| Colorado
is one of only three states (the others are Wyoming and Utah) that have
only lines of latitude and longitude for borders. It stretches exactly
from 37°N to 41°N, and 102°W to 109°W. The famous 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 3,500 to 7,000 feet (1,000 to 2,000 m). Kansas and Nebraska border Colorado to the east. The plains are very sparsely settled with most population along the South Platte and the Arkansas rivers and the I-70 corridor. Rainfall is quite meager, averaging about 15 inches (380 mm) annually. 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 lay 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 stunted, which resulted in accumulation of fuel. During the drought of 2002 horrific 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. |
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