USA - west coast (0)

USA: West Coast
Kristiina Sekljutskaja
11A
West Coast
· The "West Coast", "Western Seaboard", or "Pacific Coastline" are
terms for the westernmost coastal states of the United States.
· It most often comprises California, Oregon and Washington. Arizona
and Nevada, while not coastal states, are often included due to their
proximity to the Pacific Coast and their economic and cultural ties to
California
· As of 2007, the estimated population of the West Coast ranged from
approximately 50­60 million, depending on which states are included
in the estimate.
· Major coastal cities on the West Coast include San Diego, Los
Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Las Vegas.
·West Coast
includes:
·Washington
·Oregon
·Arizona
·Nevada
·California
Washington
· Named after George Washington, the first President of the United States
· Capital: Olympia
· Largest city: Seattle
· There are three national parks and two National Monuments
List of Washington state symbols:
· The State song is "Washington My Home"
· http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUpy4QfAG-Y
· The State bird is the American Goldfinch
· The State fruit is the Apple
· The State vegetable is the Walla Walla Sweet Onion
· The State Tree is the Western Hemlock.
· The State flower is the Coast Rhododendron.
The state flag and the state seal are similar. Passed in 1923, Washington state
law describes the flag as having dark green bunting with a state seal in the
center. It is the only state flag that is green. It is also the only state flag with a
picture of a president.
Oregon
· Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. Oregon is located
on the Pacific coast between Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada
on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The area was inhabited by many indigenous
tribes before the arrival of traders, explorers and settlers.
· The Oregon Territory was created in 1848 after American settlement began in earnest in
the 1840s. Oregon became a state (33rd) on February 14, 1859.
· Oregon enjoys a diverse landscape including a scenic and windswept Pacific coastline,
the volcanoes of a rugged and glaciated Cascade Mountain Range, dense evergreen
forests, and high desert across much of the eastern portion of the state.
· The towering Douglas firs and redwoods along the rainy Western Oregon coast provide
a dramatic contrast with the lower density and fire prone pine tree and juniper forests
covering portions of the Eastern half of the state. The eastern portion of the state also
includes semiarid scrublands, prairies, deserts, and meadows. These drier areas stretch
east from Central Oregon. Mount Hood is the highest point in the state at 11,239 feet
(3,425 m) above sea-level. Crater Lake National Park is the only National Park in
Oregon.
Arizona
· The State of Arizona is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. The
capital and largest city is Phoenix. The second largest city is Tucson.
· Arizona was the 48th and last of the contiguous states admitted to the Union on February
14, 1912. Arizona is noted for its desert climate, exceptionally hot summers, and mild
winters, but the high country in the north features pine forests and mountain ranges with
cooler weather than the lower deserts
· In addition to the Grand Canyon, many other national forests, parks, monuments, and Indian
reservations are located in the state.
GRAND CANYON
· The Grand Canyon is a colourful, steep-sided gorge, carved by the Colorado River, in
northern Arizona. The canyon is one of the seven natural wonders of the world and is
largely contained in the Grand Canyon National Park--one of the first national parks in the
United States
· The Canyon was created by the Colorado River cutting a channel over millions of years, and
is about 277 miles (446 km) long, ranges in width from 4 to 18 miles (6 to 29 kilometers)
and attains a depth of more than 1 mile (1.6 km). Nearly 2 billion years of the Earth's history
have been exposed as the Colorado River and its tributaries cut through layer after layer of
sediment as the Colorado Plateaus have uplifted.
Nevada
· Is a state located in the western region of the United States of America.
· The capital is Carson City and the largest city is Las Vegas. The state's nickname is "The Silver
State," due to the large number of silver deposits that were discovered and mined there.
· In 1864, Nevada became the 36th state to enter the union, and the phrase "Battle Born" on the
state flag reflects the state's entry on the Union side during the American Civil War. Its first
settlement was called Mormon Station.
· Because of the largest city ­ Las Vegas - the state is well known for its easy marriage and
divorce proceedings, entertainment, legalized gambling and, in a few counties, legalized
brothels.
LAS VEGAS
· is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada, the seat of Clark County, and an
internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and entertainment. Las
Vegas, billed as The Entertainment Capital of the World, is famous for the number of casino
resorts and associated entertainment
· Established in 1905, Las Vegas officially became a city in 1911. With the
growth that followed, at the close of the century Las Vegas was the most
populous American city founded in the 20th century.
· The city's tolerance for various forms of adult entertainment earned it the
title of Sin City, and this image has made Las Vegas a popular setting for
films and television programs.
· As seen from space, the Las Vegas metropolitan area is the brightest on
Earth.
· Nicknames: "The Entertainment Capital of the
World,"
"Sin City,"
"Capital of Second Chances"
California
· Is a state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. It is
bordered by Oregon to the north, Nevada to the east, Arizona to the southeast, and
to the south the Mexican state of Baja California.
· California is the most populous U.S. state. Its four largest cities are Los Angeles,
San Diego, San Jose, and San Francisco.
· The area known as Alta California was colonized by the Spanish Empire beginning
in the late 18th century. It and the rest of Mexico became an independent republic
in 1821. In 1846 California broke away from Mexico, and after the Mexican-
American War, Mexico ceded California to the United States. California became
the 31st state admitted to the United States on September 9, 1850.
· The California Gold Rush (1848­1855) dramatically changed California with a
large influx of people and an economic boom. The early 20th century was marked
by Los Angeles becoming the centre of the entertainment industry, in addition to
the growth of a large tourism sector in the state.
· Along with California's prosperous agricultural industry, other industries include
aerospace, petroleum, and computer and information technology. California ranks
amongst the ten largest economies in the world.
Hollywood
· in Los Angeles, California
· Due to its fame and cultural identity as the historical centre of movie
studios and movie stars, the word "Hollywood" is often used as a
metonym of cinema of the United States.
· Today, much of the movie industry has dispersed into surrounding cities
such as Burbank and the Los Angeles Westside but significant auxiliary
industries, such as editing, effects, props, post-production and lighting
companies, remain in Hollywood.
· Many historic Hollywood theatres are used as venues and concert stages
to premiere major theatrical releases and host the Academy Awards. It is
a popular destination for nightlife and tourism and home to the
Hollywood Walk of Fame
Silicon Valley
· Silicon Valley is the southern part of the San Francisco Bay Area in Northern California, United States.
· The San Francisco Bay Area had long been a major site of U.S. Navy research and technology.
· In 1909, Charles Herrold started the first radio station in the United States with regularly scheduled
programming in San Jose.
· Silicon Valley has been most famous in recent years for innovations in software and Internet services.
Silicon Valley has significantly influenced computer operating systems, software, and user interfaces.
· Silicon Valley is generally considered to have been the center of the dot-com bubble.
· Notable companies:
· Adobe Systems
· Apple Inc.
· eBay
· Google
· Intel
· Yahoo