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. 

The Coastal South

                Washington and the Coastal South have certain features in common.  The Coastal South's citrus industry is being challenged by increased international competition (Hardwick et al., 2008).  The Pacific Northwest's logging industry has also been threatened by competition from abroad.  The Coastal South has the advantage of not having extremely cold weather and being able to grow certain types of crops that thrive from the humidity.  Washington experiences cold, wet and snowy winters which don't have a large impact on their harvesting processes.  This is one reason why Washington contains some of the largest trees in the world and why there is not a large amount of agriculture.

                The Coastal South is a region where hurricanes tend to make landfall.  Hurricanes have caused billions and billions of dollars in damages throughout the years.  Hurricane Katrina in 2005 was one of the worst hurricanes in recent memory.  The Pacific Northwest also experiences many storms that plow through the region.  Washington receives the most rainfall in all of North America.  Since there are many mountains in this region, flooding is minimal and runoff is excessive.  The Coastal South on the other hand sits low in comparison to sea level and there are not any mountainous regions that can force the rainfall into the Gulf of Mexico.  This results in severe flooding that can last for weeks.

               Washington's and the Coastal South's histories have been very different.  The Coastal South has been a part of popular history since the Spanish and other Europeans first made landfall.  Africans were brought over from west Africa to pick cotton and work in the field.  French settlers from Canada were also sent packing to the south after being removed from Acadia (Hardwick et al., 2008).  These people, also known as Cajuns, made southern Louisiana their home and even today, they practice their old customs.  The Coastal South has also been a port of entry for many immigrants coming to the United States.  Washington's history has not been as colorful as the Coastal South's.

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

The Inland South

                There are a number of similarities between the Inland South and Washington state.  For starters, there is a lot of rainfall throughout the whole area.  This sometimes results in flash floods in the southern Appalachians where the mountains are steep.  Because of the high rainfall, there are extremely thick forests that attracted Euro-Americans to settle here.  Also much like Washington, commerical foresty is a significant contributor to to the local and regional economies (Hardwick et.al. 2008).  The warm, humid climate allows for trees to grown almost out of control.  Trees like pine and poplars are among the fastest growing trees in the region.  These are harvested to produce paper, woodpulp and other products (Hardwick et. al. 2008).  Along with foresty, the Inland South also must depend on raising livestock and growing crops.  Farmers raise animals such as hogs, chickens and turkeys along with others.  The farmers on the eastern side of washington grow pears and apples along with wheat. 

              Washington also has a unique connection to the Inland South; music origins.  The Inland South is a popular region for country music.  Country music has dominated the region and has been homes to many famous country artists.  Many record label companies are established there as well as venues like The Grand Ole Opry.  Washington state is said to be the origin of grunge music starting in the mid 1980's.  This is do to the climate of the region; being a very gloomy and rainy place as are the song topics.  This is where bands such as Nirvana, The Melvins, Soundgarden, and Green River originated (90's 411, 2013).  Grunge is said to be the root of what is now alternative rock which changed music forever (90's 411, 2013).  

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

http://www.90s411.com/history-of-90s-grunge.html

The Great Lake and Corn Belt

             The region of the Great Lakes and Corn belt is nothing like that of the Pacific Northwest.  The Great Lakes and Corn Belt region is a very flat area and some of the areas sit less than 2000 feet above sea level.  Much of the area was covered and shaped by the glaciation that occurred approximately 10,000 years ago.  Areas to the south and east are hillier and less suited for agriculture.  This area is home to the world's largest natural lakes where the country gets a large number of crops.  These crops are also exported to counties all around the world.  A lot of the Midwestern farms are family owned and very mechanized.  The United States is the world's leading producer of corn.  The U.S. is also producing soybeans on the same farms as corn.  Farms in other parts of the region are producing cattle for milk and meat along with hogs.  This is the complete opposite of Washington.  Washington is rugged and full of high mountains and volcanoes.  Farming is extremely minimal and isolated to the east.  All of the harvesting is from natural resources like trees and fish.  This landscape is nothing like the Great Lakes and Corn Belt region since glaciation did not hit Washington like it did the Midwest.  Because of this, it gave the mountains of Washington the opportunity to keep it's topography. 

             The Great Lakes and Corn Belt region's weather is somewhat different than that of Washington's.  The climate of the region is determined by the Great Lakes (Hardwick, 2008 et al).  The south and east part of the region are locations of heavy snow fall in the winter.  There are occasionally blizzards and snowstorms in the region that can effect all ways of traveling.  In the spring and summer time, tornadoes and thunderstorms can be a major hazard to lives and property throughout the region.  Since this is an area of large cities, human lives are especially at risk.  Washington's weather is not as extreme most of the time even though they do get some major rainstorms coming down from Alaska.  This results in flooding when a major storm does come through.  Snow is isolated to very high peaks of the Cascade Mountains.       


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

Megalopolis

                                                                       (Tacoma, WA)


             Megalopolis is a term that has been given to the area of Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington.  It is said that it has become one major metropolitan area.  Washington state and Megalopolis have very little similarities.  Washington has mountains that bring a lot of precipitation to the region.  Megalopolis has the Appalachians that also causes a good amount of precipitation to fall along the east coast.  Both Megalopolis and Washington experience cool winters and a snow fall.  Megalopolis' snow fall occurs in the northern part of the region while Washington's Cascades are high enough to receive and hold snow.  Both regions have rivers spilling into the near by oceans.  Native Americans in Megalopolis cut down trees in order to settle farms and build homes (Hardwick, 2008 et. al).  They would use wood for other things such as fire, fuel, weapons, and making tools (Hardwick, 2008 et). In Washington, Native Americans would also build their houses of the natural wood that grew in the area, more specifically red ceder.  The natives in this region also used the wood for totem poles. 

             Washington, unlike Megalopolis, has not had a long history of large numbers of Europeans in the area.  Since colonial days, Boston, New York, Philadelphia, and Baltimore have been the largest cities of the region.  This is where most of the regions economy was based and where all the trading was occurring.  Washington D.C. then emerged as the region's main economic and political base.  Since both regions are located along the sea, they both rely on the ocean for a main source of income.  Megalopolis is the leading source of oysters, crabs and shellfish (Hardwick, 2008 et).  Washington seems to have people that enjoy the outdoors and are concerned about the preservation of the states forests and parks.  Overcrowding has been diminishing the "natural" experience of the outdoors and there is limit to the number of people that can be in the parks at a given time.  Overcrowding, in general, has been having a negative effect on both regions over the past years.  It has been taking a toll on the environment causing air quality issues, unemployment, and housing issues among other things.  Population growth does not seem to be slowing down any time soon.



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

The Atlantic Periphery

              Like Washington, the Atlantic Periphery contains a long mountain range running through the area.  Washington has the Cascade Range running through the center of the state while the Atlantic Periphery is part of the Appalachian Mountain chain.  Parts of Washington have also been effected by glaciation like most of the Atlantic Periphery has.  Also like Washington, much of the land is useless for agriculture.  Washington has patches to the east where there is farming but it's difficult to find these in the Atlantic Periphery.  The Atlantic Periphery can experience heavy snowfall and sometimes blizzards.  The Pacific Northwest also experiences heavy snowstorms.  In the winter months, both regions experience below freezing temperatures as well as heavy rainfall. 

            The Atlantic Periphery, like Washington, has an abundance of large forests and large quantities of offshore fishing and marine animals.  Fishing is still a major part of the economy for both regions.  Lobsters are fished from the Atlantic Periphery by the millions of pounds averaging $285 million annually.  Even though Washington still has a heavy reliance on logging and fishing, tourism and high technology is becoming a major source of income.  More and more people are traveling to Washington and the Pacific Northwest for hiking, backpacking, and other outdoor activities.  The Atlantic Periphery's economy is still oriented toward their natural resources.  These two regions do have a lot in common because of their geographic locations.   

The North American Political Economy (w/ video)

         Washington has been and will always be a place of very important primary sector occupation.  The fishing and logging that takes place here is an essential part of Washington's economy.  Commercial fishing has been part of Washington since about 1792 when the Columbia River was discovered (Harrison, 2008).  Explorers saw great potential when they discovered the large amount of salmon in the river.  They began to export the salmon to Boston's harbor but the preservation of fish and import taxes made it a financial obstacle (Harrison, 2008).  After the development of canned salmon came along, the number of commercial fishing on the Columbia grew exponentially from 100 boats in 1872 to 1,500 in 1881 (Harrison, 2008).  Now in the 21st Century, non-tribal commerical fisheries can bring in about $148.3 million in income alone (Radtke, 2011).  In 2006, there were 3,520 people employed in this industry.  More recently, there has been an economic contribution of $1.84 billion dollars employing almost 15,000 primary sector workers (Radtke, 2011). 

        Washington has also had a long history of logging.  Since the early 1800s, Washington's forests have been harvested for its valuable timber for housing, building cities, and exporting (History, 2013).  By the late 1820s, the region saw it's first saw mill and by 1890, Washington was producing 1 billion board feet of wood a year (History, 2013).  Although logging is a major part of Washington's economy today, there was more trees being logged in the early 20th century than there is today.  Today, the logging industry has been hit hard with the current recession the United States and other parts of the world have been going through.  Manufacturing has been a weak link (DNR, 2012) and this can slow down the primary sector of Washington's economy.  The price of lumber that the mill is willing to pay has been going down in recent years as well (DNR, 2012).  Another part of Washington's economy has been in the quaternary sector.  High-technology industries have been prevalent in areas where there are major research universities, including the University of Washington.  Seattle is also home to the western headquarters for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA's) research centers.    

*This is a video of History's televsision series "Ax Men".  The first six and a half minutes shows how logging is done by Port Angeles, WA's Rygaard Logging Co.

http://www.history.com/shows/ax-men/videos/playlists/season-4-full-episodes#ax-men-alaska

http://www.rhppublishing.com/smbc/attachments/SMBC%20Washington%20Total%20Commercial%20Fisheries%204.pdf  

http://www.nwcouncil.org/history/commercialfishing.asp 

http://www.history.com/shows/ax-men/articles/history-of-logging  

Historical Settlement of North America

             Washington State was part of the Oregon Territory unit 1848.  There after, the United States took control of the area from Spain, Russia, and Great Britain.  Washington, along with the Pacific Northwest region has held dense populations since the time of the first explorers.  Settlement patterns tended to be located where there was an abundance of resources.  For example, aboriginal residence occupied the northwest region for its marine resource which also resulted in complex belief systems and rituals.  In the later years after the arrival of Europeans, the abundance of quality timber had attracted loggers from across the country.  Prior to the discovery of Washington's large trees, loggers were producing large amounts of wood out of Maine and other states on the east coast (History, 2013).  By the mid 1800's, logging was proving to be a possibility for economic development in the previously occupied Native American lands.  Around the same time in 1862, Lincoln's Homestead Act tempted unemployed loggers from the Midwest to migrate West (History, 2013).  They quickly found that the Pacific Northwest was the place to harvest quality timber. 

            By the the 1890's and into the 20th century, Washington was holding the record for producing timber at a rate of 1 billion board feet annually (History, 2013).  In 1905, Washington had become the top lumber-producing state in America (History, 2013).  Washington hit it's all-time high producing 7.6 billion board feet 1926 (starting the 21st century only producing 4.1 in comparison) (History, 2013).  Despite the massive changes throughout history, there are still large Native American lands in Washington although mostly toward the east which consist mostly of grasslands and desert.  Now-a-days, migration and settlement patterns have shifted slightly in the United States.  Instead of immigrants settling in large cities like Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York, they are now settling in second-tier cities such as Dallas, Texas and Seattle, Washington.  This has also been the result of the recession that began in 2008.  New immigrants have been moving to cities, like Seattle, that have not been effected dramatically by the recession in addition to increasing numbers during the past decade.  We shall see where new migration patters will bloom in the upcoming decade. 

http://www.history.com/shows/ax-men/articles/history-of-logging  

North America's Enviornmental Setting

               The state of Washington is located in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States.  It is located in the Columbia drainage basin that drains its runoff precipitation out into the Pacific Ocean (WRCC, 2013).  Washington has different influences controlling it's climate such as the rugged terrain, the Pacific Ocean to the West and the high and low pressures sitting over the North Pacific Ocean (WRCC, 2013).  There is high precipitation along the west coast of the state west of the Cascade Mountains.  This area of Washington receives the front of storms coming off of the Pacific Ocean, pouring on average of 150 inches of rain during the winter months (WRCC, 2013).  Most of the winter, you can expect winds blowing over 100 m.p.h at high elevations (WRCC, 2013).  The high mountains in Washington cause a lot air cooling and warming which causes the extremely wet conditions on the west and dry conditions on the east. 

              Washington contains at lease three different major soil types: Andisols, Mollisols, and Ultisols which can provide  many nutrients for the different types of trees that thrive here (WRCC, 2013).  Most of the state is covered by needleleaf evergreen forest with some grassland to the east.  In Washington, and all throughout the pacific northwest, you can find the tallest trees in the world (WRCC, 2013).  Logging industries harvest tree species such as Douglas fir, spruce, hemlock and cedar (WRCC, 2013).  There are few "old growth" forests left in this region but now most of area consists of secondary, replanted, trees for future harvesting.  On the east side of Washington you can find the major agricultural area.  This area is ideal for grazing, growing berries, growing vegetables, and growing seed potatoes and grass (WRCC, 2013).

                 Glaciation occurred in the Pre-Holocene era about 2 million years ago (Driedger et. al., 2010).  The continental glacier stretched down into the northern area of Washington but left no significant impact like the Great Lakes in the northeast.  There are also three major faults that run through the state: Lake/Boundary Creek Fault, South Whidby Island Fault, and Boulder Creek Fault (Driedger et. al., 2010).  The Cascade Mountain Range, which runs from California into Vancouver, Canada, runs straight through Washington.  These mountains, which cause the high precipitation in the state, were formed by the colliding of the North American Plate and the Juan De Fuca Plate(Driedger et. al., 2010).  The heavier Juan De Fuca Plate rides under the North American Plate and has pushed continental crust over 14,000 feet above sea level (Driedger et. al., 2010).  In Washington resides on of the most famous volcanoes in North America, Mount Saint Helens.  Most of Mount St. Helens is no older than 3,000 years old (Driedger et. al., 2010).  The latest eruptions, which occurred from 2004 to 2008, caused the volcano to settle half an inch from the removal of magma (Driedger et. al., 2010).  This amazing natural creation has been known to shoot volcanic ash to over 80,000 feet in as little as 15 minutes (Driedger et. al., 2010).  Native Americans abandoned this area because of the constant enormous eruptions of  Mount St. Helens.         

http://www.wrcc.dri.edu/narratives/WASHINGTON.htm            

Driedger, Carolyn, Westby, Liz, Faust, Lisa, Frenzen, Peter, Bennett, Jeanne, and Clynne, Michael, 2010, 30 Cool Facts about Mount St. Helens: U.S. Geological Survey General Information Product 103 (poster).   
http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/103/

Introduction

Washington State

Capital: Olympia

Location: 470.41N, 122.893W

Area: 71,303 sq.mi.

               Washington state, also known as The Evergreen State, is located in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States.  It was admitted into the union on November 11, 1889 as the 42nd state.  It borders Canada, Oregon, and Idaho.  Washington has an estimated population of 6,897,012 as of 2011 with Seattle being the largest city.  The state is 82% White, 12% Hispanic, 8% Asian, and 4% black.  Washington's total area is 71,303 square miles.  It's land mass alone is 66,582 square miles and water area alone of 4,721 square miles.  Washington has an economy based on lumber and wood products,  seafood, apples, and wheat, to name a few.  Other modern industries include aerospace and software development.  The west coast of Washington, where I would like to visit, is a region where there is a lot of logging and tree growth.  The extremely high precipitation allows trees to grow at an extraordinary rate.  The state's tree is The Western Hemlock.  Washington's highest point is Mt. Rainier at 14,410 feet.  The state contains 39 counties with 5 area codes within them.            



http://www.50states.com/washingt.htm