The Great Plains

                The Great Plains region is located right in the middle of the United States and takes up some area of Canada.  The Great Plains are extremely different than Washington state.  The Great Plains region is a flat region the has a lot of agriculture and meatpacking as a main economic base.  This is a region that experiences extreme weathers and has many hazards.  The freezing cold winds from Canada can often times be felt all the way to south Texas.  Heavy snow also occurs which cause blocked highways.  Washington's mountains experience snow as well but not as unexpected as some states in the Great Plains do.  Rain fall in the Great Plains is also minimal unlike Washington and the Pacific Northwest region.  The Great Plains region experiences certain cycles of drought about 20 years apart.  When there is minimal precipitation in combination with a bad economy, the region takes a devastating hit to the regional economy. 

                The Great Plains region was once considered the Great American Desert.  This was because there are no trees and the place looked "deserted" to the early explorers of the time (Hardwick, 2008).  This region is relatively flat with some rolling hills.  These hills were formed by erosion from the Rocky Mountains to the west.  There are a number of rivers running east all throughout the Great Plains.  These major rivers are the result of snow melt from the Rockies.  The weather in this region experiences different extremes throughout the year.  When months of drought is experienced followed by heavy rain, flooding is prevalent.  Areas in the Canadian portion experience average temperatures of 65F in July and 1F in January (Hardwick, 2008).  This is  also the region of the famous tornado alley.  Extending from North Texas into Kansas, tornados in this area can have more than 200 miles an hour. 

                Washington State has very different weather patterns and hazards.  Washington experiences rainfall on a regular basis so they are used water always running.  There is more rainfall in the Pacific Northwest region because of the mountainous topography.  The warm ocean to the west plays an important influence in combination with the winds.  The Great Plains lie in the rain shadow of the Rockies.  This brings warm, dry winds and weather.  Although the Great Plains have a nice, flat topography for farming, it does not get the rain it needs.  Eastern Washington is relatively flat and has areas of farming.  This area also sits in the rain shadow of the Cascade Ranges.          

Hardwick, Susan W., Shelley, Fred M., Holtgrieve, Donald G. The Geography of North America. Glenview, 2008. Print.

              

Hawai’i and the Pacific Islands

       

 

           Hawai’i and the Pacific Islands have very minimal similarities to Washington State.  Hawai’i is a region of the United States that is made up of eight inhabited islands located in the Pacific Ocean.  These islands were formed by the Pacific Plate moving over an area where magma rises constantly (Hardwick, 2008).  This formed large underwater mountains that soon broke the surface of the ocean and kept growing until it formed an island.  As the plate kept moving, the magma kept spilling, forming a chain of islands.  The island of Hawai’i is the largest, and youngest of all the islands.  Since the islands were formed by volcanic activity, this means that flat open land is rare.  The islands are rugged and steep with sheer drops into the ocean in certain parts. 

        Along with the unique land features, the Hawaiian Islands can experience dramatic weather patterns.  The trade winds, which blow from east to west, have a major effect on Hawaii’s weather.  These winds, along with the Coriolis Effect, cause the winds Hawai’i experience to come from the northeast and head southwest.  This results in extremely high precipitation along the north and east coasts of the islands.  The eastern slope of Mount Waialeale on the islands of Kauai is the rainiest spot on earth, with an average of 486 inches of rain a year (Hardwick, 2008).  All the island’s northeast sides are relatively similar, with most of the rain occurring in these areas.  The southwest sides however, located in the rain shadow, are much dryer.  The southwestern cities are only averaging about 20 inches annually.  This is compared to some cities in Arizona and New Mexico.  The average temperatures throughout the year do not vary dramatically.  The high for Honolulu is about 88F in the summer and falls to 82F in the winter (Hardwick, 2008). 

        Washington, on the other hand, cannot be directly compared to the islands of Hawai’i.  Washington does possess high mountains that do experience some of the highest precipitation in the lower 48.  The Cascade Ranges receives most of the rain and snow that Washington will obtain but on the eastern side, the rain shadow side will receive less water.  The Hawaiian Islands are so far off into the Pacific that the two different wind patterns of Hawai’i and Washington dump their rain on opposite sides of the regions.  The Pacific Northwest’s temperatures can also very quiet dramatically.  Winters can fall into temperatures as low as 27F in January and 70F in the summer months on east side of Washington (Hardwick, 2008).  These two regions have some common similarities but for the most part are completely different.               

 

 

Hardwick, Susan W., Shelley, Fred M., Holtgrieve, Donald G. The Geography of North America. Glenview, 2008. Print.

The Pacific Northwest

 

          The Pacific Northwest region is the region where Washington State is located; the part of Washington that I am most interested in.  This region contains the Coastal Ranges which include the Olympic Mountains in Washington (Hardwick, 2008).  These mountains, along with the Cascade Ranges are the main landforms that result in heavy precipitation in this part of the country.  The Cascades are also home to very active volcanoes, including Mount St. Helens in southwest Washington.  Mt. Rainier is the highest peak in the Cascades that can be seen from cities all around.  Most of the peaks in the Cascade Ranges are volcanoes which have been active in the past several thousand years (Hardwick, 2008).  Parts of Washington, such as the Olympic Rainforest National Park, can receive an annual rainfall of 12 to 14 feet.  Locations on the west side of the Cascades have lower temperatures and higher rainfall than the locations on the east side. 

        Washington is a state that contains an abundance of natural resources.  Almost all of the land was once forested with an abundance of furry mammals.  The first dominant industries in this region were agriculture, fishing, forestry, and the fur trade (Hardwick, 2008).  On the east side of Washington and in Oregon, there is a major agricultural economy.  Oregon produces hay, fruits and vegetables, along with other crops suite for the weather (Hardwick, 2008).  Washington is a major producer of apples along with wheat.  Many parts of the region are now holding farmers’ markets which sell all sorts of produce produced on local farms.  Logging has been a major industry as a result of the large amounts of trees in the region.  Oregon and northern parts of California are home to some of the tallest trees in the world (Hardwick, 2008).  Douglas fir, spruce, hemlock and many other tree species are commercially significant (Hardwick, 2008).

        Washington has become a high-tech center over the past few years.  The manufacturing of aircrafts, ships and military equipment has boomed (Hardwick, 2008).  Microsoft, which is the largest high-tech firm in the North America, is based in Seattle, Washington.  Seattle, along with being a “cool” place to work and live, is the birthplace of grunge rock music.  Seattle’s music has given the region a youthful vibe.  The famous coffee shop, Starbucks, was also founded in Seattle with different telecommunications firms.  The Pacific Northwest looks like it possesses a bright, high-tech future.

 

Hardwick, Susan W., Shelley, Fred M., Holtgrieve, Donald G. The Geography of North America. Glenview, 2008. Print.

California

 

            California is one of the most vibrant and diverse states, and in this case regions, in the United States.  There are many people from around the world, across the country, and locals with jobs in thee primary, secondary, tertiary and quaternary sectors.  The landscapes across the California region are also diverse, ranging from beaches to deserts and mountains to valleys.  The Sierra Nevada Mountain Range runs on the east side of the region though most of the state.  The Coast Ranges run along the coast and the Central Valley lies in the middle.  The Cascade Ranges run from Northern California to just north of Washington.  These areas receive high rainfall and are the most similar areas that connect California with Washington. 

            Washington and California share the fact that there are volcanoes that start in Northern California and run up into Washington.  The highest in California are Mt. Shasta and Mt. Lassen which are part of the Cascade Ranges.  The number of ranges calls for high precipitation in the northern areas, resulting in a wide variety and an abundance of forests.  Washington is the same way, with the Cascades receiving high levels of precipitation on the western side of the state.  Approximately 70% of the states precipitation falls on the northern mountains of California   (Hardwick, 2008).  California has abundance of agriculture; from grapes to almonds and oranges to strawberries.  Washington has agriculture as well, but not as much as the California region. 

            California has become a region known for its high-technology industries.  Many of these high-tech industries has sprouted in the bay area and the area know as the Silicone Valley near San Jose (Hardwick, 2008).  This has attracted people from all over the country and the area’s population has increased exponentially along with its economies.  Growth, however, has increased land values, house prices, and traffic (Hardwick, 2008). This has resulted in certain industries to move to places such as the Pacific Northwest (Washington), Texas, and throughout the south east (Hardwick, 2008).  Essentially, California and Washington do in fact have a lot in common.

 

 

Hardwick, Susan W., Shelley, Fred M., Holtgrieve, Donald G. The Geography of North America. Glenview, 2008. Print.

                             

MexAmerica

 

              The MexAmerica region is located in the far southwest part of the United States.  This region contains the west side of Texas, almost all of New Mexico, most of southern Arizona, and southern California.  Most of Washington State is the opposite of what MexAmerica is.  MexAmerica is an extremely dry place, home to the driest place in North America: Death Valley (Hardwick, 2008).  There are a number of mountain ranges that are part of the region, including the southern portion of the Rocky Mountains which extend to southern New Mexico.  These ranges, however, do not compare to the Cascades of Washington and the Pacific Northwest region. 

            Washington’s mountains are lust, green forests and are one of the places in North America that receives an abundance of rainfall.  There is so much precipitation that logging was once a major primary industry.  MexAmerica on the other hand has dry, rugged mountains with very little rain throughout most of the region.  The mountains of California and Mexico tend to block any moisture that comes of the Pacific Ocean (Hardwick, 2008).  The eastern portion of MexAmerica is not as dry but are drier than most of North America.  During the summer, temperatures can average as high as 104 degrees.  In the winter, however, an average low of 43 degrees is common (Hardwick, 2008).  Washington has overall lower temperatures in both the summer and winter months. 

            MexAmerica has a very interesting political economy compared to that of Washington’s.  MexAmerica has only two major sectors: primary and secondary.  The primary sector consists of mostly agriculture in the eastern and western extremities (Hardwick, 2008).  These “Winter Gardens” specialize in production of fruits and vegetables that can tolerate little or no frost.  It is stated that the secondary sector has become an important part of MexAmerica in recent years (Hardwick, 2008).  This includes U.S.-based firms moving their operations onto the south side of the international border.  I do not see how this is relevant to our study of the United States since this part of the economy is helping Mexico, not the U.S.  Washington has a better economy, with its high technology sectors becoming a major part. 

Hardwick, Susan W., Shelley, Fred M., Holtgrieve, Donald G. The Geography of North America. Glenview, 2008. Print.

 

The Intermontane West (w/ video)

              The Intermontane West is an area that covers most of the area west of the Rocky Mountains.  This region also covers the east side of Washington State.  This is the area where agriculture is prevalent and where the famous Washington apples are grown.  Massive lava flows in the Pleistocene era formed what is now the Columbia Plateau and its Great Columbia Plain in eastern Washington (Hardwick, 2008).  This is the dry side of the state which consists of rolling hills, steep dry canyons, and lava flows (Hardwick, 2008).  Only grazing, mining and small farm agriculture is practiced here (Hardwick, 2008).  On the southern side of the Columbia River there is more precipitation, the most in the region (Hardwick, 2008).  Here, eastern Oregon is where wheat is grown along with other agricultural productivities. 

            About 15,000 years ago during the last ice age, the Great Missoula Flood occurred in Idaho spilling into eastern Washington.  This great flood changed the landscape, running at 60 miles an hour toward the Pacific Ocean.  The flood carved out deep canyons removing all of the soils exposing bare rock.  There are still large boulders left where the flood dropped them off in parts of Portland, Oregon.  The Intermontane West is the main area of North America where the concepts of rain shadow and orographic lift is prevalent.  The area is blocked by long north-south mountain ranges to the west which stop all of the rain from reaching the region.  The Sierra Nevada Mountains along with the Cascade Range raise the air (orographic lift) and leave all it’s precipitation on the west side of the mountains.  This leaves dry zones on the east side (or rain shadow) which is the region we speak of.  Although this region is relatively dry, it is broken up into four different climate realms according to precipitation pattern. 

            Washington and the Intermontane West in general, have been experiencing a change in the economics of the region.  The tertiary and quaternary sectors are becoming a more important part of the economy in the last decades.  Washington is home to the Hanford Air Force Base which is another venue for research on nuclear energy.  High speed vehicles and race car testing in Utah has also been a part of the tertiary and quaternary sector positions.  The Intermontane West is a very diverse place that will need to be shared among diverse groups.  These groups, along with local and state politics will continue to shape the region.   

Hardwick, Susan W., Shelley, Fred M., Holtgrieve, Donald G. The Geography of North America. Glenview, 2008. Print.

This video features the Redbull Rampage mountain biking contest that takes place in Virgin, Utah every year.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AbF6ZZqVMyk 

The Rocky Mountain Region

                 The Rocky Mountain Region is an area with a lot of long, elevated steep mountains.  They run from northern New Mexico all the way to the Yukon Territory in Canada.  This area has many points that are over 14,000 feet above sea level.  These mountains have been formed by glaciers leaving behind jagged mountain tops and high cliffs.  Like other mountains in Washington, and across the North America, the Rocky Mountains are home to many different species of trees and plants.  Old logging camps and towns still remain small mountain towns across the Rockies just like there are small logging communities across Washington’s mountains.  The Rocky Mountain Region’s economy has been reliant on logging and the extraction of natural resources but is now being put aside by high technology, tourism and government activity (Hardwick, 2008).  This is also true with Washington’s economy.  Research schools and more advanced tertiary and quaternary sectors are now dominating jobs available for people.  There is not as much precipitation one would expect in the Rocky Mountains, except at high altitudes in the form of snow.  The western part of these mountains obtains much of the precipitation, leaving the east with minimal rainfall.  Washington is the same way with its Cascade Mountains.  Precipitation is high on the west side of the state while the east side is more grassland and prairie.  Like one would expect, agriculture has been minimal in a region where mountains are the main landscape.  There are many more ranches and cattle than there is farming.  Washington has some agriculture on its eastern, flat side.  The Rockies is a region where coal, oil and other minerals are prevalent and a better investment than growing crops.  A main concern for the Rockies is that there will be a shortage of water.  The increase in population has been a continuous concern for everyone living in the mountains.  Washington’s heavy rainfall has kept this concern to a minimum for its residence.    

Hardwick, Susan W., Shelley, Fred M., Holtgrieve, Donald G. The Geography of North America. Glenview, 2008. Print.