1. By Chiara Poulteney and Moosa Omar The Gateway arch in St.Louis also known as the "Gateway to the West", commemorates the westward expansion of the United States.

2. * 71,945,553 total population * Average population increase: 16.9% 2004-2010 equivalent to 2.65% per year

3. * Black- 2.86% * American Indian- 2.96% * Asian- 8.01% * Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islanders- 1.3% * Multicultural- 5.66% * Hispanic/Latino- 14.37% * White-64.84%

4. * Average: 10.99% * Highest percentage: California 26.8% Lowest: 1.9% Montana

5. * Rodeo Drive-California * Hollywood- California * Las Vegas- Nevada * Reno Automobile Museum- Nevada * International Selkirk Loop- Idaho * Aspen- Colorado * Temple Square- Utah * Mount McKinley- Alaska * Hawaii Volcanoes National Park- Hawaii Aspen Colorado Temple Square Hollywood- California

6. Hawaii Volcanoes National Park- Hawaii Rodeo Drive-California Las Vegas

7. * The Rocky Mountains. In the north * Cascade Range, * The desert region Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico * The Rockies are hundreds of miles wide * Rocky Mountain Region is highest area of the United States, 4,000 feet. * Highest peeks found in Colorado * Pacific ocean Rocky Mountains Pacific ocean- California Rocky Mountains

8. * Green chili stews of New Mexico * In the Plains/Mountain States Beef, outdoor cooking bbq, hunting, wild games * Rocky Mountain oysters :bull testicles. * Californian wine industry west coast * Seafood

9. * Western music. Related to old English, Scottish, and Irish folk ballads * Celebrates life of cowboy. * Red Hot Chili Peppers is an American rock band, Los Angeles 1983. Rock and Funkrock * Beach boys: California Red Hot chili peppers The Beach Boys. Album « Surfer Girl »

10. * Massive blackout hits California, Arizona and Mexico * Tsunami alert cancelled as 'small wave' reaches Alaska * Arnold Schwarzenegger Traffic ground to a halt across San Diego Arnold S. as governor

11. * The first explorers and settlers of the Southwest were American Indians; * Vitus Beiring, a Dane working for the Russians, and Alexei Chirikov discovered the Alaskan mainland and the Aleutian Islands in 1741.

12. * http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_United_States http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_United_States http://www.google.co.in/imgres?q=population+people&um=1&hl=en&safe=active&client=safari&rls=en&biw=1 821&bih=981&tbm=isch&tbnid=iQdoLN6pWe9nbM:&imgrefurl=http://www.dreamstime.com/stock-images- diverse-population-people-group- image8177274&docid=nKzkC6FXRNCcIM&w=400&h=274&ei=vpZpTo6ALMbHrQfii- XNBQ&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=797&vpy=473&dur=1062&hovh=186&hovw=271&tx=131&ty=83&page=1&tbnh=142 &tbnw=208&start=0&ndsp=41&ved=1t:429,r:19,s:0 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuisine_of_the_Western_United_States http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_music_(North_Americahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_music_(North_America) http://www.thenibble.com/reviews/main/meats/beef/glossary.asp http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-14849095 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-14759393 http://www.zacharywalker.com/blog/2011/05/12/the-rocky-mountains/ http://www.rlrouse.com/rocky-mountain-reflections.html http://www.google.co.in/imgres?q=red+hot+chili+peppers&um=1&hl=en&client=firefox- a&sa=N&rls=org.mozilla:en- US:official&biw=1280&bih=694&tbm=isch&tbnid=OlwCabpcaT3qVM:&imgrefurl=http://heartlessmusic.com/90s -music/red-hot-chili- peppers&docid=C6RcFVR2UqRQYM&w=1024&h=768&ei=y71tTpi3EsHxrQeLmqDABQ&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=592& vpy=139&dur=1156&hovh=194&hovw=259&tx=112&ty=81&page=1&tbnh=158&tbnw=212&start=0&ndsp=15&ved =1t:429,r:2,s:0

13. * "State and County QuickFacts." State and County QuickFacts. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Sept. 2011.. * "Google Images." Google. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Sept. 2011. * zantine. "Cuisine of the Western United States - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia." Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 3 August 2011 * 1960s, the, and Western. "Western music (North America) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia." Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Sept. 2011. * "Beef Cuts." Gourmet Food Magazine Website: THE NIBBLE Gourmet Food Gifts, Specialty Food, Mail Order, Online Gift Webzine. Copyright 2005- 2011 Lifestyle Direct, Inc. Some definitions were provided by the Cattlemen's Beef BoardCattlemen's Beef Board * "BBC News - Tsunami alert cancelled as 'small wave' reaches Alaska." BBC - Homepage. * "The Rocky Mountains | Zachary Walker." Zachary Walker. * "Rocky Mountain Reflections." RLROUSE Directory. N.p., n.d. Web. * "Google Images." Google. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Sept. 2011. * JPJ/RQ/SB,. "Discover Our Shared Heritage." Introduction--American Southwest 1.1 (2006): 1-2. Web. 14 Sep 2011.