Rocky Mountains

Rocky Mountains

The Rocky Mountains, also known as the Rockies, are a major mountain range in western North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch more than 3,000 miles (4,800 km) from the northernmost part of British Columbia, in western Canada, to New Mexico, in the Southwestern United States.

Geology

The Rocky Mountains are made up of at least 100 separate ranges. These ranges are divided into four broad groupings: the Canadian Rockies and Northern Rockies of Montana and northeastern Idaho; the Middle Rockies of Wyoming, Utah, and southeastern Idaho; the Southern Rockies, mainly in Colorado and New Mexico; and the Colorado Plateau in the Four Corners region of Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona.

Ecology

The Rockies are home to a diverse range of wildlife. This includes the grizzly bear, black bear, mountain lion, wolverine, and elk. The Rockies are also home to a number of endangered species, such as the Canadian lynx and the American black bear.

Human history

The Rocky Mountains were first inhabited by Native American tribes, including the Apache, Arapaho, Bannock, Blackfoot, Cheyenne, Crow, Flathead, Shoshone, Sioux, Ute, and others. European exploration of the mountains began in the 18th century.

See also

• List of mountain ranges
• List of peaks of the Rocky Mountains
• Geology of the Rocky Mountains
• Ecology of the Rocky Mountains

References

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External links

• Official site of Rocky Mountain National Park
• Rocky Mountains

Rocky Mountains

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  Rocky Mountains Range
• Southern Terminus of the Rocky Mountains from the Sandia Mountains of North Central NM
  Southern Terminus of the Rocky Mountains from the Sandia Mountains of North Central NM
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  Willow Flats area and Teton Range in Grand Teton National Park
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  Mount Robson Twilight
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  Jackson Glacier terminus
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  Roxborough
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  Colorado dunes
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  Alpine tundra Copper Mountain Colorado
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  Bighorn lamb Alberta
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  Mesa Verde National Park Cliff Palace
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  Cherokee Pass
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  Alexander MacKenzie by Thomas Lawrence (c.1800)