Mountains and into Mexico. There it
drains into the Gulf of California, an
arm of the Pacific Ocean. The river’s
most famous landmark is the Grand
Canyon in Arizona. The mighty flow of
the Colorado River carved out this huge
canyon millions of years ago.
The Colorado River begins as a series of
small streams in northern Colorado. For
much of its length of 1,450 miles (2,330
kilometers), it is only a narrow passage
through deserts. By the time it gets to
the ocean, nearly all of its water has been
used up.
People use much of this water. The river
has several dams. It is connected to
many canals. Along its course, a number
of power plants use the water to create
electricity. But the Colorado also loses
more water through evaporation than it
receives from rivers that flow into it.
Elk, bear, and moose are some of the
many animals living along the Colorado
River. Many different kinds of fish swim
in its waters. The plants that grow near
the river include cottonwood trees, columbine
flowers, and prickly pear cacti.
Long before Europeans arrived in the
area, Native American groups farmed
along the Colorado River. Their farms
were some of the earliest in North
America. Spanish explorers discovered
the lower Colorado River in the 1500s.
Many people today argue over how the
Colorado River should be used. Several
Western states and Mexico need its
waters. This competition has led to legal
battles. The ways in which people use
the water have also created problems.
One such problem is that the power
plants and other human projects have
polluted the water.
#More to explore
Canal • Dam • Grand Canyon
The Colorado River cuts through Marble
Canyon in Grand Canyon National Park.
BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Colorado River 159
Columbia
Population
(2000 census),
city, 116,278;
(2007 estimate)
124,818
Columbia is the capital of the U.S. state
of South Carolina. The city lies in the
center of the state on the Congaree River.
Columbia is a center for supplying
goods to surrounding areas. Factories in
the city make cloth, steel, electrical
equipment, and other products. Many
people work for the government or in
education. The University of South
Carolina and several other universities
are located there.
In 1786 the state government decided to
move the capital from Charleston.
Columbia was built to be the new capital.
In the 1860s, during the American
CivilWar, many Confederate offices
were located in Columbia. In 1865
Union troops took over the city. A fire
then almost destroyed Columbia. After
the war the city was rebuilt.
..More to explore
South Carolina
Columbia River
The Columbia River is a major river
that flows through Canada and the
northwestern United States. The
Columbia is about 1,240 miles (2,000
kilometers) long. It empties into the
Pacific Ocean.
So many dams have been built along the
Columbia that it has been called the
Electric River. Dams produce hydroelectric
power, or electricity that comes from
intense water pressure. Together the
Columbia River dams create almost one
third of the hydroelectric power produced
in the United States.
The Columbia River begins in Columbia
Lake, in the Rocky Mountains in
British Columbia, Canada. It passes
Columbia, South Carolina, is a historic city
with many old buildings.
160 Columbia BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA
through the mountains and flows south
intoWashington State. In southern
Washington the river turns west. It then
flows to the Pacific while forming the
border betweenWashington and
Oregon. In this area it passes through
the Cascade Mountains, where it forms
the deep Columbia River Gorge.
Near the river’s mouth heavy rains help
evergreen forests grow. Farther inland
the climate is drier. Pine, fir, and larch
trees grow in the mountains where the
river starts.
The Columbia was once filled with
salmon. Now their numbers are greatly
reduced. The dams have caused this
change. But millions of water birds live
in the surrounding wetlands. Deer,
bears, and bighorn sheep are also common
along the Columbia.
Native Americans have lived along the
Columbia for centuries. European
explorers first saw the river in 1775. The
Lewis and Clark Expedition followed
part of the river in 1805 after the United
States claimed the area.
..More to explore
Dam • Lewis and Clark Expedition
• River
Columbus
Population
(2000 census),
city, 711,470;
(2007 estimate)
747,755
Columbus is the capital of the U.S. state
of Ohio. It is the largest city in the state.
The Scioto River flows through the
downtown area.
Many people in the city work for the
government. Others work in banking,
insurance, health care, research, or education.
Ohio State University and several
colleges are in Columbus. Factories in
the city make cars and machinery.
Columbus was built in the early 1800s
to be the new capital of Ohio. The state
government offices were moved there
from Chillicothe by 1816. The city grew
as a transportation center.
In the years before the American Civil
War Columbus was a place where
escaped slaves could go to for safety and
help. During the war captured Confederate
soldiers were kept as prisoners in a
camp in the city.
