| State of Colorado | |
| Coordinates | 39°0’NB, 105°30’WL |
| General | |
| Surface | 269.837 km² (0,4% water) |
| Residents | 5.616.796 (20,8 inhabitants/km²) |
| Capital city | Denver |
| Politics | |
| Governor | Jared Polis (D) |
| Other | |
| Time zone | Mountain Standard Time (UTC−7) |
| Joined | 1 augustus 1876 |
| Nickname | Centennial State |
| ISO 3166-2 | US-CO |
| Website | colorado.gov |
Colorado is one of the states of the United States. The capital is Denver. The state of Colorado is named after the Colorado, Spanish for “reddish colored”. Colorado’s nickname is The Centennial State. The standard abbreviation for the state is CO.
Geography
The boundaries of the state of Colorado are formed by a rectangle between 37°N and 41°N and between 102°3′ W and 109°3′ W. Due to the curvature of the Earth, the southern border is a mile longer than the northern border. Colorado, Wyoming and Utah are the only American states that have no natural borders but are bounded by meridians and parallel circles. When the surveyorsof the government established the border points of the Colorado Territory, minor measurement errors led to anomalies in the boundaries, most clearly visible along the Utah border. The studs placed by the surveyors formed the legal boundaries of the Colorado Territory, after all parties agreed. Colorado covers an area of 269,837 km².
The peak of Mount Elbert in Lake County is the highest peak in Colorado at 4401 meters and also the highest peak in the Rocky Mountains. There are more than 100 mountains in Colorado that are higher than 4,000 meters. Colorado is the only state in America that is all the way above 1000 meters. Colorado’s lowest point, at 1010 meters, is where the Arikaree River leaves Yuma County and enters Cheyenne County in Kansas.
Almost half of the state, especially the eastern part, is flat, in the west there are the Rocky Mountains. East of the southern Rocky Mountains are the Colorado Eastern Plains, a portion of the Great Plains within Colorado at elevations ranging from roughly 1020 to 1980 meters. East of Colorado are the states of Kansas and Nebraska. This region is sparsely populated with the highest concentration of inhabitants along the rivers; the South Platte and the Arkansas. The annual precipitation here is low with an average of 300 to 460 mm per year. Most agriculture is not irrigated and there is animal husbandry. winter wheatis the most cultivated and most settlements in the region have a water tower and a grain silo. Most of Colorado’s population lives along the eastern edge of the Rocky Mountains, in the Front Range Urban Corridor. This region is partly protected from the prevailing showers by the mountains to the west.
The Continental Divide descends to 3655 m at the Loveland Pass.
The Continental Divide, which is the watershed between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, spans the peaks of the Rocky Mountains. West of this, the water flows into the Gulf of California, including by the Colorado. A number of rivers begin in Colorado. In the area of the Rocky Mountains are many large parks and high wide basins. To the north, east of the Continental Divide, is the North Park. The water there flows into the North Platte River, which flows north. South of it, but still west of the Continental Divide, is Middle Park, where the water flows into the Colorado. The South Park is the area where the South Platte River begins. To the south is the San Luis Valley, where the Rio Grande begins, which flows into the Gulf of Mexico. Grand Junction is the largest city west of the watershed.
The Rocky Mountains in Colorado have more than 53 peaks above 14,000 feet (4,267 meters). These peaks are known as the fourteeners. The mountains range from 3700 m in the south to 3200 m in the north of Colorado. They are overgrown with conifers and poplars; above the tree line only alpine vegetation grows. The peaks of the Rocky Mountains are not continuously covered with snow in Colorado; most of the snow, with the exception of a few glaciers, has melted by the end of the summer. The Colorado Mineral Belt, which runs from the San Juan Mountains in the southwest to Boulder and Central City, contains most of Colorado’s historic gold and silver mining districts.
To the west are the eastern reaches of the Rocky Mountains with the main peaks being Longs Peak, Mount Evans, Pikes Peak and the Spanish Peaks at Walsenburg to the south. In the area, the water flows to the east. It is wooded and partly urbanized. Hinsdale County, with Lake City (approx. 300 inhabitants) as its capital, is considered the most remote county of the 48 Contiguous States.
Striking are the rugged San Juan Mountains to the south and the Colorado Plateau to the west, a high desert-like region on the border with Utah. Southeast of Grand Junction is the Grand Mesa, the world’s largest table mountain. Further east are the ski areas of Aspen, Vail, Crested Butte, and Steamboat Springs. The northwest corner of Colorado on the border with Utah and Wyoming consists mainly of a sparsely populated prairie landscape.
According to JIBIN123.COM, Colorado has a joint border point at Four Corners along with Arizona, New Mexico and Utah.
National Parks
There are a number of parks in Colorado that are managed by the National Park Service.
- Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
- Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve
- Mesa Verde National Park
- Rocky Mountain National Park
In addition, there are other natural areas, such as historical monuments, that have protected status.
Climate
Colorado is a dry state. The sun shines about 300 days a year and most precipitation falls as snow. There is much less rain . Thunderstorms, sometimes with hail, come suddenly. The fairly flat eastern part is the driest, there are no trees. The snow in the mountains in winter mainly falls as dry loose powder snow. This makes it an excellent ski area. In the Front Range there are more and more problems with the water supply.
Demography and Economics
Colorado had a population of 5,661,261 (20.8 per km²) in 2018, of which more than 80% were white. The main religion is Christianity, which is adhered to by three quarters of the population.
Cities
The capital and largest city of Colorado is Denver, with a population of 619,636. Other major cities in 2018 are:
- Colorado Springs – 464.890 inwoners
- Aurora – 366,393 inhabitants
- Fort Collins – 165.652 inwoners
- Lakewood – 154.126 inwoners
Maïsproductie in Colorado
Economy
Although mining was the main economic pillar in the 19th century, agriculture is now very important thanks to better irrigation methods. In the San Juan Valley, for example, this leads to salinization of the soil. Extensive livestock farming took place in the east.
The government is a major employer in Colorado and many federal installations are located there such as NORAD, the United States Geological Survey, the United States Air Force Academy, and the NOAA. The National Park Service is also prominently present. The state also does a relatively large amount of scientific research and development, and tourism is also an important source of income.
The gross product of the state in 2017 was 360 billion dollars.
Administrative division
According to COUNTRYAAH, Colorado is divided into 64 counties.
| County | Inhabitants 1 July, 2007 |
County Seat | Inhabitants 1 July, 2007 |
| Adams | 422.495 | Brighton | 30.723 |
| Alamosa | 15.313 | Alamosa | 8562 |
| Arapahoe | 545.089 | Littleton | 40.646 |
| Archuleta | 12.572 | Pagosa Springs | 1718 |
| Baca | 3871 | Springfield | 1302 |
| Bent | 5844 | Las Animas | 2335 |
| Boulder | 290.262 | Boulder | 93.552 |
| Broomfield | 53.691 | Broomfield | 53.691 |
| Chaffee | 16.781 | Salida | 5343 |
| Cheyenne | 1763 | Cheyenne Wells | 792 |
| Clear Creek | 8956 | Georgetown | 1029 |
| Conejos | 8074 | Conejos | — |
| Costilla | 3309 | San Luis | 661 |
| Crowley | 6643 | Ordway | 1115 |
| Custer | 4025 | Westcliffe | 462 |
| Delta | 30.334 | Delta | 8612 |
| Denver | 588.349 | Denver | 588.349 |
| Dolores | 1914 | Dove Creek | 710 |
| Douglas | 272.117 | Castle Rock | 42.447 |
| Eagle | 51.359 | Eagle | 5532 |
| El Paso | 587.272 | Colorado Springs | 376.427 |
| Elbert | 22.720 | Kiowa | 578 |
| Fremont | 47.389 | Cañon City | 15.850 |
| Garfield | 53.631 | Glenwood Springs | 8942 |
| Gilpin | 5091 | Central City | 544 |
| Grand | 13.612 | Hot Sulphur Springs | 515 |
| Gunnison | 14.973 | Gunnison | 5406 |
| Hinsdale | 838 | Lake City | 387 |
| Huerfano | 7837 | Walsenburg | 3819 |
| Jackson | 1381 | Walden | 605 |
| Jefferson | 529.354 | Golden | 17.178 |
| Kiowa | 1332 | Eads | 610 |
| Kit Carson | 7928 | Burlington | 3912 |
| La Plata | 49.555 | Durango | 16.007 |
| Lake | 7913 | Leadville | 2729 |
| Larimer | 287.574 | Fort Collins | 133.899 |
| Las Animas | 16.010 | Trinidad | 9103 |
| Lincoln | 5326 | Hugo | 749 |
| Logan | 21.055 | Sterling | 12.917 |
| Mesa | 139.082 | Grand Junction | 48.425 |
| Mineral | 962 | Creede | 422 |
| Moffat | 13.648 | Craig | 9161 |
| Montezuma | 25.221 | Cortez | 8531 |
| Montrose | 39.527 | Montrose | 17.264 |
| Morgan | 27.961 | Fort Morgan | 10.632 |
| Otero | 18.854 | La Junta | 7036 |
| Ouray | 4378 | Ouray | 902 |
| Park | 17.004 | Fairplay | 664 |
| Phillips | 4499 | Holyoke | 2233 |
| Pitkin | 15.106 | Aspen | 5785 |
| Prowers | 13.181 | Lamar | 8004 |
| Pueblo | 154.538 | Pueblo | 103.805 |
| Rio Blanco | 6227 | Meeker | 2322 |
| Rio Grande | 11.627 | Del Norte | 1617 |
| Routt | 22.382 | Steamboat Springs | 9516 |
| Saguache | 6920 | Saguache | 578 |
| San Juan | 559 | Silverton | 531 |
| San Miguel | 7533 | Telluride | 2360 |
| Sedgwick | 2340 | Julesburg | 1245 |
| Summit | 26.547 | Breckenridge | 3366 |
| Teller | 21.824 | Cripple Creek | 1033 |
| Washington | 4627 | Akron | 1694 |
| Weld | 243.750 | Greeley | 90.306 |
| Yuma | 9666 | Wray | 2108 |
Politics
The State Capitol in Denver, seat of the Colorado legislature
The executive branch of the state is headed by a governor, who is directly elected by the voters in the state. The 2018 gubernatorial election was won by Democratic Party ‘s Jared Polis. He took office as governor of Colorado in January 2019. Polis is the first openly gay man to be elected governor in the United States.
The legislature is made up of the Colorado House of Representatives (Colorado House of Representatives) with 65 members and the Colorado Senate (Colorado Senate) with 35 members.
Politically, Colorado is in the middle of the political spectrum. Neither of the two major parties has a monopoly on administrative functions. The state voted for the Republican nominee in the 1996, 2000, and 2004 presidential elections. In 2008, 2012, 2016 and 2020, the state backed the Democratic candidate.
Other information
The town of South Park from the cartoon series of the same name is located in Colorado. The soap opera Dynasty was set in Denver. The Dutch entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 1979 was an ode to the state of Colorado. Just west of Denver, in the foothills of the Rockies, is Golden, known for the Adolph Coors brewery. A little to the north is Boulder, long a mecca for alternative people. About 30 kilometers outside Boulder is the village of the Netherlands, so named because of a Dutch company that operated a mine here. West of the watershed are many ski areas, such as Winter Park, Arapahoe Basin, and Copper Mountain. People also come here from Europe to ski. Colorado and Washington were the first states to legalize the recreational use of cannabis, albeit under strict conditions.
