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Rocky Mountain: Colorado, Utah, Wyoming

which is a significant portion of the Great Plains. In this lower-elevation territory, farmlands form an agrarian patchwork quilt of fields filled with corn, hay, oats, soybeans and wheat. Some farmers in this region also raise livestock. The state’s lowest point is found in this eastern area, where the Arikaree River flows from Yuma County, Colorado and into Cheyenne County, Kansas. The Central portion of the state is where the Rocky Mountains begin to rise from the landscape, starting with foothills . The mountainous territory, which runs from north to south, includes the easterly Front Range and the westerly Park Range. The area also includes the Continental Divide, which extends along the crest of the Rocky Mountains in Colorado’s “Western Slope.” Moving to the western portion of the state, on the other side of the mountains, visitors can find the Colorado Plateau. Also in this region is the Grand Valley, which is charac- terized by its desert terrain. Because of its natural splendor,

Did You Know?

The players on Major League Baseball teams that face the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field in downtown Denver often complain of shortness of breath due to the city’s high elevation.

Colorado is the home of several major national parks. These include the Gunnison National Park, the Mesa Verde National Park, and the Rocky Mountain National Park. The Colorado River originates in Rocky Mountain National Park. Water flows abundantly through- out Colorado. Because of its size, the state boasts four major rivers includ- ing the Colorado River, the Rio Grande, the South Platte, and the Arkansas River. Due to its diverse geography, Colorado has a complex climate . The mountains, plains and deserts can sig- nificantly affect local weather condi- tions. In general, winters in Colorado can be very cold and snowy, especially