Colorado – ipl Stately Knowledge: Facts about the United States

Colorado

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AbbreviationCO
Source: United States Postal Service – Abbreviations
CapitalDenver
Population5,029,196
Source: Resident Population Data – 2010 Census
GovernorJohn Hickenlooper (Democrat, to January 2015)
Entered the UnionAugust 1, 1876
as the 38th state
MottoNil Sine Numine (Nothing Without the Deity)
NicknameThe Centennial State
FlowerRocky Mountain Columbine
BirdLark Bunting
Song“Where the Columbines Grow”
Professional Sports TeamsColorado Rockies (Baseball); Denver Nuggets (Men’s Basketball); Denver Broncos (Football); Colorado Avalanche (Hockey); Colorado Rapids (Soccer)
(sports listing policy)
Origin of NameFrom the Spanish word meaning “ruddy” or “red”
Historical SitesAnasazi Heritage Center, Molly Brown House, Buffalo Bill’s Grave, Overland Trail Museum, Fort Garland/Pike’s Stockade
Points of InterestRocky Mountain National Park, Mesa Verde National Park, Dinosaur National Monument
Bordering StatesColorado borders Arizona, Utah, Wyoming, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico.
FlagColorado's flag

Follow these links to read articles about Colorado from Encyclopedias and Almanacs:

Official State Links

  • Colorado.gov: The Official Colorado State Website
    http://www.colorado.gov/
    This is the official website for the State of Colorado.
  • Colorado State Library
    http://www.cde.state.co.us/cdelib/
    Here is the homepage for the Colorado State Library, a division of the Colorado Department of Education.
  • Colorado Historical Society
    http://www.coloradohistory.org/chs_library/library.htm
    Here is the homepage for the Colorado State Historical Society.
  • Colorado History Museum
    http://www.coloradohistory.org/hist_sites/CHM/Colorado_History_Museum.htm
    Here is the homepage for the Colorado Historical Society Museum.
  • Colorado State Archives
    http://www.colorado.gov/dpa/doit/archives/
    Here is the homepage for the Colorado State Archives.
  • Colorado State Parks
    http://parks.state.co.us
    Here is the homepage for Colorado State Parks.
  • Colorado.com
    http://www.colorado.com/
    Here is the official state travel and tourism website for Colorado.
  • Colorado Secretary of State Kids Page
    http://www.sos.state.co.us/pubs/info_center/kids.htm
    Here’s the Colorado state government page developed just for kids!

Other State Links

  • 50states.com: Colorado
    http://www.50states.com/colorado.htm
    The site provides a wealth of information about Colorado. It includes everything from the highest point to county profile to climate.
  • Things To Do in Colorado
    http://www.thingstodo.com/states/CO/index.htm
    ThingsToDo.com is an online guide to information about Colorado’s entertainment, recreation, and travel, and includes the state’s interesting facts, famous people, and special events.
  • Roadside America: Colorado Attractions
    http://www.roadsideamerica.com/map/co.html
    Roadside America describes itself as an online guide to offbeat attractions. This site offers reviews of “weird sites along the highway” in Colorado.
  • FedStats: MapStat: United States: Colorado
    http://www.fedstats.gov/qf/states/08000.html
    Fast access to statistics from more than 100 federal agencies on “economic and population trends, crime, education, health care, aviation safety, energy use, farm production and more” in Colorado.
  • Colorado has the highest average elevation of any state. More than 1,000 of its Rocky Mountain peaks reach over10,000 feet high, and 54 tower above14,000 feet!
  • Colorado built its economy on the mining industry, but now only 1.2 percent of the state’s workforce is employed in oil, gas, coal, and metal mining. The state is now famous for its many ski resorts, where tourists spend 1.8 billion dollars every year.
  • The most famous of the Rocky Mountains is Pike’s Peak, discovered by U.S. Army Lieutenant Zebulon M. Pike in 1806.
  • In 1863, the first telegraph line in Colorado linked Denver with the eastern U.S. A ten-word telegram from Denver to New York City cost $9.10. (And that’s a lot of money by today’s standards!)

Some Famous People from this State

  • M. Scott Carpenter, astronaut
  • Jack Dempsey, boxer
  • Douglas Fairbanks, actor
  • Ouray, 1833-1880, Ute chief