|Population (1994): 3,656,000
(26th in size)
State size: 104,091 square miles (8th in
State Capital: Denver (named after James William
Denver, the 1858 governor of the Kansas Territory, which
Major cities: Denver, Pueblo, Colorado Springs, Aurora
Admission to union: The 38th State
Date entered the union: August 1, 1876
Origin of state name: Named from the Spanish word
Colorado meaning "Red", because the Spanish
explorers thought the Colorado River looked red.
Nicknames: The Centennial State, since Colorado became
a state in 1876, the centennial year.
Bordering states: Wyoming, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma,
New Mexico and Utah.
State bird: Lark Bunting
State flower: Rocky Mountain Columbine
State tree: Colorado Blue Mountain Spruce
Motto: Nothing Without Providence