The Rocky Mountains Biodiversity of Humanity

The Rocky Mountains form a gigantic mountain barrier stretching nearly 5000 kilometers from New Mexico in the United States to British Columbia in Canada. The Rockies successively create the mountain ranges of Wyoming, Montana and Alberta, culminating in Colorado with Mount Elbert at 4401 meters above sea level and in British Columbia with Mount Robson at 3954 meters above sea level. Formed 70 million years ago during the Cretaceous period, this gigantic mountain range retraces a fascinating history, when the region was bathed by the sea and then traversed by mammoths. The drift of the land plates, erosion and volcanic eruptions have shaped splendid landscapes. With majestic glaciers and eternal snow on the peaks over 3000 meters high, the Northern Rockies create stunning rocky landscapes. In the south, in a vegetation reduced to cacti, the Desert Rockies carve fantastic shapes on an ever blue sky. Monument Valley, with its enormous sandstone monoliths, reveals a grandiose and mysterious landscape.The American Rocky Mountains traverse a very sparsely populated region with 12 inhabitants per km2 called "Oasis of Civilization" which includes 6 states. With a harsh climate, difficult living conditions and important preserved sites, the people of the Rocky Mountains are trying to preserve this fabulous and fragile heritage. The Canadian Rocky Mountains are home to a true source of biodiversity and support a multitude of diverse organisms. Their parks, crowned with snow-capped peaks, crystal-clear lakes, waterfalls and countless rivers, are all on the UNESCO World Heritage List.