Colorado (pronounced /kɒləˈrædoʊ/ or, /kɒləˈrɑːdoʊ/)[6] is a U.S. state that encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains. Colorado is part of the Western United States, the Mountain States, and the Southwestern United States.
The origins of Colorado's name come from the Spanish language, when the Spanish first called the area "Colorado" because of its red colored earth. The translation of "red colored" was Colorado. In 1861, Jefferson Territorial officials decided that "Colorado" would be a fitting name for the territory.[7][8] Colorado is nicknamed the "Centennial State" because it was admitted to the Union as the 38th state in 1876, the centennial year of the United States Declaration of Independence.
Colorado is bordered by Wyoming and Nebraska to the north, on the east by Nebraska and Kansas, on the south by Oklahoma and New Mexico, and on the west by Utah. The four states of Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah meet at one common point known as the Four Corners. Colorado is one of only three U.S. states with no natural borders, the others being neighboring Wyoming and Utah.
Colorado is noted for its vivid landscape of mountains, plains, mesas, and canyons. The United States Census Bureau estimates that the state population was 5,024,748 on July 1, 2009, an increase of 16.82% since the U.S. Census 2000. Denver is the capital and the most populous city of Colorado. Residents of the state are properly known as "Coloradans", although the archaic term "Coloradoan" is still used.[ Ref. Read more on Wikipedia
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