Colorado denver
In the summer of 1858, at the time of the Pikes Peak Gold Rush, a group of gold prospectors from Lawrence, Kansas established a city called Montana on the banks of the South Platte River. Montana City was the first settlement which later became the city of Denver. Today the site of Montana City site is called the Grant Frontier Park and has mining equipment and a log cabin replica on it. Denver is the capital and also the most populous city of the American state of Colorado. According to estimates of the United States Census Bureau the population of the City and County of Denver as of 2006 is 566,974 making it the 27th most populous city in America. People living in the city are known as Denverites.
Denver is located in the South Platte River Valley on the High Plains, just east of the Front Range of the Southern Rocky Mountains. The city is situated on latitude and 104 5756 Wlongitude. To the west of the city are the Rocky Mountains and to the east lie the Great Plains. The city is spread over a large area of 401.3 sq km. Denver is also known as the Mile High City as it is situated at a height of exactly one mile, approximately 1,609 meters or 5,280 feet, above sea level.
The name Denver has a long and interesting story behind it. On the 22nd of November, 1858 , a land speculator from eastern Kansas, named General William Larimer, staked his claim on the hill overlooking the confluence of the Cherry Creek and the South Platte River by placing Cottonwood logs on it. This hill was of much importance as it was right across the creek from the existing mining settlement of Auraria, an important town during the gold rush. General Larimer named this town site Denver City to try and please the then Governor of Kansas Territory - Governor James W. Denver. By doing so he hoped that the Governor would make it the county seat of Arapaho County. Unfortunately for General Larimer, by then, Governor Denver had already resigned from office. General Larimer may not have succeeded in his plans but the name Denver stuck on to the city.
Initially Denver City's economy was solely dependant on local miners. The city provided the miners with gambling, saloons, livestock and goods trading services. From 1861 until consolidation in 1902, Denver City served as the Arapahoe County Seat. In 1865, it also became the Territorial Capital and the name of Denver City was shortened to just Denver. And on the 1st of August , 1876, when Colorado was made a part of the Union, Denver became the State Capital.
Denver has four distinct seasons and a primarily semi-arid steppe climate. Though the weather is very mild compared to the Rocky Mountains to the west and the Great Plains on the east, it can also be very unpredictable. The average daily temperature of Denver is 50.1 ?F or 10.1 ?C. Over the year the city receives nearly 300 sunny days. Although large amounts of snow fall on the Rockies to the west of the city, the effects of aerographic lift dry the air that passes over the Front Range, protecting Denver from precipitation for a larger part of the winter season. Usually, Denver experiences the heaviest snow fall in the month of March. During the monsoon, due to the tropical moisture, the city experiences short and frequent late afternoon thunderstorms. And in the autumn, as the Arctic air approaches, it combines with moisture from the Pacific Northwest resulting in heavy snowfall in the city.
Denver?s geographical position and its network with most of the major transportation systems of the country play an important role in its economy. Since it is the largest city in a radius of 600 miles, it serves as a storage and distribution point for goods and services to the Mountain States. An added advantage of the city is that it is approximately halfway between Chicago and Detroit. Another key element of the economy is the large number of federal agencies that are either based in Denver or have their offices there. Interestingly, the Denver-Aurora Metropolitan Area has the second largest number of federal workers in any metropolitan area after the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. Also with Denver coming under the Mountain Time Zone (UTC -7), it is a favorable city for the telecommunications industry as you can communication with both the coasts of North American, South America, Europe and Asia all on the same business day.
Denver is governed by an elected mayor, a 13 member city council and an auditor. The city council passes and changes all laws, resolutions, and ordinances applicable to the city. However, in comparison to the city council the mayor of the city is much more powerful. The mayor has the power to veto all the ordinances and resolutions passed by the council. He is completely responsible for the city?s budget and also appoints people to the various city departments, organizations and commissions. However, with an absolute majority vote - nine out of thirteen members, the council can override the mayor's veto. Also, the city budget needs to be approved by the city council and they can change it with a simple majority vote. The role of the auditor is to check the city?s expenditures. He has the power to refuse specific expenditures due to strong financial reasons. All the elected officials have a four year term and a person can be elected for a maximum of three terms. Denver is a Democrat stronghold the current mayor is Democrat John Hickenlooper while the city?s representative to the Congress is Diana DeGette, another Democrat.
Denver is one of the few cities with teams from four major sports American cities to have a team from four major sports. It is represented in the National Football League by The Denver Broncos. It is home to the Colorado Rockies team of Major League Baseball. The Colorado Avalanche, a National Hockey League team relocated from Quebec City in 1995 to Denver. And to top it all, there is National Basketball Association team of Denver Nuggets.
Because of the important role it plays in the agriculture in the United States agricultural industry of the plains regions along the foothills of the Colorado Front Range , Denver is also known as the Queen City of the Plains. The city's importance as a North American rail hub gave it the nickname The Rail City, while it is also called the Capital of the Rocky Mountain Empire, due to its importance in the Rocky Mountain region. In honor of the city, several United States Navy ships have been named USS Denver. Denver is no doubt one of the most important cities of America.
Other Articles
