The West contains several major biomes, including arid and semi-arid plateaus and plains , particularly in the American Southwest; forested mountains, including three major ranges, the Sierra Nevada, the Cascades, and Rocky Mountains; the long coastal shoreline of the American Pacific Coast; and the rainforests of the ...
What are the major physical features of the US east to west?
The conterminous United States may be divided into seven broad physiographic divisions: from east to west, the Atlantic–Gulf Coastal Plain ; the Appalachian Highlands; the Interior Plains; the Interior Highlands; the Rocky Mountain System; the Intermontane Region; and the Pacific Mountain System.
What is the West most known for?
No longer merely a land of “wide, open spaces,” cattle, mines, and mountains, the West has become famous for other things: for example, the motion-picture industry in southern California , gambling in Nevada, aerospace production in Washington and California, environmental protection in Oregon, and retirement ...
What makes the West special?
Every Western state includes some very arid terrain that is far drier than anything back East, even Washington and Oregon, where the Cascade Mountains cast a stark rain shadow. Another striking feature of the West’s climate is the spottiness of precipitation patterns and the close proximity of wet and dry areas.
What are the major landforms in the West Region?
The Coast Ranges, the Sierra Nevadas, the Cascade Range, and the Rocky Mountains are all found in the West region. Several valleys lie in between the Coast Ranges, the Sierra Nevada Mountains, and the Cascade Mountains. Two of the valleys, Central Valley and Willamette Valley, are covered with deep, rich soil.
What are 3 interesting facts about the West Region?
Geography. The West is a land filled with great mountains, volcanoes, rolling plains, fertile valleys, beaches, and even deserts . California, Oregon, and Washington have earthquakes and even volcanoes! Hawaii also has many active volcanoes, and extinct volcanoes can be found all through the West.
What are 5 interesting facts about the West Region?
- The Rocky Mountains are the longest and highest mountain range in North America. ...
- The West has some of the best skiing in the United States. ...
- Oregon and Washington grow most of the apples, pears and cherries eaten in this country.
- Farming is still very important in the West.
What are 3 geographical features of the United States?
- Appalachian Mountains. The Appalachian Mountains may be some of the oldest mountains on earth. ...
- Rocky Mountains. ...
- Great Salt Lake. ...
- Grand Canyon. ...
- Great Plains. ...
- Mississippi River. ...
- Mojave Desert & Death Valley.
What are examples of physical features?
The first thing you see when you look at someone could be their hair, clothes, nose, or figure . These are all examples of physical characteristics. To get good examples of a person’s physical characteristics, consider factors relevant to their physical appearance, such as their build, face and other physical traits.
What are three physical features?
Landforms include hills, mountains, plateaus, canyons, and valleys , as well as shoreline features such as bays, peninsulas, and seas, including submerged features such as mid-ocean ridges, volcanoes, and the great ocean basins.
What is the culture like in the West?
Western culture is characterized by a host of artistic, philosophic, literary, and legal themes and traditions ; the heritage of Celtic, Germanic, Hellenic, Jewish, Slavic, Latin, and other ethnic and linguistic groups, as well as Christianity, which played an important part in the shaping of Western civilization since ...
Why is the West Coast so dry?
Three main factors contribute to the natural phenomenon of drought: snowpack, soil moisture and temperatures . The Western states depend on snowpack for a good portion of their water supply. ... And right now, the soil across the region is exceptionally dry.
Why is it called the West?
The concept of “The West” was born in Europe. The concept of the West or the Western World originated in the Greco-Roman Civilizations of ancient times . The term, “West” comes from the Latin term, “occidens”, which means sunset or west, as opposed to “oriens”, meaning rise or east.
What landforms can be found in the West?
Some of these include, but are not limited to, the Great Sand Dunes, mountains, mesas, arches, hoodoos, buttes, monoclines and hogbacks , and, of course, canyons.
What are the main natural resources of the West?
The West has many useful natural resources such as trees, potatoes, pineapples, salt, and oil . Deposits of many minerals, including copper, gold, and silver, are found within the Rocky Mountains, making the West an excellent source for minerals.
What are the 13 states in the West?
- Alaska.
- Arizona.
- California.
- Colorado.
- Hawaii.
- Idaho.
- Montana.
- Nevada.
