Economic development
It is one of the largest sheep markets in the world and one of the most important cattle markets west of the Mississippi; The headquarters of many of the country’s government agencies and, in addition, a good number of companies work there in the field of research and development of high-tech products. Its manufactures include rubber, prepared foods, electronic devices, construction and mining materials, aerospace materials, railway equipment and chemical products. Denver’s position near the Rocky Mountains encourages mining and energetic companies to spring up in the area. In the origins of the city, the rise of gold and silver Along with the depressions, they played an important role in the city’s economic success. In the 1970s and early 1980s, the energy crisis in the United States sparked a notable energy boom in Denver, faithfully depicted in the Dynasty soap opera. When the price of oil dropped from $ 34 a barrel in 1981 to $ 9 a barrel in 1986, Denver’s economy fell, leaving nearly 15,000 oil industry workers out of work (including current mayor John Hickenlooper, a former geologist) and the rate highest unemployment rate in the country (30%). [44] The energy and mining they remain central to Denver’s economy today, with companies including EnCana, Halliburton, Smith International, Rio Tinto Group, Newmont Mining, Noble Energy, and Anadarko.
Communications
Denver’s geographic location in the center-west, in the Mountain time zone (UTC -7), also benefits the telecommunications industry that allows communication with both coasts of North America, South America, Europe and Asia. on the same business day. Qwest Communications, Dish Network Corporation, Starz, Encore, DIRECTV, and Comcast are just a few of the telecommunications companies with operations in the Denver area. These and other high- tech companies were very successful in Denver in the mid-late 1990s.
Social development
Education
It is home to institutions of higher education among which the University of Denver (1864) and the University of Colorado (1912) stand out. Some of the city’s cultural institutions include the Denver Art Museum, which houses 8,500 pieces of Native American art, and the Museum of Western Art, which contains works by Frederic Remington, Charles M. Russell, Thomas Moran, and Georgia O ‘Keeffe.
Government
According to 800zipcodes, Denver is a consolidated city-county with a mayor elected by partisan vote, thirteen councilors to the City Council, and an auditor. The Denver City Council is elected by eleven districts with two large council members and is responsible for passing and modifying all laws, resolutions, and ordinances, usually after a public hearing. They can also monitor misconduct by Denver department officials.
The mayor can approve or veto ordinances or resolutions passed by the Council, ensures that all contracts with the city are upheld and carried out, signs all obligations and contracts, is responsible for the city budget, can appoint different departments, organizations and commissions in the city. However, the Council can override the mayor’s veto with the vote of nine of the thirteen members of said Council, so the city budget must be approved and can be modified by a simple majority of the Council. The auditor checks all expenses and may refuse to allow specifics, generally based on financial reasons.
Sports
The city boasts a variety of sports teams and belongs to a select group of cities in the United States with teams in all four major sports. Denver is also one of only 3 cities in the nation that has a team in all 8 major sports leagues, along with Chicago and New York. Denver was victorious in the vote to host the 1976 Winter Olympics, but subsequently withdrew and received the dubious distinction of being the only city to reject an Olympics.
Denver Broncos NFL have been able to attract about 70,000 spectators since its inception in the AFL in the early 60s, and still continue to do so at Invesco Field at Mile High. The team has made it to the Super Bowl six times and was proclaimed champion in 1998 and 1999. In the 1980s and 1990s, one of former Mayor Federico Peña’s top priorities was to bring major league baseball to the city. an effort that culminated in the creation of the Colorado Rockies as an expanding franchise in 1993 and the opening of Coors Field in 1995.
Curiosities
- Did you know that the city of Denver is a participant in the concept of town twinning. This concept makes it possible to link towns or cities in geographically and politically distinct areas, with the aim of promoting human contact and cultural ties between their residents. The Denver International Association of Sister Citiesdevelops programs to promote relationships between all of Denver’s sister cities. Each of them has city parks named after them (except for the newest twin city, Ulaanbaatar, in Mongolia, which will eventually have its own park).
- General William Larimer founded and named the city Denver City in honor of the territorial governor of Kansas, James W. Denver; subsequently, the name was shortened to Denver. The gentilicio to name the residents of this city is denveriano (“denverites”, in English).
One of Denver’s parks.
Denver has many parks. Many of Denver’s parks were acquired from state land in the late 1800s and early 1900s. This coincided with the Beautiful City movement, while Denver Mayor Robert Speer (1904-12 and 1916-18) set about expanding and beautifying the city’s parks. Reinhard Schuetze was the city’s first landscape architect, bringing his German landscape genius to Washington Park, Cheesman Park, and City Park, among other parks.
