Colorado Canyon is considered a miracle created by theby nature. To the origin of this work of art was not applied human forces. For many years, people mastered this beautiful place, and now the Grand Canyon in the United States is very popular among tourists. What attracts people to this incredible beauty of the place? What is the history of the origin of one of the most amazing creations of nature?
Hans Cloos, a geologist from Germany, gave his canyondefinition - called it "the overturned mountain range." This name was assigned to Colorado because of the assumption that if the entire canyon is filled with plaster or clay, let it dry, and then reach out and turn it over, you’ll have a real mountain ridge, similar to the Apennines.
The Grand Canyon (Grand, Grand Canyon) has spread 446 kilometers in length and a half kilometers into the depths of Arizona.
Colorado Canyon has freakish wallsimages that look like ancient temples, towers, walls and castles. Such drawings were inflicted by the Colorado River, in a bizarre manner, washing out soft rocks and honing them. This spectacle is truly unique and indescribable, surprisingly with its images. So, here you can see the Vatan Throne, the Shiva Temple and the Vishnu Temple and many other natural images that people have already named.
The largest canyon in the world has in its palettemany flowers and modulations. Depending on the shadow of the clouds and the location of the sun, the canyon shimmers with all colors - from purple-brown to black, from gray-blue to light pink. Rate all the charm of the game of color can only be in the immediate vicinity of this miracle of nature.
Canyon Colorado is also famous for its climatic conditions. At the top, the air rarely warms up more than 15 degrees, and below is a hot earth, and the air temperature reaches 40 degrees.
It’s hard to imagine that 10 million years agothe site of the canyon was a plain composed of soft rocks such as slate and limestone. The fracture of the earth's crust was caused by the erosion caused by the course of the Colorado River. Large forces acted on the plain, and the river washed out meter by meter of rock, making its way, lowering deeper and deeper.
But today the construction of the canyon is not stopped.Every day the river carries washed-up rocks in its turbulent course. Descending to the very bottom of Colorado, you can see the layers that make up the lowest part of the canyon. These are the oldest crystalline rocks and granite, whose age, according to some calculations, is more than two billion years!
Grand Canyon owes its origin to the riverColorado, and this builder in describing the canyon can not be overlooked. Colorado - the greatest river, its length is 2334 kilometers, and it originates in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado (state). Its path is directed to the south-west, and from the reservoir Mead sharply turns to the south. Crossing the border of Mexico, the river finds its mouth and flows into the Gulf of California, in the Pacific Ocean. But not everything is as simple as it seems. Not always Colorado can meet with the ocean. Their last “kiss” took place in 1998, after the strongest flood.
Translated from Spanish, "Colorado" means"Red", and this name justifies its color. The river, rushing at a speed of more than 20 kilometers per hour, for one day washes out more than half a million tons of rocks from the canyon. The turbulent turbid stream turns red.
Lava-Fole, the threshold of the river, is considered the fastestshipping in the world, and its neighbor - Lava Rapids - the most dangerous section. Until 1948, there were only 100 brave souls who were able to cross the Colorado River, sailing along its entire length. Today, thousands of people spend their leisure time each year in a dangerous descent down a turbulent stream.
About four thousand years ago, Indians lived in the canyon area. The proof of their residence here are the petroglyphs found in the thirties of the last century (man-made images on the rocks).
Spaniards are the first Europeans to visit the CanyonColorado. The trip to these picturesque places took place in 1540, and attracted them here the opportunity to enrich themselves, having obtained an incredible amount of golden sand. However, all their work was in vain, and with empty hands the unfortunate gold diggers left the canyon. There was an idea to conquer outlandish places, but the plans did not come true, because the offended Spaniards could not overcome the canyon.
236 years after the first Europeans stayin Colorado, the described site was visited by a Franciscan monk. His name was Francisco Thomas Garcés, and the purpose of his arrival was to communicate with local Indian tribes. The monk was amazed by the size and beauty of the place, and it was he who gave him the name - the Grand Canyon, that is, the Grand Canyon.
In 1948, this object was taken over by the United States, and already in 1869 and 1871. Major John Powell made expeditions along the entire length of the canyon, and made a complete description of it.
In 1870, Indian tribes living in this area for many centuries, were forcibly evicted.
Theodore Roosevelt, President of the United States, visited these placesin 1903 and urged all its citizens not to touch the beauty created by nature, leave everything unchanged, and assigned the status of a national monument to the canyon and river.
In 1919, President Wilson supported Senator Harrison’s project to create the Grand Canyon National Park. Since then, the name and status remain unchanged.
Colorado River Bridge, a bridge length of 579 meters,was laid in 2010. It is located at an altitude of more than 250 meters above the river, and not only car drivers, but also pedestrians can appreciate the sight opening to their eyes.
The Grand Canyon National Park in the United States has an area of 4930 square meters. It is conventionally divided into North and South regions.
The bottom of the canyon resembles the Mexican landscape, cactus, yucca and agave grow here. Above the slopes is a completely different nature, dominated by oaks, willows, pines and junipers.
The fauna of the canyon is also diverse.In the park there are more than 60 species of mammals and about a hundred species of birds. Here you can find black-tailed deer, coyote, fox, lynx, puma, skunk, porcupine, rabbit, chipmunk, various goats and many other animals.
The railway to the canyon was laid at the end of the 20th century, and now this place is very popular among tourists.
All brave people are offered a tour that will takein time from three days to three weeks. It is very dangerous, harsh and unpredictable, and the Colorado River itself is preparing all the adventures. Many visit the Grand Canyon precisely for rafting along this waterway, there are many accidents here, but this does not stop tourists.
Also offered hiking tours or bus.On the territory of the Grand Canyon for visitors everything is provided: there are shops, cafes and hotels. So, the whole family can come to these places to take a break from the bustle of the city in a beautiful natural setting.
All tourists at the entrance are warned about possible fines. So, for a piece of paper thrown by the urn, you can give a thousand dollars!
In the 40s and 50s, many airlinesengaged in transporting passengers, specifically paved their way through the Canyon of Colorado. In order for people to fully see all the beauty, the pilots made the so-called visual excursions, doing a few laps over the canyon, lowering the plane to an extremely low altitude. For this reason, in 1956, on June 30, two aircraft collided over the canyon and fell. More than 120 people died, and since that day such flights over the canyon are prohibited.
