Colorado Western Slope
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The Western Slope of Colorado refers the region of the US state of Colorado west of the Rocky Mountains. The region can be considered to be the part of Colorado outside the mountains which is drained by the Colorado River and its tributaries. Its climate is similar to the Great Basin.
It is generally much less populated than the Front Range and has only a few towns over 5,000 people. The primary economic activity are ranching, mining, tourism. Fruit growing is also prevalent in many areas along the Colorado and Gunnison rivers, including the Grand Valley. The unofficial "capital" of the Western Slope is considered to be Grand Junction, located in the Grand Valley.
Historically it was part of homeland of the Ute people and was the Utah Territory before its inclusion in the Colorado Territory upon its organization in 1861. White settlers began arriving in large numbers in the late 1870s and early 1880s.
