3. What are some things that all of the
Pacific States have in common?
• An environment
characterized by
mountains, volcanoes,
and earthquakes
• Cultural, political, and
economic similarities
• Each state is working to
protect fragile
wilderness areas
4. What are the four regions of California?
Describe them.
• Coast Ranges- rugged coast
line along the Pacific
• Sierra Nevada- one of the
longest highest mountain
ranges in the U.S. (Mt.
Whitney is highest peak in the
lower 48 states)
• Central Valley- plain stretches
more than 400 miles and is
irrigated by rivers that flow
from the Sierra Nevada
• Desert Basins and Mountain
Ranges- includes Death Valley
(lowest point in North
America
5. Describe the geography of the Oregon
and Washington State.
• Dominated by four landform regions:
• Coast Ranges-near the ocean
• Lowlands- Puget Sound in Washington and
Willamette Valley in Oregon
• Cascades- volcanic mountain range including
Crater Lake (a caldera [large depression] formed
by a major eruption)
• Dry Basins and Mountains- Columbia Basin
drained by the Columbia River
6. Describe the geography of Alaska and
Hawaii.
• Alaska sits on a huge
peninsula in the
northwestern U.S.
• Includes the volcanic
Aleutian Islands
• Alaska has over 3,000
lakes; ice fields cover
4% of the state
• Hawaii: volcanic
islands
7. How many different climates are
found in the Pacific States?
• Seven…….ranging from tropical to tundra
• Describe the climate types of California.
–Northern coast has a Marine West Coast
–South and central part are Mediterranean
(temperatures are warm all winter)
–Basins of California and the Cascades
experience Desert and Steppe climates
8. Describe the climate types of Oregon
and Washington.
• Western sections of
both states have a
Marine West Coast
climate
– *cloudy rainy winters;
warm, sunny
summers; mild
temperatures all year
• Eastern sections of
both states have a
drier, steppe climate
9. Describe the climate types of Alaska
and Hawaii.
• Alaska
–Southeast coast has Marine West Coast
–Interior of state has subarctic (short
summers; long, severe winters)
–Northern part has tundra
• Hawaii
–Island chain is humid tropical with heavy
rainfall
–Little daily or seasonal temperature changes
10. Explain the economy of the Pacific
states
• California is the leading agricultural and
industrial center
– * crops include cotton, nuts, vegetables, and fruits;
industry includes aerospace, software,
entertainment
• Forestry and fishing are important to Oregon
and Washington
• Alaska’s economy is based on oil, forests, and
fishing
• Hawaii’s volcanic solids are good for growing
pineapple, sugarcane, and coffee
