Colorado Facts for Kids – Complete Colorado Information for Kids

Colorado is an amazing state with the most diverse geographical landscape. We have gathered a wide range of Colorado Facts for Kids that will help you in learning all about Colorado. A wide range of topics has been covered so that you kids can have an overall overview of the state. Do let us know in the comment section if anything is missing or what you think about the state of Colorado.

Colorado Facts for Kids

What is Colorado?

• Colorado (meaning red) is a state of the United State of America established in 1876.
• It is a part of the western United States.
• It comprises versatile landscapes such as arid lands, plateaus, mountains, rivers, and deserts.

How big is Colorado?

• The total area of Colorado is 269,618 square kilometers.
• 268,660 sq. km is occupied by land.
• The rest of the 961 sq. km are water bodies.

The Bordering States of Colorado

• Colorado shares its borders with
  • New Mexico
  • Kansas
  • Utah
    
  • Wyoming
    
  • Nebraska

What is the State Motto of Colorado?

• Colorado’s state motto is ‘Nil Sine Numine’.
• It is a Latin phrase adapted as a part of the territorial seal.

Colorado State Motto Meaning

• The meaning of ‘Nil Sine Numine’ is a matter of jeopardy.
• Some say it means ‘Nothing without providence’.
• Others claim that it means ‘Nothing without God’.

What is Colorado’s Nickname?

• The nickname of Colorado is ‘The Centennial State’.
• It depicts the addition of Colorado to the states of the U.S, making it the 38th state of the U.S in 1876.
• Another nickname is ‘Colorful Colorado’ because of its versatile landscapes and beauty.

Colorado State Abbreviation

• The abbreviation for Colorado is Colo.

Colorado State Symbols

The Flag of Colorado

• The flag of Colorado comprises three horizontal equal width strips and a symbol ‘C’ near the center.
• The outer strips of the flag are blue to represent the blue sky, the inner strip is white symbolizing the snow-covered mountains of the state.
• The central ‘C’ in the flag is red to represent the reddish soil and the inner part of ‘C’ is filled with golden yellow to symbolize the sun.
• The flag of Colorado was adopted on 5th June 1911 and it was designed by Andrew Carlisle Johnson.

The Statehood History of Colorado

• The history of Colorado goes back as far as 1300 A.D.
• In 1858, the discovery of gold reserves in Colorado brought many settlers of the state to this region.
• In 1861, the Colorado territory was established with a population of 25000 people.
• In 1864, a war between the native Americans and the U.S army started which ended in 1869 after a truce was signed between the Plains Indians and the Whites.
• Finally, on 1st August 1876, Colorado became the 38th state to join the union. It was 100 years after the signing of the ‘Declaration of Independence

Colorado History Facts – History of Colorado for Kids

• Louis Ballast, the owner of Humpty-Dumpty drive-in, was the first to invent Cheeseburger. He applied for the patent of his invention too but was denied.
• The ‘Mesa Verde’ National park of Colorado contains more than 4000 archaeological sites.
• The world’s first organized Rodeo was held in Colorado on 4th July 1969 in Deer Trail.
• The Europeans first discovered this land in the 1500s.
• The Spanish called it ‘Colorado because of its red soil.
• One of the oldest wooden Merry-go-rounds of the U.S is in Colorado at “The Kit Carson County Carousel, Burlington”.
• Every year on the third weekend of May, the folk of people travels to Fruita, Colorado to celebrate ‘Mike the Headless Chicken day’.

What is the capital of Colorado?

• The capital of Colorado is Denver.
• It is on the western edge of high plains, in the east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains.

Colorado State Government

• The state of Colorado runs under the constitution structured in 1876 through voters’ approval, with effect from 1st August 1876.
• Over the years now, this constitution has been amended 156 times.
• The state government is run by Governor John Hickenlooper since 2011.
• The Government of Colorado is composed of three branches:
  1. Legislative branch
  2. Executive branch
  3. General assembly

The population of the State of Colorado

• According to a report of 2016-17, the population of the state of Colorado is 5,029,196.

Counties of the State of Colorado

• There are 64 counties in the state of Colorado.

Which city is the largest in Colorado?

• The capital of Colorado, ‘Denver’ is the largest city of Colorado.
• It has an area of 268,428 square km and an estimated population of 5,540,545.

Other largest cities in Colorado

• According to the census of 2013, the largest cities of Colorado along with their area in square km are:
  • Denver (682,545)
  • Colorado Springs (456,568)
    
  • Aurora (359,407)
    
  • Fort Collins (161,175)
    
  • Lakewood (152,597)
    
  • Thornton (133,451)
    
  • Arvada (115,368)
    
  • Westminster (113,130)
    
  • Centennial (109,741)
    
  • Pueblo (109,412)

Colleges and Universities of the State of Colorado

• The state of Colorado has a lower education standard as compared to the education standard of the other U.S states.
• Following are the different educational institutions in Colorado:
  
  • 31 public educational institutes
    
  • 130 private and seminary institutes
    
  • 354 private occupational educational institutes
• According to the 2013-14 report total of 55,165 degrees were awarded.
• Some of the famous institutes in Colorado are:
  • Colorado State University
    
  • Colorado College
    
  • University of Denver
    
  • Adam State University
    
  • Metropolitan State College of Denver
    
  • Colorado School of Mines
    
  • University of Colorado, Boulder
    
  • University of Rockies
    
  • University of Northern Colorado
    
  • The United States Air Force Academy

Geography of Colorado

• Colorado has a very versatile landscape.
• Its geography comprises mountains, plains, canyons, plateaus, valleys, desserts, and mesas.
• In the east of the Rocky Mountains lie the Great Plains.
• The highest summit of Colorado is Mount Elbert with an elevation of 14,431 ft. It lies in the heart of the Rocky Mountains.
• In the west of Colorado, rivers have been flowing for centuries which have formed the rugged canyons and high plateaus.
• The Rocky Mountains are the originator of many rivers too.
• Rivers like Colorado, Platte, Arkansas, and Rio Grande flow from the land of the state.
• Mostly dryland farming and ranching are done in Colorado because the annual rainfall is limited to 15 inches.
• The west to the east part of Colorado is covered by desert basins, turning into desert plateaus, then alpine mountains, and then the grasslands of High Plains.
• The southwest of Colorado has the mineral belt extending towards the center of the state. The mineral belt consists of gold and silver.

Geography Facts of the State of Colorado

• The highest city of Colorado is Leadville, at an elevation of 10,430 feet above sea level.
• Colorado’s ‘Continental Divide’ is the natural boundary that separates and divides North America’s river system:
  
  • The west side river falls in the Pacific ocean.
    
  • The east side water division heads in the Atlantic Ocean.
• The capital of Colorado, Denver is called ‘Mile-High-City’ because it is exactly one mile above sea level.
• Another city in Colorado, “Boulder” is the only city in the entire U.S with a glacier.
• The world’s largest molybdenum mine is in Colorado.

State of Colorado Map

Colorado Animals

• There is a wide variety of animals living in Colorado.
• Some wild animals living in Colorado are:
  • Opossums
  • Armadillos
  • Beavers
  • Rats
  • Hares, Rabbits
  • Moles
  • Vesper Bats
  • Cats
  • Bears
  • Skunks
  • Coyotes
  • Foxes
  • Wolves
  • Raccoons
  • Deer

The climate of the State of Colorado

• The state of Colorado might have as scarce as 7-17 inches of rainfall.
• In the months of October-April temperatures can drop to -18 °C.
• Colorado comprises mountains, high plains, deserts, and foothills. So, as a rule of nature, the higher the place the lower the temperature with decreased precipitation.

Landmarks of the State of Colorado/ Colorado’s Attractions

• The rich land of Colorado has many remarkable landmarks among which the Rocky Mountains, Pikes Peak, Bent’s Old Fort, Downtown Aquarium are on top of the list.
• Mount Evans, Royal Gorge Bridge, Seven Falls, Mesa Verde National Park, Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Elitch Gardens theme park, Denver Art Museum, Raton Pass, Black Canyon, Lowry Ruins, Colorado Chautauqua, Denver Civic Center are a few other significant landmarks of Colorado.

Famous People from Colorado

Here is a list of some famous Coloradans:

• William Harrison (Jack) Dempsey – a famous boxer
• Robert J. Seiwald – an Inventor
• Lawrence H. Gipson – a Historian
• John Kerry – a Senator and Secretary of State
• Florence Sabin – a Scientist
• Kristin Davis – an Actress
• Max Aaron – a champion figure Skater
• Tim Allen – a Comedian and Actor
• M. Scott – a Carpenter and Astronaut
• Ralph Edwards – an Entertainer
• Gene Fowler – a Writer
• Ruth Handler – a Toy-maker
• Homer Lea a – Solider and Writer

Colorado Avalanche

• The Colorado Avalanche is a famous ice hockey team Colorado based in Denver.
• It was founded in 1972 and is a member of the NHL (National Hockey League).
• It is the only team of the division which is not based on the central time zone.

Major Industries of Colorado

• Once, the economy of Colorado was dependent on agriculture and mining but now the manufacturing, tourism, and services industry are a big part of its economy.
• The manufacturing industries include technology equipment, machinery, and chemicals.
• Wheat, corn, and hay are the crops majorly grown in Colorado.
• Livestock is also an important part of farming in Colorado.
• The tourism industry is also one of the crucial industries of Colorado.

Natural Resources of Colorado

• The natural reserves mined in Colorado are oil, coal, natural gas, gold, uranium, and molybdenum.
• The state of Colorado generates its energy from wind and solar besides the utilization of mineral resources.

Cool Facts about Colorado

• About 13% of the energy produced in Colorado is generated from wind energy.
• The world-class skiing and mesmerizing scenery make Colorado one of the biggest attractions for tourists.
• One of the earliest civilizations of Colorado was the ‘Basket makers’ who lived in the southwestern part of the state.
• Mount Elbert is the highest point of the state with a height of 14,433 feet.
• The famous Pike’s Peak of Rocky mountain was discovered by an army lieutenant Zebulon M. Pike in 1806.
• The state of Colorado is said to be originally inhabited by the Anasazi Indians. They used to make cliff dwellings in the canyons for living in the southwestern region of the state.
• Colorado has a dinosaur-rich history. The dinosaur museum in Colorado has fossils of many breeds.