NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Western United States

The Western United States—commonly referred to as the American West or simply The West—traditionally refers to the region comprising the westernmost states of the United States (see geographical terminology section for further discussion of these terms). Since the United States has expanded westward since its founding, the definition of the West has evolved over time. The Mississippi River is often referenced as the easternmost possible boundary of the West. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (904x593, 25 KB) Map of United States created by Wapcaplet File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (904x593, 25 KB) Map of United States created by Wapcaplet File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... The United States Census Bureau (officially Bureau of the Census as defined in Title ) is a part of the United States Department of Commerce. ... Official language(s) None[1] Spoken language(s) English 85. ... Official language(s) English Spoken language(s) English 74. ... Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Largest metro area Greater Los Angeles Area Ranked 3rd - Total 158,302 sq mi (410,000 kmÂ²) - Width 250 miles (400 km) - Length 770 miles (1,240 km) - % water 4. ... Official language(s) English Capital Denver Largest city Denver Largest metro area Denver-Aurora Metro Area Area Ranked 8th - Total 104,185 sq mi (269,837 kmÂ²) - Width 280 miles (451 km) - Length 380 miles (612 km) - % water 0. ... Official language(s) English, Hawaiian Capital Honolulu Largest city Honolulu Area Ranked 43rd - Total 10,931 sq mi (29,311 kmÂ²) - Width n/a miles (n/a km) - Length 1,522 miles (2,450 km) - % water 41. ... Official language(s) English [1] Capital Boise Largest city Boise Largest metro area Boise metropolitan area Area Ranked 14th - Total 83,642 sq mi (216,632 kmÂ²) - Width 305 miles (491 km) - Length 479 miles (771 km) - % water 0. ... Official language(s) English Capital Helena Largest city Billings Area Ranked 4th - Total 147,165 sq mi (381,156 kmÂ²) - Width 255 miles (410 km) - Length 630 miles (1,015 km) - % water 1 - Latitude 44Â°26N to 49Â°N - Longitude 104Â°2W to 116Â°2W Population Ranked... This article is about the U.S. State of Nevada. ... Capital Santa Fe Largest city Albuquerque Largest metro area Albuquerque metropolitan area Area Ranked 5th - Total 121,665 sq mi (315,194 kmÂ²) - Width 342 miles (550 km) - Length 370 miles (595 km) - % water 0. ... Official language(s) (none)[1] Capital Salem Largest city Portland Area Ranked 9th - Total 98,466 sq mi (255,026 kmÂ²) - Width 260 miles (420 km) - Length 360 miles (580 km) - % water 2. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ... For the capital city of the United States, see Washington, D.C.. For other uses, see Washington (disambiguation). ... Official language(s) English Capital Cheyenne Largest city Cheyenne Area Ranked 10th - Total 97,818 sq mi (253,348 kmÂ²) - Width 280 miles (450 km) - Length 360 miles (580 km) - % water 0. ... Federal courts Supreme Court Circuit Courts of Appeal District Courts Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures (List) State Courts Local Government Other countries Atlas US Government Portal A U.S. state is any one of the fifty subnational entities of... This article is about the history and influence of the concept. ... For the river in Canada, see Mississippi River (Ontario). ...

The "West" had played an important part in American history; the Old West is embedded in America's folklore. Pre-Colonial America For details, see the main Pre-Colonial America article. ... Great Basin region, typical American West The Western United States has played a significant role in history and fiction. ...

Geography

In its most expansive definition, the western U.S. is the largest region, covering more than half the land area of the United States. It is also the most geographically diverse, incorporating geographic regions such as the Pacific Coast, the temperate rain forests of the Northwest, the Rocky Mountains, the Great Plains, most of the tall-grass prairie eastward to Illinois, the western Ozark plateau, the western portions of the southern forests, the Gulf Coast, and all of the desert areas located in the United States (the Mojave, Sonoran, Great Basin, and Chihuahua deserts). Gateway Arch, 2001, by Rick Dikeman File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Gateway Arch, 2001, by Rick Dikeman File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... The Jefferson National Expansion Memorial (also known as the Gateway Arch or simply The Arch) is located in St. ... Nickname: Location in the state of Missouri Coordinates: , Country State County Independent City Government - Mayor Francis G. Slay (D) Area - City 66. ... Regional definitions vary from source to source. ... A rainforest is a forested biome with high annual rainfall. ... The Pacific Northwest from space The Pacific Northwest, abbreviated PNW, or PacNW is a region in the northwest of North America. ... For individual mountains named Rocky Mountain, see Rocky Mountain (disambiguation). ... The Great Plains covers much of the central United States, portions of Canada and Mexico. ... Official language(s) English[1] Capital Springfield Largest city Chicago Largest metro area Chicago Metropolitan Area Area Ranked 25th - Total 57,918 sq mi (149,998 kmÂ²) - Width 210 miles (340 km) - Length 390 miles (629 km) - % water 4. ... Ozark redirects here. ... The Gulf of Mexico is a major body of water bordered and nearly landlocked by North America. ... For the indigenous American tribe, see Mohave. ... Map of the Mojave and Sonoran deserts. ... The Great Basin is a large, arid region of the western United States, commonly defined as the contiguous watershed region, roughly between the Rocky Mountains and the Sierra Nevada, that has no natural outlet to the sea. ... Map of the Chihuahuan Desert. ...

The region encompasses some of the Louisiana Purchase, most of the land ceded by Britain in 1818, some of the land acquired when the Republic of Texas joined the U.S., all of the land ceded by Britain in 1846, all of the land ceded by Mexico in 1848, and all of the Gadsden Purchase. For the musical, see Louisiana Purchase (musical) and Louisiana Purchase (film). ... Capital Washington-on-the-Brazos, Harrisburg, Galveston, Velasco, Columbia (1836) Houston (1837â€“1839) Austin (1839â€“1845) Language(s) English (de facto) Spanish, French, German and Native American languages regionally Government Republic President1 - 1836-1838 Sam Houston - 1838-1841 Mirabeau B. Lamar - 1841-1844 Sam Houston - 1844-1845 Anson Jones Vice... The Gadsden Purchase (shown with present-day state boundaries and cities) The Gadsden Purchase (known as Venta de La Mesilla in Mexico) is a 45,535 miÂ² (76,770 kmÂ²) region of what is today southern Arizona and New Mexico that was purchased by the United States from Mexico in...

Variation and regionalism

As the largest region in the United States there is variation to such an extent in the west that it is often broken down into regions. Arizona, Colorado, California, New Mexico, Nevada, Oklahoma, Texas, and Utah or regions of those states are sometimes considered part of the Southwest, while all or part of Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming can be considered part of the Northwest, more narrowly part or all of those same states, with the exception of Wyoming and the eastern portions of Montana and Idaho, and the addition of the Canadian province of British Columbia comprise the Pacific Northwest. Regional definitions vary from source to source. ... Regional definitions vary from source to source. ... Motto: Splendor sine occasu (Latin: Splendour without diminishment) Capital Victoria Largest city Vancouver Official languages English Government - Lieutenant-Governor Steven Point - Premier Gordon Campbell (BC Liberal) Federal representation in Canadian Parliament - House seats 36 - Senate seats 6 Confederation July 20, 1871 (6th province) Area Ranked 5th - Total 944,735 km... The Pacific Northwest from space The Pacific Northwest, abbreviated PNW, or PacNW is a region in the northwest of North America. ...

The west can be divided into the Pacific States; Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon, and Washington, with the term West Coast usually restricted to just California, Oregon, and Washington, and the Mountain States, always Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming. Alaska and Hawaii, being detached from the other western states, have few similarities with them, but are usually also classified as part of the West. Western Texas in the Chihuahuan Desert is also traditionally considered part of the Western U.S.. Regional definitions vary from source to source. ... Regional definitions vary from source to source. ... Regional definitions vary from source to source. ... Official language(s) No official language See languages of Texas Capital Austin Largest city Houston Largest metro area Dallasâ€“Fort Worthâ€“Arlington Area Ranked 2nd - Total 261,797 sq mi (678,051 kmÂ²) - Width 773 miles (1,244 km) - Length 790 miles (1,270 km) - % water 2. ...

Some western states are grouped into regions with eastern states. Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota and North Dakota are often included in the Midwest, which also includes states like Iowa, Illinois and Wisconsin. Texas and Oklahoma are often considered part of the Southwest, and Texas and Louisiana are also considered part of the South. The Midwest is a common name for a region of the United States of America. ... Official language(s) English Capital Des Moines Largest city Des Moines Area Ranked 26th - Total 56,272 sq mi (145,743 kmÂ²) - Width 310 miles (500 km) - Length 199 miles (320 km) - % water 0. ... Official language(s) English[1] Capital Springfield Largest city Chicago Largest metro area Chicago Metropolitan Area Area Ranked 25th - Total 57,918 sq mi (149,998 kmÂ²) - Width 210 miles (340 km) - Length 390 miles (629 km) - % water 4. ... Official language(s) None Capital Madison Largest city Milwaukee Area Ranked 23rd - Total 65,498 sq mi (169,790 kmÂ²) - Width 260 miles (420 km) - Length 310 miles (500 km) - % water 17 - Latitude 42Â° 30â€² N to 47Â° 05â€² N - Longitude 86Â° 46â€² W to 92Â° 53â€² W Population Ranked...

It is rare for any state east of the Mississippi River to be considered part of the modern west. Historically, however, the Northwest Territory was an important early territory of the U.S., comprising the modern states of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan and Wisconsin, as well as the northeastern part of Minnesota. For the river in Canada, see Mississippi River (Ontario). ... The Northwest Territory, also known as the Old Northwest and the Territory North West of the Ohio, was a governmental region within the early United States. ... Official language(s) English de facto Capital Columbus Largest city Columbus Largest metro area Greater Cleveland Area Ranked 34th - Total 44,825 sq mi (116,096 kmÂ²) - Width 220 miles (355 km) - Length 220 miles (355 km) - % water 8. ... For other uses, see Indiana (disambiguation). ... Official language(s) English[1] Capital Springfield Largest city Chicago Largest metro area Chicago Metropolitan Area Area Ranked 25th - Total 57,918 sq mi (149,998 kmÂ²) - Width 210 miles (340 km) - Length 390 miles (629 km) - % water 4. ... Official language(s) None (English, de-facto) Capital Lansing Largest city Detroit Largest metro area Metro Detroit Area Ranked 11th - Total 97,990 sq mi (253,793 kmÂ²) - Width 239 miles (385 km) - Length 491 miles (790 km) - % water 41. ... Official language(s) None Capital Madison Largest city Milwaukee Area Ranked 23rd - Total 65,498 sq mi (169,790 kmÂ²) - Width 260 miles (420 km) - Length 310 miles (500 km) - % water 17 - Latitude 42Â° 30â€² N to 47Â° 05â€² N - Longitude 86Â° 46â€² W to 92Â° 53â€² W Population Ranked... Capital Saint Paul Largest city Minneapolis Area Ranked 12th - Total 87,014 sq mi (225,365 kmÂ²) - Width 250 miles (400 km) - Length 400 miles (645 km) - % water 8. ...

Demographics

As defined by the United States Census Bureau,^[1] the Western region of the United States includes 13 states (with a total 2006 estimated population of 69,355,643) and is split into two smaller units, or divisions: Image File history File links Map_of_USA_highlighting_european_minority. ... Image File history File links Map_of_USA_highlighting_european_minority. ... The United States Census Bureau (officially Bureau of the Census as defined in Title ) is a part of the United States Department of Commerce. ... Look up Region in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

However, the United States Census Bureau uses only one definition of the West in its reporting system, which may not coincide with what may be historically or culturally considered the West. For example, in the 2000 Census, the Census Bureau included the state with the second largest Hispanic population, Texas, in the South, included the state with the second largest American Indian population, Oklahoma, also in the South, and included the Dakotas, with their large populations of Plains Indians, in with the Midwest. However, it should be noted that the western half of Oklahoma and far West Texas, are neither culturally, geographically or socioeconomically identified with the South, as are the eastern portions of those states, and these areas are commonly understood to be part of the West or Southwest, sometimes interchangeably, by residents and visitors alike.^{[citation needed]} Regional definitions vary from source to source. ... Official language(s) English Capital Helena Largest city Billings Area Ranked 4th - Total 147,165 sq mi (381,156 kmÂ²) - Width 255 miles (410 km) - Length 630 miles (1,015 km) - % water 1 - Latitude 44Â°26N to 49Â°N - Longitude 104Â°2W to 116Â°2W Population Ranked... Official language(s) English Capital Cheyenne Largest city Cheyenne Area Ranked 10th - Total 97,818 sq mi (253,348 kmÂ²) - Width 280 miles (450 km) - Length 360 miles (580 km) - % water 0. ... Official language(s) English Capital Denver Largest city Denver Largest metro area Denver-Aurora Metro Area Area Ranked 8th - Total 104,185 sq mi (269,837 kmÂ²) - Width 280 miles (451 km) - Length 380 miles (612 km) - % water 0. ... Capital Santa Fe Largest city Albuquerque Largest metro area Albuquerque metropolitan area Area Ranked 5th - Total 121,665 sq mi (315,194 kmÂ²) - Width 342 miles (550 km) - Length 370 miles (595 km) - % water 0. ... Official language(s) English [1] Capital Boise Largest city Boise Largest metro area Boise metropolitan area Area Ranked 14th - Total 83,642 sq mi (216,632 kmÂ²) - Width 305 miles (491 km) - Length 479 miles (771 km) - % water 0. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ... Official language(s) English Spoken language(s) English 74. ... This article is about the U.S. State of Nevada. ... Regional definitions vary from source to source. ... For the capital city of the United States, see Washington, D.C.. For other uses, see Washington (disambiguation). ... Official language(s) (none)[1] Capital Salem Largest city Portland Area Ranked 9th - Total 98,466 sq mi (255,026 kmÂ²) - Width 260 miles (420 km) - Length 360 miles (580 km) - % water 2. ... Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Largest metro area Greater Los Angeles Area Ranked 3rd - Total 158,302 sq mi (410,000 kmÂ²) - Width 250 miles (400 km) - Length 770 miles (1,240 km) - % water 4. ... Official language(s) None[1] Spoken language(s) English 85. ... Official language(s) English, Hawaiian Capital Honolulu Largest city Honolulu Area Ranked 43rd - Total 10,931 sq mi (29,311 kmÂ²) - Width n/a miles (n/a km) - Length 1,522 miles (2,450 km) - % water 41. ... Historic Southern United States. ... This article is about the people indigenous to the United States. ... Midwest States (United States of America, ND to OH) The Midwest is a common name for a region of the United States of America. ... The dry plains of West Texas, have often been divided up into tracks of land divided by barbed wire fences. ... Regional definitions vary from source to source. ...

Statistics from the 2000 United States Census, adjusted to include the second tier of States west of the Mississippi, show that, under that definition, the West would have a population of 91,457,662, including 1,611,447 Indians, or 1.8% of the total, and 22,377,288 Hispanics (the majority Mexican), or 24.5% of the total. Indians comprise 0.9% of all Americans, and Hispanics, 12.5%. Asians, important from the very beginning in the history of the West, totaled 5,161,446, or 5.6%, with most living in the Far West. African-Americans, totaled 5,929,968, or 6.5%--lower than the national proportion (12.8%). The highest concentration (12%) of black residents in the West is found in Texas--the only Western state in which slavery was established.

The West is still one of the most sparsely settled areas in the United States with 49.5 inhabitants per square mile (19/km²). Only Texas with 78.0 inhabitants/sq mi. (30/km²), Washington with 86.0 inhabitants/sq mi. (33/km²), and California with 213.4 inhabitants/sq mi. (82/km²) exceed the national average of 77.98 inhabitants/sq mi. (30/km²).

The entire Western region has also been strongly influenced by Asian, Native and Latino culture; it contains the largest number of minorities in the U.S. and encompasses the only four American states where all racial groups including Caucasians are a minority (California, Hawaii, New Mexico, and Texas). While most of the studies of racial dynamics in America such as riots in Los Angeles have been written about whites and African Americans, in many cities in the West and California, whites and African Americans together are less than half the population because of the preference for the region by Hispanics and Asians. They however continue to wield a stronger political influence because of the lower rates of citizenship and voting of Asians and Latinos. Download high resolution version (933x148, 18 KB)Census maps of the American West Source: US Census Bureau Briefs Area: 933x148 pix Size: 18. ... Download high resolution version (933x148, 18 KB)Census maps of the American West Source: US Census Bureau Briefs Area: 933x148 pix Size: 18. ... Asian people[1] is a demonym for people from Asia. ... This article is about the people indigenous to the United States. ... For the Brazilian pop singer, see Latino (singer). ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ...

Because the tide of development had not yet reached most of the West when conservation became a national issue, agencies of the federal government own and manage vast areas of land. (The most important among these are the National Park Service and the Bureau of Land Management within the Interior Department, and the U. S. Forest Service within the Agriculture Department.) National parks are reserved for recreational activities such as fishing, camping, hiking, and boating, but other government lands also allow commercial activities like ranching, logging and mining. In recent years, some local residents who earn their livelihoods on federal land have come into conflict with the land's managers, who are required to keep land use within environmentally acceptable limits. The conservation ethic is an ethic of resource use, allocation, exploitation, and protection. ... ... The National Park Service (NPS) is the United States federal agency that manages all National Parks, many National Monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations. ... US BLM logo The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior which administers Americas public lands, totaling approximately 261 million surface acres (1,056,229. ... The United States Department of the Interior (DOI) is a Cabinet department of the United States government that manages and conserves most federally owned land. ... Logo of the U.S. Forest Service. ... â€œUSDAâ€ redirects here. ... This article is about national parks. ... Fishing is the activity of hunting for fish by hooking, trapping, or gathering. ... Car camping is camping in a tent, but nearby the car for easier access and for supply storage. ... Two hikers in the Mount Hood National Forest Eagle Creek hiking Hiking is a form of walking, undertaken with the specific purpose of exploring and enjoying the scenery. ... // Boating, the leisurely activity of traveling by boat typically refers to the recreational use of boats whether power boats, sail boats, or yachts (large vessels), focused on the travel itself, as well as sports activities, such as fishing or waterskiing. ... Ranching is the raising of cattle or sheep on rangeland, although one might also speak of ranching with regard to less common livestock such as elk, bison or emu. ... Logging is the process in which trees are cut down usually as part of a timber harvest which is good for the environment. ... Chuquicamata, the second largest open pit copper mine in the world, Chile. ...

The largest city in the region is Los Angeles, located on the West Coast. Other West Coast cities include San Diego, San Jose, San Francisco, Seattle, and Portland. Prominent cities in the Mountain States include Denver, Colorado Springs, Phoenix, Tucson, Albuquerque, Las Vegas, and Salt Lake City. Los Angeles and L.A. redirect here. ... â€œSan Diegoâ€ redirects here. ... For other uses, see San JosÃ©. Nickname: Location of San Jose within Santa Clara County, California. ... San Francisco redirects here. ... Seattle redirects here. ... Nickname: Location of Portland in Multnomah County and the state of Oregon Coordinates: , Country State County Multnomah County Incorporated February 8, 1851 Government - Mayor Tom Potter[1] - Commissioners Sam Adams Randy Leonard Dan Saltzman Erik Sten - Auditor Gary Blackmer Area - City 376. ... Nickname: Location of Denver in Colorado Location of Colorado in the United States Coordinates: , Country State Founded [1] November 22, 1858 Incorporated November 7, 1861 Government - Type Strong Mayor/Weak Council - Mayor John Hickenlooper (D) Area [1] - City & County 154. ... It has been suggested that History of Colorado Springs, Colorado be merged into this article or section. ... Nickname: Location in Maricopa County and the state of Arizona Coordinates: , Country State County Maricopa Incorporated February 25, 1881 Government - Type Council-Manager - Mayor Phil Gordon (D) Area - City 515. ... Tucson (pronounced , Spanish: TucsÃ³n ) is the seat of Pima County, Arizona, United States, located 118 miles (188 km) southeast of Phoenix and 60 miles (98 km) north of the U.S.-Mexico border. ... â€œAlbuquerqueâ€ redirects here. ... Vegas redirects here. ... Salt Lake City is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. ...

Natural geography

Along the Pacific Ocean coast lie the Coast Ranges, which, while not approaching the scale of the Rockies, are formidable nevertheless. They collect a large part of the airborne moisture moving in from the ocean. Even in the relatively arid climate of central California, the Coast Ranges squeeze enough water out of the clouds to support the growth of coast redwoods. East of the Coast Ranges lie several cultivated fertile valleys, notably the San Joaquin Valley of California and the Willamette Valley of Oregon. The Pacific Coast Ranges are the series of mountain ranges that stretch along west coast of North America from Alaska to Mexico. ... For individual mountains named Rocky Mountain, see Rocky Mountain (disambiguation). ... Binomial name Sequoia sempervirens (D. Don) Endl. ... FljÃ³tsdalur in East Iceland, a rather flat valley In geology, a valley is a depression with predominant extent in one direction. ... The Central Valley of California The San Joaquin Valley (English pronunciation in IPA: [sÃ¦n wÉ‘Ëˆkin]) refers to the area of the Central Valley of California that lies south of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta in Stockton. ... The Willamette Valley The Willamette Valley The Willamette Valley is the region in northwest Oregon in the United States that surrounds the Willamette River as it proceeds northward from its emergence from mountains near Eugene to its confluence with the Columbia River. ...

Beyond the valleys lie the Sierra Nevada in the south and the Cascade Range in the north. These mountains are some of the highest in the United States. Mount Whitney, at 14,505 feet (4,421 meters) the tallest peak in the contiguous 48 states, is in the Sierra Nevada. The Cascades are also volcanic. Mount Rainier, a volcano in Washington, is also well over 14,000 feet (4,250 meters approx.). Mount St. Helens, a volcano in the Cascades erupted explosively in 1980. A major volcanic eruption at Mount Mazama around 4860 BCE, forming Crater Lake. These mountain ranges see heavy precipitation, capturing most of the moisture that remains after the Coast Ranges, and creating a rain shadow to the east forming vast stretches of arid land. These dry areas encompass much of Nevada, Utah and Arizona. The Mojave Desert and Sonoran Desert along with other deserts are found here. This article is about the mountain range in the Western United States. ... â€œCascadesâ€ redirects here. ... Mount Whitney is the highest point in the contiguous United States at elevation 14,505 feet (4,421 meters). ... For other uses, see Mount Rainier (disambiguation). ... For the mountain in California, see Mount Saint Helena. ... The 1980 eruption of Mount St. ... Mount Mazama is a destroyed stratovolcano in the Oregon part of the Cascade Volcanic Belt and the Cascade Range. ... A crater lake that simply goes by the name Crater Lake, in Oregon, USA Heaven Lake (Chonji / Tianchi), North Korea / China Cuicocha, Ecuador Lake formed after 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo, Philippines Mount Katmai, Alaska, USA Mount Wenchi crater lake, Ethiopia Nemrut, Turkey VolcÃ¡n IrazÃº, Costa Rica This page... For the television series see Rain Shadow. ... For the indigenous American tribe, see Mohave. ... Map of the Mojave and Sonoran deserts. ...

Beyond the deserts lie the Rocky Mountains. In the north, they run immediately east of the Cascade Range, so that the desert region does not reach all the way to the Canadian border. The Rockies are hundreds of miles wide, and run uninterrupted from New Mexico to Alaska. The tallest peaks of the Rockies, some of which are over 14,000 feet (4,250 meters approx.), are found in central Colorado. Capital Santa Fe Largest city Albuquerque Largest metro area Albuquerque metropolitan area Area Ranked 5th - Total 121,665 sq mi (315,194 kmÂ²) - Width 342 miles (550 km) - Length 370 miles (595 km) - % water 0. ...

The West has several long rivers that empty into the Pacific Ocean, while the eastern rivers run into the Gulf of Mexico. The Mississippi River forms the easternmost possible boundary for the West today. The Missouri River, a tributary of the Mississippi, flows from its headwaters in the Rocky Mountains eastward across the Great Plains, a vast grassy plateau, before sloping gradually down to the forests and hence to the Mississippi. The Colorado River snakes through the Mountain states, at one point forming the Grand Canyon. The Colorado is a major source of water in the Southwest and many dams, such as the Hoover Dam, form reservoirs along it. So much water is drawn for drinking water throughout the West and irrigation in California that in some years, water from the Colorado no longer reaches the Gulf of California. The Columbia River, the largest river in volume flowing into the Pacific Ocean from North America, and its tributary, the Snake River, water the Pacific Northwest. The Platte runs through Nebraska and is a mile (2 km) wide but only a half-inch (1 cm) deep. The Rio Grande forms the border between, Texas and Mexico before turning due north and splitting New Mexico in half. Gulf of Mexico in 3D perspective. ... For the river in Canada, see Mississippi River (Ontario). ... The Missouri River is a tributary of the Mississippi River in the United States. ... The Great Plains covers much of the central United States, portions of Canada and Mexico. ... Pastureland Pasture is land with lush herbaceous vegetation cover used for grazing of ungulates as part of a farm or ranch. ... The Colorado River from the bottom of Marble Canyon, in the Upper Grand Canyon Colorado River in the Grand Canyon from Desert View The Colorado River from Laughlin Horseshoe Bend is a horseshoe-shaped meander of the Colorado River located near the town of Page, Arizona The Colorado River is... This article is about the canyon in the southwestern United States. ... For the dam near Westerville, Ohio, see Hoover Dam (Ohio). ... The Gulf of California (also known as the Sea of Cortez or Sea of CortÃ©s; locally known in the Spanish language as Mar de CortÃ©s or, much less frequently, Golfo de California) is a body of water that separates the Baja California Peninsula from the Mexican mainland. ... The Columbia River (French: fleuve Columbia) is a river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. ... For other uses, see Snake River (disambiguation). ... The Platte River, showing the North Platte and South Platte The Platte River is a tributary of the Missouri River, approximately 310 mi. ... â€œRÃo Bravoâ€ redirects here. ...

Climate and agriculture

The seasonal temperatures vary greatly throughout the West. Annual rainfall is greater in the eastern portions, gradually tapering off until reaching the Pacific Coast where it again increases. In fact, the greatest annual rainfall in the United States falls in the coastal regions of the Pacific Northwest. The heaviest snows in the nation fall in the Rockies. Drought is much more common in the West than the rest of the United States. The driest place recorded in the U.S. is Death Valley, California. For other uses, see Death Valley (disambiguation). ...

Violent thunderstorms occur east of the Rockies. Tornadoes occur every spring on the southern plains, with the most common and most destructive centered on Tornado Alley, which covers eastern portions of the West, (Texas to North Dakota), and all states in between and to the east. An outline of Significant Tornado Alley in the United States, where the highest percentage of violent tornadoes occur Tornado Alley is a colloquial term most often used in reference to the area of the United States in which tornadoes are most frequent. ... Official language(s) No official language See languages of Texas Capital Austin Largest city Houston Largest metro area Dallasâ€“Fort Worthâ€“Arlington Area Ranked 2nd - Total 261,797 sq mi (678,051 kmÂ²) - Width 773 miles (1,244 km) - Length 790 miles (1,270 km) - % water 2. ... Official language(s) English Capital Bismarck Largest city Fargo Area Ranked 19th - Total 70,762 sq mi (183,272 kmÂ²) - Width 210 miles (340 km) - Length 340 miles (545 km) - % water 2. ...

Agriculture varies depending on rainfall, irrigation, soil, elevation, and temperature extremes. The arid regions generally support only livestock grazing, chiefly beef cattle. The wheat belt extends from Texas through the Dakotas, producing most of the wheat and soybeans in the U.S. and exporting more to the rest of the world. Irrigation in the Southwest allows the growing of great quantities of fruits, nuts, and vegetables as well as grain, hay, and flowers. Texas is a major cattle and sheep raising area, as well as the nation's largest producer of cotton. Washington is famous for its apples, and Idaho for its potatoes. California and Arizona are major producers of citrus crops, although growing metropolitan sprawl is absorbing much of this land. Location of the Wheatbelt region The Wheatbelt region is one of the nine regions of Western Australia. ... The Dakotas is a collective term used in the United States to refer to the states of North and South Dakota together. ... Regional definitions vary from source to source. ... Species & major hybrids Species Citrus aurantifolia - Key lime Citrus maxima - Pomelo Citrus medica - Citron Citrus reticulata - Mandarin & Tangerine Major hybrids Citrus Ã—sinensis - Sweet Orange Citrus Ã—aurantium - Bitter Orange Citrus Ã—paradisi - Grapefruit Citrus Ã—limon - Lemon Citrus Ã—limonia - Rangpur lime Citrus Ã—latifolia - Persian lime See also main text for other hybrids Citrus...

Local state and Government officials started to understand, after several surveys made during the latter part of the nineteenth century, that only action by the federal government could provide water resources needed to support the development of the West^{[citation needed]}. Starting in 1902, Congress passed a series of acts authorizing the establishment of the United States Bureau of Reclamation to oversee water development projects in seventeen western states. Map of the Bureau of Reclamation regions. ... Map of the Bureau of Reclamation regions. ... The United States Bureau of Reclamation (Formerly the United States Reclamation Service) is a division of the U.S. Department of the Interior which oversees water development projects in the western United States. ...

During the first half of the 20th century, dams and irrigation projects provided water for rapid agricultural growth throughout the West and brought prosperity for several states, where agriculture had previously only been subsistence level. Following World War II, the West's cities experienced an economic and population boom. The population growth, mostly in the Southwest, has strained water and power resources, with water diverted from agricultural uses to major population centers, such as Las Vegas and Los Angeles. Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki TÅjÅ Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... Regional definitions vary from source to source. ... Vegas redirects here. ...

Geology

Plains make up most of the eastern half of the West, underlain with sedimentary rock from the Upper Paleozoic, Mesozoic, and Cenozoic eras. The Rocky Mountains expose igneous and metamorphic rock from both the Precambrian and the Post Precambrian periods. The Inter-mountain States and Pacific Northwest have huge expanses of volcanic rock from the Cenozoic period. Salt flats and salt lakes reveal a time when the great inland seas covered much of what is now the West. The Pacific states are the most geologically active areas in the United States. Earthquakes cause major damage every few years in California. While the Pacific states are the most volcanically active areas, extinct volcanoes and lava flows are found throughout most of the western half of the West. from http://tapestry. ... from http://tapestry. ... There are eight distinct U. S. physiographic region within the continental United States. ... For purposes of description, the physical geography of the United States is split into several major physiographic divisions, one being the Rocky Mountain System. ... For purposes of description, the physical geography of the United States is split into several major physiographic divisions, one being the Intermontane Plateaus. ... (See legend) For purposes of description, the physical geography of the United States is split into several major physiographic divisions, one being the Pacific Mountain System. ... The Paleozoic Era (from the Greek palaio, old and zoion, animals, meaning ancient life) is the earliest of three geologic eras of the Phanerozoic eon. ... The Mesozoic Era is one of three geologic eras of the Phanerozoic eon. ... The Cenozoic Era (IPA pronunciation: ); sometimes Caenozoic Era or Cainozoic Era (in the United Kingdom), meaning new life (Greek (kainos), new, and (zoe), life), is the most recent of the three classic geological eras. ... The Precambrian (Pre-Cambrian) is an informal name for the eons of the geologic timescale that came before the current Phanerozoic eon. ... The playa and shore of Lake Hart, an endorheic desert lake in South Australia An alkali flat (known in US and Mexico as a playa) is a dry lakebed, generally the shore of, or remnant of, an endorheic lake. ... This article is about the natural seismic phenomenon. ... Cleveland Volcano in the Aleutian Islands of Alaska photographed from the International Space Station For other uses, see Volcano (disambiguation). ...

History and Culture

Facing both the Pacific Ocean and the Mexican border, the West has been shaped by a variety of ethnic groups. Hawaii is the only state in the union in which Asian Americans outnumber residents of European Americans. Asians from many countries have settled in California and other coastal states in several waves of immigration since the 1800s, contributing to the Gold Rush, the building of the transcontinental railroad, agriculture, and more recently, high technology. Image File history File links The world-famous Hollywood sign. ... Image File history File links The world-famous Hollywood sign. ... ... Official language(s) English, Hawaiian Capital Honolulu Largest city Honolulu Area Ranked 43rd - Total 10,931 sq mi (29,311 kmÂ²) - Width n/a miles (n/a km) - Length 1,522 miles (2,450 km) - % water 41. ... An Asian American is a person of Asian ancestry or origin who was born in or is an immigrant to the United States. ... For other uses, see Europe (disambiguation). ... Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Largest metro area Greater Los Angeles Area Ranked 3rd - Total 158,302 sq mi (410,000 kmÂ²) - Width 250 miles (400 km) - Length 770 miles (1,240 km) - % water 4. ...

The southwestern border states – California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas – all have large Mexican American populations, and the many Spanish place names attest to their history as former Mexican territories. The ethnonym Mexican-American describes United States citizens of Mexican ancestry (14 million in 2003) and Mexican citizens who reside in the US (10 million in 2003). ...

The West also contains much of the Native American population in the U.S., particularly in the large reservations in the mountain and desert states. This article is about the people indigenous to the United States. ...

Because of having once been a Southern slave state, Texas has a sizeable, non-migrant and rural, African-American population, particularly in the eastern half.

Alaska – the northernmost state in the Union – is a vast land of few, but hearty, people, many of them native; and of great stretches of wilderness, protected in national parks and wildlife refuges. Hawaii's location makes it a major gateway between the U.S. and Asia, as well as a center for tourism. This article is about national parks. ... A Wildlife refuge is a geographic territory within which wildlife is protected. ...

In the Pacific Coast states, the wide areas filled with small towns, farms, and forests are supplemented by a few big port cities which have evolved into world centers for the media and technology industries. Now the second largest city in the nation, Los Angeles is best known as the home of the Hollywood film industry; the area around Los Angeles also was a major center for the aerospace industry by World War II, though Boeing, located in Washington state would lead the aerospace industry. Fueled by the growth of Los Angeles – as well as the San Francisco Bay Area, including Silicon Valley – California has become the most populous of all the states. Oregon and Washington have also seen rapid growth with the rise of Boeing and Microsoft along with agriculture and resource based industries. The desert and mountain states have relatively low population densities, and developed as ranching and mining areas which are only recently becoming urbanized. Most of them have highly individualistic cultures, and have worked to balance the interests of urban development, recreation, and the environment. Los Angeles and L.A. redirect here. ... ... This article is about motion pictures. ... Look up aerospace in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki TÅjÅ Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... USGS satellite photo of the San Francisco Bay Area. ... For the Nintendo 64 game, see Space Station Silicon Valley. ... The Boeing Company (NYSE: BA, TYO: 7661) is a major aerospace and defense corporation, originally founded by William Edward Boeing. ... Microsoft Corporation, (NASDAQ: MSFT, HKSE: 4338) is a multinational computer technology corporation with global annual revenue of US$44. ...

Culturally distinctive points include the large Mormon population of Southeastern Idaho, Utah, Northern Arizona and Nevada; the extravagant casino resort towns of Las Vegas and Reno, Nevada; and, of course, the many Native American tribal reservations. Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 600 pixelsFull resolution (2304 Ã— 1728 pixel, file size: 955 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Newspaper Rock in southeastern Utah by David Jolley 2007. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 600 pixelsFull resolution (2304 Ã— 1728 pixel, file size: 955 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Newspaper Rock in southeastern Utah by David Jolley 2007. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ... This article is about the history and use of the word Mormon. For information about the religious beliefs and culture of Mormons, see Mormonism. ... Official language(s) English [1] Capital Boise Largest city Boise Largest metro area Boise metropolitan area Area Ranked 14th - Total 83,642 sq mi (216,632 kmÂ²) - Width 305 miles (491 km) - Length 479 miles (771 km) - % water 0. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ... Official language(s) English Spoken language(s) English 74. ... This article is about the U.S. State of Nevada. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Vegas redirects here. ... â€œRenoâ€ redirects here. ... This article is about the people indigenous to the United States. ...

American Old West

Major settlement of the western territories by migrants from the states in the east developed rapidly in the 1840s, largely^{[citation needed]} through the Oregon Trail and the California Gold Rush of 1849; California experienced such a rapid growth in a few short months that it was admitted to statehood in 1850 without the normal transitory phase of becoming an official territory. The largest migration in American history occurred in the 1840s as the Latter Day Saints left the midwest for the safety of the West. The 1850s were marked by political controversies which were part of the national issues leading to the Civil War, though California had been established as a non-slave state in the Compromise of 1850; California played little role in the war itself due to its geographically distance from major campaigns. In the aftermath of the Civil War, many former Confederate partisans migrated to California during the end of the Reconstruction period. The cowboy, the quintessential symbol of the American Old West, circa 1887. ... The Ox Team or the Old Oregon Trail 1852-1906 by Ezra Meeker. ... The California Gold Rush (1848â€“1855) began on January 24, 1848, when gold was discovered at Sutters Mill. ... A Latter Day Saint is an adherent of the Latter Day Saint movement, a group of denominations tracing their heritage to the teachings of Joseph Smith, Jr. ... The origins of the American Civil War lay in the complex problems of slavery, expansion, sectionalism, parties, and politics of the antebellum era. ... Henry Clay takes the floor of the Old Senate Chamber; Millard Fillmore presides as Calhoun and Webster look on. ... For other uses, see Reconstruction (disambiguation). ...

The history of the American West in the late 19th Century and early 20th Century has acquired a cultural mythos in the literature and cinema of the United States^{[citation needed]}. The image of the cowboy, the homesteader and westward expansion took real events and transmuted them into a myth of the west which has influenced American culture since at least the 1920s. Cowboy circa 1887 Free Public Domain Image from http://www. ... Cowboy circa 1887 Free Public Domain Image from http://www. ... For other uses, see Cowboy (disambiguation). ... The Homestead Act is a piece of U.S. legislation which gave one quarter of a section of a township (160 acres, or about 65 hectares) of undeveloped land in the American West to any family head provided he lived on it for five years, or allowed the family head... This article is about the history and influence of the concept. ... This article very generally discusses the customs and culture of the United States; for the culture of the United States, see arts and entertainment in the United States. ...

Writers as diverse as Mark Twain, Bret Harte, and Zane Grey celebrated or derided cowboy culture, while artists such as Frederic Remington created western art as a method of recording the expansion into the west^{[citation needed]}. The American cinema, in particular, created the genre of the western movie, which, in many cases, use the West as a metaphor for the virtue of self-reliance and an American ethos. The contrast between the romanticism of culture about the West and the actuality of the history of the westward expansion has been a theme of late Twentieth and early Twenty-First century scholarship about the West^{[citation needed]}. Cowboy culture has become embedded in the American experience as a common cultural touchstone, and modern forms as diverse as country and western music and the works of artist Georgia O'Keefe have celebrated the supposed sense of isolation and independence of spirit inspired by the unpopulated and relatively harsh climate of the region^{[citation needed]}. Samuel Langhorne Clemens (November 30, 1835 â€“ April 21, 1910),[1] better known by the pen name Mark Twain, was an American humorist, satirist, lecturer and writer. ... Portrait of Bret Harte - oil painting by John Pettie (1884)[1] For the professional wrestler, see Bret Hart. ... Zane Grey (January 31, 1872 â€“ October 23, 1939) was an American author best known for his popular adventure novels and pulp fiction that presented an idealized image of the rugged Old West. ... For other uses, see Cowboy (disambiguation). ... Frederic Remington (October 4, 1861 - December 26, 1909) was an American painter, illustrator, sculptor, and writer who specialized in depictions of the American West. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... American cinema has had a profound effect on cinema across the world since the early 20th century. ... Broncho Billy Anderson, from The Great Train Robbery The Western movie is one of the classic American film genres. ... For other uses, see Cowboy (disambiguation). ... Country music, once known as Country and Western music, is a popular musical form developed in the southern United States, with roots in traditional folk music, spirituals, and the blues. ... Georgia O’Keeffe in Abiquiu, New Mexico, photographed by Carl Van Vechten, 1950 Georgia OKeeffe (November 15, 1887 – March 6, 1986) was an American artist born in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin. ...

As a result of the various periods of rapid growth, many new residents were migrants who were seeking to make a new start after previous histories of either personal failure or hostilities developed in their previous communities^{[citation needed]}. With these and other migrants who harbored more commercial goals in the opening country, the area developed a strong ethos of self-determinism and individual freedom^{[citation needed]}, as communities were created whose residents shared no prior connection or common set of ideals and allegiances. The open land of the region allowed residents to live at a much greater distance from neighbors than had been possible in eastern cities, and an ethic of tolerance for the different values and goals of other residents developed. California's state constitutions (in both 1849 and 1879) were largely drafted by groups which sought a strong emphasis on individual property rights and personal freedom, arguably at the expense of ideals tending toward civic community^{[citation needed]}.

The 20th Century

By 1890, the frontier was gone^[2] (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901–2000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar (1900–1999... // Public flight demonstration of an airplane by Alberto Santos-Dumont in Paris, November 12, 1906. ...

In the news, reports spoke of oil boom towns in Texas and Oklahoma rivaling the old mining camps for their lawlessness, of the Dust Bowl forcing children of the original homesteaders even further west. The movies replaced the dime novel as the chief entertainment source featuring western fiction^{[citation needed]}. Official language(s) No official language See languages of Texas Capital Austin Largest city Houston Largest metro area Dallasâ€“Fort Worthâ€“Arlington Area Ranked 2nd - Total 261,797 sq mi (678,051 kmÂ²) - Width 773 miles (1,244 km) - Length 790 miles (1,270 km) - % water 2. ... Official language(s) None Capital Oklahoma City Largest city Oklahoma City Largest metro area Oklahoma City metro area Area Ranked 20th - Total 69,898 sq mi (181,196 kmÂ²) - Width 230 miles (370 km) - Length 298 miles (480 km) - % water 1. ...

The advent of the automobile enabled the average American to tour the West. Western businessmen promoted U.S. Route 66 as a means to bring tourism and industry to the West. In the 1950s, representatives from all the western states built the Cowboy Hall of Fame and Western Heritage Center to showcase western culture and greet travelers from the East. During the latter half of the 20th century, several transcontinental interstate highways crossed the West bringing more trade and tourists from the East. Route 66 redirects here. ... The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum is a museum and art gallery, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, housing one of the largest collections of: Western, American cowboy, American rodeo, and American Indian; art, artifacts, and archival materials, in the world. ... The Western Heritage Center is a regional museum located in the Historic District in downtown Billings, Montana This musen used to be the old Parmly Billings Library. ...

In recent decades, Western cities' reputation for diversity and tolerance has been marred by segregation, along with accusations of racial profiling and police brutality towards minorities, sometimes leading to racially based riots. Nevertheless, perhaps because so many westerners have moved there from other regions to make a new start, as a rule interpersonal relations remain marked by a tolerant and individualistic "live and let live" attitude. The western economy is varied. California, for example, features both agriculture and high-technology manufacturing as major sectors in its economy. The Rex Theatre for Colored People Racial segregation is characterised by separation of different races in daily life, such as eating in a restaurant, drinking from a water fountain, using a rest room, attending school, going to the movies, or in the rental or purchase of a home[1]. Segregation... Racial profiling, also known as ethnic profiling, is the inclusion of racial or ethnic characteristics in determining whether a person is considered likely to commit a particular type of crime (see Offender Profiling). ... January 31 1919: David Kirkwood on the ground after being struck by batons of the Glasgow police Police brutality is a term used to describe the excessive use of physical force, assault, verbal attacks, and threats by police officers and other law enforcement officers. ...

Major population centers

Combined Statistical Areas

The United States Office of Management and Budget (OMB) defines micropolitan and metropolitan statistical areas. ... The Greater Los Angeles Area, or the Southland, is the agglomeration of urbanized area around the city of Los Angeles, California, United States. ... Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Largest metro area Greater Los Angeles Area Ranked 3rd - Total 158,302 sq mi (410,000 kmÂ²) - Width 250 miles (400 km) - Length 770 miles (1,240 km) - % water 4. ... USGS satellite photo of the San Francisco Bay Area. ... Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Largest metro area Greater Los Angeles Area Ranked 3rd - Total 158,302 sq mi (410,000 kmÂ²) - Width 250 miles (400 km) - Length 770 miles (1,240 km) - % water 4. ... The Seattle metropolitan area includes the city of Seattle, Washington; King County, Washington; and several surrounding cities and counties in the Puget Sound area. ... For the capital city of the United States, see Washington, D.C.. For other uses, see Washington (disambiguation). ... The Denver-Aurora-Boulder Combined Statistical Area is a United States Census Bureau defined Combined Statistical Area (CSA) located in the Denver region of the State of Colorado. ... Official language(s) English Capital Denver Largest city Denver Largest metro area Denver-Aurora Metro Area Area Ranked 8th - Total 104,185 sq mi (269,837 kmÂ²) - Width 280 miles (451 km) - Length 380 miles (612 km) - % water 0. ... The Wasatch Front is an urban area in the U.S. state of Utah. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ...

Metropolitan Statistical Areas

The city of El Paso, Texas, although belonging to a state considered part of the Southern United States, is more considered part of the Western United States. In the United States, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has produced a formal definition of metropolitan areas, which are organized around county boundaries. ... Los Angeles and L.A. redirect here. ... Nickname: Location within Los Angeles County in the state of California Coordinates: , Country State County Los Angeles County Government - Mayor Bob Foster Area - City 65. ... Location of Santa Ana within Orange County, California. ... Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Largest metro area Greater Los Angeles Area Ranked 3rd - Total 158,302 sq mi (410,000 kmÂ²) - Width 250 miles (400 km) - Length 770 miles (1,240 km) - % water 4. ... San Francisco redirects here. ... â€œOaklandâ€ redirects here. ... For the unincorporated community in Yolo County, California, see Fremont, Yolo County, California. ... Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Largest metro area Greater Los Angeles Area Ranked 3rd - Total 158,302 sq mi (410,000 kmÂ²) - Width 250 miles (400 km) - Length 770 miles (1,240 km) - % water 4. ... Nickname: Location in the state of California Coordinates: , Country State County Riverside Government - Mayor Ron Loveridge Area - City 78. ... San Bernardino is the county seat of San Bernardino County, California, United States. ... Ontario is a city located in San Bernardino County, California, United States. ... Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Largest metro area Greater Los Angeles Area Ranked 3rd - Total 158,302 sq mi (410,000 kmÂ²) - Width 250 miles (400 km) - Length 770 miles (1,240 km) - % water 4. ... Nickname: Location in Maricopa County and the state of Arizona Coordinates: , Country State County Maricopa Incorporated February 25, 1881 Government - Type Council-Manager - Mayor Phil Gordon (D) Area - City 515. ... Location in Maricopa County and the state of Arizona Coordinates: , Country State Counties Maricopa Government - Mayor Keno Hawker (R) Area - City 125. ... For other uses, see Scottsdale . ... Official language(s) English Spoken language(s) English 74. ... Seattle redirects here. ... Nickname: Location of Tacoma in Pierce County and Washington State Coordinates: , Country State County Pierce Government - Mayor Bill Baarsma (D) Area - City 62. ... Location of Bellevue within King County, Washington, and King County within Washington. ... For the capital city of the United States, see Washington, D.C.. For other uses, see Washington (disambiguation). ... â€œSan Diegoâ€ redirects here. ... Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Largest metro area Greater Los Angeles Area Ranked 3rd - Total 158,302 sq mi (410,000 kmÂ²) - Width 250 miles (400 km) - Length 770 miles (1,240 km) - % water 4. ... Nickname: Location of Denver in Colorado Location of Colorado in the United States Coordinates: , Country State Founded [1] November 22, 1858 Incorporated November 7, 1861 Government - Type Strong Mayor/Weak Council - Mayor John Hickenlooper (D) Area [1] - City & County 154. ... Nickname: Location in Arapahoe County and the state of Colorado Coordinates: , Country United States State Colorado Counties Arapahoe, Adams, Douglas[1] Founded 1891 Incorporated (town) May 5, 1903[2] Incorporated (city) 1929[3] Government - Type Home Rule Municipality[1] - Mayor Ed Tauer (R) Area - City 369. ... Official language(s) English Capital Denver Largest city Denver Largest metro area Denver-Aurora Metro Area Area Ranked 8th - Total 104,185 sq mi (269,837 kmÂ²) - Width 280 miles (451 km) - Length 380 miles (612 km) - % water 0. ... This article is about the city of Las Vegas in Nevada. ... // Clan Henderson (GÃ idhlig: clann Eanruig) Henderson (surname) Henderson, Buenos Aires, the district capital of Hipolito Yrigoyen Partido, Argentina Henderson, Western Australia, Australia Henderson, New Zealand Henderson, Colorado, United States Henderson, Kentucky, United States Henderson, Louisiana, United States Henderson, Maryland, United States Henderson, Nebraska, United States Henderson, Nevada, United States... North Las Vegas is a city located in Clark County, Nevada. ... Paradise, Jan Bruegel Paradise is an English word from Persian roots that is generally identified with the Garden of Eden or with Heaven. ... This article is about the U.S. State of Nevada. ... Sacramento redirects here. ... Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Largest metro area Greater Los Angeles Area Ranked 3rd - Total 158,302 sq mi (410,000 kmÂ²) - Width 250 miles (400 km) - Length 770 miles (1,240 km) - % water 4. ... For other uses, see San JosÃ©. Nickname: Location of San Jose within Santa Clara County, California. ... Location in Santa Clara County and the state of California Coordinates: , Country State County Santa Clara Government - Mayor Otto Lee Area - City 22. ... Location of Santa Clara within Santa Clara County, California. ... Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Largest metro area Greater Los Angeles Area Ranked 3rd - Total 158,302 sq mi (410,000 kmÂ²) - Width 250 miles (400 km) - Length 770 miles (1,240 km) - % water 4. ... Nickname: Location of Portland in Multnomah County and the state of Oregon Coordinates: , Country State County Multnomah County Incorporated February 8, 1851 Government - Mayor Tom Potter[1] - Commissioners Sam Adams Randy Leonard Dan Saltzman Erik Sten - Auditor Gary Blackmer Area - City 376. ... Beaverton is the name of several places in the United States of America: Beaverton, Michigan Beaverton, Oregon It is also the name of places in Canada: Beaverton, Ontario This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Official language(s) (none)[1] Capital Salem Largest city Portland Area Ranked 9th - Total 98,466 sq mi (255,026 kmÂ²) - Width 260 miles (420 km) - Length 360 miles (580 km) - % water 2. ... Salt Lake City is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ... For the city and county of Honolulu, see City & County of Honolulu. ... Official language(s) English, Hawaiian Capital Honolulu Largest city Honolulu Area Ranked 43rd - Total 10,931 sq mi (29,311 kmÂ²) - Width n/a miles (n/a km) - Length 1,522 miles (2,450 km) - % water 41. ... Tucson (pronounced , Spanish: TucsÃ³n ) is the seat of Pima County, Arizona, United States, located 118 miles (188 km) southeast of Phoenix and 60 miles (98 km) north of the U.S.-Mexico border. ... Official language(s) English Spoken language(s) English 74. ... Fresno redirects here. ... Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Largest metro area Greater Los Angeles Area Ranked 3rd - Total 158,302 sq mi (410,000 kmÂ²) - Width 250 miles (400 km) - Length 770 miles (1,240 km) - % water 4. ... Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA is the metropolitan designation given to the Ventura County Area by the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB). ... Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Largest metro area Greater Los Angeles Area Ranked 3rd - Total 158,302 sq mi (410,000 kmÂ²) - Width 250 miles (400 km) - Length 770 miles (1,240 km) - % water 4. ... â€œAlbuquerqueâ€ redirects here. ... Capital Santa Fe Largest city Albuquerque Largest metro area Albuquerque metropolitan area Area Ranked 5th - Total 121,665 sq mi (315,194 kmÂ²) - Width 342 miles (550 km) - Length 370 miles (595 km) - % water 0. ... Nickname: Location of Bakersfield, California Coordinates: , Country United States State California County Kern County Founded 1869 Government - Mayor Harvey Hall Area - City 131 sq mi (339. ... Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Largest metro area Greater Los Angeles Area Ranked 3rd - Total 158,302 sq mi (410,000 kmÂ²) - Width 250 miles (400 km) - Length 770 miles (1,240 km) - % water 4. ... Nickname: Motto: Stocktons Great, Take A Look! Location in San Joaquin County and the state of California Coordinates: , Country State County San Joaquin County Incorporated 1850 Government - Mayor Edward J. Chavez - City Manager J. Gordon Palmer, Jr. ... Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Largest metro area Greater Los Angeles Area Ranked 3rd - Total 158,302 sq mi (410,000 kmÂ²) - Width 250 miles (400 km) - Length 770 miles (1,240 km) - % water 4. ... It has been suggested that History of Colorado Springs, Colorado be merged into this article or section. ... Official language(s) English Capital Denver Largest city Denver Largest metro area Denver-Aurora Metro Area Area Ranked 8th - Total 104,185 sq mi (269,837 kmÂ²) - Width 280 miles (451 km) - Length 380 miles (612 km) - % water 0. ... â€œBoiseâ€ redirects here. ... Nampa (IPA: ) is the largest city in Canyon County, Idaho, and the second largest in the state and is owned by Austin Prince, Judson Skaug, and Jacob Skaug. ... Official language(s) English [1] Capital Boise Largest city Boise Largest metro area Boise metropolitan area Area Ranked 14th - Total 83,642 sq mi (216,632 kmÂ²) - Width 305 miles (491 km) - Length 479 miles (771 km) - % water 0. ... Modesto is the county seat of Stanislaus County in the U.S. state of California. ... Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Largest metro area Greater Los Angeles Area Ranked 3rd - Total 158,302 sq mi (410,000 kmÂ²) - Width 250 miles (400 km) - Length 770 miles (1,240 km) - % water 4. ... Ogden sign over Washington Boulevard at the Ogden River; toward downtown Ogden is the county seat of Weber County,GR6 Utah, United States. ... Clearfield is a city located in Davis County, Utah. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ... Location in Sonoma County and the state of California Country State County Sonoma Area - City 40. ... Aerial view of Petaluma, California. ... Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Largest metro area Greater Los Angeles Area Ranked 3rd - Total 158,302 sq mi (410,000 kmÂ²) - Width 250 miles (400 km) - Length 770 miles (1,240 km) - % water 4. ... Nickname: Location of Spokane in Spokane County and Washington Coordinates: , Country United States State Washington County Spokane Government - Mayor Dennis P. Hession Area - City 58. ... For the capital city of the United States, see Washington, D.C.. For other uses, see Washington (disambiguation). ... Nickname: Location of Salinas, California Country State County Monterey Government - Mayor Dennis Donohue Area - City 19 sq mi (49. ... Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Largest metro area Greater Los Angeles Area Ranked 3rd - Total 158,302 sq mi (410,000 kmÂ²) - Width 250 miles (400 km) - Length 770 miles (1,240 km) - % water 4. ... Vallejo (pronounced IPA: in English; in the original Spanish) is a city in Solano County, California, United States. ... The Welcome to Fairfield roadside sign Fairfield Courthouse Fairfield is a city located northeast of the San Francisco Bay Area in Northern California, USA. it is approximately 45 miles from both San Francisco and Sacramento. ... Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Largest metro area Greater Los Angeles Area Ranked 3rd - Total 158,302 sq mi (410,000 kmÂ²) - Width 250 miles (400 km) - Length 770 miles (1,240 km) - % water 4. ... Provo is a city in Utah and the county seat of Utah County, located about 35 miles south of Salt Lake City along the Wasatch Front. ... Orem is an incorporated city in the north-central part of the state of Utah in Utah County. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ... Nickname: Location in Santa Barbara County and the state of California Coordinates: , County Government - Mayor Marty Blum Area - City 111. ... Santa Maria is the largest city in Santa Barbara County, California. ... Also in Spanish, Goleta means schooner. ... Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Largest metro area Greater Los Angeles Area Ranked 3rd - Total 158,302 sq mi (410,000 kmÂ²) - Width 250 miles (400 km) - Length 770 miles (1,240 km) - % water 4. ... Visalia is a Central California city situated in the heart of Californiaâ€™s agricultural San Joaquin Valley, approximately 230 miles southeast of San Francisco and 190 miles north of Los Angeles. ... Porterville is a city in Tulare County, California, United States. ... Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Largest metro area Greater Los Angeles Area Ranked 3rd - Total 158,302 sq mi (410,000 kmÂ²) - Width 250 miles (400 km) - Length 770 miles (1,240 km) - % water 4. ... El Paso redirects here. ... Historic Southern United States. ...

Politics

The region's distance from historical centers of power in the East, and the celebrated "frontier spirit" of its settlers offer two clichés for explaining the region's independent, heterogeneous politics. Historically, the West was the first region to see widespread women's suffrage. It birthed both the property rights and conservation movements, and spawned such phenomena as the Taxpayer Revolt and the Berkeley Free Speech Movement. It has also produced three U.S. presidents: Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, and George W. Bush. Counties commonly seen as constituting coastal California. ... This does not cite any references or sources. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (904x593, 28 KB) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (904x593, 28 KB) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Medical marijuana refers to the use of marijuana, a form of cannabis as a therapy or prescription drug, most notably as an anti-emetic. ... Holding Congress may ban the use of marijuana even where states approve its use for medicinal purposes. ... Image File history File links Map_of_USA_highlighting_euthanasia. ... Image File history File links Map_of_USA_highlighting_euthanasia. ... For mercy killings not performed on humans, see animal euthanasia. ... Image File history File links Map_of_USA_highlighting_prostitution. ... Image File history File links Map_of_USA_highlighting_prostitution. ... Whore redirects here. ... Image File history File links Map_of_USA_highlighting_states_with_no_income_tax. ... Image File history File links Map_of_USA_highlighting_states_with_no_income_tax. ... Tax rates around the world Tax revenue as % of GDP Economic policy Monetary policy Central bank Money supply Fiscal policy Spending Deficit Debt Trade policy Tariff Trade agreement Finance Financial market Financial market participants Corporate Personal Public Banking Regulation An income tax is a tax levied on the financial income... States with no state income tax are in red, states taxing only dividend and interest income are in yellow Tax rates around the world Tax revenue as % of GDP Part of the Taxation series State income tax is an income tax in the United States that is levied by each... A frontier is a political and geographical term referring to areas near or beyond a boundary, or of a different nature. ... The effort to obtain womens suffrage â€” or voting rights â€” in the United States was a primary effort of those involved in the greater womens rights movement of the 19th century. ... This page deals with property as ownership rights. ... The conservation movement is a political and social movement that seeks to protect natural resources including plant and animal species as well as their habitat for the future. ... Proposition 13, officially titled the Peoples Initiative to Limit Property Taxation, was a ballot initiative to amend the constitution of the state of California. ... The Free Speech Movement was a student protest which began in 1964 - 1965 on the campus of the University of California, Berkeley under the informal leadership of student Mario Savio and others. ... Federal courts Supreme Court Circuit Courts of Appeal District Courts Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures (List) State Courts Local Government Other countries Atlas US Government Portal For other uses, see President of the United States (disambiguation). ... Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913 â€“ April 22, 1994) was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. ... Reagan redirects here. ... George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is the forty-third and current President of the United States of America, originally inaugurated on January 20, 2001. ...

The prevalence of libertarian political thought, even if not labeled as such, can be widely observed. For example, the majority of Western states have legalized medicinal marijuana (all but New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming) and some forms of gambling (except Utah); Oregon has legalized euthanasia; Utah has a long history of former polygamous territorial leaders; and most counties in Nevada have legalized prostitution. There is less resistance to the legal recognition of same-sex unions: California and Hawaii recognize them, and only 28%^{[citation needed]} of all western residents are against legal recognition (compared to the 48%^{[citation needed]} in southern states). California and Washington have moved to limit affirmative action. See also Libertarianism and Libertarian Party Libertarian,is a term for person who has made a conscious and principled commitment, evidenced by a statement or Pledge, to forswear violating others rights and usually living in voluntary communities: thus in law no longer subject to government supervision. ... Medical marijuana refers to the use of marijuana, a form of cannabis as a therapy or prescription drug, most notably as an anti-emetic. ... Caravaggio, The Cardsharps, c. ... For mercy killings not performed on humans, see animal euthanasia. ... Polygamy, literally many marriages in ancient Greek, is a marital practice in which a person has more than one spouse simultaneously (as opposed to monogamy where each person has a maximum of one spouse at any one time). ... Whore redirects here. ... Same-sex marriage (also called gay marriage, marriage equality, and often just marriage by its proponents, and—usually by its opponents—homosexual marriage) refers to non-traditional marriage between partners of the same gender (for other forms of same-sex unions that are different from marriages, see the... This box: Affirmative actionrefers to policies intended to promote access to education or employment aimed at a historically socio-politically non-dominant group (typically, minorities or women). ...

The West is far from homogeneous, however. With the notable exception of Orange County, California and San Diego, California, major urban centers on the Pacific Coast lean toward the Democratic Party^{[citation needed]}. San Francisco's two main political parties are the Green Party and the Democratic Party. Seattle has historically been a center of radical left-wing politics; the union Industrial Workers of the World is particularly active, and it is one of the few American cities with a monument to the Communist leader Lenin. The mayor of Salt Lake City, Rocky Anderson, supports same-sex marriage [1], and Denver's residents have voted to decriminalize marijuana completely^{[citation needed]}. Hawaii has come closest to adopting single payer healthcare financing in the U.S.^{[citation needed]} Both the Democratic leaders of the U.S. Congress are from the region: Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada. Cities in Orange County Orange County is a county in Southern California, United States. ... â€œSan Diegoâ€ redirects here. ... Federal courts Supreme Court Circuit Courts of Appeal District Courts Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures (List) State Courts Local Government Other countries Atlas Politics Portal Further information: Politics of the United States#Organization of American political parties The Democratic... The Industrial Workers of the World (IWW or the Wobblies) is an international union currently headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA. At its peak in 1923 the organization claimed some 100,000 members in good standing, and could marshal the support of perhaps 300,000 workers. ... Lenin redirects here. ... Universal health care is a situation in which all residents of a geographic or political region have access to most types of health care. ... Type Bicameral Houses Senate House of Representatives President of the Senate President pro tempore Dick Cheney, (R) since January 20, 2001 Robert C. Byrd, (D) since January 4, 2007 Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, (D) since January 4, 2007 Members 535 plus 4 Delegates and 1 Resident Commissioner Political... The Speaker of the United States House of Representatives is the presiding officerâ€”or speakerâ€”of the United States House of Representatives. ... Nancy Patricia DAlesandro Pelosi (born March 26, 1940) is currently the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives. ... The Senate Minority Leader is a member of the United States Senate who is elected by his or her party conference to serve as the chief Senate spokesmen for his or her party and to manage and schedule the legislative and executive business of the Senate. ... Harry Mason Reid (born December 2, 1939) is the senior United States Senator from Nevada and a member of the Democratic Party. ...

Interior areas, especially in the Rocky Mountains, lean toward the Republican Party. Broadly speaking, the western GOP is less-influenced by conservative evangelical Christians than elsewhere in the country^{[citation needed]}, notably the South, although Colorado Springs is a center for religious conservative activity. U.S. Senator John McCain of Arizona and California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, arguably the Western Republicans best-known across the country, have reputations as mavericks within their party. The Republican Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States of America, along with the Democratic Party. ... Historic Southern United States. ... It has been suggested that History of Colorado Springs, Colorado be merged into this article or section. ... â€œMcCainâ€ redirects here. ... Official language(s) English Spoken language(s) English 74. ... Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger (German pronunciation (IPA): ) (born July 30, 1947) is an Austrian-born American bodybuilder, actor, and politician, currently serving as the 38th Governor of the U.S. state of California. ...

As the fastest-growing demographic group, Latinos are hotly contested by both parties^{[citation needed]}; immigration remains an important political issue for this group. Backlash against illegal immigration led to the passage of California Proposition 187 in 1994, a ballot initiative which would have denied many public services to undocumented residents. Association of this proposal with the California Republicans, especially incumbent governor Pete Wilson, is credited^{[citation needed]} with driving many Hispanic voters to the Democrats. For the Brazilian pop singer, see Latino (singer). ... California Proposition 187 was a 1994 ballot initiative designed to deny illegal immigrants social services, health care, and public education. ... For others named Pete Wilson, see Peter Wilson. ...

In presidential elections since 1996, starting with electoral college importance, California with its 55 electoral votes generally favors Democratic Party candidates by a margin of 11%, Washington with its 11 votes favors Democrats by 8%, Arizona with its 10 votes favors Republican Party candidates by 5%, Colorado with its 9 votes favors Republicans by 5%, Oregon with its 7 votes favors Democrats by 4%, New Mexico with its 5 votes favors Democrats by .3%, Utah with its 5 votes favors Republicans by 36%, Hawaii with its 4 votes favors Democrats by 17%, Idaho with its 4 votes favors Republicans by 33%, Nevada with its 5 votes favors Democrats by .6%, Alaska with its 3 votes favors Republicans by 24%, Montana with its 3 votes favors Republicans by 16%, and Wyoming with its 3 votes favors Republicans by 31%. Electoral votes by state/federal district, for the elections of 2004 and 2008 The United States Electoral College is a term used to describe the 538 President Electors who meet every 4 years to cast the electoral votes for President and Vice President of the United States; their votes represent... Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Largest metro area Greater Los Angeles Area Ranked 3rd - Total 158,302 sq mi (410,000 kmÂ²) - Width 250 miles (400 km) - Length 770 miles (1,240 km) - % water 4. ... For the capital city of the United States, see Washington, D.C.. For other uses, see Washington (disambiguation). ... Official language(s) English Spoken language(s) English 74. ... Official language(s) English Capital Denver Largest city Denver Largest metro area Denver-Aurora Metro Area Area Ranked 8th - Total 104,185 sq mi (269,837 kmÂ²) - Width 280 miles (451 km) - Length 380 miles (612 km) - % water 0. ... Official language(s) (none)[1] Capital Salem Largest city Portland Area Ranked 9th - Total 98,466 sq mi (255,026 kmÂ²) - Width 260 miles (420 km) - Length 360 miles (580 km) - % water 2. ... Capital Santa Fe Largest city Albuquerque Largest metro area Albuquerque metropolitan area Area Ranked 5th - Total 121,665 sq mi (315,194 kmÂ²) - Width 342 miles (550 km) - Length 370 miles (595 km) - % water 0. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ... Official language(s) English, Hawaiian Capital Honolulu Largest city Honolulu Area Ranked 43rd - Total 10,931 sq mi (29,311 kmÂ²) - Width n/a miles (n/a km) - Length 1,522 miles (2,450 km) - % water 41. ... Official language(s) English [1] Capital Boise Largest city Boise Largest metro area Boise metropolitan area Area Ranked 14th - Total 83,642 sq mi (216,632 kmÂ²) - Width 305 miles (491 km) - Length 479 miles (771 km) - % water 0. ... This article is about the U.S. State of Nevada. ... Official language(s) None[1] Spoken language(s) English 85. ... Official language(s) English Capital Cheyenne Largest city Cheyenne Area Ranked 10th - Total 97,818 sq mi (253,348 kmÂ²) - Width 280 miles (450 km) - Length 360 miles (580 km) - % water 0. ...

This region has the most swing states than any other part of the United States. Five states defined as having margins of 5% or less are generally called such: Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico and Oregon.^{[citation needed]} This article is about the US political term. ...

Contents

Geography

Variation and regionalism

Demographics

Natural geography

Climate and agriculture

Geology

History and Culture

American Old West

The 20th Century

Major population centers

Combined Statistical Areas

Metropolitan Statistical Areas

Politics

See also

References

Further reading

External links

Contents

Geography GA_googleFillSlot("encyclopedia_square");

Variation and regionalism

Demographics

Natural geography

Climate and agriculture

Geology

History and Culture

American Old West

The 20th Century

Major population centers

Combined Statistical Areas

Metropolitan Statistical Areas

Politics

See also

References

Further reading

External links

Geography