Grand Canyon Facts For Kids | Ancient Landscape

Grand Canyon is one of the most wonderful landscapes in the world. The canyon is carved by Colorado River some 6 million years ago which according to geologists is quite young landscape. Nonetheless, geologists have found some rocks in the Grand Canyon that are billion years old which means that it tells us the entire history of life on earth.

Grand Canon Facts For Kids

History

1. Native American Pueblo people were the first settlers in Grand Canyon.
2. According to Archaeologists the Native Americans had lived around 1200 B.C.E. during the era of Basketmaker II.
3. The Cohonina people had also found their way to the Grand Canyon in between 500 to 1200 CE.
4. In September 1540, the group of Spanish soldiers traveled towards the Canyon.
5. John Strong Newberry had become the first ever geologist to visit the Canyon in 1858.
6. In 1869 the first expedition led by Major John Wesley Powell while he went out to walk through the Canyon and Colorado River.
7. The old name of Grand Canyon was ‘Big Canyon’. It was John Wesley who gave the name of Grand Canyon.
8. The Grand Canyon had become an official monument in 1908.
9. It was also opened as a National Park in 1919.

Geography

1. The length of the Canyon measures around 277 miles (446 km) with the width measuring at 18 miles (29 km) and it is 6,000 miles deep.
2. Some of the fossils in Grand Canyon suggest the age of rocks and the oldest rocks being found are 2.5 billion years old. Few others are 1.2 million years old.
3. Fossils are classified into sea fossils and land fossils.
4. Sea fossils tell us few impressions of dragonflies, spiders, reptiles, scorpions, and other small animals. Some other fossils that are as recent as 11,000 years old are also found.
5. Humans lived for about 3,200 years
6. Ancient Pueblo are thought to be the first people to have settled in the Canyon area. Geologists have discovered around 500 ancient sites including caves. Many Native Americans found their way in Canyon and few descendants of these people are still living in Canyon.

1. Many beautiful birds including 355 bird species feel home in the Grand Canyon. The National Park has also 89 mammals, 17 fish species, and 56 reptile species.
2. Vascular plants 1737 species; moss 64 species; and 195 lichen species are found in the Canyon.
3. There was a time when Colorado River had eight native species of fish but as the new species were introduced they heavily preyed these native species. The river saw
   a significant change after the building of Glen Canyon Dam in 1963.
4. Around six rattlesnake species live in the Canyon. The most common species is the Grand Canyon pink rattlesnake. These snakes prey heavily on lizards in the Canyon.

Did You Know?…Grand Canyon Facts For Kids

1. John Wesley Powell was the first ever explorer to have traveled the entire Canyon in 1869 and indeed he gave the name to this landscape.
2. The air of Grand Canyon is the cleanest air in the United States but it can get polluted sometimes when forests catch fire or during dust storms.
3. Grand Canyon National Park is one of the major tourist attractions and it brings 4.2 million visitors each year.
4. The weather at the Canyon is not homogenous; the forested rims are high and thus they are able to receive rainfall during winter while at the point of Colorado River the temperature is fairly high.
5. The overall weather conditions are dry as they hardly receive precipitation more than twice a year.
6. Average rainfall at the South is less than 35 cm but the North side experiences 59 cm of moisture.

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