Introducing the Southwest Certain images probably come to mind when you think of a specific United States area or region For the Southwest you might think of Hot dry weather A desert landscape dotted with cacti Mountains and canyons Foods like tamales and salsa Arts and crafts like pottery and baskets Animals like coyotes and rattlesnakes 4
Geography is one of the oldest sciences It’s the study of Earth’s physical features land air water and life forms That you get a mental picture of these things makes sense All parts of a region must fit together somehow When you study a region’s geography its special features tell a story They offer clues about why people came to live there You can see how the geography helped shape their way of life 5
As the name suggests the Southwest region is found in the southwestern part of the country North of the Southwest is the Mountain region To the south is Mexico The southwestern landscape includes everything from majestic mountains to lush forests to wide open deserts UTAH FOUR STATES HERE MEET IN FREEDOM UNDER GOD UTAH COLORADO ARIZONA NEW MEXICO The Four Corners Monument marks the only spot in the nation where four states meet This point is shared by Arizona New Mexico Colorado and Utah
Washington Oregon Montana North Dakota Minnesota New Hampshire Vermont Maine Idaho South Dakota Wisconsin Wyoming Michigan New York Massachusetts Rhode Island Connecticut Nevada Nebraska Iowa Utah Colorado Illinois Indiana Pennsylvania Ohio California Arizona New Mexico Kansas Missouri Kentucky Oklahoma Arkansas Tennessee New Jersey Delaware Maryland Washington D C West Virginia Virginia North Carolina South Carolina Texas Alabama Mississippi Georgia Louisiana Florida This U S map outlines the Southwest region Arizona and New Mexico make up a large portion of it Other states with sections in the region are Texas California Nevada Utah and Colorado 7
