The Southwest Onno Emily Samantha

Introduction The states in the Southwest are Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and Oklahoma. They are home to 33 million people. The U.S. has been called a “melting pot” because of the many races and cultures it mixes together.

People and History A group led by Francisco Vasquez de Coronado explored the Southwest in the early 1540s for gold. They did not find gold, however, they learned more about the land and its people. In 1932 archaeologists found proof that a Native American group had lived in Clovis, New Mexico. The Clovis people had lived there more than 10,000 years ago. In 1800 Spain gave control of what is now Oklahoma to France. Three years later, France sold this area to the United States in a deal called the Louisiana Purchase.

Land in the Area Oklahoma and Texas are sometimes called “Tornado Alley” because of the major storms that go on there. In the Southwest there can be a variety of climate. There can be gentle winters and burning summers. There are many storms, too. Oklahoma has some of the worst storms and weather in the U.S.A. The Grand Canyon is 277 miles long and a mile deep. Texas is the 2 nd largest state. Alaska is twice the size of Texas. Snow birds are people who travel to warmer places. Like for instance people from the Northeast and Midwest fly to the Southwest where they live from November to April. These people are nicknamed “snow birds.”

Plants and Animals The animals in the Southwest are mule deer, bighorn sheep, jackrabbits, kangaroo rats, ringtail cats, armadillos, cougars, bobcats, coyotes, deer, elk, antelope, opossums, raccoons, black bear, bear, foxes, prairie dogs, flying squirrels, bats, snakes, owls, hawks, turkey vulture, roadrunners, tarantulas, geckos, collared lizard, horned lizard, and scorpions. The saguaro cactus can hold up to 200 gallons of water at a time. It has a waxy coating and spikes to protect it from animals and heat. It doesn’t get its arms until it’s 75 years old. They can live more than 150 years.

Cities and Towns Some of our Cities and Towns in the Southwest are Oklahoma City, Dallas, Tulsa, Santa Fe, Albuquerque, El Paso, San Antonio, Austin, Houston, and Phoenix. In 1947, an alien ship crashed in Roswell. Some say the military took the aliens away but the military has not told anyone. Three of Americas ten largest cities are in Texas: Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio.

Rural Life Rodeo competitions grew out of contests that cowboys made up to amuse themselves and pass time. Rodeos are now one of the most popular sports in the Southwest. With outlaws like Billy the Kid, Butch Cassidy, and Bonnie and Clyde roaming the old Southwest it was hard to keep the peace. There had to be tough lawmen or sheriffs like Wyatt Earp or the Texas Rangers. Freed slaved joined the US Army and became know as “buffalo soldiers.” A ranch is a place where cattle live within fenced areas. Once ranches were established, there was no longer need for cowboys to round up cattle. The railroads moved closer to the cattle, and there was less open space and therefore, more ranches and less cattle drives.

Getting Around Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix, Arizona is one of the busiest airports in the region. Most people in the Southwest drive by car. Texas, which has the nation’s highway system, has 77,000 miles of paved roadways. Every year thousands of people take mule rides to the bottom of the Grand Canyon. These trips are VERY bumpy and go on steep trails. The temperatures often climb above 100 degrees. The 1800s brought the railroad to the Southwest. The first rail link from the east to the west was completed in 1862, when tracks were laid from Santa Fe, New Mexico to San Diego, California. Railroads are an important way to move products around the region.

Work in the Area Many people in the Southwest have jobs related to cross-border businesses including manufacturing, trucking, and warehousing. More than half the copper produced in the U.S. comes from mines in Arizona. Copper is used to make everything from electrical wires to coins.

Free Time In New Mexico you can bring your snowboard and glide down dunes that are made from white sand. In the Southwest, Texas Rangers (baseball), Dallas Cowboys (football) are popular teams.

Conclusion The Southwest has warm weather, cloudless skies, modern highways, good food, and great people. This is why many people visit the Southwest. The Southwest has a history of Native Americans, Spanish, colonies, and American settlers. The climate in the Southwest is also unique. There are hot, dry deserts, deep, wide canyons, and wide open spaces that define the Southwest.

Works Cited Stewart, Mark. Regions of the United States: The Southwest: Chicago, Illinois: Raintree, 2006.