1. The Southwest Region

2. Physical Features (SOL II.27)
Rio Grande River: natural border between US and Mexico
Colorado Plateau: major plateau of the Southwest region
Grand Canyon: formed by erosion and geographical uplift
Rocky Mountains: cover part of New Mexico and Arizona
Coastal Plain (lowlands) in Texas
Great Plains: Oklahoma, Texas, and New Mexico
Canyons, mesas, and buttes: formed by erosion
TOURISM= $$$$$$$$$

3. Click on the Grand Canyon photo to see a video on how it was formed
Click on the Grand Canyon photo to see a video on how it was formed! (7 min)

6. Natural resources (SOL II.28)
2 natural resources: water and oil
Desert environment = not much water!!
Aquifers: underground layers of rock or sand that trap rainwater.
How do aquifers work?
Dry farming: invented so farmers can grow crops, but not need a lot of water
Oil is drilled from underground in Texas, Oklahoma, and the Gulf of Mexico

7. Environment and the Native Americans (SOL II.29)
Native Americans had to adapt to the very different desert environment
Developed irrigation to bring water to their crops
Housing was made using what resources were available
Adobe (clay and straw hardened into bricks)
Cliffs (houses built right into the cliffs)
Navajo moved around to prevent their sheep from eating all the grass
Water was important to the Hopi (to everyone, really!). They prayed for rain and worshiped Kachinas.

8. Cliff dwelling
Adobe house

9. Why did people want to settle here??? (SOL II.30)
3 of the earliest cultures: Navajo, Pueblo, Anasazi
Hunters and gathers
Navajo—learned farming and pottery making. Developed basket weaving using grasses from the Pueblo

10. Why did people want to settle here??? (SOL II.30)
Spanish explorers
Came to search for gold and spread Christianity
Raised livestock and cattle
Goal: claim land for Spain and convert Indians to Christianity
European-American settlers
Discovery of gold and important resources (oil) brought people to the Southwest
Railroad construction brought people quickly and in large numbers
Technology!!! (jobs brought people)

11. Major cities near rivers (SOL II.31)
Major cities formed near bodies of water due to the lack of rain in the region. (Slide 15 has the other answers…)
Heavily influenced by Native Americans and people of Spanish heritage from Mexico
San Antonio, TX—site of first Spanish missionary in the region. Name means “Queen of the Missions;” named for its beauty.
Santa Fe, NM—capital of NM. Oldest center of government in the U.S.

12. San Antonio River Walk
The Alamo
A San Antonio mission

13. Santa Fe, NM

14. Major cities near valuable resources
Cities also formed near valuable resources.
Texas industries make computers, radios, calculators, and electronic equipment.
Computer industry developed after discovery of oil and the development of oil refineries.
Houston, TX—home of Johnson Space Center
Los Alamos, NM—home of scientists who study nuclear energy

15. LANL was founded during WWII as the secret atomic weapons lab for the Manhattan Project. The atomic bombs dropped on Japan in 1945 were developed here.

16. We need water!! (SOL II.32, II.33, II.34)
Colorado River was dammed.
Good thing: Gives much needed water!!
Bad thing: Harmful to environment. Caused native fish species to become extinct.
Lake Mead was formed by damming the Colorado River.
Aqueducts and aquifers also provided water.
Industries, such as oil refineries, were able to be formed due to availability of water.
Grand Canyon and Colorado River—sources of recreation and tourism

17. What makes the Southwest so unique?? (SOL II.35)
Southwest’s desert environment
Oil industry of Texas and New Mexico
Shared border with Mexico
Economic and political issues surrounding availability of water