Square Miles of Colorado

The square miles of Colorado total 104,091. It is the eighth biggest in the United States. It has a population of around 6 million. The state capital is Denver. The capital got its name from James Denver, the 1858 Kansas Territory governor. He included Colorado in the territory.

General Information

Some of the other major cities are Lakewood, Aurora, Colorado Springs and Pueblo. Colorado was admitted into the Union on August 1, 1876. It is the 38th state. The word Colorado was derived from the Spanish word for red.

When the first Spanish explorers set foot in the state, they thought it had a reddish appearance. Colorado is also known as the Centennial State. It earned the name because it became a state in the centennial year 1876.

Colorado is bordered by the following states: Utah, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska and Wyoming.

Symbols and Motto

The state flower is the Rocky Mountain Columbine. The state bird is the Lark Bunting. The Colorado Blue Mountain Spruce is the state tree. The state motto is “Nothing without Providence”.

Geographical Features

The square miles of Colorado provide it with a very diverse landscape. There are plains, canyons, plateaus and mountain ranges scattered around it. Mountain ranges, valleys high plateaus and canyons dominate the western front. This makes Colorado the state with the highest elevation.

Through west central Colorado runs the Continental Divide. It goes from north to south. The Continental Divide segregates the mountains into eastern and western slopes.

There are also waters and rivers that flow into the Pacific. The waters east of the Continental Divide head out into the Atlantic Ocean.

Not all of Colorado is mountainous. The eastern portion of the state is flat. It has several rolling hills and high plains. These are linked to the Rocky Mountains foothills.

Tourist Attractions

There are many parks in Colorado. Some of the most famous are Mesa Verde National Park, Dinosaur Ridge, and the Rocky Mountain National Park. Aside from the beautiful vies, the parks also provide plenty of opportunity to see wildlife.

Resources

Uranium, gold, silver and other metals make up Colorado’s natural resources. These days however, the state is more reliant on manufacturing for its economy. Chemicals, machinery and electronics are some of its products.

Despite this, the vast square miles of Colorado also provide plenty of space for farming. Some of its agricultural products include sugar, fruits, beets and vegetables. Livestock is also raised such as sheep, cattle and hogs.