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The Rocky Mountains is a major mountain range in North America. It is situated in the eastern part of the North American Cordillera, stretching southward from the Liard River in British Columbia to the Rio Grande‘s Pecos River in New Mexico. It is also known as the Rockies and is considered the largest mountain system.
See the fact file below for more information about the Rocky Mountains, or download the comprehensive worksheet pack, which contains over 11 worksheets and can be used in the classroom or homeschooling environment.
Key Facts & Information
Rocky Mountains
- It is the world’s third-longest mountain range, after the Andes in South America and the Southern Great Escarpment in Africa.
- Its vast land area enables it to supply approximately 25% of the water in the United States.
- In its national parks, you can see grizzly bears, black bears, mountain lions, coyotes, elk, and marmots, as well as rare animals like lynxes and wolverines.
- The Bighorn Sheep is the unofficial mascot of the mountains, with around 400 roaming through its national parks. These have thick, large horns on their heads but are known to be very gentle.
- It is home to the Yellowstone Caldera, a supervolcano. Experts believe it is less likely to erupt in this era because it erupts millions of years after the previous one.
- Because of global warming, the most visited glacier in North America, the Athabasca Glacier in Alberta, has shrunk significantly, losing half of its volume over the last 125 years.
History
- Since the last great ice age nearly three decades ago, it has been inhabited by indigenous peoples such as the Apache, Arapaho, Bannock, and Blackfoot. The inhabitants, known as Paleo-Americans, subsisted by hunting mammoths and ancient bison in the mountains’ foothills and valleys. They were thought to migrate to the plains in the fall and winter in search of other resources.
- In 1739, Pierre and Paul Mallet discovered a range of mountains at the headwaters of the Platte River while they were journeying through the Great Plains as fur traders. They reported what they saw that its inhabitants, the Indigenous American people, called the Rockies.
- In 1793, Sir Alexander Mackenzie, a Scottish explorer, became the first European to cross the Rockies.
- From 1804 to 1806, Captain Meriwether Lewis and his close friend Second Lieutenant William Clark led an expedition that served as the first scientific exploration of the Rockies. It opened the mountain range for European-Americans from the East.
- From 1720 to 1800, French, Spanish, and British mountain men used the Rockies to mine and hunt animals for the fur trade. In the foothills of modern-day Alberta, a trading post was established to serve as a base for European activities.
- In 1847, the Mormons started settling near the Great Salt Lake. They filled the valleys and mining towns with proper conservation and preservation ethics.
- In 1891, US President Harrison created many forest reserves in it.
- In 1905, President Roosevelt extended the Medicine Bow Forest Reserve to include the area now managed as Rocky Mountain National Park.
Geography
- The states in its region mainly include Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Utah, and Wyoming.
- The width of its mountains ranged from 110 to 480 kilometers, with the highest peaks in central North America, particularly Mount Elbert in Colorado, which stands 4,401 meters above sea level. Mount Robson has the highest peak in the Canadian Rockies, standing at 3954 meters.
- Its eastern edge rises above central North America’s Interior Plains.
- The Muskwa Ranges, Hart Ranges, and Continental Ranges comprise the Canadian Rockies. The Geological Society of America named the Arctic Rockies after the Geological Survey of Canada refused to recognize them as part of the Rockies officially.
- Its human population initially averaged four people per square kilometer, resulting in a few cities with a total population of around 50,000 people. However, it expanded rapidly between 1950 and 1990.
Climate
- The valley bottoms of the Colorado Rockies have a highland climate with an average annual temperature of 6 °C.
- July has the highest average temperature of 28 degrees Celsius. The region is at its coldest level in January, with a temperature of -14 °C.
- The average amount of precipitation is around 360 mm.
- During the summer, the western fronts obstruct the advance of water-carrying storm systems, keeping the region warm and dry.
Industry and Development
- Its economic resources are diverse and plentiful, including significant deposits of copper, gold, lead, molybdenum, silver, tungsten, and zinc.
- Many smaller areas, such as the Wyoming Basin, have coal, natural gas, oil shale, and petroleum reserves.
- The Climax mine near Leadville, Colorado, was the world’s largest producer of molybdenum. The mineral is used to make heat-resistant steel for automobiles.
- Its landscape was eventually harmed as mines were abandoned, leaving behind mine tailings and toxic wastes.
- A river in north-central Colorado has been severely polluted as a result of eight decades of zinc mining.
- Mining reduced the value of its properties by degrading water quality and eliminating recreational opportunities.
- The Colorado Attorney General sued the former owner of the zinc mine for the $4.8 million cleanup costs in 1983.
- The ranges also contain several sedimentary basins rich in coalbed methane. This type of natural gas is formed when coal is exposed to either a specific bacteria or a high temperature.
- The San Juan Basin in New Mexico and Colorado is the largest source of such natural gas in the Rockies. The San Juan Basin and the Powder River Basin in Wyoming produce 38 trillion cubic feet of coalbed methane.
- Agriculture and forestry are two other major industries. Agriculture includes dryland and irrigated farming. There is also livestock grazing, frequently moving between high-elevation summer pastures and low-elevation winter pastures.
Tourism
- Millions of tourists visit the mountains yearly to hike, camp, or participate in mountain sports.
- The modern settlers spoke English as their primary language, but some people also spoke Spanish and other indigenous languages.
- Tourist attractions in the US-portion of the Rockies include:
- Yellowstone National Park
- Glacier National Park
- Grand Teton National Park
- Rocky Mountain National Park
- Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve
- Sawtooth National Recreation Area
- Flathead Lake
- While in Canada, there are:
- Banff National Park
- Jasper National Park
- Kootenay National Park
- Waterton Lakes National Park
- Yoho National Park
- The known Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park was named as it is because it is the border between the Glacier National Park in Montana and Waterton Lakes National Park in Alberta.
- During the winter season, its mountains serve as ski areas.
Rocky Mountain Worksheets
This bundle includes 11 ready-to-use Rocky Mountain worksheets that are perfect for students to learn about the Rocky Mountains, also known as the Rockies, which is a major mountain range in North America.
Below is a list of all the worksheets included in this document.
- Rocky Mountain Facts
- The Southern Rockies – River Scenery
- Wildlife Word Jumble
- The Middle Rockies – Mid Mapping
- Mid Art
- The Northern Rockies – The Wolf Coloring
- Northern Parks Match
- The Canadian Rockies – Flag Coloring
- Scenic Word Creator
- Brooks Range – Alaska Acrostic
- Reflection?
Frequently Asked Questions
Where are the Rocky Mountains?
It is situated in the eastern part of the North American Cordillera, stretching southward from the Liard River in British Columbia to the Rio Grande’s Pecos River in New Mexico.
Why are the Rocky Mountains so famous?
Millions of tourists visit the mountains yearly to hike, camp, or participate in mountain sports.
What are the 6 Rocky Mountains states?
The states in its region mainly include Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Utah, and Wyoming.
What are three facts about the Rocky Mountains?
It is the world’s third-longest mountain range, after the Andes in South America and the Southern Great Escarpment in Africa.
Its vast land area enables it to supply approximately 25% of the water in the United States.
In its national parks, you can see grizzly bears, black bears, mountain lions, coyotes, elk, and marmots, as well as rare animals like lynxes and wolverines.
Is Yellowstone in the Rockies?
Tourist attractions in the US-portion of the Rockies include Yellowstone National Park.
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Link will appear as Rocky Mountains Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, January 18, 2018
Use With Any Curriculum
These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.