West Coast of the United States
West Coast or Pacific Coast are terms for the westernmost coastal states of the United States, usually California, Oregon, and Washington. More specifically, the term refers to an area defined on the east by the Cascade Range, Sierra Nevada and Mojave Desert and on the west by the Pacific Ocean. The U.S. Census groups the five states of California, Oregon, Washington, Alaska, and Hawaii together as the Pacific States division.[1]
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Population [edit]
As of the 2010 Census, the estimated population of the Census Bureau's Pacific Region was approximately 47.8 million (56.9 million if Nevada and Arizona are included) - about 15.3% (18.2% with Nevada and Arizona) of US population.[2]
Major cities [edit]
Major cities and metropolitan areas on the West Coast include (from north to south):
- Seattle metropolitan area:
- Spokane, Washington
- Portland metropolitan area:
- Reno and Reno–Sparks metropolitan area
- Sacramento and Greater Sacramento
- San Francisco Bay Area:
- Stockton
- Fresno
- Bakersfield
- Las Vegas and Las Vegas Valley
- Inland Empire
- Los Angeles Metropolitan Area:
- Phoenix and Phoenix Metropolitan Area
- San Diego
History [edit]
The history of the West Coast begins with the arrival of the earliest known humans of the Americas, Paleo-Indians, crossing the Bering Strait from Eurasia into North America over a land bridge, Beringia, that existed between 45,000 BC and 12,000 BC (47,000–14,000 years ago). Small isolated groups of hunter-gatherers migrated alongside herds of large herbivores far into Alaska. Between 16,500 BC and 13,500 BC (18,500–15,500 years ago), ice-free corridors developed along the Pacific coast and valleys of North America and possibly by sea.[3]
Alaska Natives, indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast, and California indigenous peoples eventually descended from the Paleo-Indians. They developed various languages and established trade routes.
Later, Spanish, British, Mexican, Russian and American explorers and settlers began colonizing the area.
See also [edit]
- British Columbia Coast
- East Coast of the United States
- Pacific coast
- Left Coast
- Third Coast
- Sun Belt
- West Coast Stock Car Hall of Fame
References [edit]
- ^ "U.S. Census regions and divisions". Eia.doe.gov. 2000-06-14. Retrieved 2012-10-18.
- ^ "United States Census Bureau, 2005 American Community Survey. Summed estimates for CA, OR, WA, AK, and HI". Factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2012-10-18.
- ^ "First Americans Endured 20,000-Year Layover - Jennifer Viegas, Discovery News". Retrieved 2009-11-18. "Archaeological evidence, in fact, recognizes that people started to leave Beringia for the New World around 40,000 years ago, but rapid expansion into North America did not occur until about 15,000 years ago, when the ice had literally broken."
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