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.
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