Colorado State nickname: The Centennial State Other U.S. States Capital Denver Largest city Denver Governor Bill Owens (R) Official languages English Area 269,837 km² (8th) - Land 268,879 km² - Water 962 km² (0.36%) Population (2000) - Population 4,301,261 (24th) - Density 16.01 /km² (37th) Admission into Union - Date August 1, 1876 - Order 38th Time zone Mountain: UTC-7/DST-6 Latitude 37°N to 41°N Longitude 102°W to 109°W Width 451 km Length 612 km Elevation - Highest point 4,401 m - Mean 2,100 m - Lowest point 1,010 m Abbreviations - USPS CO - ISO 3166-2 US-CO Web site www.colorado.gov Colorado state insignia Motto Nil sine numine (Latin, "Nothing without Providence") Slogan none Bird Lark Bunting Animal Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep Fish Greenback cutthroat trout Insect Colorado Hairstreak Butterfly Flower Rocky Mountain Columbine Tree Colorado Spruce or Blue Spruce Fossil Stegosaurus Song "Where the Columbines Grow" Folk dance Square dance Gemstone Aquamarine Mineral Rhodochrosite Rock Yule marble Grass Blue grama Tartan Quarter To be released in 2006 Colorado is a state in the western United States. Colorado is best known as the home of the highest peaks of the Rocky Mountains, which dominate the western half of the state; eastern Colorado is largely high plains. The state capital and largest city is Denver, Colorado; the Denver metropolitan area contains over half of the state's population (2.5 million out of 4.3 million). The state was named after the Spanish word "Colorado" which means "reddish colored" that presumably refers to the red sandstone formations in the area or reddish brown color of the Colorado River. The U.S. Post Office abbreviation for the state is CO. USS Colorado was named in honor of this state. Contents [hide] 1 History of Colorado 2 Law and government 3 Geography 4 Economy 5 Demographics 5.1 Population 5.2 Race and ancestry 5.3 Religion 5.4 More information 6 Important cities and towns 6.1 25 Richest Places in Colorado 7 Colorado tourism and recreation 7.1 National parks 7.2 National monuments 7.3 National recreational areas 7.4 National forests 7.5 National grasslands 7.6 Wilderness areas 7.7 National historic sites 8 Education 8.1 Colleges and universities 9 Professional sports teams 10 Major highways 11 References 12 Further reading 13 External links [edit] History of Colorado The territory which ultimately became Colorado was added to the United States by the 1803 Louisiana Purchase and the 1848 Mexican Cession. The Colorado Gold Rush of 1859 (see also Fifty-Niner) brought large numbers of settlers to the Denver area, although the population collapsed following an initial mining boom. The Colorado Territory was organized as a United States territory on February 28, 1861 and Colorado attained statehood in 1876 (earning it the monicker the "Centennial State"). Colorado women were granted the right to vote starting on November 7, 1893. See: History of Colorado [edit] Law and government Colorado State Capitol in DenverLike the majority of the states, Colorado's current constitution provides for three 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. Currently, Democrats are in control of both chambers of the General Assembly. The 2005 Colorado General Assembly is the first to be controlled by the Democrats in forty years. Colorado is considered a very independent state politically, with 17 of the governors Democrat and 12 of them Republican in the last 100 years. The state supported Democrat Bill Clinton in 1992, and the Republican presidential nominees in 1996 and 2000. Recently, the state appears to be going more towards the center. George W. Bush won the state's 9 electoral votes in 2004 by a margin of 5 percentage points with 51.7% of the vote, considerably less than the 9% margin Bush won by in 2000 [1]. Democrats also gained in every open seat race in the state, picking up a seat in the Senate and the House of Representatives. Democrats are strongest in metropolitan Denver, Boulder, southern Colorado, and a few western ski resort counties, while Republicans are strongest in the rural plains region, Colorado Springs, the Western Slope, and some of the Denver suburbs. The two Senators from Colorado are Wayne Allard (Republican) and Ken Salazar (Democrat). The governor heads the state's executive branch. The current governor of Colorado is Bill Owens (Republican). See: List of Colorado Governors   [edit] Geography See: list of Colorado counties, list of Colorado rivers Colorado is one of only three states (the others are Wyoming and Utah) that has only lines of latitude and longitude for borders. It stretches exactly from 37°N to 41°N, and 102°W to 109°W. The Four Corners Monument at its southwestern-most point is at 37°N and 109°W. East of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains are the Colorado Eastern Plains, the section of the Great Plains within Colorado at elevations ranging from 3500 to 7000 ft (1,000 to 2,000 m). Kansas and Nebraska border Colorado to the east. The plains are sparsely settled with most population along the South Platte and the Arkansas rivers and the I-70 corridor. Rainfall is meager, averaging about 15 in/year (380 mm/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. Water west of the continental divide drains into the Pacific Ocean via the Colorado River. Digital elevation model relief map of Colorado — much of the state is flat, despite stereotypesWithin the interior of the Rocky Mountains there are several large parks or high broad 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. Snowpack accumulation at 14,255 ft. on Longs Peak in Rocky Mountain National Park.The Rocky Mountains within Colorado contain 54 peaks over 14,000 ft (4,270 m), known as fourteeners. The mountains are timbered with conifers and aspen to the tree-line, at an elevation of about 12,000 ft (4,000 m) in southern Colorado to about 10,500 ft (3,200 m) in northern Colorado; above this 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 most of 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 Highway 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 the grasslands of the Great Plains. Mount Elbert is the highest 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. [edit] Economy Corn production in Colorado.The state's economy broadened from its mid 19th century roots in mining when irrigated agriculture developed, and by the late 19th century livestock raising had become important. Early industry was based on the extraction and processing of minerals and agricultural products. Current agricultural products are cattle, wheat, dairy products, corn, and hay. The federal government is also a major economic force in the state with many important federal facilities including NORAD and the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, NOAA and the National Institute of Standards and Technology in Boulder, U.S. Geological Survey and other government agencies at the Denver Federal Center in Lakewood, the Denver Mint, and 10th Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver, and a federal Supermax Prison and other federal prisons near Cañon City. There are of course various other federal agencies and federally owned lands in the state, especially with Colorado's abundant National Forests. and four National Parks. There are also numerous private companies that have operations in Colorado that deal with the governmental agencies in the state. 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 molybdenum, and tourism. Denver is an important financial center. The Bureau of Economic Analysis estimates that the total state product in 2003 was $187 billion. Per capital personal income in 2003 was $34,561, putting Colorado 8th in the nation. To see a 2004 per capital personal income comparision table on a state basis: [2] [edit] Demographics Historical populations Census year Population -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1860 34,277 1870 39,864 1880 194,327 1890 413,249 1900 539,700 1910 799,024 1920 939,629 1930 1,035,791 1940 1,123,296 1950 1,325,089 1960 1,753,947 1970 2,207,259 1980 2,889,964 1990 3,294,394 2000 4,301,261 [edit] Population The 2000 Census reported Colorado's population as 4,301,261 [3], and the state's 2004 population is estimated to be 4,601,403 [4]. Between 1990 and 2004, Colorado's population grew by 39.7%, a growth rate outpaced only by Nevada and Arizona's. As of 2004, 441,000 foreign-born persons (9.7% of the population) live in the state, including an estimated 144,000 illegal aliens (3.1% of the state population). [edit] Race and ancestry The racial makeup of the state and comparison to the prior census: Census year: 2000 1990 White 82.8% 88.2% Black 3.8% 4.0% Asian 2.2% 1.8% Native American 1.0% 0.8% Other race 7.3% 5.1% Mixed race 2.8% * White, non-Hispanic 74.5% 80.7% Hispanic‡ 17.1% 12.9% Notes: * Not available; mixed race was first reported in the census of 2000. ‡ Hispanics may be of any race and are included in applicable race categories. (Estimates for the year 2003 are available at: PDF.) Colorado's Hispanic presence is one of the USA's largest—only five states have more Hispanics (per capita). Denver and some other areas have significant Mexican populations, while southern Colorado has a large number of Hispanos, the descendants of early New Mexican settlers of colonial Spanish origin. The largest ancestry groups in Colorado are British, German, Scandinavian, Irish, and Spanish/Hispano. Persons reporting German ancestry are the largest group in the state and are especially strong in the Front Range and eastern Plains. People of British extraction are the largest group in the western Rocky Mountains. [edit] Religion Christian – 75% Protestant – 48% Baptist – 9% Methodist – 5% Lutheran – 5% Episcopal – 3% Presbyterian – 3% Other Protestant or general Protestant – 23% Roman Catholic – 24% Mormon – 2% Other Christian – 1% Jewish – 2% Other Religions – 1% Non-Religious/Agnostic – 22% Compared to the nation at large, Colorado—like many other Western states—has a high percentage of non-religious people. Nonetheless, the state—namely the city of Colorado Springs—is home to numerous Christian groups. Focus on the Family is among the most prominent of these. [edit] More information For detailed social information on Colorado, see here; for economic information, see here; and for housing information, see here. [edit] Important cities and towns Map of Colorado - PDF Each city named in bold has a population greater than 100,000. Denver Aurora Lakewood Arvada Westminster Centennial Thornton Highlands Ranch Southglenn Littleton Broomfield Wheat Ridge Englewood Northglenn Ken Caryl Castlewood Columbine Parker Commerce City Sherrelwood Golden Welby Federal Heights Greenwood Village Colorado Springs Security-Widefield Fountain Cimarron Hills Black Forest Fort Carson Fort Collins Loveland Pueblo Pueblo West Boulder Lafayette Longmont Louisville Superior Greeley Grand Junction Clifton Brighton Canon City Castle Rock Montrose Durango Fort Morgan Avon Silverthorne Sterling Evergreen Woodland Park Windsor Population < 10,000 Aspen -- renowned ski resort Leadville Trinidad Walsenburg Alamosa [edit] 25 Richest Places in Colorado Ranked by per capita income 1 Cherry Hills Village, Colorado $99,996 2 Genesee, Colorado $79,180 3 Columbine Valley, Colorado $71,758 4 Castle Pines, Colorado $70,456 5 Greenwood Village, Colorado $69,189 6 Bonanza, Colorado $66,857 7 Bow Mar, Colorado $53,558 8 Heritage Hills, Colorado $50,041 9 Perry Park, Colorado $47,574 10 Lone Tree, Colorado $46,287 11 Meridian, Colorado $46,031 12 The Pinery, Colorado $43,065 13 Eldorado Springs, Colorado $42,908 14 Vail, Colorado $42,390 15 Foxfield, Colorado $40,970 16 Aspen, Colorado $40,680 17 Niwot, Colorado $39,943 18 Mountain Village, Colorado $39,920 19 Edwards, Colorado $39,784 20 Pitkin, Colorado $39,182 21 Telluride, Colorado $38,832 22 Woodmoor, Colorado $38,758 23 Castlewood, Colorado $37,891 24 Vona, Colorado $37,802 25 Eagle-Vail, Colorado $37,260 See complete list of Colorado places [edit] Colorado tourism and recreation Welcome to Colorado[edit] National parks Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park Mesa Verde National Park Rocky Mountain National Park Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve [edit] National monuments Colorado National Monument Dinosaur National Monument Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument Hovenweep National Monument Canyons of the Ancients National Monument [edit] National recreational areas Arapaho National Recreational Area Curecanti National Recreational Area [edit] National forests Arapaho National Forest Grand Mesa National Forest Gunnison National Forest Pike National Forest Rio Grande National Forest Roosevelt National Forest Routt National Forest San Isabel National Forest San Juan National Forest Uncompahgre National Forest White River National Forest [edit] National grasslands Comanche National Grassland Pawnee National Grassland [edit] Wilderness areas Collegiate Peaks Wilderness Area Flat Top Wilderness Area Great Sand Dunes National Monument and Wilderness Area Hunter-Fryingpan Wilderness Area La Garita Wilderness Area Lizard Head Wilderness Area Lost Creek Wilderness Area Maroon Bells Snowmass Wilderness Area Mount Sneffels Wilderness Area Mount Zirkel Wilderness Area Rawah Wilderness Area Sangre de Cristo Wilderness Area Uncompahgre Wilderness Area Weminuche Wilderness Area West Elk Wilderness Area [edit] National historic sites Bent's Old Fort National Historic Site 1833-1849 trading fort in Colorado Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site Nov. 29, 1864 US massacre of Cheyenne and Arapaho Indian Innocents [edit] Education [edit] Colleges and universities Adams State College Colorado Christian University Colorado College Colorado School of Mines Colorado State University System Colorado State University Colorado State University - Pueblo Colorado Technical University Denver Seminary Fort Lewis College Heritage College & Heritage Institute Iliff School of Theology Jones International University Mesa State College Metropolitan State College of Denver Naropa University National Technological University Nazarene Bible College Regis University Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design United States Air Force Academy University of Colorado System University of Colorado at Boulder University of Colorado at Colorado Springs University of Colorado at Denver University of Colorado Health Sciences Center University of Denver University of Northern Colorado Western State College [edit] Professional sports teams Denver Broncos, National Football League Denver Nuggets, National Basketball Association Colorado Rockies, Major League Baseball Colorado Crush, Arena Football League Colorado Mammoth, National Lacrosse League Colorado Avalanche, National Hockey League Colorado Rapids, Major League Soccer Colorado Springs Sky Sox, Minor League Baseball (AAA) Colorado Eagles, Central Hockey League Colorado Chill, National Women's Basketball League [edit] Major highways Interstate 25 Interstate 70 Interstate 76 U.S. Highway 6 U.S. Highway 24 U.S. Highway 34 U.S. Highway 36 U.S. Highway 40 U.S. Highway 50 U.S. Highway 85 U.S. Highway 87 U.S. Highway 285 [edit] References U.S. Census Bureau. Colorado QuickFacts. Geographic and demographic information. Colorado - Race and Hispanic Origin: 1860 to 1990 (PDF) [edit] Further reading Explore Colorado, A Naturalist's Handbook, The Denver Museum of Natural History and Westcliff Publishers, 1995, ISBN 1-56579-124-X for an excellent guide to the ecological regions of Colorado. The Archeology of Colorado, Revised Edition, E. Steve Cassells, Johnson Books, Boulder, Colorado, 1997, trade paperback, ISBN 1-55566-193-9. Chokecherry Places, Essays from the High Plains, Merrill Gilfillan, Johnson Press, Boulder, Colorado, trade paperback, ISBN 1-55566-227-7. The Tie That Binds, Kent Haruf, 1984, hardcover, ISBN 0030719798, a fictional account of farming in Colorado. Railroads of Colorado: Your Guide to Colorado's Historic Trains and Railway Sites, Claude Wiatrowski, Voyageur Press, 2002, hardcover, 160 pages, ISBN 0-89658-591-3 [edit] External links The Official Colorado State Website Official tourism Website Photos of Colorado - Terra Galleria Colorado place names Colorado Newspapers Regions of Colorado Eastern Plains | Denver metropolitan area | Front Range | Mineral Belt | San Luis Valley | Western Slope Largest cities Arvada | Aurora | Boulder | Broomfield | Centennial | Colorado Springs | Denver | Englewood | Fort Collins | Grand Junction | Greeley | Lafayette | Lakewood | Littleton | Longmont | Loveland | Northglenn | Parker | Pueblo | Westminster | Wheat Ridge Counties Adams | Alamosa | Arapahoe | Archuleta | Baca | Bent | Boulder | Broomfield | Chaffee | Cheyenne | Clear Creek | Conejos | Costilla | Crowley | Custer | Delta | Denver | Dolores | Douglas | Eagle | El Paso | Elbert | Fremont | Garfield | Gilpin | Grand | Gunnison | Hinsdale | Huerfano | Jackson | Jefferson | Kiowa | Kit Carson | La Plata | Lake | Larimer | Las Animas | Lincoln | Logan | Mesa | Mineral | Moffat | Montezuma | Montrose | Morgan | Otero | Ouray | Park | Phillips | Pitkin | Prowers | Pueblo | Rio Blanco | Rio Grande | Routt | Saguache | San Juan | San Miguel | Sedgwick | Summit | Teller | Washington | Weld | Yuma Political divisions of the United States States Alabama | Alaska | Arizona | Arkansas | California | Colorado | Connecticut | Delaware | Florida | Georgia | Hawaii | Idaho | Illinois | Indiana | Iowa | Kansas | Kentucky | Louisiana | Maine | Maryland | Massachusetts | Michigan | Minnesota | Mississippi | Missouri | Montana | Nebraska | Nevada | New Hampshire | New Jersey | New Mexico | New York | North Carolina | North Dakota | Ohio | Oklahoma | Oregon | Pennsylvania | Rhode Island | South Carolina | South Dakota | Tennessee | Texas | Utah | Vermont | Virginia | Washington | West Virginia | Wisconsin | Wyoming Federal district District of Columbia Insular areas American Samoa | Baker Island | Guam | Howland Island | Jarvis Island | Johnston Atoll | Kingman Reef | Midway Atoll | Navassa Island | Northern Mariana Islands | Palmyra Atoll | Puerto Rico | Virgin Islands | Wake Island