GEO 200 Milestone One

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Western Governors University *

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Geography

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Dec 6, 2023

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Part I: Current Global Region 1. Identify Your Current Region: West Coast 2. Map of Current Global Region: Provide a map of your current region. In the box below you may provide a link to your map, insert an image, or make note that you are submitting an additional file with this worksheet. Include a citation to give credit to the resource from which you are obtaining your image. Note: The box will expand to accommodate your image. Nijman, J., Muller, P. O., & Shin, M. (2020). The World Today: Concepts and Regions in Geography (8th ed.). Wiley Global Education US. https://wileyplus.vitalsource.com/books/9781119577614 3. Location of Current Global Region: Discuss where your current region is located, addressing the absolute and relative location of the region. Include citations for your resources using APA style guidelines as needed. The West Coast Region encompasses the majority of California and the coastal portions of Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia (Nijman et al., 2020). The West Coast extends from Vancouver, British Columbia (49.2412°, -123.0992°) in the north to San Diego, California (32.5460°, 1

-117.0238°) in the south (Google, n.d). The West Coast extends east and west from the Pacific Ocean (40.3291°, -124.4134°) to the Mojave Desert (40.3291°, -124.4134°). Google (n.d.). [Map of West Coast Region}. Retrieved October 19, 2023, from https://www.google.com/maps Nijman, J., Muller, P. O., & Shin, M. (2020). The World Today: Concepts and Regions in Geography (8th ed.). Wiley Global Education US. https://wileyplus.vitalsource.com/books/9781119577614 4. Characteristics of Current Global Region: Explain what key sociocultural (human) and physical characteristics define this as a region. Include citations for your resources using APA style guidelines as needed. California has multiple climates, including desert, Mediterranean, Highland, Steppe, and cool interior, with varying weather types (State of California - Ca. Coastal Commission & Kauffman, n.d.). Vancouver has an oceanic climate with rain, and warm temperatures (Vancouver, n.d.), while the Oregon and Washington have a coastal climate of dry summers, wet winters, and mild temperatures ( Western Regional Climate Center , n.d). The west coast experiences earthquakes from numerous faults and plate boundaries in the region, and their resulting tsunamis. There are also multiple volcanoes in the region that create hazards ( Pacific Northwest Hazards | U.S. Geological Survey , n.d.). The West Coast has experienced many wildfires that have caused significant damage due to drought and heatwaves (NASA Earth Observatory, n.d.). The West Coast has many physiographic features including forests, valleys, deserts, beaches, and mountain ranges ( The Name and the Geography | Early California History: An Overview | Articles and Essays | California as I Saw It: First-Person Narratives of California’s Early Years, 1849-1900 | Digital Collections | Library of Congress , n.d.). The West Coast was once home to many Indigenous cultures and languages, but as European settlers came to the area they brought new cultures and the English language. Immigrants from Mexico have brought the Spanish language to the region (Reynolds, 2019)). The predominate languages in the northernmost part of the region (Vancouver, BC) are English and French. The major religions in California are Catholicism and Protestantism. The majority of citizens in Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia practice Christianity (Wikipedia contributors, 2023). The West Coast region is home to many different races. The west coast is densely populated. There are more than 53 million people living in the 2

region (United States Census Bureau QuickFacts, n.d.).The most principal races in the region are Northern European and Latino. African Americans and Asians make up a smaller portion of the demographics (Reynolds, 2019). NASA Earth Observatory. (n.d.). What’s behind California’s surge of large fires? https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/148908/whats-behind- californias-surge-of-large-fires Pacific Northwest Hazards | U.S. Geological Survey . (n.d.). https://www.usgs.gov/programs/earthquake-hazards/science/pacific-northwest- hazards#:~:text=Tsunamis%20from%20a%20Cascadia%20megathrust,the%20Pacific%20Northwest%20urban%20corridor Reynolds, R. (2019, October 15). The Pacific Hinge region. The Odyssey Online . https://www.theodysseyonline.com/pacific-hinge-region State of California - Ca. Coastal Commission, & Kauffman, E. (n.d.). California Coastal Commission. California Coastal Commission . https://www.coastal.ca.gov/coastalvoices/resources/Biodiversity_Atlas_Climate_and_Topography The Name and the Geography | Early California History: An Overview | Articles and Essays | California As I Saw It: First-Person Narratives of California’s Early Years, 1849-1900 | Digital Collections | Library of Congress . (n.d.). The Library of Congress. https://www.loc.gov/collections/california-first-person-narratives/articles-and-essays/early-california-history/name-and-geography/ United States Census Bureau QuickFacts. (n.d.). U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: California . Census Bureau QuickFacts. https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/CA/PST045222 Vancouver, C. O. (n.d.). Weather in Vancouver . City of Vancouver. https://vancouver.ca/news-calendar/weather.aspx#:~:text=Vancouver%20has %20a%20moderate%2C%20oceanic,the%20warmest%20cities%20in%20Canad Western Regional Climate Center . (n.d.). https://wrcc.dri.edu/Climate/narrative_wa.php#:~:text=The%20higher%20ridges%20are 3

%20covered,areas%20are%20near%20the%20coast Wikipedia contributors. (2023). West coast of the United States. Wikipedia . https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Coast_of_the_United_States#Demographics 5. Interactions of Current Global Region: How have humans and the environment interacted to produce observable landscapes in your current region? Include citations for your resources using APA style guidelines as needed. Throughout the West Coast Region, there have been numerous human/environment interactions. The large populations of the West Coast has been detrimental to the water supply and the geography (Robinson, 2019). Land subsidence is occurring as groundwater is being pumped at rapid rates due to drought (Robinson, 2019). The large population also impacts the environment and the landscape pushing species out of their habitats, introducing nonnative plants and deforestation (“The Human Footprint in the West,” n.d.). Development of homes along the coastline has caused habitat loss as well as the loss of species ( California’s Ocean Ecosystems , n.d.). California’s Ocean Ecosystems . (n.d.). Monterey Bay Aquarium. https://www.montereybayaquarium.org/act-for-the-ocean/california-ecosystems Robinson, B. I. (2019, October 7). The World As Seen Through The Five Themes of Geography. ArcGIS StoryMaps . https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/8d1f7e52ca8f478ea891ac4b7bdf1908 The Human Footprint in the West. (n.d.). United States Geological Survey . Part II: New Global Region 1. Identify Your New Global Region: New Zealand 4

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