The Grand Canyon is a massive gorge carved out by the Colorado River over millions of years. It is located in Arizona, USA.
The Grand Canyon is 446 kilometres (227 miles) long. In some parts it reaches a depth of 1.83 kilometres (1 mile) and a width of 29 kilometres (18 miles).
Over five million people a year visit the Grand Canyon, most of which are from the United States.
The Grand Canyon is home to several Native American tribes. The first European to document the canyon was the Spaniard García López de Cárdenas in 1540.
A list compiled by CNN in 1997 puts the Grand Canyon as one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. Also on the list is the Great Barrier Reef, Rio de Janeiro's harbour, Mount Everest, the Northern and Southern Lights (Aurora Borealis & Aurora Australis), Parícutin Volcano in Mexico and Victoria Falls.
The Kolb Brothers built a photographic studio on the South Rim. They would take photographs of customers descending the canyon and have them developed by the time they returned. They also made a film of a river trip through the canyon in 1911 which was shown at their studio twice a day every day from 1915 to 1975 at their studio and narrated by Emery Kolb.
The Grand Canyon became a National Monument on 11th January 1908 and a World Heritage Site on 24th October 1979. Its preservation was championed by President Theodore Roosevelt, who, during a 1903 visit, urged Americans to “Leave it as it is. You cannot improve on it.”
A glass walkway extends over the rim of the Grand Canyon, suspended 1200 metres above the canyon floor. Known as the Grand Canyon Skywalk, it cost over $30 million to build and opened in 2007. It is owned by the Hualapai Indian tribe.
The temperature in the Grand Canyon can vary greatly depending on the time of year and your location. At its coldest in winter, the North Rim can reach -23 degrees Celsius (-10 degrees Fahrenheit). At its hottest in summer, the inner Canyon range can reach 43 degrees Celsius (110 degrees Fahrenheit).
The Grand Canyon is home to over 1,700 plant species, 450 bird species, and countless other wildlife. Adding to its intrigue are nearly 1,000 caves scattered throughout the canyon, most of which remain unexplored.
