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West PP Notesheet

The availability of water and natural resources has greatly influenced where people live and work in the Western United States. The region has breathtaking landscapes ranging from towering mountains and deep canyons to broad plains, but water availability varies widely between areas that receive little rainfall and others that receive more. Natural resources like gold, silver, oil, gas and lumber have also driven economic activity and population growth in the region. Transportation infrastructure like railroads and roads were needed to connect cities and conquer the large distances within states like Alaska and between the mainland and Hawaii.

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42 views

West PP Notesheet

The availability of water and natural resources has greatly influenced where people live and work in the Western United States. The region has breathtaking landscapes ranging from towering mountains and deep canyons to broad plains, but water availability varies widely between areas that receive little rainfall and others that receive more. Natural resources like gold, silver, oil, gas and lumber have also driven economic activity and population growth in the region. Transportation infrastructure like railroads and roads were needed to connect cities and conquer the large distances within states like Alaska and between the mainland and Hawaii.

Uploaded by

api-464140041
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Name: Class

notes
Block:
The Western USA

Main Idea: The availability and distribution of


___________________________ affect where people live and work in the
West.

Breathtaking Landscape
- _____________ mountains & their towering snow-capped peaks
- Rivers have carved spectacular canyons
- Broad plains
- Massive glaciers in the Alaskan waters
- Smoking _____________ in the Hawaiian land

Available Water
- Physical characteristic that most affects the West is ______________
- There is either an abundance or _______________ of water
- Major factor in shaping the West’s natural vegetation, economic
activity, and
__________________ density
- Most of West has arid or semiarid climate

Vegetation
- In __________ areas, the natural vegetation consists of short grasses,
hardy shrubs, sagebush, and cactus.
- Ex. _________________, CA (9 inches of rain per yr)
- In areas that receive more rainfall, deciduous and coniferous forests
can be found.
- Ex. _______________, WA (39 inches of rain per yr)

Hawaii and Alaska: A World Apart


- Hawaii = wet _______________ climate and dense tropical rainforest
vegetation
- Alaska = the ____________ in its Northern region is a dry, treeless plain
that sprouts grasses and moss only in summer

Natural Resources
- Mining: _________________ are found in the Rocky Mountains and the
Sierra Nevada
- Gold, silver, uranium
- Rumors of finding gold drew people to the region
- Most was too deep undergound so mining companies were
more successful
- Natural gas and __________ can also be found
- Major oil field in Prudhoe Bay, Alaska
- ________________ and commercial fishing
- Half of the nation’s construction lumber

Western Cities
- 1869: Transcontinental ______________ spurred the growth of towns
and cities along the tracks
- A higher percentage of people prefer to live in ____________ because of
the harsh landscape and climate
- Los Angeles, CA is the nation’s ____________ largest city
- Began as a cattle town, providing beef for people during the
Gold Rush.
- Has to obtain water via aqueducts (large pipes that carry water
over long distances)

Conquering Western Distances


- Alaska
- ____________ state, but least populated
- Very few roads
- Juneau, the state’s capital, can only be reached by _________ or
airplane
- Anchorage, a city of more than 250,000, has only ______ roads
leading out of town.
- Hawaii
- 8 main islands and more than 100 smaller islands
- More than 2,000 miles from the US mainland
- Hawaii’s distant location drew the attention of the US
government in the late _____
- US wanted to control islands it could use as refueling stations
for its ships when
trading with ____________ and Japan
- 1959: Hawaii became the ________ state
- Jet travel has made Hawaii popular with tourists from North
America and Asia

Review Questions
- How does the abundance or scarcity of water resources affect the
natural vegetation in the West?

- What major natural resources have influenced economic activity in


the western United States?
- How have geography and distance affected where people live and
work in the region?

- What might be the consequences of continued population growth in


the West?

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