Chapter 1 Washington’s Geography

Chapter 1 Washington’s Geography WA State Symbols Flower = Coast Rhododendron Bird = Willow Goldfinch (Wild Canary)

Chapter 1 Washington’s Geography WA State Symbols Tree = Western Hemlock Fish = Steelhead Salmon

Chapter 1 Washington’s Geography WA State Symbols Fruit = Apple Insect = Green Darner Dragonfly

Geography and History Geography Study of the natural features of the earth as well as where and how people live on the earth. Geography influence where people live, what they do for a living, how they live and for fun. Interaction between people and environment very useful when studying history of an area.

Geography and History History WA was formidable for pioneers Fast rivers Steep Mountain Passes Rocky Cliffs Massive Forests Pioneers saw environment as an obstacle that needed subduing

Physical and Human Characteristics Physical Features Natural to the environment and include mountains, rivers, soil, climate, plant and animal life WA very diverse! Beaches Islands Forests Volcanoes Mountains Deserts farmland

Physical and Human Characteristics Place is also defined by changes made by people: what we build and how we alter the physical environment Cities Freeways Dams Farmland Bridges airports

Physical and Human Characteristics Pioneers thought resources were limitless Careless and wasteful for many years Too many trees cut Too many salmon fished Too many wild animals killed Today we are more responsible Reforest Water cleaned Laws passed to protect resources

Location Location Hinterland Where a place is…like an address Between 46th and 49th parallels N. latitude Between 117 and 125 degrees W. longitude A region that is far from other settled areas; last to be explored and populated WA considered “hinterland”

Mighty Ocean The Pacific…of COURSE!! Only 157 miles of ocean coastline but over 3,000 miles of shoreline More deep water harbors than California or Oregon Shipping links WA to rest of the world Commercial fishing smaller than you think. Less than 1% of state’s income…followed by oysters, crab and shrimp

A Mild Climate Temperate Never really hot or really cold Due to the ocean Temperature of large bodies of water don’t change quickly as the temp of the air Warmer water of ocean warms up air next to it Wind carries warmer air across the land

Rain Shadow Effect

Rain Shadow Effect Mountains affect climate Arid Mountains affect climate Some parts of Western WA (Peninsula) receive over 100 inches of rain a year Dry West side = wet side East side = arid (less than 6 inches)

Regions Region Pacific Rim Places that share common features Political Land commercial A trading region All countries that border Pacific ocean Each country makes goods the others want to buy

Regions The Pacific Northwest Region of states that share similar landforms and history

Washington’s 5 Land Regions Coastal Range Region Olympic Peninsula “The greatest weight of living matter, per acre, in the world.” Naturalist Roger Tory Olympic Mountains and National Park Pacific coast Rainforest Very little industry left, small towns rely on tourism 6 Indian reservations 5 on coast 1 on strait

Washington’s 5 Land Regions Puget Sound Lowlands Large cities Seattle Tacoma Bremerton Population center Industries Microsoft Boeing Starbucks Amazon One of highest per capita income levels in country

Washington’s 5 Land Regions Puget Sound Lowlands Traffic congestion one of worst in country Deep water seaports Recreation and vacation hot spot Some of state’s richest soil Skagit River Valley = Farming Tulips Daffodils Vegies Dairy chickens

Cascade Range Region Considered WA most prominent geographic feature Sharply divides state Barrier to commerce and travel Sometimes called “Cascade Curtain” Contribute to very different climates of east and west 5 famous mountains 2 national parks 1 National Memorial

The Columbia Plateau Region High flat plateau covers most of eastern WA and parts of Oregon and Idaho Natural vegetation = grassland to desert sagebrush Many crops due to irrigation from Grand Coulee Dam Spokane = metropolitan center Commercial, financial and medical center

Rocky Mountain Region Sometimes called the Okanogan Highlands Foothills of the Rocky Mountains Much farming and ranching Mining of lead and zinc Some tourism 3 reservations

Columbia River Called “Great River of the West” by early explorers Confluence Tributary Called “Great River of the West” by early explorers Headwaters at Columbia Lake, British Columbia, Canada Place where one river empties into another Smaller streams or rivers that flow into bigger ones

Columbia River Columbia’s course across state helps to explain much of WA history Relied on for transportation by Indians and trappers Source of food Railroads Steamboats Huge volume of water with steep fall in elevation = most powerful river in North America for hydroelectric energy Often called an “engineered” river

Washington’s National Parks Government protected land Refuge for natural plants and animals 3 National Parks Olympic Mt. Rainier North Cascades 3 Historic Parks Klondike Gold Rush San Juan Island Whitman Mission

Washington’s National Parks Canada, Our Northern Neighbor 1 National Monument Mt. Saint Helens British Columbia, Canada Vancouver Island and Victoria are favorite vacation places Complicated trade issues Fishing rights Lumber sales Pollution problems (shared water) shipping