Colorado
'The Centennial State'
Governor:
Bill Owens
Population and geography:
capital: Denver
important cities: Fort Collins, Colorado Springs and Pueblo
neighbouring states: Wyoming, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Utah
104,000 square miles (8th largest state in the U.S.)
population: 4,300,000 people
39 persons per square mile
highest elevation of any state
Weather:
300 days of sunshine
1st snow in September, usually snowing somewhere in the state except August
History:
16th century - visited by Spanish explorers
1706 - claimed for Spain by Juan de Ulibarri
1803 - the U.S. got eastern Colorado as part of the Louisiana Purchase
1845 - the U.S. got central portion with the admission of Texas as a state
1848 - the U.S. got western Colorado as a result of the Mexican War
1876 - 1st August, joining the Union as the 38th state
Economy:
tourism, especially the ski industry, and service-producing industries
mining (oil, gas, coal, metal)
agriculture and farm industry (corn, hay, wheat)
home to companies that control half of the nation's gold production
