 1)
Coastal
 2) Western Lowlands
 3) Western Cascade Mountains
 4) Eastern Cascades Mountains
 5) Columbia Basin
 6) Okanogan Highlands
 7) Palouse Hills
 lies
along the western coastline of the
United States
 This long and very narrow region, is only
40 to 70 miles(65 to 110 km) wide

Topography
 Normally most coastal areas are near sea level
 Not true in the Pacific Northwest
 Elevations approach nearly 8,000 feet
 The profile begins at sea level, climbs to the top
of the Olympic Mountains and the Coastal
Range, then rapidly descends to nearly sea level
again.

Climate
 Because of off shore warm currents British
Columbia, and southern Alaskan (coast-lines),
have a very mild, but moist climate throughout
the year.
 This climate provides lush vegetation and
supports dense coniferous (softwood) forests.
 Extensive ever-green forests cover the Coastal
Region except were development has taken
place.
 Precipitation
 40
inches (101 cm) a year
 200 inches (508 cm) of rainfall annually
in the Olympic Mountains
 Rain shadow
 Economic
Activities
 One result of the region’s mild rainy climate is the abundance and variety of
plant and animal life.
 main economic activities include :
fishing,
forestry,
general farming,
tour-ism.
 The
Western Lowlands are made up of
 three large subregions:
 1) the Puget Sound Trough
 2) the Chehalis-Cowlitz-Columbia river
valleys
 3) the Willamette River Valley
 Puget
Sound Trough
 located in western Washington
 It is a densely populated fertile lowland
that is a hub of economic activity.
 All are centers of urban and industrial
activities (Microsoft, Boeing, Starbucks).
 Due
to glacial erosion, Puget Sound has an
irregular shoreline and numerous deep,
sheltered harbors such as:
 Hood Canal-Bangor, Elliott Bay-Seattle,
Commencement Bay-Tacoma, Everett,
Bremerton, Olympia, Anacortes, and
Bellingham.

Economic Activities
 Climate encourages
 Farming: vegetables, berries, flower bulbs,
fruits, nuts, nursery plants and shrubs, some
grains,
 Livestock: dairy products, and beef.
 Western Lowlands economy is be-coming more
industrialized:
transportation equipment,
electronics,
high technology
 Just
east of the Western Lowlands, also
lying along a north-south axis, are the
Cascade Mountains.
 They extend from southern British
Columbia, Canada, through the states of
Washington and Oregon and end in
northern California.





Natural Barrier
a formidable physical, climatic, and transportation
barrier.
averaging about 6,000 feet (1,800 m) in elevation with
many volcanic peaks above 10,000 feet (3,000 m)
Cascade Range has only a few low mountain passes.
Snoqualmie (I-90)
Stevens (SR-2)
White (SR-10)
Chinook( SR-410)
Cascade Range has only one major lowland, where the
Columbia River cuts through the Columbia Gorge.
 .Volcanoes
 The
Cascade Mountains are part of the
Pacific Ocean’s “Ring of Fire.”
 Tallest Mount Rainier 14,411
 Smallest Mt. St. Helens 8,365 ft
 Climate
 these
north-south mountains are a
physical barrier to the region’s climate
 West wet East dry
 100 inches (250 cm) on the western slope
and decreases to only 20 inches (50 cm)
on the eastern slopes
 Rainier
set the world record with 1,224.5 inches
(3,110.2 cm) or 102 feet of snow between
February19, 1971, and February 18, 1972.
 heavy annual snowfall provides the late spring
and early summer river runoff, especially
significant for those eastern slope rivers flowing
through the semiarid regions of Washington and
Oregon.
 Highland Climate
 Due
to great range in elevation have
climates that are more moist and very
mild. summer maximum temperatures
are cooler, but the winter minimum
temperatures are colder.
 Difference in vegetation east vs. west
 West dense
evergreen coniferous forests Fir
species
 East pine
 Animals birds, small animals, and big game
animals, such as elk, black bear, cougar or
mountain lion, mule deer,bighorn sheep,
and mountain goats.
Some towns began as mining towns
Cle Elum: Coal
Roslyn: Coal
Some towns began as centers of agriculture
Wenatchee
Ellensburg
Most areas today are involved in recreational tourism
Skiing
Snowmobiling
Hunting/Fishing
 Inhabitants
 The
Cascade Mountain Region is
sparsely populated.
 Most land in the Cascades is owned or
controlled by either the state or federal
government.
 It
is the world’s second largest lava plateau.
 The Columbia Plateau was constructed by
as many as 55 different lava flows.
 400
miles (640 km) from north to south and
500 miles (800 km) east to west
 The
southern and southeastern sections are
dominated by the Harney High Lava Plains
and the Upper Snake River Valley
respectively.

Climate
 arid to semiarid region characterized by hot,
sunny summers (100°F) and cold winters (below
zero)
 Precipitation
 region is virtually surrounded by the Cascade and
Rocky mountains. These mountain barriers have
a drastic effect upon annual precipitation
amounts received by the region
 annual precipitation below 20 inches
 Natural
Vegetation
 Sparse grassland and sagebrush-bunch grass
 Wildlife: smaller game rabbits, coyotes
 Human inhabitants are un-evenly distributed
over this huge area.
 Why?
WATER
 Economic
Activities
 Farming + Ranching
a long growing season,
Abundant irrigation water allow farmers to
produce outstanding yields of wheat, barley,
oats, hops, alfalfa, corn, beans, apricots,
potatoes, sugar beets, apples, pears, peaches,
grapes, cherries, vegetables, and specialty
crops.
In addition, the dry grasslands are excellent
grazing areas for cattle, sheep, horses, and
other livestock.
 Forms the northernmost subregion in eastern
Washington.
 It extends east of the Cascades across the
northeastern portion of the state.
 The Columbia and Spokane rivers form its
southern boundary
 Physical Features
 very rugged and mountainous.
 It includes the Okanogan Highlands, San Poil
and Selkirk mountains, and a small portion of the
Rockies.
 Includes several peaks over 8,500 feet
 Climate:
shares characteristics
depending on elevation.
 Cold winters and warm summers.
 Summers are warm with little precipitation
 The higher elevations have a highland climate,
and lower elevations are semiarid.
 Vegetation
 Forested with a variety of evergreen and
deciduous trees
 The undergrowth consists of brush and grasses
 Economy
Farming
Ranching
 Population:
sparsely settled
 Exception: Spokane 212,000 (Seattle 652,000/Tacoma
203,000/Bellevue 133,000)
Location on Spokane River-Trading center 1830’s
Ft. Spokane
Northern Pacific Railroad: Transportation center
Gold discovered Couer d’Alene
Logging
Center of the “Inland Empire”
 In southeastern Washington State
 Physical
Features
The rugged Blue Mountains
Dune shaped Palouse Hills
 6,401 feet highest elevation
 Largest river of the region,
the Snake.
is

Climate
 A modified semiarid climate.
 Receives more precipitation than other areas of eastern
Washington.
 Higher elevations of the Blue Mountains have a
highland climate.
 Winter tends to be very cold and windy.
 Summers, are very hot and dry with little or no moisture
after April.
 Vegetation
 Steppe grasses and sagebrush cover most of
the sub region.
 The trees only grow on the moist upper slopes of
the Blue Mountains.
 Economy
Large scale wheat farming
Colfax County: $$$$$$$
 Largest Employer:
20,000 students
5,000 workers
Washington State University
 1)
Coastal
 2) Western Lowlands
 3) Western Cascade Mountains
 4) Eastern Cascades Mountains
 5) Columbia Basin
 6) Okanogan Highlands
 7) Palouse Hills