Colorado Theme
State of Colorado
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| Nickname | The Centennial State |
|---|---|
| Motto | Nil sine numine (Nothing without providence) |
| Demonym | Coloradan |
| Capital | Denver |
| Largest city | Denver |
| Largest metro area | Denver-Aurora-Broomfield MSA |
| Area | Ranked: 8th in the US
Total: 104,094 sq miWidth: 380 miles Length: 280 miles Water: 0.36% |
| Population | Ranked: 22nd in the US Total: 5,029,196 (2010) Density: 48.31/sq mi Median: income $56,993 (13th) |
| Elevation | Highest Point: Mount Elbert 14,440 ft Mean: 6,800 ft Lowest Point: Arikaree River 3,317 ft |
| Before statehood | Colorado Territory |
| Admission to Union | August 1, 1876 (38th State) |
State Symbols
| Bird | Lark Bunting |
|---|---|
| Fish | Greenback Cutthroat Trout |
| Flower | Rocky Mountain Columbine |
| Grass | Blue Grama Grass |
| Insect | Colorado Hairstreak Butterfly |
| Mammal | Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep |
| Reptile | Western Painted Turtle |
| Tree | Colorado Blue Spruce |
| Dance | Square Dance |
| Fossil | Stegosaurus |
| Gemstone | Aquamarine |
| Mineral | Rhodochrosite |
| Rock | Yule Marble |
| Soil | Seitz |
| Songs | Where the Columbines Grow Rocky Mountain High |
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains. Colorado is part of the Western United States, the Mountain States, and the Southwestern United States.
The state was named for the Colorado River, which early Spanish explorers named the Rio Colorado for the red colored (Spanish: Colorado) silt the river carried from the mountains. In 1861, Jefferson Territorial officials decided that “Colorado” would be a fitting name for a new territory. Colorado is nicknamed the “Centennial State” because it was admitted to the Union as the 38th state in 1876, the centennial year of the United States Declaration of Independence.
Colorado is bordered by the northwest state of Wyoming to the north, the midwest states of Nebraska and Kansas to the northeast and east, on the south by New Mexico and a small portion of the southern state of Oklahoma, and on the west by Utah. The four states of Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah meet at one common point known as the Four Corners, which is known as the heart of the American Southwest. Colorado is one of only three U.S. states with no natural borders, the others being neighboring Wyoming and Utah.
Colorado is noted for its vivid landscape of mountains, plains, mesas, canyons, plateaus, rivers, and desert lands. The United States Census 2010 tallied the state population at 5,029,196 as of April 1, 2010, an increase of +16.92% since the United States Census 2000. Denver is the capital and the most populous city of Colorado. Residents of the state are properly known as “Coloradans”, although the archaic term “Coloradoan” is still used.
Silly Joke
Sammy: I shot the rapids on the Colorado River.Tammy: Did they stop?
Sammy: No. I only used a water pistol!
Members
Now, time for a quick shout out to everyone on Atlas Quest from this state!
Letterboxing Cities
And, here are all of the cities in Colorado we’ve hit with letterboxes!