9781422286173

T he natural beauty of Colorado seems to inspire artistic expression. In 1972, singer John Denver released a song about the state called “Rocky Mountain High.” The hit record served as a celebration of Colorado’s natural wonders, and became one of the state’s official songs in 2007. The inspiration for this song is understandable to anyone who has ever lived in or visited Colorado. The word Colorado means “colored red.” During the 18th cen- tury, Spanish explorers observed that a river coursing from the mountains had a reddish tint due to silt. That river became known as the Colorado River, and the surrounding area became known as Colorado. Geography Colorado

By area, Colorado is the eighth-largest of the 50 U.S. states, covering 104,094 square miles (269,602 square kilometers). While Colorado is best known for its mountains, the state has many diverse geographic fea- tures and regions, including plains, desert,

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