Transcript The Southwest

The Southwest
Onno
Emily
Samantha
Introduction
• The states in the Southwest are Arizona, New
Mexico, Texas, and Oklahoma. They are home
to 33 million people.
• The U.S. has been called a “melting pot”
because of the many races and cultures it
mixes together.
People and History
• A group led by Francisco Vasquez de
Coronado explored the Southwest in
the early 1540s for gold. They did not
find gold, however, they learned more
about the land and its people.
• In 1932 archaeologists found proof that
a Native American group had lived in
Clovis, New Mexico. The Clovis people
had lived there more than 10,000 years
ago.
• In 1800 Spain gave control of what is
now Oklahoma to France. Three years
later, France sold this area to the
United States in a deal called the
Louisiana Purchase.
Land in the Area
• Oklahoma and Texas are sometimes called “Tornado Alley”
because of the major storms that go on there.
• In the Southwest there can be a variety of climate. There can
be gentle winters and burning summers. There are many
storms, too. Oklahoma has some of the worst storms and
weather in the U.S.A.
• The Grand Canyon is 277 miles long and a mile deep.
• Texas is the 2nd largest state. Alaska is twice the size of Texas.
• Snow birds are people who travel to warmer places. Like for
instance people from the Northeast and Midwest fly to the
Southwest where they live from November to April. These
people are nicknamed “snow birds.”
Plants and Animals
• The animals in the Southwest are mule deer,
bighorn sheep, jackrabbits, kangaroo rats,
ringtail cats, armadillos, cougars, bobcats,
coyotes, deer, elk, antelope, opossums,
raccoons, black bear, bear, foxes, prairie dogs,
flying squirrels, bats, snakes, owls, hawks, turkey
vulture, roadrunners, tarantulas, geckos,
collared lizard, horned lizard, and scorpions.
• The saguaro cactus can hold up to 200 gallons of
water at a time. It has a waxy coating and spikes
to protect it from animals and heat. It doesn’t
get its arms until it’s 75 years old. They can live
more than 150 years.
Cities and Towns
• Some of our Cities and Towns in the Southwest are
Oklahoma City, Dallas, Tulsa, Santa Fe, Albuquerque, El
Paso, San Antonio, Austin, Houston, and Phoenix.
• In 1947, an alien ship crashed in Roswell. Some say the
military took the aliens away but the military has not
told anyone.
• Three of Americas ten largest cities are in Texas:
Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio.
Rural Life
• Rodeo competitions grew out of contests that cowboys made up to
amuse themselves and pass time. Rodeos are now one of the most
popular sports in the Southwest.
• With outlaws like Billy the Kid, Butch Cassidy, and Bonnie and Clyde
roaming the old Southwest it was hard to keep the peace. There had to
be tough lawmen or sheriffs like Wyatt Earp or the Texas Rangers.
• Freed slaved joined the US Army and became know as “buffalo
soldiers.”
• A ranch is a place where cattle live within fenced areas. Once ranches
were established, there was no longer need for cowboys to round up
cattle. The railroads moved closer to the cattle, and there was less
open space and therefore, more ranches and less cattle drives.
Getting Around
• Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix, Arizona is one of the
busiest airports in the region.
• Most people in the Southwest drive by car. Texas, which has the
nation’s highway system, has 77,000 miles of paved roadways.
• Every year thousands of people take mule rides to the bottom of
the Grand Canyon. These trips are VERY bumpy and go on steep
trails. The temperatures often climb above 100 degrees.
• The 1800s brought the railroad to the Southwest. The first rail link
from the east to the west was completed in 1862, when tracks were
laid from Santa Fe, New Mexico to San Diego, California. Railroads
are an important way to move products around the region.
Work in the Area
• Many people in the Southwest have jobs related
to cross-border businesses including
manufacturing, trucking, and warehousing.
• More than half the copper produced in the U.S.
comes from mines in Arizona. Copper is used to
make everything from electrical wires to coins.
Free Time
•
•
In New Mexico you can bring your
snowboard and glide down dunes that are
made from white sand.
In the Southwest, Texas Rangers (baseball),
Dallas Cowboys (football) are popular teams.
Conclusion
• The Southwest has warm
weather, cloudless skies,
modern highways, good food,
and great people. This is why
many people visit the Southwest.
• The Southwest has a history of
Native Americans, Spanish,
colonies, and American settlers.
• The climate in the Southwest is
also unique. There are hot, dry
deserts, deep, wide canyons, and
wide open spaces that define the
Southwest.
Works Cited
• Stewart, Mark. Regions of the United States:
The Southwest: Chicago, Illinois: Raintree,
2006.