Colorado Pride: How Much Do You Really Know About the State?

There's a lot of history here in Colorado, but sometimes it's easy to forget the basics, have you?

Each state is known for something and here in Colorado, there's a lot to be proud of. Of course, we can't forget our roots, which is why we're reminding everyone about the core of Colorado, the symbols, and the emblems.

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The Official Colorado Flag

Of course, most of us are familiar with the Colorado flag, but there are some that don't have a complete understanding of all the symbolism the flag entails.

The Colorado flag features the same blue and red as the U.S. flag, but also includes white and yellow. The white signifies the snowcapped mountains found in the state, while the gold represents to abundant sun received in Colorado. The blue is an ode to the blue skies of Colorado and the red represents the red soil found deep within Colorado's ground.

The Official Colorado Rock

The official rock of Colorado is Yule Marble. The white marble is extremely beautiful and can also be found on the floors of the State Capitol.

The Official Colorado Winter Sport

There was no way that Colorado could choose only one sport as its official winter sport and therefore two were chosen: snowboarding and skiing. The General Assembly declared the state winter recreational sports on April 8, 2008.

The Official Colorado Reptile

The Western painted turtle is Colorado's official reptile and it's easy to see why. The western painted turtle is the largest and most intricately patterned of the painted turtles and can be found around numerous lakes and ponds in Colorado.

The Official Colorado Tartan

Colorado's tartan is composed of blue, white, green, lavender, white, gold, and red. Each of the colors represents various aspects of Colorado's beautiful scenery.

The Official Colorado Mineral

Rhodochrosite is Colorado's official state mineral and is highly sought after across the world. Rhodochrosite can be found in the Sweet Home Mine in Park County.

The Official Colorado Bird

The Lark Bunting is Colorado's official state bird. The Lark Bunting can be seen in Colorado from April to September when it flies south for the winter.

The Official Colorado Insect

The Colorado hairstreak butterfly is the state's official insect and is native to Colorado. The Colorado hairstreak butterfly has purple wings with a wide dark border and orange spots.

The Official Colorado Gemstone

Aquamarine is the official state gemstone of Colorado and can be found in the peaks of Mount Antero and the White Mountains.

The Official Colorado Folk Dance

On March 16, 1992, the General Assembly declared the square dance as the official folk dance of Colorado.

The Official Colorado Grass

No, the official grass of Colorado isn't marijuana, in fact, it's Blue grama grass. The grass is native to Colorado and grows on both sides of the Continental divide.

The Official Colorado Tree

Colorado's official state tree is the Colorado blue spruce. The tree was initially discovered on Pikes Peak and is known for its stunning silver-blue color.

The Official Colorado Fossil

Colorado has an official state fossil? It sure does and it's none other than the Stegosaurus. The dinosaur was known to live in the land we now know as Colorado.

The Official Colorado Songs

Colorado has two state songs. The first song was designated in 1915 and is "Where the Columbines Grow." The second song was adopted in 2007 and is John Denver's "Rocky Mountain High."

The Official Colorado Fish

In 1994, the Greenback cutthroat trout was designated as Colorado's official state fish. The Greenback cutthroat trout could be found in streams, rivers, and creeks but its population almost faced extinction. The fish has been successfully reintroduced in the state and is seeing growth.

The Official Colorado Flower

Colorado's official state flower is the white and lavender columbine. Colorado State law prohibits picking and gathering more than 25 stems, buds, or blossoms per day on public land.

The Official Colorado Animal

The Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep is Colorado's official state animal. Seen in the high mountains, the Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep is one of Colorado's many stunning animals.

The Official Colorado Day

Colorado joined the Union on August 1, 1876, and henceforth August 1 is Colorado Day.

The Official Colorado Seal

The official Colorado Seal is an ode to all things Colorado. The year 1876 is written in honor of the year of Colorado's statehood along with the Latin words, "Nil Sine Numine" which translates to " nothing without the Deity."

The seal includes a miners badge with three snow-capped mountains. In addition, there is the Roman fasces, featuring a band of red, white, and blue with the words "Union and Constitution," and above sits the eye of God.

What's Your Colorado Score?

Of these 19 symbols and emblems, how many did you know?