of good quality.

It is the most important financial center of Colorado. It houses a mint and several large banks. There are enterprises in the food industry, mechanical engineering, and light industry.

In Colorado, the income tax is 4.63% regardless of income. Unlike most states, which base their tax on "federal adjusted gross income," Colorado's tax base is "taxable income" (income after federal benefits and the federal standard deduction). The state is subject to taxes on real estate and personal businesses, and state-owned property was exempted in 2003. As of January 2010, the unemployment rate in Colorado is 7.4%.

see also

• List of Colorado cities by population

Notes

1. United States of America // World Atlas / comp. and preparation to ed. PKO "Cartography" in 2009; Ch. ed. G. V. Pozdnyak. - M.: PKO "Cartography": Onyx, 2010. - P. 168-169. - ISBN 978-5-85120-295-7 (Cartography). - ISBN 978-5-488-02609-4 (Onyx).
2. Colorado // Dictionary of geographical names of foreign countries / resp. ed. A. M. Komkov. - 3rd ed., revised. and additional - M.: Nedra, 1986. - P. 169.
3. Index of geographical names // World Atlas / comp. and preparation to ed. PKO "Cartography" in 2009; Ch. ed. G. V. Pozdnyak. - M.: PKO "Cartography": Onyx, 2010. - P. 222. - ISBN 978-5-85120-295-7 (Cartography). - ISBN 978-5-488-02609-4 (Onyx).
4. Colorado legalizes marijuana sales (undefined)

The state of Colorado is one of the largest regions of the United States. Many tourists come here every year to visit the well-known Rocky Mountains and enjoy all the benefits of being among the spectacular landscapes.

general information

The area of ​​this region is 269.7 thousand square meters. km, and its population is slightly more than 5 thousand people. The capital of Colorado, Denver, is also the largest city in this territory. The area is known for its beautiful natural landscapes, which include the Rocky Mountain belt.

Most tourists come here precisely to admire the grandeur of the snow-capped rocks, the beauty of the coniferous forests and enjoy the mild climate. The region is the center of summer and winter

The largest cities in Colorado are Lakewood, Aurora, Pueblo and others.

Tourism and industry

Thousands of ski fans come to Colorado every year in the winter to spend time on the snowy slopes sparkling under the bright rays of the sun. By the way, not only US residents gather here, but also tourists from all over the world. The most famous mountain tourist areas in Colorado: Aspen, East Park, Colorado Springs.

It's not just tourism that generates serious income for the government's coffers: Colorado is also an important industrial center. Most residents of this county live and work in its eastern part, which occupies two-fifths of the entire territory of Colorado. The state is also known for tunnels cut into the mountains to provide water to the dry prairies of farming areas, which are an important source of income in the area. Because Colorado's lands are located between the major cities of California and the Midwest, it is an important transportation artery for cargo distribution in the Rocky Mountain region.

Agricultural industry

As for the agricultural industries and agriculture of America, the state of Colorado occupies a leading position here. The US is highly dependent on products produced in the area. The most notable and profitable are sheep breeding and meat and dairy farming. This is due to the large amount of land ideal for raising livestock.

A variety of government improvements are helping farmers begin successfully growing crops such as potatoes, grains and sugar beets. Today, the territories previously occupied by desert prairies are endless

Mining industry

Colorado's mining industry is an important component of the US economy. The state gained fame (due to its rich reserves of valuable metals) as early as the 1850s. During this period, the first adventurers appeared here, becoming victims of the silver and gold rushes. By the way, this area still abounds in valuable metals, although the most important point of Colorado's mining industry is now oil and, therefore, the production of gasoline.

In addition, the state occupies a leading position in molybdenum mining and steel production. Denver, the capital of Colorado, is even home to the US Mint.

Flag and coat of arms

The main symbol of Colorado - the flag - was officially adopted in 1911. The red letter "C" depicted on the canvas stands for "Colorado", which means "red color" in Spanish. The golden ball inside the letter indicates the existence of gold mines. The blue and white stripes of the banner symbolize the natural beauty of this land, blue skies and white snows in the Rocky Mountains.

The state emblem was adopted in 1877. The triangle depicted on it represents the all-seeing eye of God. There are also symbols of the state's mining industry, which brings major revenue to the treasury. These are mountains, earth and a pickaxe.

The state is located mostly in elevated areas. Its lands are located at an altitude of 2100 above sea level, making Colorado the highest altitude state in the United States.

The first charitable organization was created in Denver. It was a relief fund established by a priest, two ministers and a rabbi in 1882. It was called the Public Charity Service.

The largest silver bar in the world was found in this state. This happened in the city of Aspen in 1894. The weight of the unprocessed nugget reached 835 kilograms, which allows it to still remain the largest ingot in the world.

One day, the state's political scene saw three different governors in one day. In 1905, he became Alva Adams, who after two months of work was removed from office: he was caught cheating during the elections. The incident occurred on March 17, the same day the state legislature decided to entrust this post to James Peabody, but he refused. A little later, but on the same day, Jesse MacDonald, a former lieutenant governor, took over as governor.

Rocky Mountains

This mountain system is located in the midline of Colorado. Two-fifths of the state is covered by an impressive array. The Rocky Mountains are called the Roof of North America. There are 55 of the highest peaks here, some of them reaching 4270 km above sea level. The mountain system stretches from Alaska all the way to New Mexico, but Colorado contains the highest areas. In turn, the rocky mountains are divided into five chains.

Attractions

Natural scenic landscapes are the main attractions that can be experienced when visiting the state of Colorado. On the map of national parks, it is first recommended to familiarize yourself with such places as Old Bent Fort, Black Canyon and the Dinosaur Sanctuary.

To sum it up, Colorado is a great place for a family vacation in nature or to spend a vacation conquering snow-capped peaks. For the United States, this state is not only an important tourist destination, but also an excellent source of minerals and agricultural products.

Colorado State Map:

Colorado (English Colorado or) is a state in the west central part of the United States, one of the so-called Mountain States. Colorado is bordered by the states of Wyoming and Nebraska (in the north), Kansas (in the east), Oklahoma, New Mexico and Arizona (in the south), and Utah (in the west).

Colorado is the eighth largest state in the United States, with an area of ​​269,837 km². The state's population is 4.6 million people (22nd in the United States). The capital and largest city is Denver. Other major cities are Colorado Springs, Fort Collins, Arvada, Pueblo, Westminster, Boulder, Englewood, Centennial.

Colorado is the 38th state of the United States, it was formed on August 1, 1876, when the country celebrated its centennial. Because of this, Colorado's official nickname is the "Centennial State."

Year of formation: 1876 ​​(38th in order)
State slogan: Nothing without Providence
Formal name: State of Colorado
State's largest city: Denver
State capital: Denver
Population: more than 4.6 million people (22nd place in the country).
Area: 269.8 thousand sq. km. (8th place in the country.)
More large cities in the state: Colorado Springs, Aurora, Lakewood, Fort Collins, Thornton, Westminster, Arvada, Pueblo, Centenial, Boulder, Greeley, Longmont, Loveland, Grand Junction.

At the beginning of the 16th century. The territory of the future state was explored by the Spaniards. Since 1706, the territory of Colorado was declared a colony of Spain. The land got its name from the Colorado River, which in turn was named because of the red-brown silt contained in the water. The province then passed to France. The United States received eastern Colorado as a result of the Louisiana Purchase (1803). The central part of Colorado ceded to the United States in 1845, and the western part - in 1848, as a result of the war with Mexico.

In the 1850s, gold was discovered near Denver, and crowds of settlers poured here. During the Civil War, most gold miners sided with the Union. They successfully recaptured their gold mines from Texas invaders.

On March 3, 1875, the U.S. Congress passed a law defining the requirements for the Colorado Territory to become a state. Finally, on August 1, 1876, 28 days after the centennial celebration of Independence Day, the President of the United States signed an executive order admitting the 38th US state to the Union.

According to the 1930 census, the state's population exceeded one million people. Colorado was hit hard by the Great Depression, but its fortunes were restored after World War II. The most important sectors of the state's economy are mining, agriculture and tourism.

Geography of Colorado

Colorado is one of three states (along with Wyoming and Utah) whose borders are all parallels and meridians, and, like Wyoming, it simply forms a “rectangle” (more precisely, a sector of the earth’s surface) between a pair of latitudes and a pair of longitudes. The area occupied by Colorado is 269.8 thousand sq. km. 37% of Colorado is national parks.

Colorado Climate

Colorado's climate is quite mysterious. The southern part of the state is not always warmer than the northern part. The fact is that the climate is greatly influenced by the Rocky Mountains: with increasing altitude, the temperature decreases and humidity increases. According to climatic conditions, the state is divided into two parts: the eastern plains and the western foothills.

In the east, the climate is temperate continental: low humidity, moderate precipitation (380-630 mm per year). It has one of the highest average daily temperatures in the United States. In summer, temperatures rise to 35 °C (on average), and in winter they can drop to −18 °C. Western Colorado's climate is more uniform. There are arid areas and a mountainous climate at higher elevations. The hottest month is July (21 °C). Winters here are very wet, which is the opposite of the eastern part of the state.