Chapter Seventeen - Hawai'i & the Pacific Islands

 



The state of Hawai'i consists of eight inhabited islands and up to as many as one hundred, twenty uninhabited islands, including "The Big Island" of Hawai'i, Kahoolawe, Maui, Lanai, Molokai, Oahu, Kauai, and Niihau.  The Hawai'ian islands were are the tops of volcanoes formed as the Pacific Plate moved over a hotspot.

Weather & Hazards
Hawai'i is located completely south of the Tropic of Cancer, so it experiences a warm and equable climate with few seasonal extremes.  Variation in temperature is dependent not regionally, but on the elevation and orientation of the land's topography.
Earthquakes are commonplace to the Hawai'ian islands, as well as the constant fear of tsunamis.  Due to the severity and frequency with which Hawai'i experiences tsunamis, the government now issues tsunami warnings well in advance of the five to fifteen hours it takes tsunamis to reach the islands in an attempt to minimize the potential loss of life.

Tsunami waves hitting Hawai'i

Settlement & Annexation
The Hawai'ian islands were among the last places on Earth to be discovered and inhabited.  Native Hawai'ians are believed to have descended from early Polynesian travelers, who first settled on the island of Kauai.
The islands were sighted by Captain James Cook in 1778,

Captain James Cook

the man now credited with the first European landing on these islands.  In the early nineteenth century, the land became interesting to Americans, who began to settle and cultivate the land.  Americans also used the islands as a strategic military stop-over point, due to Hawai'i's mid-Pacific location.
Traditionally ruled by King Kahmehameha I and his descendents, during the latter half of the nineteenth century, maintaining shipping interests with the American mainland became of the utmost importance.  Therefore, in 1898, the United States officially annexed the islands of Hawai'i as a US territory.

Tourism
Since World War II, tourism has become an increasingly important aspect of Hawai'i's economy.  Since the 1959 introduction of commercial jet airliners, Hawai'i has become one of the major tourist destinations in the world.  Despite the significant amount of revenue that tourism has traditionally brought to the state, tourism is a highly elastic product; it is entirely dependent on the state of the national and world economies.  Since the security scares following 11 September 2001, as well as the economic recession of 2008-2011, tourism in Hawai'i has declined.  This downturn in tourism, though, has reignited the ongoing debate on whether to allow the legalization of casino gambling in Hawai'i.

Works Cited - 

"Hawai'i and the Pacific Islands." The Geography of North America: Environment, Culture, Economy.

Pearson Education, Inc., n.d. Web. 28 Apr. 2014. <https://reader.cafescribe.com/reader/Reader.html?activationToken=LTSEV25ZSS7F2EK2&credential=K9ZJQ6J>.

Chapter Sixteen - The Pacific Northwest

The Pacific Northwest, as it is termed in the United States, is a vast region that encompasses western Oregon, western Washington, British Columbia west of the Rocky Mountains, and the southeastern panhandle of Alaska.  To Canadians, this region is named the Pacific Southwest for obvious reasons.

Weather

There are three major influences on the weather and climate of the region: 1) its location just east of the relatively warm ocean; 2) its location within the zone of onshore westerly winds; and 3) north-south mountain barriers located on the coast as well as further inland.  The Pacific Northwest experiences a significant rainshadow effect on the eastern side of the mountain ranges.  Winters are cool and rainy with numerous storms.  

Wine & Beer

The soils and climate in southern Oregon and the Willamette Valley have been found to be similar to those of northern France, as well as the wine grape regions of northern California were found to similar to Oregon’s ecosystems. Thus, a wine industry with about four hundred family-owned wineries was born, producing specialty wines from Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Pinot Gris.  

In the late twentieth century, wine grape growing was successfully initiated in various locations in eastern Washington and southern British Columbia. In the early twenty-first century, traditional hop growing in the Pacific Northwest evolved into experimentation with home brewing and the development of small-scale commercial craft breweries and "microbreweries." 

Tourism

Tourism has also become increasingly important to the economy of the Pacific Northwest. More and more people from throughout the United States travel to Washington, Oregon, British Columbia, and southeastern Alaska to participate in outdoor activities such as backpacking, sport fishing, river rafting, and sightseeing. The redwood forests of northwestern California and southern Oregon, the Oregon coast, the Cascade Mountains, Puget Sound, and cities such as Portland, Seattle, and Vancouver are especially attractive to tourists. Cruise ships frequently mark the coastline from Bellingham and Seattle or Vancouver to Anchorage on the Inside Passage, allowing visitors to see glaciers, grizzly bears, and the historic ports of the British Columbia and Alaskan coasts.  

Works Cited - 

"The Pacific Northwest." The Geography of North America: Environment, Culture, Economy. Pearson Education, Inc., n.d. Web. 21 Apr. 2014. <https://reader.cafescribe.com/reader/Reader.html?activationToken=LTSEV25ZSS7F2EK2&credential=K9ZJQ16J>.

Chapter Fifteen - California

California is one the the largest cultural centers of the United States.  Spanning a distance equal to that from Philadelphia to Northern Florida, California is influential in many ways.  

Weather & Hazards

California is known for its classic weather.  While the majority of the state experiences a Mediterranean climate, with long, warm summers and very little precipitation during the cooler winters, one envisions only sunny summer days that last forever.  

Earthquakes are most often associated with California.  California is located on the tectonic boundary of both the North American and Pacific plates, creating a series of strike-slip faults throughout the state. One of the largest and most well-known of these faults is the San Andreas Fault, which extends over a significant portion of California.  Many destructive earthquakes have been associated with California, including the Northridge Earthquake in 1994, which caused major damage throughout the San Fernando Valley and surrounding areas, including CSUN.  

Agriculture

California is a major agricultural contributor to the United States.  Regions including the Central Valley, encompassing both the Sacramento and San Joaquin Valleys, as well as Salinas Valley and others, are famous for their diverse agricultural production.  The Golden State produces all of the United States' dates, kiwi, olives, and nectarines.  California also produces grapes, cotton, grains, rice, almonds, tomatoes, sugar beets, and wheat.  

Industries

California is home to a great variety of industries, it being most famous for its high-techonology and entertainment industries.  The Silicon Valley in the northern portion of the state.  With its mild climate, abundance of outdoor recreation activities, and easy access to the metropolitan San Francisco area, Silicon Valley has become attractive to highly-educated employment seekers, and has thus become the technologic center of the nation.  

California has also had the opportunity to portray its own image through its entertainment industry.  While New York City was formerly the entertainment hubbub of the United States, executives sought out locations in California in order to film year-long without weather complications.  Because of this, the classic image of Hollywood was born.  

                         

 

Works Cited -
"California." The Geography of North America: Environment, Culture, Economy. Pearson Education,
Inc., n.d. Web. 21 Apr. 2014. <https://reader.cafescribe.com/reader/Reader.html?activationToken=LTSEV25ZSS7F2EK2&credential=K9ZJQ16J>.

Chapter Fourteen - MexAmerica

Geography
MexAmerica extends the entire US-Mexican border along the Rio Grande, stopping at the Gulf of Mexico.  It encompasses large metropolitan regions, including Phoenix, Tuscon, El Paso, and San Antonio; populated rural areas in Texas; and miles of uninhabited desert.

Weather & Climate

MexAmerica is an extremely dry region.  Based on elevation, summer temperatures often reach over 100 degrees, and winters are cooler, with an average high of 65 degrees.  Due to the climatic conditions of this area, many farmers grow frost-sensitive crops here, including citrus fruits.  

Economy

A mainstay in the economic development of MexAmerica is maquiladoras.  Maquiladoras are foreign-owned (mainly American-owned) manufacturing operations located on the US-Mexican border.  These operations allow the operators to achieve as much production at a lower cost, while simultaneously increasing job opportunities to Mexican citizens.  These maquiladoras are located in free trade zones, as set up and regulated by NAFTA, or the North American Free Trade Agreement.  NAFTA helps to facilitate export and import between the three countries of North America: the United States, Mexico, and Canada.  The major maquiladora centers of MexAmerica are located in Tijuana and Ciudad Juarez. This is what maquiladoras produce:

Cultural Diversity

Like New York City, the region of MexAmerica has become a center of cultural diversity.  There has been a significant influence on the cuisine, music, dress, and overall culture on this part of the United States due to the amount of Mexican-born, Mexican-heritage, and Spanish-heritage Latinos that now inhabit the region.  A new culture has formed within the region, a blending of the cultures of those who live in MexAmerica.  

Works Cited - 

http://mexamerica.net/site/

http://www.garreau.com/main.cfm?action=chapters&id=43

Chapters Twelve & Thirteen - The Rocky Mountain Region & The Intermontane West

Geography
The Rocky Mountain region is comprised of numerous, disconnected mountain ranges that span from New Mexico into the region's Canadian portion.

The Rocky Mountain Region

The Intermontane West is a clearly defined region, which extends from the Rockies to the Sierra Nevada and Cascade Range, and stretches from British Columbia to Mexico.  The region is characterized by plateaus, basins, and blocky mountains.

The Intermontane West

Weather
The weather in the Rockies is usually mild, contrary to popular belief.  The region does not receive much precipitation, but rainfall levels increase with altitude.
The Intermontane West experiences a very dry climate which includes different climate realms.  Based on amount of precipitation received in each part of the region, those living in the Intermontane West can live in sub-humid, semi-arid, moderately arid, and extremely arid climate zones.

Economy
Although the majority of the Rocky Mountain region's land is not suitable for agriculture, due to the arid or semi-arid climate and rugged topography, a few select areas are appropriate for the growth of commercial crops.  Because of this, ranching is a much more common trade.  Mining and lumbering are also major contributors to the region's economy, as the major mineral wealth of the region can be found in copper, silver, gold, and oil.

Copper mine

The Intermontane West has found much success in irrigated agriculture. As the region is very dry, irrigation is necessary for agriculture to thrive.  Many also ranch in this region.  Tourism is a major economic sector in the Intermontane West.  Tourism is mainly driven by the presence of the national parks in the region.

Zion National Park

In cities like Denver in the Rocky Mountain Region, as well as in the Intermontane West, similarities can be drawn to New York City.  NYC is a large, influential metropolitan area, whose economy is highly driven by tourism.

Works Cited -
http://www.fs.usda.gov/r2/
http://newyorkgeo321.weebly.com/the-intermontane-west.html