Colorado

This article is about the U.S. state of Colorado. For the former U.S. territory, see Colorado Territory. For the river, see Colorado River. For the physiographic region, see Colorado Plateau.

State of Colorado
Flag of Colorado State seal of Colorado Flag Seal
Nickname(s): The Centennial State
Motto(s): Nil sine numine (Nothing without providence)
Map of the United States with Colorado highlighted Map of the United States with Colorado highlighted
Demonym	Coloradan or Coloradoan (archaic)
Capital (and largest city)	Denver
Largest metro area	Denver-Aurora-Broomfield MSA
Area	Ranked 8th in the U.S.
- Total	104,094 sq mi (269,837 km2)
- Width	380 miles (612 km)
- Length	280 miles (451 km)
- % water	0.36%
- Latitude	37°N to 41°N
- Longitude	102°03'W to 109°03'W
Population	Ranked 22nd in the U.S.
- Total	5,116,796 (2011 estimate)
- Density	49.3/sq mi  (19.0/km2) Ranked 37th in the U.S.
- Median household income	$56,993 (13th)
Elevation
- Highest point	Mount Elbert 14,440 ft (4401.2 m)
- Mean	6,800 ft  (2070 m)
- Lowest point	Arikaree River 3,316 ft (1011 m)
Admission to Union	August 1, 1876 (38th State)
Governor	John Hickenlooper (D)
Lieutenant Governor	Joseph A. Garcia (D)
Legislature	General Assembly
- Upper house	Senate
- Lower house	House of Representatives
U.S. Senators	2 – Mark Udall (D) 3 – Michael Bennet (D)
U.S. House delegation	4 Republicans and 3 Democrats (list)
Time zone	MST=UTC -07, MDT=UTC -06
Abbreviations	CO Colo. US-CO

Colorado ( /kɒləˈrædoʊ/) (in Spanish means colored, red) 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 Southwestern United States, and the Mountain States. Colorado is the 8th most extensive and the 22nd most populous of the 50 United States. The United States Census Bureau estimates that the population of Colorado was 5,116,796 on July 1, 2011, an increase of +1.74% since the 2010 United States Census.

The state was named for the Colorado River, which early Spanish explorers named the Río Colorado for the red colored (Template:Lang-es) silt the river carried from the mountains. On August 1, 1876, U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant signed a proclamation admitting Colorado as the 38th state. Colorado is nicknamed the "Centennial State" because it was admitted to the Union 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 a small portion of the southern state of Oklahoma, on the west by Utah, and Arizona to the southwest. 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, forests, high plains, mesas, canyons, plateaus, rivers, and desert lands.

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.

Geography

The borders of Colorado were originally defined to be lines of latitude and longitude, making its shape a latitude-longitude* quadrangle which stretches from 37°N to 41°N latitude and from 102°03'W to 109°03'W longitude (25°W to 32°W from the Washington Meridian). Colorado, Wyoming and Utah are the only states which have boundaries defined solely by lines of latitude and longitude. When placing the border markers for the Territory of Colorado, minor surveying errors resulted in several small kinks, most notably along the border with the Territory of Utah. Once agreed upon by the federal, state, and territorial governments, those surveyors' benchmarks, became the legal boundaries for the Colorado Territory, kinks and all.

Mountains

File:Tenmile Fletcher Group.jpg

The Tenmile Range near Leadville.

The summit of Mount Elbert at Template:Convert/ft in elevation in Lake County is the highest point of Colorado and the Rocky Mountains. Colorado is the only U.S. state that lies entirely above Template:Convert/m elevation. The point where the Arikaree River flows out of Yuma County, Colorado, and into Cheyenne County, Kansas, is the lowest point in Colorado at Template:Convert/ft elevation. This point, which holds the distinction of being the highest low elevation point of any state, is higher than the high elevation points of 18 states and the District of Columbia.

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Mountains and Lakes near Breckenridge.

Plains

A little over one third of the area of Colorado is flat and rolling land. East of the Rocky Mountains are the Colorado Eastern Plains of the High Plains, the section of the Great Plains within Colorado at elevations ranging from roughly Template:Convert/to. The Colorado plains are usually thought of as prairies, but actually they have many patches of deciduous forests, buttes, and canyons, much like the high plains in New Mexico as well. Eastern Colorado is presently mainly covered in farmland, along with small farming villages and towns. Precipitation is fair, averaging from Template:Convert/to annually. Corn, wheat, hay, soybeans, and oats are all typical crops, and most of the villages and towns in this region boast both a water tower and a grain elevator. As well as the farming of crops, Eastern Colorado has a good deal of livestock raising, such as at cattle ranches and hog farms and irrigation water is available from the South Platte, the Arkansas River, and a few other streams, and also from subterranean sources, including artesian wells. However, heavy use of ground water from wells for irrigation has caused underground water reserves to decline.

Front range

File:Condiv.JPG

Front Range Peaks west of Denver.

Most of Colorado's population resides along the eastern edge of the Rocky Mountains in the Front Range Urban Corridor between Cheyenne, Wyoming, and Pueblo, Colorado. This region is partially protected from prevailing storms that blow in from the Pacific Ocean region by the high Rockies in the middle of Colorado. The only other significant population centers are at Grand Junction and Durango in far western and southwestern Colorado.

Continental Divide

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The Continental Divide dips down to Template:Convert/ft at Loveland Pass.

File:Mountains of Colorado.jpg

View from near the summit of Mount Sherman near the Continental Divide.

File:Mt Herard sand.JPG

The tallest sand dunes in North America in Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve in southern Colorado.

The Continental Divide extends along the crest of the Rocky Mountains. The area of Colorado to the west of the Continental Divide is called the Western Slope of Colorado. Drainage water west of the Continental Divide flows to the southwest via the Colorado River and the Green River into the Gulf of California.

Within the interior of the Rocky Mountains are several large so-called "parks" or high broad basins. In the north, on the east side of the Continental Divide is the North Park of Colorado. The North Park is drained by the North Platte River, which flows north into Wyoming and Nebraska. Just to the south of North Park, but on the western side of the Continental Divide, is the Middle Park of Colorado, which is drained by the Colorado River. The South Park of Colorado is the region of the headwaters of the South Platte River.

Southern region

In southmost Colorado is the large San Luis Valley, where the headwaters of the Rio Grande are located. The valley sits between the Sangre De Cristo Mountains and San Juan Mountains, and consists of large desert lands that eventually run into the mountains. The Rio Grande drains due south into New Mexico, Mexico, and Texas. Across the Sangre de Cristo Range to the east of the San Luis Valley lies the Wet Mountain Valley. These basins, particularly the San Luis Valley, lie along the Rio Grande Rift, a major geological formation of the Rocky Mountains, and its branches.

Peaks

File:Mount Elbert2.JPG

Mount Elbert is the highest peak of the Rocky Mountains.

File:Longspeakco.JPG

Longs Peak in the Front Range is the highest peak in Rocky Mountain National Park.

To the west of Great Plains of Colorado rises the eastern slope of the Rocky Mountains. Notable peaks of the Rocky Mountains include Longs Peak, Mount Evans, Pikes Peak, and the Spanish Peaks near Walsenburg, in southern Colorado. This area drains to the east and the southeast, ultimately either via the Mississippi River or the Rio Grande into the Gulf of Mexico.

The Rocky Mountains within Colorado contain about 54 peaks that are Template:Convert/ft or higher in elevation above sea level, known as fourteeners. These mountains are largely covered with trees such as conifers and aspens up to the tree line, at an elevation of about Template:Convert/ft in southern Colorado to about Template:Convert/ft in northern Colorado. Above this only alpine vegetation grows. Only small parts of the Colorado Rockies are snow-covered year round. Much of the alpine snow melts by mid-August with the exception of a few snowcapped peaks and a few small glaciers. The Colorado Mineral Belt, stretching from the San Juan Mountains in the southwest to Boulder and Central City on the front range, contains most of the historic gold- and silver-mining districts of Colorado. Mount Elbert is the highest summit of the Rocky Mountains. The 30 highest major summits of the Rocky Mountains of North America all lie within the state.

Colorado Western Slope

Template:Wide image The Western Slope of Colorado is drained by the Colorado River and its tributaries (primarily the Green River and the San Juan River), or by evaporation in its arid areas. Prominent in the southwestern area of the Western Slope is the Grand Mesa and the high San Juan Mountains, a rugged mountain range, and to the west of the San Juan Mountains, the Colorado Plateau, a high arid region that borders Southern Utah. The city of Grand Junction, Colorado, is the largest city on the Western Slope, Grand Junction and Durango are the only major centers of radio and television broadcasting, newspapers, and higher education on the Western Slope. Colorado Mesa University in Grand Junction, Western State College of Colorado in Gunnison, and Fort Lewis College in Durango are the only four-year colleges in Colorado west of the Continental Divide.

File:Glennwood.JPG

The walls of Glenwood Canyon.

Grand Junction is located along Interstate 70, the only major highway of Western Colorado. Grand Junction is also along the major railroad of the Western Slope, the Union Pacific, which also provides the tracks for Amtrak's California Zephyr passenger train, which crosses the Rocky Mountains between Denver and Grand Junction via a route on which there are no continuous highways.

File:Lake CO.JPG

Hanging Lake near Glenwood Springs.

To the southeast of Grand Junction is the Grand Mesa, said to be the world's largest flat-topped mountain. Other towns of the Western Slope include Glenwood Springs with its resort hot springs, and the ski resorts of Aspen, Breckenridge, Vail, Crested Butte, Steamboat Springs, and Telluride.

The northwestern corner of Colorado is a sparsely-populated region, and it contains part of the noted Dinosaur National Monument, which is not only a paleontological area, but is also a scenic area of high, rocky hills, canyons, and streambeads. Here, the Green River briefly crosses over into Colorado.

File:DNM Morrison.jpg

Dinosaur National Monument

From west to east, the land of Colorado consists of desert lands and desert plateaus, then alpine mountains with National Forests, then some scattered desert land in the southern mountain areas in the state, and then the relatively-flat grasslands and scattered forests of the Great Plains. The famous Pikes Peak is located just west of Colorado Springs. Its isolated peak is visible from nearly the Kansas border on clear days, and also far to the north and the south. The desert lands in Colorado are located in and around areas such as, the Royal Gorge, Pueblo, Canon City, Florence, Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, San Luis Valley, Cortez, Canyon of the Ancients National Monument, Hovenweep National Monument, Ute Mountain, Delta, Grand Junction, Colorado National Monument, Roan Plateau, and other areas surrounding the Uncompahgre Plateau and Uncompahgre National Forest.

Colorado is one of four states in the United States that share a common geographic point the Four Corners together with Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. At this intersection, it is possible to stand in four states at once.

See also: Colorado cities and towns, Colorado counties, Colorado municipalities, Colorado rivers, and Four Corners Monument

Climate

File:Bearlakeinspring2.jpg

Spring melt at Bear Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park.

The climate of Colorado is more complex than states outside of the Mountain States region. Unlike most other states, southern Colorado is not always warmer than northern Colorado. Most of Colorado is made up of mountains, foothills, high plains, and desert lands. Mountains and surrounding valleys greatly affect local climate. As a general rule, with an increase in elevation comes a decrease in temperature and an increase in precipitation. Northeast, east, and southeast Colorado are mostly the high plains, while Northern Colorado is a mix of high plains, foothills, and mountains. Northwest and west Colorado are predominantly mountainous, with some desert lands mixed in. Southwest and southern Colorado are a complex mixture of desert and mountain areas.

Eastern Plains

File:PivotWithDrops.JPG

Center pivot irrigation of wheat growing in Yuma County.

File:Aerial view of eastern Colorado, 2012 IMG 5981.JPG

Aerial view of eastern Colorado

The climate of the Eastern Plains is semi-arid (Köppen climate classification BSk) with low humidity and moderate precipitation, usually from Template:Convert/to annually. The area is known for its abundant sunshine and cool clear nights, which give this area a great average diurnal temperature range. The difference between the highs of the day and the cool of nights can be considerable as warmth dissipates to the space during clear nights, the heat radiation not being trapped by clouds. Denver has one of the highest number of annual sunshine hours and clear days of major cities in the United States, the sunshine hours being compareable to Miami, Florida. The climate of Colorado is well suited for the utilization of evaporative coolers and solar hot water.

In summer, this area can have many days above Template:Convert/°F and often Template:Convert/°F. On the plains, the winter lows usually range from 25 °F (−3.5 °C) to -10 °F (−23 °C). About 75% of the precipitation falls within the growing season, from April to September, but this area is very prone to droughts. Most of the precipitation comes from thunderstorms, which can be severe, and from major snowstorms that occur in the winter, and early spring. Otherwise, winters tend to be mostly dry and cold. In much of the region, March is the snowiest month. April and May are normally the rainiest months, while April is the wettest month overall. The Front Range cities closer to the mountains tend to be warmer in the winter due to chinook winds which warm the area, sometimes bringing temperatures of Template:Convert/°F or higher in the winter. The average July temperature is Template:Convert/°F in the morning and Template:Convert/°F in the afternoon. The average January temperature is Template:Convert/°F in the morning and Template:Convert/°F in the afternoon, although variation between consecutive days can be 40 °F (22 °C).

West of the plains and foothills

File:GrandJunctionTrip92007013.jpg

View of the Western Slope from Grand Junction.

West of the plains and foothills, the weather of Colorado is much less uniform. Even places a few miles apart can experience entirely different weather depending on the topography of the area. Most valleys have a semi-arid climate, which becomes an alpine climate at higher elevations. Humid microclimates also exist in some areas. Generally, the wettest season in western Colorado is winter while June is the driest month. The mountains have mild summers with many days of high temperatures between Template:Convert/°F and Template:Convert/°F, although thunderstorms can cause sudden but brief drops in temperature. The winters bring abundant, powdery snowfall to the mountains with plenty of sunshine in between major storms. The western slope has high summer temperatures similar to those found on the plains, while the winters tend to be slightly cooler due to the lack of warming winds common to the plains and Front Range. Other areas in the west have their own unique climate.

Extreme weather

File:October Snow in Colorado.jpg

Snow highlights the rugged mountains as well as the urban and agricultural landscapes of the Colorado plains.

Extreme weather changes are common in Colorado, although the majority of extreme weather occurs in the least populated areas of the state. Thunderstorms are common east of the Continental divide in the spring and summer yet usually brief. Hail is a common sight in the mountains east of the divide and in the northwest part of the state. The Eastern Plains have had some of the biggest hail storms in North America. Also the Eastern Plains are part of the extreme western portion of Tornado Alley, some damaging tornadoes in the Eastern Plains include the 1990 Limon F3 tornado and the 2008 Windsor EF3 tornado, which devastated the town. The plains are also susceptible to occasional floods, which are caused both by thunderstorms and by the rapid melting of snow in the mountains during warm weather. Denver's record in 1921 for the number of consecutive days above Template:Convert/°F was broken during the summer of 2008. The new record of 24 consecutive days surpassed the previous record by almost a week. Much of Colorado is a very dry state averaging only Template:Convert/in of precipitation per year statewide and rarely experiences a time when some portion of the state is not in some degree of drought. The lack of precipitation contributes to the severity of wildfires in the state such as the Hayman Fire, one of the largest wildfires in American history, and the Fourmile Canyon Fire of 2010, which until the Waldo Canyon Fire of June 2012 was the most destructive wildfire in Colorado's recorded history.

However, there are some of the mountainous regions of Colorado which receive a huge amount of moisture via winter snowfalls. The spring melts of these snows often cause great waterflows in such rivers as the Yampa River, the Grand River, the Colorado River, the Rio Grande, the Arkansas River, Cherry Creek, the North Platte River, and the South Platte River. Water flowing out of the Colorado Rocky Mountains is a very significant source of water for the farms, towns, and cities of fellow southwest states of New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, Nevada, as well as midwest like Nebraska and Kansas, and also southern states like Oklahoma and Texas. A significant amount of water is also diverted for use in California; occasionally (formerly naturally and consistently) the flow of water reaches northern Mexico.

Records

The highest temperature recorded in Colorado is Template:Convert/°F on July 11, 1888, at Bennett, whereas the lowest is Template:Convert/°F on February 1, 1985, at Maybell.

Monthly normal high and low temperatures for various Colorado cities (°F)

City	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Alamosa	35/−2	40/6	51/17	60/24	70/33	79/41	83/47	80/46	73/37	62/25	47/12	36/1
Colorado Springs	43/18	45/20	52/26	60/33	69/43	79/51	85/57	82/56	75/47	63/36	51/25	42/18
Denver	44/19	46/21	54/27	61/35	71/44	82/53	89/59	86/58	78/49	65/37	52/26	43/18
Grand Junction	38/18	46/25	57/32	66/39	76/48	88/57	94/64	90/62	81/53	67/41	51/29	39/19
Pueblo	47/14	51/18	60/26	68/34	77/44	88/53	93/59	90/58	82/48	70/34	57/23	46/14

Earthquakes

On August 22, 2011, a 5.3 magnitude earthquake occurred nine miles WSW of the city of Trinidad. No casualties and only small damage was reported. It was the second largest earthquake in Colorado. A magnitude 5.7 earthquake was recorded in 1973.

History

File:Mesa-Verde---Cliff-Palace-in 1891 - edit1.jpg

The ruins of the Cliff Palace at Mesa Verde as photographed by Gustaf Nordenskiöld in 1891.

Main article: History of Colorado

The region that is today the state of Colorado has been inhabited by Native Americans for more than 13,000 years. The Lindenmeier Site in Larimer County contains artifacts dating from approximately 11200 BC to 3000 BC. The eastern edge of the Rocky Mountains was a major migration route that was important to the spread of early peoples throughout the Americas. The Ancient Pueblo Peoples lived in the valleys and mesas of the Colorado Plateau. The Ute Nation inhabited the mountain valleys of the Southern Rocky Mountains and the Western Rocky Mountains. The Arapaho Nation and the Cheyenne Nation moved west to hunt across the High Plains.

The United States acquired a territorial claim to the eastern flank of the Rocky Mountains with the Louisiana Purchase from France in 1803. This U.S. claim conflicted with the claim of Spain to a huge region surrounding its colony of Santa Fé de Nuevo Méjico as its sovereign trading zone with native peoples. Zebulon Pike led a U.S. Army reconnaissance expedition into the disputed region in 1806. Colonel Pike and his men were arrested by Spanish cavalrymen in the San Luis Valley the following February, taken to Chihuahua, and then expelled from Mexico the following July.

File:Beol court25.jpg

Bent's Old Fort operated along the Arkansas River from 1833 to 1849.

The United States relinquished its claim to all land south and west of the Arkansas River and south of 42nd parallel north and west of the 100th meridian west as part of its purchase of Florida from Spain with the Adams-Onís Treaty of 1819. The treaty took effect February 22, 1821. Having settled its border with Spain, the United States admitted the southeastern portion of the Territory of Missouri to the Union as the state of Missouri on August 10, 1821. The remainder of the Missouri Territory, including what would become northeastern Colorado, became unorganized territory, and would remain so for 33 years over the question of slavery. After 11 years of war, Spain finally recognized the independence of Mexico with the Treaty of Córdoba signed on August 24, 1821. Mexico eventually ratified the Adams-Onís Treaty in 1831. The Texian Revolt of 1835–1836 fomented a dispute between the United States and Mexico which eventually erupted into the Mexican-American War in 1846. Mexico surrendered its northern territory to the United States with the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo at the conclusion of the war in 1848.

Most American settlers traveling overland west to the Oregon Country, the new goldfields of California, or the new Mormon settlements of Deseret in the Salt Lake Valley, avoided the rugged Southern Rocky Mountains, and instead followed the North Platte River and Sweetwater River to South Pass, the lowest crossing of the Continental Divide between the Southern Rocky Mountains and the Central Rocky Mountains. In 1849, the Mormons of the Salt Lake Valley organized the extralegal State of Deseret, claiming the entire Great Basin and all lands drained by the Green, Grand, and Colorado rivers. The federal government of the United States flatly refused to recognize the new Mormon government, because it was theocratic and sanctioned plural marriage. Instead, the Compromise of 1850 divided the Mexican Cession and the northwestern claims of Texas into a new state and two new territories, the state of California, the Territory of New Mexico, and the Territory of Utah. On April 9, 1851, Mexican American settlers from the area of Taos settled the village of San Luis, then in the New Mexico Territory, later to become Colorado's first permanent Euro-American settlement.

In 1854, Senator Stephen A. Douglas persuaded the U.S. Congress to divide the unorganized territory east of the Continental Divide into two new organized territories, the Territory of Kansas and the Territory of Nebraska, and an unorganized southern region known as the Indian territory. Each new territory was to decide the fate of slavery within its boundaries, but this compromise merely served to fuel animosity between free soil and pro-slavery factions.

The gold seekers organized the Provisional Government of the Territory of Jefferson on August 24, 1859, but this new territory failed to secure approval from the Congress of the United States embroiled in the debate over slavery. The election of Abraham Lincoln for the President of the United States on November 6, 1860, led to the secession of nine southern slave states and the threat of civil war among the states. Seeking to augment the political power of the Union states, the Republican Party dominated Congress quickly admitted the eastern portion of the Territory of Kansas into the Union as the free State of Kansas on January 29, 1861, leaving the western portion of the Kansas Territory, and its gold-mining areas, as unorganized territory.

Territory act

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The territories of New Mexico, Utah, Kansas, and Nebraska before the creation of the Territory of Colorado.

Thirty days later on February 28, 1861, outgoing U.S. President James Buchanan signed an Act of Congress organizing the free Territory of Colorado. The original boundaries of Colorado remain unchanged today. The name Colorado was chosen because it was commonly believed that the Colorado River originated in the territory. In 1776, Spanish priest Silvestre Vélez de Escalante recorded that Native Americans in the area knew the river as el Rio Colorado for the red-brown silt that the river carried from the mountains. In 1859, a U.S. Army topographic expedition led by Captain John Macomb located the confluence of the Green River with the Grand River in what is now Canyonlands National Park in Utah. The Macomb party designated the confluence as the source of the Colorado River.

On April 12, 1861, South Carolina artillery opened fire on Fort Sumter to start the American Civil War. While many gold seekers held sympathies for the Confederacy, the vast majority remained fiercely loyal to the Union cause.

In 1862, a force of Texas cavalry invaded the Territory of New Mexico and captured Santa Fe on March 10. The object of this Western Campaign was to seize or disrupt the gold fields of Colorado and California and to seize ports on the Pacific Ocean for the Confederacy. A hastily organized force of Colorado volunteers force-marched from Denver City, Colorado Territory, to Glorieta Pass, New Mexico Territory, in an attempt to block the Texans. On March 28, the Coloradans and local New Mexico volunteers stopped the Texans at the Battle of Glorieta Pass, destroyed their cannon and supply wagons, and ran off 500 head of their horses and mules. The Texans were forced to retreat to Santa Fe. Having lost the supplies for their campaign and finding little support in New Mexico, the Texans abandoned Santa Fe and returned to San Antonio in defeat. The Confederacy made no further attempts to seize the Southwestern United States.

In 1864, Territorial Governor John Evans appointed the Reverend John Chivington as Colonel of the Colorado Volunteers with orders to protect white settlers from Cheyenne and Arapaho warriors who were accused of stealing cattle. Colonel Chivington ordered his men to attack a band of Cheyenne and Arapaho encamped along Sand Creek. Chivington reported that his troops killed more than 500 warriors. The militia returned to Denver City in triumph, but several officers reported that the so called battle was a blatant massacre of Indians at peace, that most of the dead were women and children, and that bodies of the dead had been mutilated and desecrated in hideous manner. Three U.S. Army inquiries condemned the action, and incoming President Andrew Johnson asked Governor Evans for his resignation, but none of the perpetrators was ever punished.

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Mount of the Holy Cross was photographed by William Henry Jackson in 1874

In the midst and aftermath of Civil War, many discouraged prospectors returned to their homes, but a determined few stayed on to develop mines, mills, farms, ranches, roads, and towns in the Territory. On September 14, 1864, James Huff discovered silver near Argentine Pass, the first of many silver strikes. In 1867, the Union Pacific Railroad laid its tracks west to Weir, now Julesburg, in the northeast corner of the Territory. The Union Pacific linked up with the Central Pacific Railroad at Promontory Summit, Utah, on May 10, 1869, to form the First Transcontinental Railroad. The Denver Pacific Railway reached Denver in June of the following year, and the Kansas Pacific arrived two months later to forge the second line across the continent. In 1872, rich veins of silver were discovered in the San Juan Mountains on the Ute Indian reservation in southwestern Colorado. The Ute people were removed from the San Juans the following year.

Statehood

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The Georgetown Loop of the Colorado Central Railroad as photographed by William Henry Jackson in 1899

The United States Congress passed an enabling act on March 3, 1875, specifying the requirements for the Territory of Colorado to become a state. On August 1, 1876 (28 days after the Centennial of the United States), U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant signed a proclamation admitting Colorado to the Union as the 38th state and earning it the moniker "Centennial State".

The discovery of a major silver lode near Leadville in 1878, triggered the Colorado Silver Boom. The Sherman Silver Purchase Act of 1890 invigorated silver mining, and Colorado's last, but greatest, gold strike at Cripple Creek a few months later lured a new generation of gold seekers. Colorado women were granted the right to vote beginning on November 7, 1893, making Colorado the second state to grant universal suffrage and the first one by a popular vote (of Colorado men). The repeal of the Sherman Silver Purchase Act in 1893 led to a staggering collapse of the mining and agricultural economy of Colorado, but the state slowly and steadily recovered.

Colorado became the first western state to host a major political convention when the Democratic Party met in Denver in 1908. By the U.S. Census in 1930, the population of Colorado first exceeded one million residents. Colorado suffered greatly through the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl of the 1930s, but a major wave of immigration following World War II boosted Colorado's fortune. Tourism became a mainstay of the state economy, and high technology became an important economic engine. The United States Census Bureau estimated that the population of Colorado exceeded five million in 2009.

Three warships of the U.S. Navy have been named the USS Colorado. The first USS Colorado was named for the Colorado River. The later two ships were named in honor of the state, including the battleship USS Colorado which served in World War II in the Pacific beginning in 1941. At the time of the Attack on Pearl Harbor, this USS Colorado was located at the naval base in San Diego, Calif. and hence went unscathed.

Demographics

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Colorado Population Density Map

Template:US Census population The United States Census Bureau estimates that the population of Colorado was 5,116,796 on July 1, 2011, an increase of 1.74% since the 2010 United States Census. Colorado's most populous city, and capital, is Denver. The Denver-Aurora-Boulder Combined Statistical Area with an estimated 2009 population of 3,110,436, is home to 61.90% of the state's residents.

The largest increases are expected in the Front Range Urban Corridor, especially in the Denver metropolitan area. The state's fastest-growing counties are Douglas and Weld. The center of population of Colorado is located just north of the village of Critchell in Jefferson County.

According to the 2010 U.S. Census, Colorado had a population of 5,029,196. In terms of race and ethnicity, the state was 81.3% White (70.0% Non-Hispanic White Alone), 4.0% Black or African American, 1.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.8% Asian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, 7.2% from Some Other Race, and 3.4% from Two or More Races. Hispanics and Latinos of any race made up 20.7% of the population. According to the 2000 Census, the largest ancestry groups in Colorado are German (22%) including of Swiss and Austrian nationalities, Mexican (18%), Irish (12%), and English (12%). Persons reporting German ancestry are especially numerous in the Front Range, the Rockies (west-central counties) and Eastern parts/High Plains.

Colorado has a high proportion of Hispanic, mostly Mexican-American, citizens in Metropolitan Denver, Colorado Springs, as well as the smaller cities of Greeley and Pueblo, and in many other smaller cities and towns all throughout the state. Colorado is well known for its strong Latino culture and presence. Southern, Southwestern, and Southeastern Colorado has a large number of Hispanos, the descendants of the early Mexican settlers of colonial Spanish origin. In 1940, the Census Bureau reported Colorado's population as 8.2% Hispanic and 90.3% non-Hispanic white. The 2000 United States Census found that 10.5% of people aged five and over in Colorado speak only Spanish at home, with the 2009 estimate being roughly 14%. Colorado also has a large immigration presence all throughout the state, which has led to Colorado cities being referred to as "Sanctuary Cities" for illegal immigrants as well. Colorado has the 4th highest percentage of undocumented people in the U.S., only behind Nevada, Arizona, California, and tied with Texas. An estimated 5.5–6.0% of the state's population is composed of illegal immigrants. Also, over 20% of the state's prisoners are undocumented inmates. Colorado, like New Mexico, is very rich in archaic Spanish idioms.

Colorado also has some large African-American communities located in Denver, in the neighborhoods of Montbello, Green Valley Ranch, Park Hill, Five Points, Whittier, and many other East Denver areas. A relatively large population of African Americans are also found in Colorado Springs on the east and southeast side of the city. African-Americans also make up almost 16% of the population in Aurora. The state has sizable numbers of Asian-Americans of Mongolian, Chinese, Filipino, Korean, Southeast Asian and Japanese descent. The highest population of Asian Americans can be found on the south and southeast side of Denver, as well as some on Denver's southwest side. The Denver metropolitan area is considered more liberal and diverse than much of the state when it comes to political issues and environmental concerns.

There were a total of 70,331 births in Colorado in 2006. (Birth Rate of 14.6). In 2007, non-Hispanic whites were involved in 59.1% of all the births. Some 14.06% of those births involved a non-Hispanic white person and someone of a different race, most often with a couple including one Hispanic. A birth where at least one Hispanic person was involved counted for 43% of the births in Colorado. As of the 2010 Census, Colorado has the seventh highest percentage of Hispanics (20.7%) in the U.S. behind New Mexico (46.3%), California (37.6%), Texas (37.6%), Arizona (29.6%), Nevada (26.5%), and Florida (22.5%). Per the 2000 census, the Hispanic population is estimated to be 918,899 or approximately 20% of the state total population. Colorado has the 4th largest population of Mexican-Americans behind California, Texas, and Arizona. In percentages, Colorado has the 6th highest percentage of Mexican-Americans behind New Mexico, California, Texas, Arizona, and Nevada. As of 2011, 46.2% of Colorado's children under the age of 1 belonged to minority groups.

Religion

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The Chapel on the Rock at Camp Saint Malo near Allenspark.

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The Cadet Chapel at the United States Air Force Academy near Colorado Springs.

Major religious affiliations of the people of Colorado are:

• Christian – 64%
  • Protestant — 44%
    • Evangelical — 23%
    • Mainline — 19%
    • Other Protestant – 2%
  • Roman Catholic — 19%
  • Latter Day Saint / Mormon – 2%
  • Orthodox – 1%
• Jewish – 2%
• Muslim – 1%
• Other Religions – 5%
• Unaffiliated – 25%

The largest denominations by number of adherents in 2000 were the Roman Catholic Church with 752,505; The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints with 92,326 (133,727 year-end 2007) ; and Baptist with 85,083.

At 25%, Colorado also has an above-average proportion of citizens who claim no religion. The U.S. average is 17%.

Health

Colorado also has a reputation for being a state of active and athletic people. According to several studies, Coloradans have the lowest rates of obesity of any state in the US. As of 2007, 18% of the population was considered medically obese, and while the lowest in the nation, the percentage had increased from 17% from 2004. Former Colorado Governor Bill Ritter commented: “As an avid fisherman and bike rider, I know first-hand that Colorado provides a great environment for active, healthy lifestyles,” although he highlighted the need for continued education and support to slow the growth of obesity in the state.

Culture

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History Colorado Center in Denver

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Street art in Denver

• List of museums in Colorado

Fine arts

• Music of Colorado
• Theater in Colorado

Cuisine

Colorado is known for its Southwest and Rocky Mountain cuisine. Mexican restaurants are throughout the state.

Boulder, Colorado was named America’s Foodiest Town 2010 by Bon Appétit. Boulder, and Colorado in general, is home to a number of national food and beverage companies, top-tier restaurants and farmers' markets. Boulder, Colorado also has more Master Sommeliers per capita than any other city, including San Francisco and New York.

The Food & Wine Classic held annually each June in Aspen, Colorado. Aspen also has a reputation as the culinary capital of the Rocky Mountain region.

Denver is known for steak, but now has a diverse culinary scene with many top-tier restaurants.

Wine

Main article: Colorado wine

Colorado wines include award-winning varietals that have attracted favorable notice from outside the state. With wines made from traditional Vitis vinifera grapes along with wines made from cherries, peaches, plums and honey, Colorado wines have won top national and international awards for their quality. Colorado's grape growing regions contain the highest elevation vineyards in the United States, with most viticulture in the state practiced between Template:Convert/ft and Template:Convert/ft feet above sea level. The mountain climate ensures warm summer days and cool nights. Colorado is home to two designated American Viticultural Areas of the Grand Valley AVA and the West Elks AVA, where most of the vineyards in the state are located. However, an increasing number of wineries are located along the Front Range.

Economy

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Denver World Trade Center.
The Denver financial district along 17th Street is known as the Wall Street of the West.

Main article: Economy of Colorado

CNBC's list of "Top States for Business for 2010" has recognized Colorado as the third best state in the nation, falling short to only Texas and Virginia.

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The United States quarter dollar coin released June 14, 2006, in honor of the state of Colorado.

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Corn growing in Larimer County

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Cattle ranching in Jackson County

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An oil well in western Colorado

The Bureau of Economic Analysis estimates that the total state product in 2010 was $257.6 billion. Per capita personal income in 2010 was $51 940, ranking Colorado 11th in the nation. The state's economy broadened from its mid-19th century roots in mining when irrigated agriculture developed, and by the late 19th century, raising livestock had become important. Early industry was based on the extraction and processing of minerals and agricultural products. Current agricultural products are cattle, wheat, dairy products, corn, and hay.

The federal government is also a major economic force in the state with many important federal facilities including NORAD (North American Aerospace Defense Command, United States Air Force Academy, Schriever Air Force Base located approximately 10 miles (16 kilometers) east of Peterson Air Force Base, and Fort Carson, both located in Colorado Springs within El Paso County; NOAA, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in Golden, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology in Boulder; U.S. Geological Survey and other government agencies at the Denver Federal Center near Lakewood; the Denver Mint, Buckley Air Force Base, and 10th Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver; and a federal Supermax Prison and other federal prisons near Cañon City. In addition to these and other federal agencies, Colorado has abundant National Forest land and four National Parks that contribute to federal ownership of Template:Convert/LoffAoffDbSoffNa of land in Colorado, or 37% of the total area of the state. In the second half of the 20th century, the industrial and service sectors have expanded greatly. The state's economy is diversified and is notable for its concentration of scientific research and high-technology industries. Other industries include food processing, transportation equipment, machinery, chemical products, the extraction of metals such as gold (see Gold mining in Colorado), silver, and molybdenum. Colorado now also has the largest annual production of beer of any state. Denver is an important financial center.

A number of nationally known brand names have originated in Colorado factories and laboratories. From Denver came the forerunner of telecommunications giant Qwest in 1879, Samsonite luggage in 1910, Gates belts and hoses in 1911, and Russell Stover Candies in 1923. Kuner canned vegetables began in Brighton in 1864. From Golden came Coors beer in 1873, CoorsTek industrial ceramics in 1920, and Jolly Rancher candy in 1949. CF&I railroad rails, wire, nails and pipe debuted in Pueblo in 1892. Holly Sugar was first milled from beets in Holly in 1905, and later moved its headquarters to Colorado Springs. The present-day Swift packed meat of Greeley evolved from Monfort of Colorado, Inc., established in 1930. Estes model rockets were launched in Penrose in 1958. Fort Collins has been the home of Woodward Governor Company's motor controllers (governors) since 1870, and Waterpik dental water jets and showerheads since 1962. Celestial Seasonings herbal teas have been made in Boulder since 1969. Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory made its first candy in Durango in 1981.

Colorado has a flat 4.63% income tax, regardless of income level. Unlike most states, which calculate taxes based on federal adjusted gross income, Colorado taxes are based on taxable income – income after federal exemptions and federal itemized (or standard) deductions. Colorado's state sales tax is 2.9% on retail sales. When state revenues exceed state constitutional limits, full-year Colorado residents can claim a sales tax refund on their individual state income tax return. Many counties and cities charge their own rates in addition to the base state rate. There are also certain county and special district taxes that may apply.

Real estate and personal business property are taxable in Colorado. The state's senior property tax exemption was temporarily suspended by the Colorado Legislature in 2003. The tax break is scheduled to return for assessment year 2006, payable in 2007.

As of September 2010, the state's unemployment rate is 8.2%.

Philanthropy

Major philanthropic organizations based in Colorado, including the Daniels Fund, the Anschutz Family Foundation, the Gates Family Foundation, the El Pomar Foundation and the Boettcher Foundation, grant approximately $400 millionTemplate:Fact each year from approximately $7 billion of assets.

Natural resources

Colorado has significant hydrocarbon resources. According to the Energy Information Administration, Colorado hosts seven of the Nation’s 100 largest natural gas fields and two of its 100 largest oil fields. Conventional and unconventional natural gas output from several Colorado basins typically account for more than 5 percent of annual U.S. natural gas production. Colorado’s oil shale deposits hold an estimated Template:Convert/Toilbbl of oil – nearly as much oil as the entire world’s proven oil reserves; the economic viability of the oil shale, however, has not been demonstrated. Substantial deposits of bituminous, subbituminous, and lignite coal are found in the state. Kimberlite volcanic pipes have been found in Colorado; the Kelsey Lake Diamond Mine operated for several years, recovering gem quality diamonds.(Citation needed)

Colorado's high Rocky Mountain ridges and eastern plains offer wind power potential, and geologic activity in the mountain areas provides potential for geothermal power development. Much of the state is sunny and could produce solar power. Major rivers flowing from the Rocky Mountains offer hydroelectric power resources. Corn grown in the flat eastern part of the state offers potential resources for ethanol production.

Transportation

Main article: Transportation in Colorado

File:Colorado.JPG

Colorado state welcome sign

Colorado transportation system connects its cities, residents, and visitors through diverse and well regulated modes.

File:DIA.jpg

The Teflon-coated fiberglass roof of DIA resembles the area's famous Rocky Mountains.

Colorado's primary method of transportation is its highway system. Interstate 25 is the primary North/South highway in the state, connecting Denver, Colorado Springs, Pueblo, and Fort Collins, and Interstate 70 is the primary East/West route connecting Denver with the mountain communities and Grand Junction. The state is home to a network of US highways and state highways that provide access to much of the state, while smaller communities are only accessibly through county roads.

Denver International Airport (DIA) is the sixteenth busiest airport in the world and handles the bulk of non-military or commercial air traffic in and out of Colorado. Regional airports are located throughout Colorado.

AMTRAK operates two rail passenger lines through Colorado and the Regional Transportation District operates a light rail transit system in the Denver Metropolitan Area. Rail transport is important for energy, agriculture, and industrial use. Public transportation services offer both intra-city and inter-city bus services.

Government and politics

State government

The Five Executive Officers of the State of Colorado

Office	Incumbent	Party	Term
Governor	John Hickenlooper	Democrat	2011–2015
Lieutenant Governor	Joseph Garcia	Democrat	2011–2015
Secretary of State	Scott Gessler	Republican	2011–2015
State Treasurer	Walker Stapleton	Republican	2011–2015
Attorney General	John Suthers	Republican	2005–2015

Main article: Law and government of Colorado

File:Denver capital.jpg

The Colorado State Capitol in Denver

Like the federal government and all other U.S. states, Colorado's state constitution provides for three branches of government: the legislative, the executive, and the judicial branches.

The Governor of Colorado heads the state's executive branch. The current governor is John Hickenlooper, a Democrat. Colorado's other statewide elected executive officers are the Lieutenant Governor of Colorado (elected on a ticket with the Governor), Secretary of State of Colorado, Colorado State Treasurer, and Attorney General of Colorado, all of whom serve four-year terms.

The seven-member Colorado Supreme Court is the highest judicial court in the state.

Gubernatorial election results

Year	Republican	Democratic
2010	11.3% 199,034	51.0% 912,005
2006	40.16% 625,886	56.98% 888,096
2002	62.62% 884,584	33.65% 475,373
1998	49.06% 648,202	48.43% 639,905
1994	38.70% 432,042	55.47% 619,205
1990	35.43% 358,403	61.89% 626,032

The state legislative body is the Colorado General Assembly, which is made up of two houses, the House of Representatives and the Senate. The House has 65 members and the Senate has 35. Currently, the House is controlled by the Republican Party by a one vote majority and the Senate is controlled by the Democratic Party.

Most Coloradans are originally native to other states (nearly 60% according to the 2000 census), and this is illustrated by the fact that the state did not have a native-born governor from 1975 (when John David Vanderhoof left office) until 2007, when Bill Ritter took office; his election the previous year marked the first electoral victory for a native-born Coloradan in a gubernatorial race since 1958 (Vanderhoof had ascended from the Lieutenant Governorship when John Arthur Love was given a position in Richard Nixon's administration in 1973).

Counties

File:Map of Colorado counties, labelled.svg

An enlargeable map of the 64 counties of the State of Colorado

Main article: Colorado counties

See also: List of counties in Colorado

The State of Colorado is divided into 64 counties. Counties are important units of government in Colorado since the state has no secondary civil subdivisions such as townships. Two of these counties, the City and County of Denver and the City and County of Broomfield, have consolidated city and county governments.

Nine Colorado counties have a population in excess of 250,000 each, while eight Colorado counties have a population of less than 2,500 each. The ten most populous Colorado counties are located in the Front Range Urban Corridor.

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The 20 Most Populous Colorado Counties

Rank	County	2011 Estimate	2010 Census	Change
El Paso County Template:Noc
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Metropolitan areas

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Map of the 14 Core Based Statistical Areas in the state of Colorado.

Main article: Colorado metropolitan areas

The United States Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has defined one Combined Statistical Area (CSA), seven Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs), and seven Micropolitan Statistical Areas (μSAs) in the state of Colorado.

The most populous of the 14 Core Based Statistical Areas in Colorado is the Denver-Aurora-Broomfield, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area. This area had an estimated population of 2,599,504 on July 1, 2011, an increase of +2.20% since the 2010 United States Census.

The more extensive Denver-Aurora-Boulder, CO Combined Statistical Area had an estimated population of 3,157,520 on July 1, 2011, an increase of +2.16% since the 2010 United States Census.

The most populous extended metropolitan region in Rocky Mountain Region is the Front Range Urban Corridor along the northeast face of the Southern Rocky Mountains. This region with Denver at its center had an estimated population of 4,423,936 on July 1, 2011, an increase of +2.06% since the 2010 United States Census.

Municipalities

Main article: Colorado municipalities

The state of Colorado currently has 271 active incorporated municipalities, including 196 towns, 73 cities, and two consolidated city and county governments.

Colorado municipalities operate under one of five types of municipal governing authority. Colorado has one town with a territorial charter, 160 statutory towns, 12 statutory cities, 96 home rule municipalities (61 cities and 35 towns), and 2 consolidated city and county governments.

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The 25 Most Populous Colorado Municipalities 2010

Rank	Municipality	2011 Estimate	2010 Census	Change
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City of Littleton Template:Noc
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City of Brighton Template:Noc
City of Englewood Template:Noc
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Unincorporated communities

Main article: Colorado census designated places

In addition to its 271 municipalities, Colorado has 187 unincorporated United States census designated places and many other small communities.

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The 15 Most Populous Census Designated Places in Colorado 2010

Rank	Census Designated Place	2010 Census	2000 Census	Change
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See also: List of cities and towns in Colorado and Places in Colorado

Special districts

The state of Colorado has more than 3,000 districts with taxing authority. These districts may provide schools, law enforcement, fire protection, water, sewage, drainage, irrigation, transportation, recreation, infrastructure, cultural facilities, business support, redevelopment, or other services.

Some of these districts have authority to levy sales tax and well as property tax and use fees. This has led to a hodgepodge of sales tax and property tax rates in Colorado. There are some street intersections in Colorado with a different sales tax rate on each corner, sometimes substantially different.

Some of the more notable Colorado districts are:

• The Regional Transportation District (RTD), which affects the counties of Denver, Boulder, Jefferson, and portions of Adams, Arapahoe, Broomfield, and Douglas Counties
• The Scientific and Cultural Facilities District (SCFD), a special regional tax district with physical boundaries contiguous with county boundaries of Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas, and Jefferson Counties
  • It is a 0.1% retail sales and use tax (one penny on every $10).
  • According to the Colorado statute, the SCFD distributes the money to local organizations on an annual basis. These organizations must provide for the enlightenment and entertainment of the public through the production, presentation, exhibition, advancement or preservation of art, music, theater, dance, zoology, botany, natural history or cultural history.
  • As directed by statute, SCFD recipient organizations are currently divided into three "tiers" among which receipts are allocated by percentage.
    • Tier I includes regional organizations: the Denver Art Museum, the Denver Botanic Gardens, the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, the Denver Zoo, and the Denver Center for the Performing Arts. It receives 65.5%.
    • Tier II currently includes 26 regional organizations. Tier II receives 21%.
    • Tier III has over 280 local organizations such as small theaters, orchestras, art centers, and natural history, cultural history, and community groups. Tier III organizations apply for funding to the county cultural councils via a grant process. This tier receives 13.5%.
  • An 11-member board of directors oversees the distributions in accordance with the Colorado Revised Statutes. Seven board members are appointed by county commissioners (in Denver, the Denver City Council) and four members are appointed by the Governor of Colorado.
• The Football Stadium District (FD or FTBL), approved by the voters to pay for and help build the Denver Broncos' stadium Sports Authority Field at Mile High
• Local Improvement Districts (LID) within designated areas of southeast Jefferson and Boulder counties
• Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) taxes at varying rates in Basalt, Carbondale, Glenwood Springs, Gunnison County

Federal politics

Presidential elections results

Year	Republican	Democratic
2008	44.71% 1,073,584	53.66% 1,288,568
2004	51.69% 1,101,255	47.02% 1,001,732
2000	50.75% 883,745	42.39% 738,227
1996	45.80% 691,848	44.43% 671,152
1992	35.87% 562,850	40.13% 629,681
1988	53.06% 728,177	45.28% 621,453

Main article: Politics of Colorado

Colorado is considered a swing state in both state and federal elections. Coloradans have elected 17 Democrats and 12 Republicans to the governorship in the last 100 years. In presidential politics, Colorado supported Democrats Bill Clinton in 1992 and Barack Obama in 2008, and supported Republicans Robert J. Dole in 1996 and George W. Bush in 2000 and 2004.

Colorado politics has the contrast of conservative cities such as Colorado Springs and liberal cities such as Boulder and Denver. Democrats are strongest in metropolitan Denver, the college towns of Fort Collins and Boulder, southern Colorado (including Pueblo), and a few western ski resort counties. The Republicans are strongest in the Eastern Plains, Colorado Springs, Greeley, and far Western Colorado near Grand Junction.

Former Colorado senator and attorney general Ken Salazar is the current United States Secretary of the Interior (as of January 20, 2009).

The state of Colorado is represented by its two United States Senators:

• United States Senate Class 2 – Mark Emery Udall (Democratic) 2009–
• United States Senate Class 3 – Michael Farrand Bennet (Democratic) 2009–

Colorado is represented by seven Representatives to the United States House of Representatives:

• Colorado's 1st congressional district – Diana Louise DeGette (Democratic) 1997–
• Colorado's 2nd congressional district – Jared Schutz Polis (Democratic) 2009–
• Colorado's 3rd congressional district – Scott Tipton (Republican) 2011–
• Colorado's 4th congressional district – Cory Gardner (Republican) 2011–
• Colorado's 5th congressional district – Douglas L. "Doug" Lamborn (Republican) 2007–
• Colorado's 6th congressional district – Michael "Mike" Coffman (Republican) 2009–
• Colorado's 7th congressional district – Edwin George "Ed" Perlmutter (Democratic) 2007–

See also: United States presidential election, 2004, in Colorado , Colorado's congressional elections, 2006, Colorado gubernatorial election, 2006, and Political party strength in Colorado

Education

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The United States Air Force Academy.

Colleges and universities in Colorado:

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The University of Colorado at Boulder.

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The University of Denver.

Adams State College Aims Community College Arapahoe Community College Art Institute of Colorado Belleview College Colorado Christian University Colorado College Colorado Mesa University Colorado Mountain College Colorado Northwestern Community College Colorado School of Mines Colorado State University System Colorado State University Colorado State University-Pueblo Colorado Technical University Community College of Aurora Community College of Denver Denver Seminary DeVry University Emily Griffith Opportunity School Fort Lewis College Front Range Community College Iliff School of Theology Johnson & Wales University Jones International University Lamar Community College

Metropolitan State University of Denver Morgan Community College Naropa University National Technological University Nazarene Bible College Northeastern Junior College Otero Junior College Pikes Peak Community College Pueblo Community College Red Rocks Community College Redstone College Regis University Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine Trinidad State Junior College United States Air Force Academy University of Colorado System University of Colorado at Boulder University of Colorado at Colorado Springs University of Colorado Denver Anschutz Medical Campus Auraria Campus University of Denver University of Northern Colorado Western State College

See also: List of colleges and universities in Colorado, Table of Colorado school districts, and Table of Colorado charter schools

Military installations

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Peterson Air Force Base

Colorado is currently the home of nine major military bases and installations. Past base have closed over the years, e.g. Lowry Air Force Base and Fitzsimons Army Hospital.

• Air Reserve Personnel Center
• Buckley Air Force Base
• Fort Carson (U.S. Army)
  • Piñon Canyon Maneuver Site
• Peterson Air Force Base
  • Cheyenne Mountain Directorate
• Pueblo Chemical Depot (U.S. Army)
• Schriever Air Force Base
• United States Air Force Academy

Protected areas

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Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve

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Spruce Tree House in Mesa Verde National Park

Main article: List of federal lands in Colorado

Colorado is home to four national parks, six national monuments, two national recreation areas, two national historic sites, three national historic trails, a national scenic trail, 11 national forests, two national grasslands, 41 national wilderness areas, two national conservation areas, eight national wildlife refuges, 44 state parks, 307 state wildlife areas, and numerous other scenic, historic, and recreational areas.

Units of the National Park System in Colorado:

• Arapaho National Recreation Area
• Bent's Old Fort National Historic Site
• Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
• Canyons of the Ancients National Monument
• Colorado National Monument
• Continental Divide National Scenic Trail
• Curecanti National Recreation Area
• Dinosaur National Monument
• Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument
• Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve
• Hovenweep National Monument
• Mesa Verde National Park and UNESCO World Heritage Site
• Old Spanish National Historic Trail
• Pony Express National Historic Trail
• Rocky Mountain National Park
• Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site
• Santa Fe National Historic Trail
• Yucca House National Monument

See also: Colorado trails and Colorado scenic and historic byways

Sports

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The Colorado Rockies National League baseball club at Coors Field in Denver.

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Sports Authority Field at Mile High, home of the Denver Broncos National Football League club and the Denver Outlaws Major League Lacrosse club.

File:Pepsi Center.jpg

Pepsi Center in Denver, home of the Denver Nuggets National Basketball Association club, the Colorado Avalanche National Hockey League club, and the Colorado Mammoth National Lacrosse League club.

File:Dick's Park.jpg

Dick's Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, home of the Colorado Rapids Major League Soccer club.

Main article: Sports in Colorado

See also: Colorado Sports Hall of Fame

Colorado is the least populous state with a franchise in each of the major professional sports leagues.

Professional sports teams

Professional Sports Clubs based in Colorado

Club	Home	First game	Sport	League
Denver Broncos	Denver	Template:Nk	Football	National Football League
Denver Barbarians	Denver	Template:Nk	Rugby Union	Rugby Super League
Denver Nuggets	Denver	Template:Nk	Basketball	National Basketball Association
Colorado Springs Sky Sox	Colorado Springs	Template:Nk	Baseball	Minor League Baseball (AAA)
Colorado Rockies	Denver	Template:Nk	Baseball	Major League Baseball
Grand Junction Rockies	Grand Junction	Template:Nk	Baseball	Minor League Baseball (Rookie)
Colorado Avalanche	Denver	Template:Nk	Ice hockey	National Hockey League
Colorado Rapids	Commerce City	Template:Nk	Soccer	Major League Soccer
Colorado Mammoth	Denver	Template:Nk	Lacrosse	National Lacrosse League
Colorado Eagles	Loveland	Template:Nk	Ice hockey	ECHL
Denver Outlaws	Denver	Template:Nk	Lacrosse	Major League Lacrosse

College athletics

Main article: List of college athletic programs in Colorado

The following universities and colleges participate in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I.

NCAA Division I athletic programs in Colorado

Team	School	City	Conference
Air Force Falcons	United States Air Force Academy	Colorado Springs	Mountain West
Colorado Buffaloes	University of Colorado at Boulder	Boulder	Pac 12
Colorado College Tigers	Colorado College	Colorado Springs	WCHA
Colorado State Rams	Colorado State University	Fort Collins	Mountain West
Denver Pioneers	University of Denver	Denver	WAC, WCHA and ECAC Lacrosse
Northern Colorado Bears	University of Northern Colorado	Greeley	Big Sky

State symbols

Colorado State symbols
File:Flag of Colorado.svg
The Flag of Colorado.
Animate insignia
Bird(s)	Lark Bunting Calamospiza melanocoryus
Fish	Greenback Cutthroat Trout Oncorhynchus clarki somias
Flower(s)	Rocky Mountain Columbine Aquilegia caerules
Grass	Blue Grama Grass Bouteloua gracilis
Insect	Colorado Hairstreak Butterfly Hypaurotis cysaluswas
Mammal(s)	Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep Ovis canadensis
Reptile	Western Painted Turtle Chrysemys picta bellii
Tree	Colorado Blue Spruce Picea pungens
Inanimate insignia
Dance	Square Dance
Fossil	Stegosaurus
Gemstone	Aquamarine
Mineral	Rhodochrosite
Rock	Yule Marble
Soil	Seitz
Song(s)	Where the Columbines Grow Rocky Mountain High
Tartan	Colorado State Tartan
Route marker(s)
Colorado Route Marker
State Quarter
Quarter of Colorado
Released in 2006
Lists of United States state insignia

Main article: List of Colorado state symbols

See also

Template:Portal

• Topic overview:
  • Outline of Colorado
  • Index of Colorado-related articles
• List of federal lands in Colorado
• List of people from Colorado
• List of places in Colorado
• List of U.S. states
• Mountain peaks of Colorado
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Colorado
• Southern Rocky Mountains

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Further reading

• Explore Colorado, A Naturalist's Handbook, The Denver Museum of Natural History and Westcliff Publishers, 1995, ISBN 1-56579-124-X for an excellent guide to the ecological regions of Colorado.
• The Archeology of Colorado, Revised Edition, E. Steve Cassells, Johnson Books, Boulder, Colorado, 1997, trade paperback, ISBN 1-55566-193-9.
• Chokecherry Places, Essays from the High Plains, Merrill Gilfillan, Johnson Press, Boulder, Colorado, trade paperback, ISBN 1-55566-227-7.
• The Tie That Binds, Kent Haruf, 1984, hardcover, ISBN 0-03-071979-8, a fictional account of farming in Colorado.
• Railroads of Colorado: Your Guide to Colorado's Historic Trains and Railway Sites, Claude Wiatrowski, Voyageur Press, 2002, hardcover, 160 pages, ISBN 0-89658-591-3

External links

State government

• Colorado state government website
  • Colorado Department of Transportation
    • Colorado highway maps
      • Colorado Travel Map
  • Colorado counties
  • Colorado municipalities
  • Colorado special districts
  • Colorado tourism
• Colorado State and County Government Websites
• List of searchable databases produced by Colorado state agencies hosted by the American Library Association Government Documents Roundtable.

Federal government

• Energy & Environmental Data for Colorado
• USGS Colorado state facts, real-time, geographic, and other scientific resources of Colorado
• United States Census Bureau
  • Colorado QuickFacts
  • Colorado economic data
  • Colorado housing data
  • Colorado social data
• USDA ERS Colorado state facts

Other

• Template:Wikitravel
• Colorado County Evolution
• Ask Colorado
• 2000 Census of Population and Housing for Colorado
• Mountain and Desert Plants of Colorado and the Southwest,
• Climate of Colorado
• Colorado at the Open Directory Project
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Related information

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