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I thought this would be an interesting thread, since both of these areas are adjacent to my home state of California.
My question today is: what do you prefer, the Pacific Northwest (WA and OR) or the Desert Southwest (AZ and NM) in terms of natural scenery (both are absolutely jaw-dropping amazing, and the US is lucky to have them both!), quality of life, cities, day-trip opportunities, political scene, economic prospects, and local culture? Even though these areas are both in the West, they are seen to be complete opposites of each other. However, both of these regions are extremely geographically diverse.
I think the size of these regions and the number of population are compatible. Here they are:
Desert Southwest (Arizona and New Mexico)
Population: 8,605,449
Area: 235,587 sq. miles
Major metropolitan areas: Phoenix, Tucson, Albuquerque
Area GDP: $323,206,000,000
Area population growth rate since 2000 (w/ 2009 stats): 18.9%
National Parks in the Region: Grand Canyon, Petrified Forest, Carlsbad Canyon, Saguaro
Pacific Northewest (Oregon and Washington) Population: 10,489,852
Area: 169,681 sq. miles
Major metropolitan areas: Seattle-Tacoma, Portland, Spokane
Area GDP: $469,493,000,000
Area population growth rate since 2000 (w/ 2009 stats): 11.2%
National Parks in the Region: Olympic, Mount Rainer, North Cascades, Crater Lake
I think simply just because of how green it can be I'll go for the Pacific NW.
However (while I haven't been to the NW) I have been to NM and hiked the NM Rockies for over a week, and I LOVE the scenery and the views you can get from there, plus I always liked warmer states, but other than the mountains and the heat the Desert States don't have much else I would like to have (except for Phoenix). That's not to say that the Desert states don't have their own charm, especially when it comes to the cities like Phoenix, Albuquerque, and El Paso.
I chose the Southwest because I have seen much of Arizona & some of New Mexico. The region is beautiful but a bit too hot for several months. I have been in southern Oregon & thought it was also beautiful [ie. Crater Lake] but I would like to see Portland and Seattle some day. The Cascades are also magnificent but the climate in the Northwest is often cloudy & cool.
Something that should be noted about both areas are their topographic and climatic diversity. Both of these areas are known for one specific region (the SW for the hot desert, the PNW for the lush green forestry), but the scenery can change pretty fast in both areas.
Climate Regions
What would surprise most people is that the 'lush green forestry' of the PNW only takes up a small area of Washington and Oregon. Most of both states are actually BsK (Arid but cold climates), or some type of Continental Climate.
Eastern Washington and Oregon, in other words, are extremely dry places (but not in comparison to much of the SW, of course) because of the rainshadow effect of the Cascade Mountains.
If you drive east from Seattle, you'll be within near-desert climate within 2 hours (from lush greenery to dry).
In the Southwest, there isn't an influence of the ocean to moderate climate, but when precipitation does fall, it falls throughout the year. However, drastic changes in elevation do dictate not only how hot or cold an area will be, but also how much precipitation it can get. That's why Phoenix, AZ can be considered one of the driest cities in the world (at 7.48 inches of precipitation/year), but Flagstaff, AZ (150 miles away) is considered one of the snowiest cities in the United States at ~100-110 inches a year (source: USATODAY.com - Answers: 10 snowiest 'cities' aren't all in New York)
In New Mexico, much of the same thing is going on. However, there is a preponderance of one climate type (BsK, or Dry and Cold), elevation plays a key role in the climate of the state.
I thought this would be an interesting thread, since both of these areas are adjacent to my home state of California.
My question today is: what do you prefer, the Pacific Northwest (WA and OR) or the Desert Southwest (AZ and NM) in terms of natural scenery (both are absolutely jaw-dropping amazing, and the US is lucky to have them both!), quality of life, cities, day-trip opportunities, political scene, economic prospects, and local culture? Even though these areas are both in the West, they are seen to be complete opposites of each other. However, both of these regions are extremely geographically diverse.
I think the size of these regions and the number of population are compatible. Here they are:
Desert Southwest (Arizona and New Mexico)
Population: 8,605,449
Area: 235,587 sq. miles
Major metropolitan areas: Phoenix, Tucson, Albuquerque
Area GDP: $323,206,000,000
Area population growth rate since 2000 (w/ 2009 stats): 18.9%
National Parks in the Region: Grand Canyon, Petrified Forest, Carlsbad Canyon, Saguaro
Pacific Northewest (Oregon and Washington) Population: 10,489,852
Area: 169,681 sq. miles
Major metropolitan areas: Seattle-Tacoma, Portland, Spokane
Area GDP: $469,493,000,000
Area population growth rate since 2000 (w/ 2009 stats): 11.2%
National Parks in the Region: Olympic, Mount Rainer, North Cascades, Crater Lake
If you want any other statistics, just ask
Why would anyone want to live in hell, I'm mean the desert, on purpose?
Why would anyone want to live in hell, I'm mean the desert, on purpose?
Quote:
Originally Posted by thePR
I believe the same thing. There are so many things wrong with people living in the desert.
This was certainly a nice informative thread until a couple of you decided to chime in with your typical unnecessary remarks.
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