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Gunnison River

Gunnison River

The Gunnison River is a tributary of the Colorado River, approximately 180 mi (290 km) long, in the U.S. state of Colorado. It rises in west central Colorado, in eastern Gunnison County, formed by the confluence of Taylor and [(East River]] rivers in the Almont, Crystal, Blue Mesa, and Morrow Point reservoirs in Curecanti National Recreation Area. It flows southwest, west, and northwest through Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, past the town of Delta, where it is joined by the North Fork of the Gunnison River and joins the Colorado at Grand Junction. Part of the river's water is diverted to irrigate the Uncompahgre Valley via the 5 mi (8 km) long Gunnison Tunnel, which was built between 1905 and 1909.

Category:Rivers of Colorado

U.S. state

A U.S. state is any one of the fifty states (four of which officially favor the term commonwealth) which, together with the District of Columbia and Palmyra Atoll (an uninhabited incorporated unorganized territory), form the United States of America. The separate state governments and the U.S. federal government share sovereignty, in that an "American" is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of residence. The United States Constitution allocates power between the two levels of government in general terms; the general idea is that by ratifying the Constitution, each state has transferred certain aspects of its sovereign powers to the federal government while retaining the remainder for itself. The tasks of education, health, transportation, and other infrastructure are generally the responsibility of the states. Over time, the Constitution has been amended, and the interpretation and application of its provisions have changed. The general tendency has been toward centralization, with the federal government playing a much larger role than it once did.

Legal relationship

At the time of the Declaration of Independence from Great Britain in 1776, the 13 colonies became 13 independently sovereign states, which became fourteen in 1777 with the formation of the Vermont Republic; for a brief period, they were in effect legally separate nations. But upon the adoption of the Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union, the states became a single sovereign political entity as defined by international law, empowered to levy war and to conduct international relations, albeit with a very loosely structured and inefficient central government. After the failure of the union under the Articles of Confederation, the thirteen states joined the modern union via ratification of the United States Constitution, beginning in 1789. Under Article IV of the Constitution, which outlines the relationship between the states, the Congress has the power to admit new states to the union. The states are required to give "full faith and credit" to the acts of each other's legislatures and courts, which is generally held to include the recognition of legal contracts, marriages, criminal judgments, and - at the time - slave status. The states are guaranteed military and civil defense by the federal government, which is also required to ensure that the government of each state remains a republic. The Constitution is silent on the issue of the secession of a state from the union. The Articles of Confederation had stated that the earlier union of the colonies "shall be perpetual", and the preamble to the Constitution states that Constitution was intended to "form a more perfect union". In 1860 and 1861, several states attempted to secede, but were brought back into the Union by force of arms during the Civil War. Subsequently, the federal judicial system, in the case of Texas v. White, established that states do not have the right to secede without the consent of the other states.
- Four of the states bear the formal title of Commonwealth: Kentucky, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. In these cases, this is merely a name and has no legal effect. However, the United States has non-state areas called commonwealths (Puerto Rico and the Northern Marianas) which do have a legal status different from the states.
- States are free to organize their judicial systems differently from the federal judiciary, as long as due process is protected. See state supreme court for more information. For example, most lawsuits in the state of New York are filed in the Supreme Court, and then appealed to the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court. The highest court in New York is the Court of Appeals.
- The joint resolution which admitted the Republic of Texas to the Union as a state guaranteed Texas the right to divide itself up into up to 5 states. This clause may be redundant, however, as any such state would arguably require Congressional approval, just as when Maine was split off from Massachusetts; it may also be unconstitutional, as reducing the equal suffrage of the other states in the United States Senate.

List of states

The states, with their U.S. postal abbreviations, traditional abbreviations, capitals and largest cities, are as follows. For a complete list of non-state dependent areas and other territory under control of the U.S., see United States dependent areas. State names speak to the circumstances of their creation. (See the lists of U.S. state name etymologies and U.S. county name etymologies for more detail.)
- Southern states on the Atlantic coast originated as British colonies named after British monarchs: Georgia, the Carolinas, Virginia, and Maryland. Some northeastern states, also former British colonies, take their names from places in the British Isles: New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York.
- Many states' names are those of Native American tribes or are from Native American languages: Kansas, Massachusetts, Hawaii, Connecticut, Missouri, Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, Minnesota, the Dakotas, Mississippi, Texas, Utah, and others.
- Because they are on territories previously controlled by Spain or Mexico, many states in the southeast and southwest have Spanish names. They include Colorado, New Mexico, Florida, and Nevada.
- Because it was previously a French colony, Louisiana is named after the Louis XIV (King of France at the time).
- The origins of the names of California, Oregon, Idaho, and Rhode Island are unknown, although various theories exist.

Trivia

Names

- "Georgia" can refer to either a U.S. state or to an independent country in the Caucasus.
- The name "New York" can refer to any one of three geographical levels: a state, a city in that state, or a county (coterminous with the borough of Manhattan) in that city.
- "Washington" is a state, a city corresponding to the District of Columbia (and thus not part of any state), and a number of cities and counties in various states. See the list of places named for George Washington.
- The state of Washington is the only state named after a U.S. President (or after a person born within the area now comprising the U.S., for that matter).
- The official name of Rhode Island is "the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations."
- Only two states have state capitals named for the state (however, such name-sharing occurs commonly with states and provinces in some other countries, where the state or province actually often takes its name from a capital city): Oklahoma, with capital Oklahoma City, and Indiana, with capital Indianapolis (which means Indiana City). Iowa City, Iowa was the first state capital of Iowa but the capital was later moved to Des Moines, Iowa.
- Maine is the only state with a one-syllable name.

Geography

- Colorado and Wyoming are bounded by two circles of latitude and two meridians each, i.e. they appear to be rectangles in a cylindrical map projection.
- Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming are the only states whose borders are made up of only straight lines (taking meridians and circles of latitude as straight lines) and, thus, the only states whose borders completely ignore natural features.
- Every state—except Hawaii, which has no land boundaries—has straight lines as at least part of its boundaries. These are usually combined with rivers (see river borders of U.S. states), ridge lines and other natural boundaries. Pennsylvania and Delaware are unique in that their common border is an arc of a circle, see The Twelve-Mile Circle.
- The lower peninsula of Michigan is shaped like a mitten; Louisiana is shaped like a boot.
- Alaska, Florida, Idaho, Maryland, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas and West Virginia have panhandles.
- Alabama, Missouri, New Mexico and Mississippi have bootheels.
- Alaska and Hawaii are the only states that are not physically connected to other states; Maine is the only state that borders only one other state. Missouri and Tennessee each border eight other states, the most for any state.
- Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, and Utah are the only four states to share a common border, known as the "Four Corners."
- Appearances given by the stereographic projection to the contrary, Minnesota is the northernmost of the forty-eight contiguous United States, as a northern spur of the state contains a portion of Lake of the Woods. At one time it was thought that Lake of the Woods contained the headwaters of the Mississippi River (now known to be at Lake Itasca).
- Alaska is the northernmost state and the westernmost state. Some would argue that it is also the easternmost state, as the Aleutian island chain crosses the 180º line of longitude.

Grouping of the states in regions

Alaska, The South and The Northeast. Note that Alaska and Hawaii are shown at different scales, and that the Aleutian Islands and the uninhabited Northwestern Hawaiian Islands are omitted from this map.]] States may be grouped in regions; there are endless variations and possible groupings, as most states are not defined by obvious geographic or cultural borders. For further discussion of regions of the U.S., see the list of regions of the United States.

State lists

References

External links

- [http://factfinder.census.gov/bf/_lang=en_vt_name=DEC_2000_SF1_U_GCTPH1R_US9S_geo_id=01000US.html Tables with areas, populations, densities and more (in order of population)]
- [http://factfinder.census.gov/bf/_lang=en_vt_name=DEC_2000_SF1_U_GCTPH1_US9_geo_id=01000US.html Tables with areas, populations, densities and more (alphabetical)]
- [http://www.usnewspapers.org US Newspapers by State]
- [http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0854966.html Origin of State Names] United States, States of the Category:Subdivisions of the United States
- U.S. State ja:アメリカ合衆国の地方行政区画 ko:미국의 주 simple:List of U.S. states th:มลรัฐของสหรัฐอเมริกา zh-min-nan:Bí-kok ê hêng-chèng-khu

Colorado

Colorado is a western state in the central part of the country. Colorado is best known as the home of the highest peaks of the Rocky Mountains, which dominate the western half of the state; eastern Colorado is mostly High Plains (prairie) and sparsely populated. The state capital and largest city is Denver, Colorado; the Denver-Aurora metropolitan area contains over half of the state's population (2.5 million out of 4.3 million). The state was named after the Spanish word "Colorado" which means "reddish colored" that presumably refers to the red sandstone formations in the area or reddish brown color of the Colorado River. The U.S. Postal abbreviation for the state is CO. The USS Colorado was named in honor of this state.

History of Colorado

The territory which ultimately became Colorado was added to the United States by the 1803 Louisiana Purchase and the 1848 Mexican Cession. The Colorado Gold Rush of 1859 (see also Fifty-Niner) brought large numbers of settlers to the Denver area, although the population collapsed following an initial mining boom. The Colorado Territory was organized as a United States territory on February 28, 1861 and Colorado attained statehood in 1876 (earning it the moniker the "Centennial State"). Colorado women were granted the right to vote starting on November 7, 1893.

Law and government

1893 Like the majority of the states, Colorado's current constitution provides for three branches of government: the legislative, executive and judicial branches. The legislative body is the General Assembly made up of two houses, the House of Representatives and the Senate. The House of Representatives has 65 members and the Senate has 35. Currently, Democrats are in control of both chambers of the General Assembly. The 2005 Colorado General Assembly is the first to be controlled by the Democrats in forty years. Colorado is considered a very independent state politically, with 17 of the governors Democrat and 12 of them Republican in the last 100 years. The state supported Democrat Bill Clinton in 1992, and the Republican presidential nominees in 1996 and 2000. Recently, the state appears to be going more towards the center. George W. Bush won the state's 9 electoral votes in 2004 by a margin of 5 percentage points with 51.7% of the vote, considerably less than the 9% margin Bush won by in 2000 [http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2004/special/president/showdown/CO/]. Democrats also gained in every open seat race in the state, picking up a seat in the Senate and the House of Representatives. Democrats are strongest in metropolitan Denver, Boulder, southern Colorado, and a few western ski resort counties, while Republicans are strongest in the rural plains region, Colorado Springs, the Western Slope, and some of the Denver suburbs. The two Senators from Colorado are Wayne Allard (R), and Ken Salazar (D). The governor heads the state's executive branch. The current governor of Colorado is Bill Owens (R). See: List of Colorado Governors

Geography

Colorado is one of only three states (the others are Wyoming and Utah) that has only lines of latitude and longitude for borders. It stretches exactly from 37°N to 41°N, and 102°W to 109°W. The Four Corners Monument at its southwestern-most point is at 37°N and 109°W. East of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains are the Colorado Eastern Plains, the section of the Great Plains within Colorado at elevations ranging from 3500 to 7000 ft (1,000 to 2,000 m). Kansas and Nebraska border Colorado to the east. The plains are sparsely settled with most population along the South Platte and the Arkansas rivers and the I-70 corridor. Rainfall is meager, averaging about 15 in/year (380 mm/year). There is some irrigated farming, but much of the land is used for dryland farming or ranching. Winter wheat is a typical crop and most small towns in the region boast both a water tower and a grain elevator. The major cities and towns lie just east of the Front Range, in the I-25 corridor. The majority of the population of Colorado lives in this densely urbanized strip. To the west lies the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains with notable peaks such as Long's Peak, Mount Evans, Pike's Peak, and the Spanish Peaks near Walsenburg in the south. This area drains to the east, is forested, and partially urbanized. With urbanization, utilization of the forest for timbering and grazing was retarded which resulted in accumulation of fuel. During the drought of 2002 devastating forest fires swept this area. To the west of the Front Range lies the continental divide. To the west of the continental divide is the Western Slope. Water west of the continental divide drains into the Pacific Ocean via the Colorado River. Colorado River Within the interior of the Rocky Mountains there are several large parks or high broad basins. In the north, on the east side of the continental divide is North Park. North Park is drained by the North Platte River which flows north into Wyoming. Just south, but on the west side of the continental divide is Middle Park, drained by the Colorado River. South Park is the headwaters of the South Platte River. To the south lies the San Luis Valley, the headwaters of the Rio Grande which drains into New Mexico. Across the Sangre de Cristo Range to the east of the San Luis Valley lies the Wet Mountain Valley. These basins, particularly the San Luis Valley, lie along the Rio Grande Rift, a major geological formation, and its branches. See Great Rift Valley. Great Rift Valley The Rocky Mountains within Colorado contain 54 peaks over 14,000 ft (4,270 m), known as fourteeners. The mountains are timbered with conifers and aspen to the tree-line, at an elevation of about 12,000 ft (4,000 m) in southern Colorado to about 10,500 ft (3,200 m) in northern Colorado; above this only alpine vegetation grows. The Rockies are snow-covered only in the winter; most snow melts by mid August with the exception of a few small glaciers. The Colorado Mineral Belt, stretching from the San Juan Mountains in the southwest to Boulder and Central City on the front range, contains most of the historic gold and silver mining districts of Colorado. The Western Slope is generally drained by the Colorado River and its tributaries. Notable to the south are the San Juan Mountains, an extremely rugged mountain range, and to the west of the San Juans, the Colorado Plateau, a high desert bordering Southern Utah. Grand Junction is the largest city on the Western Slope. Grand Junction is served by Interstate Highway I-70. To the southeast of Grand Junction is Grand Mesa, a large flat-topped mountain. Further east lie the ski resorts of Aspen, Vail, Crested Butte, and Steamboat Springs. The northwestern corner of Colorado bordering Northern Utah and Western Wyoming is mostly sparsely populated rangeland. From west to east, the state consists of desert-like basins, turning into plateaus, then alpine mountains, and then the grasslands of the Great Plains. Mount Elbert is the highest peak in the Rocky Mountains within the continental United States. The famous Pike's Peak is just west of Colorado Springs. Its lone peak is visible from near the Kansas border on clear days.

Economy

Kansas The state's economy broadened from its mid 19th century roots in mining when irrigated agriculture developed, and by the late 19th century, raising livestock had become important. Early industry was based on the extraction and processing of minerals and agricultural products. Current agricultural products are cattle, wheat, dairy products, corn, and hay. The federal government is also a major economic force in the state with many important federal facilities including NORAD and the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, NOAA and the National Institute of Standards and Technology in Boulder, U.S. Geological Survey and other government agencies at the Denver Federal Center in Lakewood, the Denver Mint, and 10th Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver, and a federal Supermax Prison and other federal prisons near Cañon City. There are of course various other federal agencies and federally owned lands in the state, especially with Colorado's abundant National Forests and four National Parks. There are also numerous private companies that have operations in Colorado that deal with the governmental agencies in the state. In the second half of the 20th century the industrial and service sectors have expanded greatly. The state's economy is diversified and is notable for its concentration of scientific research and high-technology industries. Other industries include food processing, transportation equipment, machinery, chemical products, minerals such as gold and molybdenum, and tourism. Denver is an important financial center. [http://www.bea.gov/ The Bureau of Economic Analysis] estimates that the total state product in 2003 was $187 billion. Per capital personal income in 2003 was $34,561, putting Colorado 8^th in the nation. To see a 2004 per capital personal income comparison table on a state basis: [http://www.bea.gov/bea/newsrel/spi_highlights.pdf]

Demographics

Population

The 2000 Census reported Colorado's population as 4,301,261 [http://www.census.gov/popest/states/tables/NST-EST2004-01.pdf], and the state's 2004 population is estimated to be 4,601,403 [http://www.census.gov/popest/states/tables/NST-EST2004-01.pdf]. Between 1990 and 2004, Colorado's population grew by 39.7%, a growth rate outpaced only by Nevada and Arizona's. According to estimates made in 2004, Colorado's population will increase to 7,150,000 by 2030 [http://cwcb.state.co.us/SWSI/Report/AppendixA.pdf]. The largest increases are expected along the Front Range, especially in the Denver-Aurora metropolitan area. As of 2004, 441,000 foreign-born persons (9.7% of the population) live in the state, including an estimated 144,000 illegal aliens (3.1% of the state population).

Race and ancestry

The racial makeup of the state and comparison to the prior census: (Estimates for the year 2003 are available at: [http://www.census.gov/popest/states/asrh/tables/SC-EST2003-03/SC-EST2003-03-28.pdf PDF].) Colorado's Hispanic presence is one of the USA's largest—only five states have more Hispanics (per capita). Denver and some other areas have significant Mexican populations, while southern Colorado has a large number of Hispanos, the descendants of early New Mexican settlers of colonial Spanish origin. According to the 2000 Census, the largest ancestry groups in Colorado are German (22%), Irish (12.2%), and English (12%). Persons reporting German ancestry are the largest group in the state and are especially strong in the Front Range and eastern Plains. People of British extraction are the largest group in the western Rocky Mountains.

Religion

- Christian – 75%
- Protestant – 48%
- Baptist – 9%
- Methodist – 5%
- Lutheran – 5%
- Episcopal – 3%
- Presbyterian – 3%
- Other Protestant or general Protestant – 23%
- Roman Catholic – 24%
- Latter-Day Saint (Mormon) – 2%
- Other Christian – 1%
- Jewish – 2%
- Other Religions – 1%
- Non-Religious/Agnostic – 22% Compared to the nation at large, Colorado—like many other Western states—has a high percentage of non-religious people. In addition, although quite small in number overall, Colorado has one of the highest concentrations of Tibetan Buddhists in North America, located primarily in Boulder and Crestone. Nonetheless, the state—specifically the city of Colorado Springs—is home to numerous Christian groups. Focus on the Family is among the most prominent of these.

More information

For detailed social information on Colorado, see [http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/QTTable?_bm=n&_lang=en&qr_name=DEC_2000_SF3_U_DP2&ds_name=DEC_2000_SF3_U&geo_id=04000US08 here]; for economic information, see [http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/QTTable?_bm=n&_lang=en&qr_name=DEC_2000_SF3_U_DP3&ds_name=DEC_2000_SF3_U&geo_id=04000US08 here]; and for housing information, see [http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/QTTable?_bm=n&_lang=en&qr_name=DEC_2000_SF3_U_DP4&ds_name=DEC_2000_SF3_U&geo_id=04000US08 here].

Important cities and towns

Each grouping represents a U.S. Census metropolitan or micropolitan area, headed by its principal city (or cities). Each city named in bold has a population greater than 100,000. Other notable cities (population under 10,000)
- Alamosa
- Aspen
- Glenwood Springs
- Leadville
- Trinidad
- Vail
- Walsenburg

25 Richest Places in Colorado

Ranked by per capita income 1 Cherry Hills Village $99,996
2 Genessee CDP $79,180
3 Columbine Valley $71,758
4 Castle Pines CDP $70,456
5 Greenwood Village $69,189
6 Bonanza $66,857
7 Bow Mar $53,558
8 Heritage Hills CDP $50,041
9 Perry Park CDP $47,574
10 Lone Tree $46,287
11 Meridian CDP $46,031
12 The Pinery CDP $43,065
13 Eldorado Springs CDP $42,908
14 Vail $42,390
15 Foxfield $40,970
16 Aspen $40,680
17 Niwot $39,943
18 Mountain Village $39,920
19 Edwards CDP $39,784
20 Pitkin $39,182
21 Telluride $38,832
22 Woodmoor CDP $38,758
23 Castlewood CDP $37,891 (now a part of Centennial)
24 Vona $37,802
25 Eagle-Vail CDP $37,260

Colorado tourism and recreation

Eagle-Vail CDP

National historic sites

- Bent's Old Fort National Historic Site 1833-1849 trading fort in Colorado
- Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site Nov. 29, 1864 US massacre of Cheyenne and Arapaho Indian Innocents

Education

Colleges and universities

Professional sports teams

As of 2005, Colorado is least populous state with a franchise in each of the major professional sports leagues. In fact, as of the 2000 census Colorado was also the least populous state to have more than one major league team, let alone four. The state is able to support the teams because it contains a large metropolitan area, with a much higher population than any other city in over 500 miles. Therefore, many of the residents in the surrounding states support the teams in Denver, as show by the reach of the Bronco's radio network[http://www.denverbroncos.com/page.php?id=1637]. Colorado has since surpassed Louisiana in population, although the effects of Hurricane Katrina have made the futures of that state's teams uncertain. The Canadian province of Alberta is the only less populous jurisdiction in North America besides the District of Columbia to have more than one major league team.

Major league teams

- Colorado Rockies, Major League Baseball
- Denver Nuggets, National Basketball Association
- Denver Broncos, National Football League
- Colorado Avalanche, National Hockey League

Other teams

- Colorado Rapids, Major League Soccer
- Colorado Crush, Arena Football League
- Colorado Mammoth, National Lacrosse League
- Denver Outlaws, Major League Lacrosse
- Colorado Springs Sky Sox, Minor League Baseball (AAA)
- Colorado Eagles, Central Hockey League
- Colorado Chill, National Women's Basketball League

Major highways

References

- U.S. Census Bureau.
- [http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/08000.html Colorado QuickFacts]. Geographic and demographic information.
- [http://www.census.gov/population/documentation/twps0056/tab20.pdf Colorado - Race and Hispanic Origin: 1860 to 1990] (PDF)

External links

- [http://www.colorado.gov/ The Official Colorado State Website]
- [http://www.colorado.com/ Official tourism Website]
- [http://www.terragalleria.com/america/south-west/colorado/ Photos of Colorado - Terra Galleria]
- [http://www.rootsweb.com/~coyuma/city/index.html Colorado place names]
- [http://www.usnewspapers.org/state/colorado Colorado Newspapers] Category:States of the American West
- Category:States of the United States category: 1876 establishments ko:콜로라도 주 ja:コロラド州

Gunnison County, Colorado

Gunnison County is a county located in the U.S. state of Colorado. As of 2000, the population is 13,956. The county seat is Gunnison.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 8,443 km² (3,260 mi²). 8,388 km² (3,239 mi²) of it is land and 54 km² (21 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 0.64% water.

Demographics

As of the census ² of 2000, there are 13,956 people, 5,649 households, and 2,965 families residing in the county. The population density is 2/km² (4/mi²). There are 9,135 housing units at an average density of 1/km² (3/mi²). The racial makeup of the county is 95.08% White, 0.49% Black or African American, 0.70% Native American, 0.54% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 1.44% from other races, and 1.72% from two or more races. 5.02% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race. There are 5,649 households out of which 24.10% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.20% are married couples living together, 5.40% have a female householder with no husband present, and 47.50% are non-families. 27.20% of all households are made up of individuals and 4.60% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.30 and the average family size is 2.84. In the county the population is spread out with 17.90% under the age of 18, 21.10% from 18 to 24, 32.90% from 25 to 44, 21.20% from 45 to 64, and 6.90% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 30 years. For every 100 females there are 118.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 120.90 males. The median income for a household in the county is $36,916, and the median income for a family is $51,950. Males have a median income of $30,885 versus $25,000 for females. The per capita income for the county is $21,407. 15.00% of the population and 6.00% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 9.40% of those under the age of 18 and 7.20% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

Cities and towns

- Crested Butte
- Gunnison
- Marble
- Mount Crested Butte
- Pitkin

External links

- [http://www.co.gunnison.co.us Official Homepage] Category:Colorado counties

Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park

Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park is a United States National Park located in western Colorado. There are two entrances to the park which is managed by the National Park Service. The more developed south rim entrance is located 15 miles (24 km) east of Montrose. The north rim entrance is located 11 miles (18 km) south of Crawford and is closed in the winter. The park is 47 mi² (122 km²) in size.

Geology

Black Canyon is a deep gorge which the Gunnison River flows through. It is so deep and narrow that little sunlight reaches into it, making the walls look black. In the canyon, the Gunnison River drops an average of 96 feet per mile (18 m/km). In one 2-mile (3 km) stretch it drops 480 feet (150 m). From the top of the canyon one can hear the river as it crashes through the canyon. The canyon is composed of quartz monzonite, a type of granite.

Biology

Plants native to the park include: Aspen, Ponderosa pine, Sagebrush, desert mahogany, Utah Juniper, Gambel oak (scrub oak), and Singleleaf Ash. Some birds that live in the park are: Great Horned Owl (resident), Mountain Bluebird (migratory), Steller's jay (resident), Peregrine falcon (migratory), White-throated Swift (migratory), Canyon Wren (migratory), American Dipper (resident).

Attractions

The main attraction of the park is the scenic drive along the south rim. There is also a campground and several miles of hiking and nature trails. The river can be accessed by a steep, unmaintained trail that takes about 4 hours to hike down and 6 to hike back. hiking

History

The area was established as a U.S. National Monument on March 2, 1933 and made into a National Park on October 21, 1999.

Music

Black Canyon of the Gunnison is also a symphonic composition by Frank Erickson, which has been performed on the rim of the canyon.

External links

- official site: [http://www.nps.gov/blca/ Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park]
- [http://www.nps.gov/blca/webvc/quartz_monz.htm Details on how the canyon was formed]
- [http://www.terragalleria.com/parks/np.black-canyon.html Photos of Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park - Terra Galleria]
- [http://www.nationalparksgallery.com/parks/Black-Canyon-Of-The-Gunnison-National-Park Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park] - National Parks Gallery Category:Canyons of Colorado Category:National parks in Colorado Category:Montrose County, Colorado Category:Gunnison County, Colorado

Grand Junction, Colorado

Grand Junction is a city located in Mesa County, Colorado, USA. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 41,986. It is the county seat of Mesa County. The city is largest population center on the Colorado Western Slope, unofficially serving as the capital of the region. The local television stations serve as a major media source for the region, in the way that those in Denver do for the Colorado Front Range to the east. The city located along the north side of Colorado River where it receives the Gunnison River from south. The name "Grand" refers to the historical name of the upper Colorado used by locals in the late 19th and early 20th century. The city sits near the mid-point of 30-mile (48 km) arcing valley, known as the Grand Valley, that is a major fruit growing region, historically home to the Ute people and settled by white farmers in the 1880s. In recent years, several wineries have been established in the area as well. The Colorado National Monument, a series of canyons and mesas similar to the Grand Canyon, overlook the city. Interstate 70 connects the city eastward to Glenwood Springs and Denver.

Geography

Glenwood Springs Grand Junction is located at 39°4'50" North, 108°33'33" West (39.080531, -108.559097). It is about 25 miles east of the Utah State Line on Interstate 70. It is about 4800 feet above sea level in what is called 'high desert' country. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 80.5 km² (31.1 mi²). 79.8 km² (30.8 mi²) of it is land and 0.7 km² (0.3 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 0.87% water.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there are 41,986 people, 17,865 households, and 10,540 families residing in the city. The population density is 526.2/km² (1,362.6/mi²). There are 18,784 housing units at an average density of 235.4/km² (609.6/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 91.78% White, 0.60% African American, 0.94% Native American, 0.76% Asian, 0.12% Pacific Islander, 3.81% from other races, and 1.99% from two or more races. 10.86% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race. There are 17,865 households out of which 25.5% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.1% are married couples living together, 9.4% have a female householder with no husband present, and 41.0% are non-families. 33.2% of all households are made up of individuals and 13.8% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.23 and the average family size is 2.84. In the city the population is spread out with 21.2% under the age of 18, 11.9% from 18 to 24, 26.3% from 25 to 44, 22.8% from 45 to 64, and 17.9% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 39 years. For every 100 females there are 95.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 92.6 males. The median income for a household in the city is $33,152, and the median income for a family is $43,851. Males have a median income of $31,685 versus $22,804 for females. The per capita income for the city is $19,692. 11.9% of the population and 7.5% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 11.8% of those under the age of 18 and 9.0% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

Weather

- Spring & Fall: prolonged spring marked by much blossoming and the fall is very colorful.
- Summer: Usually warm and dry. The record high temperature is 105 Degrees Fahrenheit. Average highs in the low 90s; average lows in the 60s. Precipitation events are uncommon.
- Winter: Mostly mild. Frequent snows are light and usually melt away quickly. Even the heavy snows of 4 to 8 inches (rare) disappear quickly. Temperatures vary between the 40s and 20s.

Points of interest

- Western Colorado Botanical Gardens
- Colorado National Monument

External links

- [http://www.gjcity.org/ City of Grand Junction] (official website) Category:Cities in Colorado Category:Mesa County, Colorado Category:Colorado Western Slope

1905

1905 (MCMV) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar).

Events

January-April

- January 2 - Russo-Japanese War: The Russian Army surrenders at Port Arthur, China; an event which shocked the world.
- January 22 - Massacre of Russian demonstrators at the Winter Palace in Saint Petersburg, one of the triggers of the abortive Russian Revolution of 1905.
- January 26 - The Cullinan Diamond is found near Pretoria, South Africa at the Premier Mine.
- February 10 - Bomb kills grand duke Sergei in Moscow
- February 18 - Tsar orders A. G. Bulygin, the new minister of internal affairs, to make a plan for representative assembly
- February 23 - Foundation of Rotary International
- February 24 - Workmen from the Italian side of the Simplon Tunnel under the Swiss Alps break through the Swiss side
- March 1 - Australian Conservative leader Richard Butler takes office as Premier of South Australia
- March 3 - Tsar Nicholas II of Russia agrees to create an elected assembly (the Duma).
- March 5 - Russian troops begin to retreat from Mukden, Manchuria after losing 100,000 troops in 3 days.
- March 10 Japanese capture of Mukden (now Shenyang) completes rout of Russian armies in Manchuria.
- March 10 - Cassie Chadwick sentenced for 14 years in Cleveland for fraud
- March 17 - Albert Einstein publishes his paper "On a heuristic viewpoint concerning the production and transformation of light" in which he explains the photoelectric effect using the notion of light quanta
- March 31 - During his visit in Morocco, German emperor William II asserts German equality with France in Morocco, triggering the Tangier (or First Moroccan) Crisis.
- April 2 - The Simplon Tunnel dedicated
- April 4 - In India, an earthquake near Kangra, kills 20,000.
- April - Albert Einstein works on the special theory of relativity as well as the theory of Brownian motion

May-October

- May 8 - In Russia, Union of Unions, an umbrella group for newly-formed Russian trade and professional organizations, is found with Paul Milyakov as its leader
- May 11 - Albert Einstein submits his doctoral dissertation "On the Motion of Small Particles..." where he explains the Brownian motion
- May 13 - Mata Hari debuts in Paris
- May 15 - Las Vegas, Nevada is founded when 110 acres (0.4 km²), in what later would become downtown, are auctioned off.
- May 27-28 - Russo-Japanese War: Battle of Tsushima - The Japanese fleet under Admiral Heihachiro Togo destroys Russian fleet under Admiral Zinovi Petrovich Rozhdestvenski in this two day battle
- June 7 - The Norwegian Parliament declares the union with Sweden dissolved, thus Norway achieves its independence.
- June 14-15 - Mutiny in the Russian ironclad Potemkin
- June 15 - Princess Margaret of Connaught marries Gustav, Crown Prince of Sweden.
- June 30 - Albert Einstein publishes the article "On the Electrodynamics of Moving Bodies" where he discovers special relativity.
- July 6 - Alfred Deakin becomes Prime Minister of Australia for the second time.
- July 11 - July 14 - first meeting of the Niagara Movement
- August 13 - Norway holds referendum in favour of dissolving the union with Sweden.
- August 20 - Lord Curzon resigns as viceroy of India
- September 1 - The Canadian province of Alberta is established from the southwestern part of the Northwest Territories.
- September 4 - The Canadian province of Saskatchewan is established.
- September 5 - Russo-Japanese War: Treaty of Portsmouth signed - In New Hampshire a treaty mediated by US President Theodore Roosevelt, is signed by victor Japan and defeated party Russia. In the agreement, Russia cedes the island of Sakhalin and port and rail rights in Manchuria to Japan.
- September 20 - Printer's strike in Moscow
- October 3 - HMS Dreadnought is laid down, revolutionizing battleship design and triggering a naval arms race.
- October 13 - St. Petersburg Soviet of worker's deputies formed
- October 17 - Russian chief minister Sergei Witte announces October Manifesto, plan for representative assembly, increased voting rights and freedom of speech, religion and association
- October 18 - Naval students demonstrate in St Petersburg
- October 26 - Sweden agrees to the repeal of the union with Norway. King Oscar II abdicates the Norwegian throne.
- October 30 - Tsar Nicholas II is forced to grant Russia's first constitution, conceding a national assembly (Duma) with limited powers.
- October 31 - Local peasants in Volokolamsk declare the Markovo Republic (Russian troops overrun it July 18 1906)
- 70 Onion Johnnies die when the steamer Hilda sinks off France.

November-December

- November 9 - The Province of Alberta, Canada holds its 1st General Election.
- November 18 - Prince Carl of Denmark becomes King Haakon VII of Norway.
- November 21 - Moscow soviet formed
- November 28 - Irish nationalist Arthur Griffith founds Sinn Féin in Dublin as a political party whose goal is the independence for all of Ireland.
- December 6 - St Petersburg soviet calls for a general strike
- December 8 - Armed uprising in Moscow is defeated
- December 9 - In Novorossiisk in Siberia, local Socialist Soviet declares independence. 19 days later Russian artillery forces them to surrender
- December 30 - Bomb kills Frank Steunenberg, ex-governor of Idaho. Case leads to a trial again

Births

January-April

- January 2 - Michael Tippett, English composer (d. 1998)
- January 3 - Anna May Wong, American actress (d. 1961)
- January 12 - Tex Ritter, American actor and singer (d. 1974)
- January 18 - Joseph Bonanno, American gangster (d. 2002)
- January 21 - Christian Dior, French couturier (d. 1957)
- January 26 - Charles Lane, American actor
- January 26 - Maria von Trapp, Austrian singer (d. 1987)
- January 29 - Barnett Newman, American painter (d. 1970)
- January 31 - John O'Hara, American writer (d. 1970)
- February 1 - Emilio G. Segrè, Italian physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1989)
- February 2 - Ayn Rand, American author (d. 1982)
- February 7 - Paul Nizan, French author (d. 1940)
- February 14 - Thelma Ritter, American actress (d. 1969)
- February 15 - Harold Arlen, American composer of popular music (d. 1986)
- February 23 - Derrick Henry Lehmer, American mathematician (d. 1991)
- February 27 - Franchot Tone, American actor (d. 1968)
- March 6 - Bob Wills, American singer (d. 1975)
- March 15 - Berthold Graf Schenk von Stauffenberg, German lawyer and Nazi opponent (d. 1944)
- March 16 - Elisabeth Flickenschildt, German actress (d. 1977)
- March 18 - Thomas Townsend Brown, American scientist (d. 1985)
- March 18 - Robert Donat, English actor (d. 1958)
- March 18 - Benny Friedman, American football player (d. 1982)
- March 19 - Albert Speer, Nazi official (d. 1981)
- March 23 - Lale Andersen, German singer (d. 1972)
- March 23 - Joan Crawford, American actress (d. 1977)
- March 27 - Elsie MacGill, Canadian aeronautical engineer (d. 1980)
- April 18 - George H. Hitchings, American scientist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (d. 1998)
- April 21 - Edmund G. Brown, Govenor of California (d. 1996)

May-August

- May 3 - Sebastian Shaw, English actor (d. 1994)
- May 8 - Red Nichols, American jazz musician (d. 1965)
- May 15 - Joseph Cotten, American actor (d. 1994)
- May 16 - Henry Fonda, American actor (d. 1982)
- June 12 - Ray Barbuti, American athlete (d. 1975)
- July 4 - Irving Johnson, American sail training pioneer (d. 1991)
- July 5 - Jock Cameron, South African cricketer (d. 1935)
- July 12 - Edward Bernds, American director (d. 2000)
- July 12 - Prince John of the United Kingdom (d. 1919)
- July 15 - Dorothy Fields, American songwriter (d. 1988)
- July 22 - Doc Cramer, Major League Baseball player (d. 1990)
- July 25 - Elias Canetti, Bulgarian-born British writer (d. 1994)
- July 29 - Dag Hammarskjöld, Swedish United Nations Secretary-General, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize (d. 1961)
- August 2 - Karl Amadeus Hartmann, German composer (d. 1963)
- August 3 - Franz König, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Vienna (d. 2004)
- August 8 - André Jolivet, French composer (d. 1974)
- August 11 - Erwin Chargaff, Austrian biochemist (d. 2002)
- August 16 - Marian Rejewski, Polish mathematician and cryptologist (d. 1980)
- August 20 - Jean Gebser, author, linguist and poet (d. 1973)
- August 21 - Friz Freleng, American animator (d. 1995)
- August 23 - Constant Lambert, British composer (d. 1951)
- August 29 - Dhyan Chand, Indian hockey legend. (d. 1979)
- August 31 - Dore Schary, American film writer, director, and producer (d. 1980)

September-December

- September 1 - Elvera Sanchez, Puerto Rican dancer (d.2000)
- September 3 - Carl David Anderson, American physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1991)
- September 18 - Eddie Anderson, American actor (d. 1977)
- September 18 - Greta Garbo, Swedish actress (d. 1990)
- September 22 - Eugen Sänger, Austrian aerospace engineer (d. 1964)
- September 24 - Severo Ochoa, Spanish–American biochemist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1993)
- September 30 - Savitri Devi, Greek writer and philosopher (d. 1982)
- September 30 - Nevill Francis Mott, English physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1996)
- September 30 - Michael Powell, British director (d. 1990)
- October 5 - Helen Wills Moody, American tennis player (d. 1998)
- October 23 - Felix Bloch, Swiss-born physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1983)
- November 7 - William Alwyn, English composer (d. 1985)
- November 9 - Erika Mann, German writer and oldest daughter of Thomas Mann (d. 1969)
- November 15 - Mantovani, Italian-born conductor and arranger (d. 1980)
- November 17 - Queen Astrid of Belgium (d. 1935)
- November 26 - Bob Johnson, baseball player (d. 1982)
- December 11 - Gilbert Rowland, Mexican-born American actor (d. 1994)
- December 24 - Howard Hughes, American film maker, industrialist, aircraft designer, and airline founder (d. 1976)
- December 27 - Leonard Goldenson, American television executive (d. 1999)
- December 30 - Jule Styne, English-born composer (d. 1994)

Unknown dates

- Sada Abe, Japanese actress (d. 1970)

Deaths

- January 14 - Ernst Abbe, German physicist (b. 1840)
- January 19 - Debendranath Tagore, Indian philosopher (b. 1817)
- February 4 - Louis-Ernest Barrias, French sculptor (b. 1841)
- March 6 - John Henninger Reagan, American Confederate politician (b. 1818)
- March 24 - Jules Verne, French author (b. 1828)
- June 22 - Francis Lubbock, Governor of Texas (b. 1815)
- July 8 - Walter Kittredge, American musician and composer (b. 1834)
- August 14 - Simeon Solomon, British artist (b. 1840)
- September 18 - George MacDonald, Scottish author and poet, Christian minister (b. 1824)
- October 13 - Henry Irving, English actor (b. 1838)
- October 29 - Étienne Desmarteau, Canadian athlete (b. 1873)
- Muhammad Abduh, Egyptian philosopher and jurist (b. 1849)

Nobel Prizes

- Physics - Philipp Eduard Anton von Lenard
- Chemistry - Johann Friedrich Wilhelm Adolf von Baeyer
- Physiology or Medicine - Robert Koch
- Literature - Henryk Sienkiewicz
- Peace - Baroness Bertha Sophie Felicita Von Suttner Category:1905

1909

1909 (MCMIX) was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar).

Events

January – March

- January 16 - Ernest Shackleton's expedition finds the magnetic South Pole.
- January 28 - United States troops leave Cuba after being there since the Spanish-American War.
- February 12 - The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is founded.
- February 23 - The Silver Dart makes the first powered flight in Canada and the British Empire.
- February 24 - The Hudson Motor Car Company is founded.
- March 4 - End of term for Theodore Roosevelt, 26th President of the United States. He is succeeded by William Howard Taft.
- March 18 - Einar Dessau uses a short-wave radio transmitter becoming the first to broadcast as a ham radio operator.
- March 23 - Theodore Roosevelt leaves New York for a post-presidency safari in Africa. The trip was sponsored by the Smithsonian Institution and National Geographic Society.
- March 31 - Serbia accepts Austrian control over Bosnia-Herzegovina.

April – June

- April 6 - Robert Peary allegedly reaches the North Pole.
- April 27 - Sultan of the Ottoman Empire Abdul Hamid II is overthrown and succeeded by his brother, Muhammad V. He leaves the country the next day.
- May - Choosing a vocation by Frank Parsons (died 1908) is published.
- June 1 - The Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition opens in Seattle.
- June 2 - Alfred Deakin becomes Prime Minister of Australia for the third time.
- June 9 – Alice Huyler Ramsey, a 22-year-old housewife and mother from Hackensack, New Jersey, became the first woman to drive across the United States. With three female companions, none of whom could drive a car, for fifty-nine days she drove a Maxwell automobile the 3,800 miles from Manhattan, New York to San Francisco, California.
- June 15 - Representatives from England, Australia and South Africa meet at Lords and form the Imperial Cricket Conference.
- June 22 - Construction begins on the Cape Cod Canal, which would separate Cape Cod from mainland Massachusetts, United States.

July – September

- July 13 - Gold discovered near Cochrane, Ontario.
- July 16 - A revolution forces Mohammad Ali Shah, Persian Shah of the Qajar dynasty to abdicate in favor of his son Ahmad Shah Qajar. He proceeds in leaving Persia for Imperial Russia, reportedly seeking the assistance of Nicholas II of Russia in regaining the throne.
- July 25 - Louis Bleriot is the first man to fly across the English Channel in a heavier-than-air craft.
- August 8 - Launching of The Rosicrucian Fellowship at Seattle (Washington). Later, in October 28 1911, its international headquarters, till today, were physically launched at Mount Ecclesia, Oceanside (California, United States) and the Healing Temple "The Ecclesia" was lauched in December 25 1920.
- September 9 - Comet Halley first recorded on a photographic plate.
- September 10-21 – Hurricane sweeps over Louisiana and Mississippi - 350 dead
- September 25 – Auroras seen in Singapore.

October – December

- October 2 - The first rugby football match played in Twickenham
- November 11 - US Navy founds a navy base in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
- November 13 - Ballinger-Pinchot scandal begins: Collier's magazine accuses US Secretary of the Interior Richard Ballinger of questionable dealings in Alaskan coal fields.
- November 18 - Two United States warships are sent to Nicaragua after 500 revolutionaries (including two Americans) are executed by order of dictator José Santos Zelaya.
- November - First edition of Max Heindel's magnum opus The Rosicrucian Cosmo-Conception.
- December 4 - The University of Bristol was founded and received its Royal Charter.
- December 17 - Léopold II of Belgium dies and is succeeded by his nephew Albert I of Belgium

Month/date unknown

- William Dickson Boyce, a United States businessman visiting London, England, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland is introduced to members of the Scouting movement. The following year Boyce becomes founder of the Boy Scouts of America.
- Karl Landsteiner develops system of blood groups.
- Leon's, a Canadian furniture chain is first opened.
- Bri

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1905

Events

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Unknown dates

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1909

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Month/date unknown