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            | Grand 
            Canyon, great gorge(desfiladero) 
            of the Colorado River, one of the natural wonders(maravillas 
            naturales) of the world; c.1 mi 
            (1.6 km) deep(profundo) , 
            from 4 to 18 mi (6.4–29 km) wide, and 217 mi (349 km) long, NW Ariz. 
 
 The canyon shows in its rocks the repeated geological sequence of 
            uplift(levantado) , 
            erosion (due to the river's constant wearing(repetida, 
            agotadora) force), submergence(proceso 
            de inmersión) , and deposition of 
            materials.
 
 
 The multicolored rocks, the steep(empinado) 
            and embayed(formando 
            huecos) rims(borde) , 
            and the isolated(aisladas) 
            towers, mesas(mesetas) , 
            “temples,” and other eroded(erosionadas) 
            rock forms catch the contrast of sun and shadow and glow(brilland) 
            with changing hues(matices 
            variables) of great beauty.
 
 
 Plant life(plantas, 
            vida vegetal) on the canyon walls 
            varies from subtropical at the base(base) 
            to subarctic near the rims(bordes) . 
            Hundreds of ancient pueblos dot(pueblan, 
            salpican, "puntean") the lower 
            canyon walls(paredes 
            inferiores del cañón) and the 
            rim, and the Havasupai people still occupy(ocupa) 
            a part of the canyon.
 
 
 The first European to see the canyon was the Spanish explorer García 
            López de Cárdenas in 1540. In 1869 the U.S. explorer John Wesley 
            Powell became(fue, 
            se convirtió) the first person to 
            lead a party(grupo) 
            through the canyon bottom(pie 
            del cañón) in a boat.
 
 
 The Grand Canyon was set aside(considerado, 
            reservado) by the U.S. government 
            in 1908 as a national monument.
 
 In 1919 an expanded area was designated Grand Canyon National Park. 
            (1,217,403 acres/492,876 hectares). The park was enlarged(ampliado) 
            in 1975 to include other areas, such as Marble Canyon(lit. 
            Cañón de Mármol) and parts of 
            Glen Canyon and Lake Mead. Along(a 
            lo largo de) the forested(cubierto 
            de bosque) northern rim and the 
            more accessible southern rim are numerous lookouts(miradores) , 
            and trails wind(sendas 
            que serpentean) to the canyon 
            floor.
 
 
 Raft(balsas) 
            and boat(barco, 
            bote) excursions along the 
            canyon's river bottom are popular. In 2000 the lands north of the 
            western portion of the canyon, an area almost the size of the park, 
            were designated Grand Canyon–Parashant National Monument. (1,014,000 
            acres/410,670 hectares).
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