Noah
Colorado is an amazing state; it is great for skiing, it is perfect for vacations, and it has the best snow to build snow forts, a snowman, and to sled down hills. Colorado has huge stunning lakes and rivers. Views of the mountains are hair-raising. Denver has excellent places to stay and play. Colorado's climate is mostly snowy during winter and pretty warm during the summer. The state has four unique and interesting land regions.
Colorado Geography
Basic Facts
Colorado is a massive state with a small population. Colorado is located in the western region of the country. The bordering states of Colorado are Utah, New Mexico, Arizona, Wyoming, Nebraska, and Kansas. In size, Colorado covers 104,094 square miles making it the 8th biggest state. Colorado has the 22nd biggest population with 5,029,196 people living in the state. The capital of Colorado is Denver which is located slightly northeast from the center of the state. Denver has a population of 600,158 residency. Two other major cities are Aurora and Fort Collins. Aurora is located to the right of Denver with a population of 325,078 people. Fort Collins has 143,986 residents and is located north of the center of the state.
Climate
The climate in Colorado changes a lot during the year. The high and low temperatures during the year are high 74 degrees F (23 degrees C) and low 28 degrees F( -2 degrees C) in July. The highest temperatures that Colorado has ever had are, a record high of 118 degrees F or 48 degrees C and the low is -61 degrees F or -52 degrees C. The yearly rainfall is 15 inches or 38 cm. Colorado climate has cold and dry winters and relatively warm summers. The temperatures vary from one place to another. Some places that get a lot of snow are Denver which gets 57.5 inches of snow, Steamboat which gets 171 inches of snow, and Crested Butte which gets 215.8 inches of snow.
Land Regions
Colorado has many great regions to explore and learn about. The Great Plains regions is mainly flatlands with some rolling hills. The Great plains is about 3,000 feet above sea level. The Plains are a small part of the Great Plains. Tons of bison and deer graze here. The Great Plains is one the right side of the state. Today, this region is the home of many farms with massive fields.
The Rocky Mountains region has many mesas and buttes. The region is about 6,800 feet above sea level. Two peaks in the Rocky Mountains are Mount Evans which is 14,264 feet in elevation and Pikes Peak which is 14,110 feet. The Rocky Mountains are made of five main mountain ranges: the Front Range, the Park Range, the Sawatch Range, the San Juan Mountains, and the Sangre De Cristo Mountains. The region is in the middle of the state.
Colorado’s smallest land is the Intermontane Basin. The Intermontane Basin is made up of mainly plateaus and forests. Intermontane means between mountains. Herds of sheep graze on plateaus. The Intermontane is north of the plateau.
The Colorado Plateau the final land region of Colorado, is made of high hills, plateaus, deep valleys, and mesas. In the valleys, farmers grow crops. During the summer, sheep and cows graze on the mesas. The Colorado Plateau is on the left side of the state.
LandForms
The highest elevation in colorado is 14,440 feet at Mount Elbert. Mount Elbert is in the Sawatch Range. Mount Elbert is named after Samuel Elbert. The Mountain is 140 miles from Denver. A jeep once made it all the way to the top of the mountain. A trip up and down would be eleven miles. If a person wants to climb Mount Elbert, thy would need snowshoes. Mount Elbert is in the Rocky Mountain region. The major mountain ranges in Colorado are the Front Range, The Park Range, and the Sawatch Range.
In Colorado, the largest rivers are the Colorado River, the arkansas river and the rio grande is one of the major rivers in the United States and it is 1,360 miles in the United States and 90 miles in Mexico. The Arkansas River is named after the Arkansas indians it flows through Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Colorado. The Rio Grande is one of the longest rivers in North America. Rio Grande means large river. The Colorado River is located in the Northwest of the state, the Arkansas River is located in the southeast, and the Rio Grande is located in the southwest. The Colorado River is 1,450 miles long, the Arkansas River is 1,459 miles long, and the Rio Grande is 1,900 miles long.
The largest lakes in Colorado are Grand Lake and Long Blue Mesa Reservoir. Grand Lake is Colorado’s largest natural lake.The Long Blue Mesa Reservoir is on the Gunnison River, it has its own salmon fishery and is Colorado's largest body of water.
Royal Gorge is a special place in Colorado the gorge is 1,000 feet deep. There is a railroad in the gorge. At some points the gorge is thirty feet wide. On Royal Gorge, there is one of the highest suspension bridges in the world being is 1,053 feet above the water. Royal Gorge is mostly in Arkansas and is only extends ten miles into Colorado. Royal Gorge is located south of the middle of the state and is in the Rocky Mountain Region.
Conclusion
Colorado is a beautiful state with four sensational land regions that are astonishing. The views of the lakes and rivers are breathtaking and dazzling. Colorado is chilly when it is winter but warm during summer. During summer you can camp there; during winter, you can ski in Colorado. The cities and towns in Colorado are remarkable many extraordinary with places to stay.