California, Sacramento

Washington, Olympia

Hawaii, Honolulu

Oregon, SalemAlaska, Juneau

The Pacific States

Mr. Zunic 7th Grade Geography

What are some things that all of the Pacific States have in common?

• An environment characterized by mountains, volcanoes, and earthquakes

• Cultural, political, and economic similarities

• Each state is working to protect fragile wilderness areas

What are the four regions of California? Describe them.

• Coast Ranges- rugged coast line along the Pacific

• Sierra Nevada- one of the longest highest mountain ranges in the U.S. (Mt. Whitney is highest peak in the lower 48 states)

• Central Valley- plain stretches more than 400 miles and is irrigated by rivers that flow from the Sierra Nevada

• Desert Basins and Mountain Ranges- includes Death Valley (lowest point in North America

Describe the geography of the Oregon and Washington State.

• Dominated by four landform regions: • Coast Ranges-near the ocean • Lowlands- Puget Sound in Washington and

Willamette Valley in Oregon• Cascades- volcanic mountain range including

Crater Lake (a caldera [large depression] formed by a major eruption)

• Dry Basins and Mountains- Columbia Basin drained by the Columbia River

Describe the geography of Alaska and Hawaii.

• Alaska sits on a huge peninsula in the northwestern U.S.

• Includes the volcanic Aleutian Islands

• Alaska has over 3,000 lakes; ice fields cover 4% of the state

• Hawaii: volcanic islands

How many different climates are found in the Pacific States?

• Seven…….ranging from tropical to tundra• Describe the climate types of California. –Northern coast has a Marine West Coast – South and central part are Mediterranean

(temperatures are warm all winter) –Basins of California and the Cascades

experience Desert and Steppe climates

Describe the climate types of Oregon and Washington.

• Western sections of both states have a Marine West Coast climate – *cloudy rainy winters;

warm, sunny summers; mild temperatures all year

• Eastern sections of both states have a drier, steppe climate

Describe the climate types of Alaska and Hawaii.

• Alaska – Southeast coast has Marine West Coast – Interior of state has subarctic (short

summers; long, severe winters) –Northern part has tundra

• Hawaii – Island chain is humid tropical with heavy

rainfall– Little daily or seasonal temperature changes

Explain the economy of the Pacific states

• California is the leading agricultural and industrial center – * crops include cotton, nuts, vegetables, and fruits;

industry includes aerospace, software, entertainment

• Forestry and fishing are important to Oregon and Washington

• Alaska’s economy is based on oil, forests, and fishing

• Hawaii’s volcanic solids are good for growing pineapple, sugarcane, and coffee