Tourism, with an estimated 8 million visitors a year, now produces more revenue than mining. The state's leading manufacturing industries produce metals, food products, machinery, clay and glass products, electronic instruments, chemicals and chemical products, and transport equipment. Manufacturing, which has grown dramatically since World War II, is heavily concentrated in the Denver metropolitan area. Cattle and sheep are raised in both the mountains and on the plains, with the heaviest concentration in the northeastern part of the state. Because of its relatively dry climate, Colorado has large tracts of irrigated farmland.
Mining plays a diminishing role in the Colorado economy.
By value, the principal mining products are petroleum, molybdenum, and coal. Sand and gravel are also important, as are various kinds of stone and, to a lesser extent, uranium. Eight scheduled airlines and 35 other carriers use more than 180 public and private airports. Government is by a bicameral legislature and governor, elected for a 4-year term, under the constitution approved July 1, 1876. The constitution is generally conceded to be so detailed as to inhibit effective governance, although recent amendments have allowed flexibility.