The Grand Canyon is rocky gorge (ravine) carved by the Colorado River (the river is at the bottom of the Grand Canyon), in the United States in the state of Arizona. It is largely contained within the Grand Canyon National Park, one of the first national parks in the United States. It is one of the largest examples of true erosion that exists in the world, millions of years of erosion, wind, rain and the Colorado River which cut through layer after layer of sediment, in an area of 277 miles (446 kilometers) length, 18 miles (29 kilometers) wide and 1.83 kilometers (6000 feet) deep.
The Canyon’s inner-depths expose the Earth’s history with rocks dating back 250 million years to 2 billion years old. Each layer of rock represents a distinct geological period of the Earth’s past.Although not the steepest nor the longest canyon in the world, the Grand Canyon is recognized as a one of the Seven natural wonder of the World because of being rich in both vista and history,with overall scale and size combined with the beautifully colored landscape.
Before European immigration in the 16th century, the area was inhabited by Native Americans The Ancient Puebloans were the first people who built settlements within the canyon and its many caves. The Grand Canyon was considered a holy site and made pilgrimages to it.Grand Canyon National Park, which is a designated World Heritage Site and one of the Crown Jewels of the National Park System, was home to numerous animals.There are over 1500 species of plants, ancient archeological sites which date back thousands of years and one of the most complete geological cross sections visible anywhere on the planet.