State of Colorado. State of Colorado Excursions in Colorado

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 most big cities Colorado - 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 big amount 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 prominence (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.

Once upon a time, the political arena of the state 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 legislature The state 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 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 to family vacation in nature or to spend your holiday 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.

Despite the heavy snow falling, we managed to fly away from wet and dirty New York
And although the news says that half an hour after our departure from the airport LaGuardia there an aircraft rolled off the runway Delta, our United generously sprinkled with reddish anti-freeze and started from the pusher, falling into air pockets so the people oohed and aahed... they finally broke out of the cyclonic captivity somewhere over Illinois (US state)


IN Colorado(US state) sunny and calm
A completely different America - smiling and friendly
And although the roads are dry - we were told that we can do whatever we want with the rented car - it is fully insured
Choosing a car to rent in the USA
We got to the place in an hour...
The journey across the USA has begun!
First stop: near the city Colorado Springs a park Garden of the Gods(Garden of the Gods)


Applications:
NY:
I recommend staying in cozy houses near the park Garden of the Gods : Sunflower Lodge


The further into the depths of “single-story America”, the cheaper the prices in stores and motels.
You come across bearded and shaggy old men in greasy overalls. They drive prehistoric Chevrolet-type jeeps and cannot hide their surprise when they see us.



It turns out that Beavis and Budhead are not fictional characters: they were copied from the young people of “one-story America” - I can testify.


Something strange is going on with the weather and climate zones: we left in the January cold, and after lunch it was already mid-May.
Bright sun in the blue sky, and below there is snow with needles studded like a hedgehog’s back - pine trees and fir trees
The Colorado road trip continues tomorrow at Colorado National Monument


Departure to national park Colorado National Monument located 6 km from the town Grand Junction
And although the park opens at 9 o'clock, we entered there at 8
We could have done it earlier - with the first rays of the Sun


Departure to the park costs 10 dollars and we paid this fee upon departure
At 8 o'clock there was no one in the park employee's booth.
We spent a total of 3 hours in the park, but there are enthusiasts who walk here and spend several days exploring this place
Well, we are now moving east - ski resorts in our program tomorrow



Funny:
Now we are staying in Craig (on Route 40 towards the Steamboat Ski Resort). You know... this Craig - 2 streets 3 houses. On the horizon, two chimneys of some kind of processing plant or state district power plant are smoking... We stayed at a hotel in this town. There is a notice right before the entrance: “Wipe your dirty feet before entering.” But the hotel itself is very good: a suite is 100 bucks with taxes
So, Ikrinka got into a conversation with the girl from the reception (the girl is a typical Craig resident: fat, with black and red hair and extensive piercings)
How she found out that we are from Russia says:
— I really want to go to Russia...
— ?
— Actually, I like Craig.
— ?
— This year will be my first trip to the Philippines. But my friends with whom I am going to the Philippines say that I need to go to Russia
- Listen, it’s a bad idea for you to go to Russia.
— ?
— Are you going to start asking everyone there, “How are you?”? but in Russia they don’t like it and you can get punched in the eye for it
- I still want to go to Russia


I can’t stop enjoying the roads in Colorado: there’s snow all around, it’s minus outside, and the asphalt is clean and dry
Today we drove along road 40 past the ski resort Steamboat.
What can I say: I would prefer to go skiing to Italy and Austria: it’s compact, cozy... and there’s a whole city here.
I think the rest of the major ski resorts in the US are of the same type.
Checked the box



Rocky Mountain Park or Rocky Mountain National Park not impressed at all: groups of tourists photographing a half-dead deer and creating a traffic jam, frisbee games on Bear Lake. Everything is somehow sucked out of thin air
No, maybe all the beauty is there... beyond the horizon and to see it you need to put on snowshoes and climb there for a couple of days - but this is not our method



However, I can recommend staying in a separate cottage from Wildwood Inn- very nice, spacious, overlooking the river, 3 km from the entrance to the park. And there is also a restaurant nearby Headtrail— pretty good moose burgers


As soon as I wrote this message, Ikrinka knocks on my window from the street: Take your camera - we have a moose in the parking lot!
It turned out to be not an elk, but a deer


Today we decided to give up and not travel around Colorado anymore: we extended our stay in Estes Park by booking an extra night in the cottage Wildwood Inn and tomorrow afternoon we fly to Utah - Salt Lake City and this will be the second part of the trip around the USA (there are 4 of them in the USA)


Today yesterday's elk decided to act decisively and demonstrated to Ikrinka that he was not an elk, but a deer
We drove along road 7 down - all entrances to the park were closed. In general, the conclusion is this: in a national park Rocky Mountain there is absolutely nothing to do in winter. It is best to come here in the fall, when the leaves turn yellow and red. Then it’s beautiful and colorful here, just like this US state is called


Colorado, USA (Colorado, CO, USA) - Photo

Colorado (Colorado, CO, USA) is the 24th state of the United States, famous for its unique rocky mountains. Unique nature and the state's mild climate, protected from winds and storms by the mountain range, have made Colorado a major tourist destination in America. In summer, vacationers are attracted by excellent weather, in winter by snow-capped mountains. The mountainous areas of the state are known as ski resorts throughout the world. These are, first of all, Aspen, Colorado Springs and East Park. However, tourists are not the only source of income for Colorado. Many residents of the state are engaged in livestock farming and farming. Potatoes, sugar beets, grains, corn, etc. are grown in Colorado.

The mining industry is also very developed in this region. For the first time, gold and silver were discovered in the Rocky Mountains back in 1850, however, the mining of these valuable metals is still ongoing. Although at the moment molybdenum mining, gasoline and steel production in Colorado are more significant and profitable.

Translated from Spanish, the name of the state translates as “painted red.” This name was given to these lands in honor of the Colorado River of the same name, the water of which had a reddish color due to the stones covering its bottom. Colorado is often called the “Century State,” as it became a US state in 1876 on the 100th anniversary of the famous “Declaration of Independence.”

Cities in Colorado

Colorado Photos

The state of Colorado (Colorado, area 269.8 thousand sq. km) is located in the Rocky Mountains, north of New Mexico, and is part of the group of so-called “Mountain States”. The territory of the “State of the Century” lies almost entirely in mountainous terrain - the Rocky Mountain ranges stretch from north to south along its entire length (Front Range, Sangre de Cristo, San Juan, etc., highest point- Mount Elbert, 4399 m), from which many rivers originate (North Platte, South Platte, Arkansas, Rio Grande del Norte, San Juan, Colorado, Yampa, etc.). This is the highest part of the Rocky Mountains - there are about 550 peaks whose height is more than 4000 meters, and 54 mountains exceed 4270 meters, while the territory of the state never falls below 1000 meters above sea level (the highest low point- 1010 m, located in the valley of the Arikari River). To the east of the chain of mountains stretches a strip of elevated Colorado eastern, or High, plains (elevation from 1010 to 2000 m), and to the west begins the vast Colorado Plateau, stretching into Arizona, Utah and New Mexico (area 337 thousand sq. km) . Mountain slopes from the east for the most part covered with coniferous forests, at the foot - steppes. Western slopes and the plateaus are noticeably drier - there are more semi-deserts and wastelands, and dense forests often replace thickets of dry bushes and woodlands. The weather here is typical for mountainous regions of a temperate climate - summers are long and warm, in winter the temperature often drops to zero and below, and snow falls in the mountains. However, the state is characterized by very high weather variability - at any time of the year, within one day, the temperature can change by 15-20 ° C, a sudden storm or snowstorm can occur, or a long dry period can occur, also abruptly giving way to heavy rains.

The capital and largest city of the state of Colorado was founded on November 22, 1858 as a gold mining settlement. The metropolis (area 401.2 sq. km), which the Americans themselves call “The Mile-High City,” actually lies at an altitude of approximately 1,609 meters above sea level, between the eastern slopes of the Front Range and the High Plains. A major regional center of culture and commerce and simply quite a colorful city, Denver is easily recognizable by its clear geometric grid of streets and the skyscrapers of the CBD towering above them and the peaks of the nearby Rocky Mountains rising like a wall across the horizon.

20 km southwest of Denver lies the town of Morrison- one of the most important archaeological and paleontological sites in the country (the fossilized remains of more than 70 species of dinosaurs were discovered here).

However, most tourists visit Denver not for its parks and museums - more than 40 million people a year come here to ski, rock climb, trek, or aquatic species sports in the mountainous areas north and west of the city. Almost the entire northern part of the state is one large resort area, full of mountain hotels, boarding houses, sports centers, national parks and other elements active rest. 25 miles northwest of Denver lies a vibrant student and resort town Boulder. A quarter of its population are students, and another quarter work in the scientific field - in addition to the University of Colorado with its Museum of Natural History (more than 4 million exhibits), the National Center for Atmospheric Research is located, which houses some of the best supercomputers (and programmers!) in the world. planet, Buddhist (sic!) Institute and Naropa Museum, Center for Astrophysics and space research(CASA), Laboratory of Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP), National Snow and Ice Research Center and other organizations. And to the northwest begin the resort areas of the Rocky Mountains and the territory of the national park of the same name.

The Summit Country area is known for its ski resorts of Keystone, Vail and Aspen, all of which are internationally renowned. Located 300 km west of Denver in the beautiful Elk Mountains, Aspen considered the most diverse mountain resort North America, offering a full range of winter and summer fun. Around the town you can find such popular recreation areas as Aspen Mountain with its 289 hectares wild forest and 30 hectares of ski areas, resort Buttermilk Mountain(3 km west of Aspen) with world-class snowboarding areas, Snowmass(19 km northwest of Aspen) with a mountain golf course and 20 miles of groomed trails and ski trails, Woody Creek and Roaring Fork River - great places for hiking, jogging, cycling, fishing and river rafting, the peaks and lakes of Maroon Bell offer some of the most beautiful scenery in the region, historical city Ashcroft with more than 32 km hiking trails and ski trails that often pass right through the abandoned town, the White River National Forest (33,400 hectares) and the Hunter Fryingpen and Collegiate Peaks wilderness areas, replete with lakes and mountain peaks, where you are more likely to encounter elk or lynx, than with tourists.

In addition to the trails themselves, in Aspen you can find the Environmental Research Center with a small (10 hectares) nature reserve, Historical Museum in the home of "Silver Baron" Jerome Wheeler (1888), the Museum of Art, as well as countless restaurants and shops. Also deservedly famous are the mountain complexes of Arapahoe Basin, Copper Mountain, Breckenridge, Beaver Creek, Howelsen (the oldest ski resort in Colorado and home to the largest ski jumping and ski acrobatics complex), family resort Silver Creek, St. Mary's Glacier (altitude up to 3300 m), Loveland Basin, as well as the resorts of Steamboat with its "Ski Town" and Ski Sunlight with the largest complex of thermal springs in the region.

Also very popular are the red “towers” ​​of the weathered sandstone of the Garden of the Gods, the beautiful landscapes around the old railway Pikes Peak-Coag, Mesa Verde National Park (area 21 thousand hectares, included in the List World Heritage UNESCO) with its cave cities unique Anasazi culture (XI-XIII centuries AD), Black Canyon in national park Gunnison with its 85-kilometer river gorge, the area of ​​​​fantastic red canyons, pillars and cliffs of the Colorado Dinosaur National Monument (some of the largest deposits of fossilized remains of reptiles), Great Sands Dunes National Park with the highest sand dunes on the continent and the ruins of the ancient Indian civilization of the Hovenweep Reserve, as well as the huge Royal Gorge suspension bridge (total height 321 m - the highest suspension bridge in the world) over the Arkansas River canyon near the city of Cacon.

Denver is the largest city and capital of the state of Colorado. Denver is located in the central part of the United States between the Rocky Mountains in the west and the High Plains in the east. The city covers an area of ​​more than 400 sq. km. and is located 1609 meters above sea level. Denver is often called the “Mile High City.” According to 2013 estimates, Denver's population is 649 thousand residents. The total number of residents living in the Denver metropolitan area exceeds 2.5 million.

Denver is a relatively young city. It was founded in 1858 by gold miners from Kansas on the site where they found gold. Prospectors hoping to gain political advantage named the mining camp "Denver" after Kansas Governor James Denver. However, by that time the governor had already left his post (unbeknownst to the gold miners), and the decision on the name did not provide any practical preferences. The site of modern Denver was originally occupied by 3 independent cities, but in 1859, in exchange for a barrel of whiskey, the name Denver became common to all. In 1861, Denver received city status.

The geographical location seriously influenced the city's economy. As the largest city within a 500-mile radius, Denver has become an important logistics hub. It is the most important transport hub for supplying the “mountain states” (Arizona, Colorado, Montana, Nevada, Idaho, New Mexico, Wyoming), in addition, Denver is located halfway between major cities in the Midwest (Chicago, St. Louis) and the cities West Coast USA. Denver International Airport is the 4th busiest airport in the United States and 10th busiest in the world.

Denver's top attractions

  • Colorado State Capitol
  • Denver Art Museum
  • LoDo Historic District
  • Confluence Park
  • Denver Zoo (4th most popular in the US)
  • Denver Museum of Nature and Science, one of the largest museums in the USA
  • Denver Botanic Gardens
  • Red Rocks Amphitheater
  • Buffalo Bill Museum

70 miles from Denver is the most important attraction of Colorado - Rocky Mountain National Park.

According to 2013 estimates, Denver is 53% white, 31% Hispanic, 9% African American, 3% Asian. More than 70% of residents speak English as their first language, with 23.5% speaking Spanish at home. 14% of the population is of German origin, 10% is Irish, 9% is English, 4% is Italian. According to American statistics, 18.7% of the population lives below the poverty line.

The climate in Denver is characterized as semi-desert, continental, with distinctly different seasons. Winters can be both mild and cold. Despite the fact that the mountains to the west of the city receive a lot of snow and the air is colder, winter in Denver itself is milder. Snow can fall from October to April but usually does not last long. In the summer, Denver has relatively low air humidity, warm during the day and comfortable in the evenings. Overall, Denver has over 300 days of sunshine per year, and more annual hours of sunshine than Miami and San Diego!

Colorado State Map:

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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 created 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 succession) State slogan: Nothing without Providence Formal name: State of Colorado Most Big city state: Denver State capital: Denver Population: more than 4.6 million people (22nd in the country). Area: 269.8 thousand sq. km. (8th place in the country.) More big cities in state: Colorado Springs, Aurora, Lakewood, Fort Collins, Thornton, Westminster, Arvada, Pueblo, Centenial, Boulder, Greeley, Longmont, Loveland, Grand Junction.

History of Colorado

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). Central Colorado was ceded to the United States in 1845, and West Side- 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 Civil War most of the gold miners were on the side of 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 the mining industry, Agriculture and tourism.

Geography of Colorado

Colorado is one of three states (along with Wyoming and Utah), all of whose borders are parallels and meridians, and, like Wyoming, forms simply a “rectangle” (more precisely, a sector 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. South part states are not always warmer than the north. 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: eastern plains and 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.