The Southwest Region
by Ryan, Sam, Arthur, and Jack
Climate
Much of the Southwest is hot and dry weather. You would probably nod your head if you have been to the Grand Canyon, Arizona, or if you have been to Texas. Droughts occur a lot in the Southwest. Much of the land in the Southwest is bare. That means not enough rain comes for the forests to grow. Phoenix is the hottest and largest city in Arizona. In the summer the temperature can reach up to 115 degrees.
This is what happens when a drought occurs.
Culture
Lots of the foods are spicy and hot in the Southwest Region because many kinds of hot chili peppers are grown there. The green chili peppers are made into very spicy salsa. The most popular slow cooked dish in the Southwest is chili, which was made of meat simmered in sauce of dried red chili peppers, tomatoes, and a large variety of different spices. There are lots of contests held throughout the region to choose the best chili of all. One favorite dessert is flan, a baked custard.
This is a picture of the famous Southwestern red hot chili pepper.
Land and Water
The Chihuahuan desert is the largest desert in North America, and is also in the southwest. Even though the Southwest region covers the most amount of land, it has the least amount of states. The southwest region has vast plains, spectacular canyons, and colorful plateaus. A canyon is a deep narrow valley with steep sides. Plateaus are high flat landforms that rise steeply from the land around them.
Famous landmark: the Chihuahuan desert.
Landmarks
The Grand Canyon is the most famous landmark in the Southwest because it has a 217 mile long canyon, and a 18 mile wide trench called the Colorado River that runs through it. The Petrified Forest is not a normal forest because millions of years ago the trees died and were covered with mud and volcanic ash and eventually turned into stone. The Johnson Space Center is in charge of the NASA human space flight program. It allows astronauts to prepare for flight. Carlsbad Caverns National Park is another popular tourist legend. A cowboy named Jim White saw a plume of smoke rising into the sky. That smoke was actually a cloud of bats fiying out of thier cave.
This is the famous Grand Canyon. It is pictured with the Colorado River running through it. it is a world wide tourist attraction.
Products and Natural Resources
Deserts are full of valuble minarals. Gold, iron, copper, and silver are found in the Colarodo river basin. The most inportant resource in the Southwest is oil. It is so valuble it's been nicknamed "black gold". One of the problems in the Southwest is water. The Southwest region has a limited water supply. The Colarodo River provides drinking water for 25 million people. The Southwest region leads all other states in raising a beef cattle as well as sheep.