THE WESTERN

A) Geography

1. Along the Pacific Ocean coast lie the Coast Ranges with several cultivated fertile valleys: the San Joaquin Valley of California and the Willamette Valley of Oregon.

2. Beyond the valleys lie the Sierra Nevada in the south and the Cascade Range in the north. Mount Whitney is the tallest peak in the Sierra Nevada.

3. Mount Rainier is a volcano in Washington. A major volcanic eruption at Mount Mazama formed Crater Lake. There are also the Mojave and the Sonora Deserts.

4. Beyond the deserts lie the Rocky Mountains, which run from New Mexico to Alaska. The Rocky Mountain Region is the highest overall area of the United States. The tallest peaks of the Rockies are found in central and western Colorado.

5. The Western Rivers System consists of the Mississippi, Ohio, Missouri, Illinois, Tennessee, Cumberland, Arkansas and White Rivers and other rivers that flow towards the Gulf of Mexico.

B) Politics

1. Washington, Oregon, California, Idaho, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado and New Mexico form the West.

2. The West was the first region to see widespread women's suffrage.

3. There is a prevalence of libertarian political thought.

4. The West Coast leans toward the Democratic Party.

5. The majority of Western states have legalized medicinal marijuana and some forms of gambling.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_United_States