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The South's rainfall is probably all within a 2:1 ratio. My 50-mile radius in Washington might be an 8:1 ratio. Up that to 100(?) and it would be more like 12:1. Everything from rainforests to glaciers to desert moonscapes.
LOL no. You can't ski in the south. Seattle or the NW in general is probably the most diverse area. Rain-forests (only ones in lower 48), major mountains, volcanoes, deserts, swamps, canyons, farmland, the pacific, major city all in a few hours.
Even without Alaska and Hawaii, the West still wins this one. You have the western part of the Great Plains across the region's eastern boundary, rain forests in the PNW, deserts, the largest elevation changes, sandy and rocky beaches along the coast, broad agricultural areas in the Willamette, Imperial, and California's Central Valleys, tropical/subtropical vegetation along the California coast, and of course, the most national parks. Yes, there are ski resorts in the other regions, but of course the West has by far the best variety, and don't forget the glaciers in Montana. This even comes to the cities, which range from flat basins hemmed with hilly back neighborhoods (Los Angeles/San Diego), the big hills near downtown San Francisco and Seattle, urban deserts in Las Vegas/Phoenix, and mountain towns in the Rockies. The south on the other hand has way too many flat, pine scrub forests, agricultural fields that aren't even wide open like in much of the Midwest, generic rolling piedmont and plateau scenery with oak/hickory forests and lots of cookie-cutter sprawl, and beaches that of course are flat, although Florida's lakes aren't too bad, and the Everglades and Keys are must-sees. Its just that with the Appalachian/Ozark mountains that the West does it so much better.
I read somewhere that Oklahoma was the most diverse. I know we're not talking about specific states, but I'm just stating that within its borders its hard to beat OK.
With a 3 hour drive of Colorado Springs you have the plains to the east, the Rockies to the north and west and the more arid landscape to the south that more resembles places like Arizona and Utah.
Even without Alaska and Hawaii, the West still wins this one. You have the western part of the Great Plains across the region's eastern boundary, rain forests in the PNW, deserts, the largest elevation changes, sandy and rocky beaches along the coast, broad agricultural areas in the Willamette, Imperial, and California's Central Valleys, tropical/subtropical vegetation along the California coast, and of course, the most national parks. Yes, there are ski resorts in the other regions, but of course the West has by far the best variety, and don't forget the glaciers in Montana. This even comes to the cities, which range from flat basins hemmed with hilly back neighborhoods (Los Angeles/San Diego), the big hills near downtown San Francisco and Seattle, urban deserts in Las Vegas/Phoenix, and mountain towns in the Rockies. The south on the other hand has way too many flat, pine scrub forests, agricultural fields that aren't even wide open like in much of the Midwest, generic rolling piedmont and plateau scenery with oak/hickory forests and lots of cookie-cutter sprawl, and beaches that of course are flat, although Florida's lakes aren't too bad, and the Everglades and Keys are must-sees. Its just that with the Appalachian/Ozark mountains that the West does it so much better.
Eh, I see you don't have very familiarity with the South, especially when you think most of the South is nothing but flat pine scrub areas.
Look at this; you have El Paso and Houston in Texas, Memphis and Nashville in TN, Birmingham and Mobile in AL, Atlanta and Savannah in GA, Greenville and Charleston in SC, Miami and Orlando in FL, etc. On the other hand, cities out west don't really differentiate in terms of look and weather like many of the cities within their states do in the South.
The South is the most diverse area; which also has states with some of the richest biodiversity in Texas, Alabama, Georgia and Florida.
There is probably more biodiversity in one square mile of the Amazon than the Whole US south put together. That doesn't mean it is geographically diverse.
But this is geographic diversity, and the west clearly beats the south in this case.
See post above. *shrugs*
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