books, people use inks. Inks, paints,
dyes, and crayons get their color from
pigments, or substances that reflect
certain colors of light. The three
primary colors of pigments are magenta
(a purplish red), yellow, and cyan (a
blue-green). Different mixtures of these
colors can make all other colors. For
example, mixing cyan ink and yellow
ink makes green ink.
Seeing Color
Cells in the eyes called cones make it
possible for humans to see color. Different
types of cones absorb different colors.
Some people are color blind. This
does not necessarily mean that they cannot
see any color at all. More commonly,
people with color blindness
think certain colors, such as red and
green, look the same.
Colors can tell animals about their surroundings.
Color attracts insects to flowers
where they can get food. It can show
when fruits are ripe and ready to eat.
Color can also help certain plants and
animals survive. For example, some animals
have colors that are similar to the
habitat in which they live. This helps
them hide from other animals that may
want to attack them.
#More to explore
Light • Prism • Protective Coloration
• Rainbow
Yellow (1), cyan (2), and magenta (3) are
the primary colors of pigments, or inks. A
mixture of two primary colors of pigments
can make green (4), red (5), or blue (6). A
mixture of all three makes black (7).
156 Color BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA
Colorado
The state of Colorado got its name from
the Spanish word meaning “red.” Spanish
explorers gave the name to the Colorado
River because of its brightly
colored water, and later the name was
used for the land as well. Colorado is
nicknamed the Centennial State because
it joined the Union in 1876—100 years
after the signing of the Declaration of
Independence. Denver is the state’s capital
and largest city.
Geography
Colorado is in the western United
States. It borders Nebraska on the northeast,
Wyoming on the north, Utah on
the west, New Mexico and Oklahoma
on the south, and Kansas on the east.
The Rocky Mountains cover about half
of Colorado, stretching from the northwest
to the south-central part of the
state. The highest peak is Mount Elbert
at 14,433 feet (4,399 meters). Eastern
Colorado is part of the Great Plains.
Much of western Colorado is an area of
flat-topped hills (mesas) and steepwalled
canyons.
People
More than four fifths of Colorado’s
residents are whites of European
descent. Hispanics, mainly Mexicans,
make up the largest minority. The
numbers of African Americans and
Native Americans are small. Members
of the Ute tribe live on two reservations
in the southwest.
Most of Colorado’s people live
along the eastern edge of the
mountains, an area of towns and
cities that runs from Fort Collins in the
north to Pueblo in the south. Denver,
Boulder, Greeley, and Colorado Springs
are major cities in this area.
Economy
Mining and agriculture have been major
parts of Colorado’s economy since the
frontier days. Today the state’s mineral
wealth includes petroleum (oil), coal,
molybdenum, sand, and gravel. The
largest source of farm income is cattle
raising, though many sheep and hogs
also are raised. The main crops are
wheat, hay, and corn.
Tourism, manufacturing, and hightechnology
industries became valuable
in the 1900s. Major manufacturing
industries include food processing and
BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Colorado 157
the production of computer and electronics
equipment, metals, and military
weapons.
History
Native Americans known as the Anasazi
lived in the Colorado area from about AD
100 to 1300.Mesa Verde National Park
in southwestern Colorado preserves
ruins of their cliff dwellings. Spaniards
first explored the area in the mid-1500s.
Spanish and French explorers who
visited in the 1700s met Plains Indian
tribes such as the Cheyenne, the
Arapaho, the Comanche, and the Kiowa.
In 1803 the United States bought the
plains portion of Colorado as part of the
Louisiana Purchase, a land deal with
France. The United States took control
of much of the rest of Colorado after
winning a war against Mexico in the
mid-1800s. After gold was discovered in
1859, miners and other settlers arrived
from the East. The U.S. Congress created
the Colorado Territory in 1861. In
1876 Colorado became a state.
DuringWorldWar II the U.S. government
began building military bases and
other facilities in Colorado. Many of the
people who came to Colorado for work
stayed after the war. Later, the creation
of ski resorts helped make tourism a
leading industry.
..More to explore
Anasazi • Colorado River • Denver
• Rocky Mountains
The Cliff Palace in Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado, has about 200 rooms. The Anasazi
people built the cliff dwellings about 800 years ago.
Facts About
COLORADO
Flag
Population
(2000 census)
4,301,261—
rank, 24th state;
(2008 estimate)
4,939,456—
rank, 22nd state
Capital
Denver
Area
104,094 sq mi
(269,601 sq
km)—rank, 8th
state
Statehood
August 1, 1876
Motto
Nil Sine Numine
(Nothing Without
Providence)
State bird
Lark bunting
State flower
Rocky Mountain
columbine
158 Colorado BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA
Colorado River
The Colorado River flows from Colorado
southwest through the Rocky
