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...but, despite their name, those aren't really mountains either. I mean, northern MN is a pretty place, but let's call it like it is. Maybe your opinion differs from mine, but I don't think many people would say that there is anything in Minnesota that would be considered a legitimate mountain. Certainly, Minnesota doesn't/wouldn't crack the top 10 in my book for most diverse geography, and I don't think most people would think so either...
Mountains are based on height and prominence. The middle of the Tibetan Plateu is extremely high up, yet a 1,500 foot hill in a relatively flat area is more of a mountain because of its prominence. Tibet is flat. "Mounting" something means two things. To place something up high, or to place something in plain and obvious view. The change of elevation in the Sawtooth Range is short and steep, so they are mountainous by prominence moreso than by height. It's all relative.
Mountains
Cities
Deserts
Hills
Forest
Beaches
Small towns
Rivers
Ect
Top 10 states
My opinion
California
Pennsylvania
Washington
New York
Florida
Colorado
???????
I would say Alaska, Texas, and North Carolina are all strong candidates. I would also remove Pennsylvania in favor of Utah, and remove Florida in favor of Georgia.
Oregon is a bit more diverse than it is given credit for, too. With Washington and California on the list, you might just say the West Coast gets a clean sweep there.
Honorable mentions:
Virginia, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Idaho.
My final list:
Alaska
California
Colorado
Georgia
New York
North Carolina
Oregon
Texas
Utah
Washington
Mountains are based on height and prominence. The middle of the Tibetan Plateu is extremely high up, yet a 1,500 foot hill in a relatively flat area is more of a mountain because of its prominence. Tibet is flat. "Mounting" something means two things. To place something up high, or to place something in plain and obvious view. The change of elevation in the Sawtooth Range is short and steep, so they are mountainous by prominence moreso than by height. It's all relative.
It's only relative to someone who's not experienced real mountains.
It's only relative to someone who's not experienced real mountains.
No, it's not. I've been in the Rockies, Appalachians, Cascades, Olympics, and smaller mountain ranges in the Southwest. I've experienced real mountains, and I still think that the Sawtooth range is made up of small, fairly short, but prominent mountains.
Texas has 10 climatic regions, 14 soil regions, and 11 distinct ecological regions according to Wikipedia.
It would be great to have a similar listing for California but their page on Wiki does not list that.
Here is a cool graphic that show that these two states are extremely diverse in bioregions, and hopefully stem the talk that California is so far ahead that if you split it in two it would still be the top two.
clearly Texas and California are the two most diverse.
opps, I didn't even notice OK. Guess I saw it as an extension of Texas. But it looks like it is a top 5, maybe top 3 contender
Quote:
Originally Posted by pch1013
Geologically, climatologically, geographically, agriculturally, and in most other ways, no state can compete with California, which has:
Been looking it up and you are very wrong.
California does indeed have stiff competition Geologically, Climatologically, geographically AND agriculturally.
My gosh what is up with the California over-confidence in this thread?
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