Colorado is a state in the west-central United States, one of the so-called Mountain States. Colorado borders the states of Wyoming and Nebraska (in the north), Kansas (in the east), Oklahoma, New Mexico and Arizona (in the south), Utah (in the west).
Colorado is the eighth largest US state with an area of 269,837 km². 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 centenary. Because of this, Colorado’s official nickname is the “Independence Day Centennial State”.
STATE NAME
The name of the state of Colorado, like the names of several other states of the Western United States, came into English from Spanish.
The first Spanish explorers called the lands of the modern state of Colorado “Colorado”, which means “red”, it was red that the landscapes of this very “colorful” state actually seemed to them at first.
And when the new state of the USA was created in 1876, this name was considered suitable for it. By the way, Colorado got its nickname, “State of the Century”, precisely because of the date of its formation. The fact is that in 1876 the United States celebrated the centenary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence and the formation of the United States.
GEOGRAPHY
The state of Colorado is part of the US Mountain States region and borders the states of Wyoming and Nebraska to the north; Kansas in the east; Arizona, New Mexico and Oklahoma in the south; Utah in the west.
The state of Colorado is one of two (together with the state of Wyoming) “rectangular” states of the USA, bounded by two parallels (from 37° to 41° north latitude) and two meridians (from 102°03′ to 109°03′ west longitude).
The southwestern border point of the state of Colorado is the so-called “four corners” point, at which the borders of the states of Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico and Utah converge.
The relief of the state of Colorado is extremely diverse. Here you can see vast plains and high mountains, canyons and plateaus.
Colorado is the only US state whose entire territory has a height above sea level of more than one kilometer (the lowest point in the state of Colorado is 1,011 meters above sea level). The highest point in the state of Colorado is Mount Elbert (4401 meters, the highest peak of the Rocky Mountains and the second highest in the continental United States, after Mount Whitney in California).
HYDROGRAPHY
The Colorado River is one of the largest in the state. Here, in the north, is its source. It flows in the western part of Colorado. In the south of the state is the source of another major river – the Rio Grande. It originates in the Rocky Mountains and descends to the south. The Arkansas River can also be distinguished, the source of which is also located in Colorado. It flows east across the Great Plains and then flows into the Mississippi River. Another major river in the state is the South Platte.
CLIMATE
The climate picture of Colorado is heterogeneous: the southern part of the state is not always warmer than the northern one, the climate is strongly influenced by the Rocky Mountains: with increasing altitude, the temperature drops and the humidity rises. 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 rainfall (380-630 mm per year). It has one of the highest average daily temperatures in the United States. In summer, the temperature rises to 35 °C (on average), while in winter it can drop to -18 °C.
The climate of western Colorado is more uniform. Here there are arid places, on the hills there is a mountain climate. The hottest month is July (21°C). The winter here is very wet, which is the opposite of the eastern part of the state.
ECONOMY
Annual per capita income in the state of Colorado as of 2008 exceeded forty-two thousand dollars, the state of Colorado ranks thirteenth in the United States on this indicator.
Colorado’s economy is extremely diverse, making it relatively easy to weather fluctuations in the national and global economic systems.
The state capital, Denver is a major US financial center. The extremely favorable geographic location of Denver, approximately in the middle between the financial centers of the east and west coasts of the United States, makes it a strategically advantageous and convenient place for locating federal institutions, creating high-tech industries, tourism, and developing educational, commercial, financial, and cultural programs.
Mining, chemical, food industries, and mechanical engineering are well developed in the state of Colorado. There is a convenient transport infrastructure and sufficient energy resources.
TOURISM
The tourism industry is also a significant contributor to Colorado’s economy. In the United States, Colorado ski resorts are very popular, primarily Aspen. The national parks of Colorado are also attractive for tourists, including the famous Mesa Verde Park, which is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
