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Colorado Facts

Colorado Facts
The State of Colorado is located in the Mountain States, Southwestern and Western United States. It is the 8th largest state in size encompassing 104,094 square miles. Colorado is the 22nd most populated state with approximately 5,268,367 people. Colorado encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, and the northeastern Colorado Plateau. Colorado was named after the Colorado River, named Rio Colorado by Spanish explorers. Colorado was admitted to the Union in 1876, making it the 38th state. It is considered to be the Centennial State because it joined during the United States Declaration of Independence's centennial year.
Interesting Colorado Facts:
The name Colorado originates from the Spanish language meaning colored ruby or red.
Colorado's capital is Denver.
Colorado shares state borders with Wyoming, Nebraska, Kansas, New Mexico, Utah, Arizona, and Oklahoma.
Colorado is one of the four states that meet at the Four Corners. At this spot, a person can stand in four different states at the same time. The four states include Colorado, Arizona, Utah, and New Mexico.
Colorado is made up of mountains, desert, high plains, canyons, mesas, rivers and plateaus.
Colorado's motto is Nil sine Numine which means 'Nothing without Providence'.
Colorado's state flower is the Rocky Mountain columbine.
Its state tree is the Colorado blue spruce.
Its gemstone, as of 1971, is aquamarine.
The state song is 'Where the Columbines Grow'.
Colorado's nickname is the Centennial State.
Colorado has 64 counties, 1 state forest and 44 state parks.
Colorado Springs is home to the United States Air Force Academy.
The longest continuous street in America is Colfax Avenue in Denver, Colorado.
"America the Beautiful", written by Katherine Lee Bates, was inspired by the view from Pikes Peak.
Each year, more than a hundred thousand Valentines are re-mailed from Loveland, Colorado.
Deer Trail, Colorado was home to the World's First Rodeo in 1869.
The Melon Capital of the World is Rocky Ford, Colorado.
Glenwood Springs, Colorado is home to the world's largest natural hot springs pool. It is two blocks long and across the road from Hotel Colorado, a historic building and favorite Teddy Roosevelt stop.
The Gregory Lode, a gold deposit in a gulch near Central City, was discovered in 1859 by John Gregory. The population grew to 10,000 in only two months after the discovery.
Colorado industry today includes tourism, scientific instruments, food processing, machinery, transportation equipment, mining, and chemical products.
Colorado agriculture includes hay, corn, dairy, wheat and cattle.
The only state to ever turn down the opportunity to host the Olympics is Colorado, in 1976. The decision was made because of the fear of cost, population increase and the pollution.
Denver, Colorado has claim to the home of the invention of the cheeseburger. The name 'Cheeseburger' was trademarked in 1935 to Louis Ballast.
More than one-third of the land in Colorado is owned by the United States Government.
The highest auto-tunnel in the world is the Dwight Eisenhower Memorial Tunnel between Summit counties and Clear Creek. It has more than 26,000 vehicles pass through each day.
Colorado's main tourist attractions include Rocky Mountain National Park, Mesa Verde National Park, Dinosaur National Monuments, the Black Canyon and Gunnison National Park.


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