Colorado is called the Centennial State because it became a state in 1876, exactly 100 years after the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The document provides information about Colorado's history including the Native American tribes that originally inhabited the land such as the Cheyenne, Arapaho, Kiowa, Comanche, Apache, and Ute. It also lists some facts about Colorado including its state symbols, the capital of Denver, and interesting geographical features such as the highest paved road in North America located on Mount Evans.

1. Colorado
The Centennial State

2. What does “centennial” mean & why is
Colorado called the Centennial State?
That’s right,
partner! This here
Colorado became a
state in the year
1876, one-hundred
years after the
Declaration of
Independence was
signed!
The Declaration of Independence
was when the original 13 colonies
officially declared themselves independent of England.

3. Long before Colorado was
a state, tribes of people
lived on this land.
We call them Native
Americans.
The Cheyenne
The Arapaho

4. The Kiowa
The
Comanche
The
Apache
The
Ute

5. …and the Anasazi people.
The Anasazi people lived in
southwest Colorado hundreds of
years ago, so we don’t actually
have any photos of them.

6. …but here are some images
from where they once lived!

7. Colorado’s state fossil is
the…
The stegosaurus roamed across Colorado more than
150 million years ago.

8. Dinosaur Ridge
has hundreds of dinosaur tracks.

9. Colorado’s State Animal is…
The Rocky Mountain Big Horn Sheep

10. The State Bird is…
The Lark
Bunting

11. The state flower is…
The Columbine

12. The Colorado State tree is…
The Blue Spruce

13. The Colorado State Insect is…
The Colorado Hairstreak
Butterfly

14. The capital of Colorado is…
Denver

15. Final Fast Facts
The
highest
paved
road in
North
America
is to Mt.
Evans.
Colorado
means
“colored
red” in
Spanish.
The world’s
largest
Flat-top
mountain is
in Grand
Mesa.
The
United
States
Air Force
Academy
is in
Colorado
Springs.
The 13th step of the capital
building is exactly 1 mile
above sea level.

16. I hope you enjoyed
learning a bit about
Colorado!
Meanwhile…
Keep on
ROCKING!