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The Southwest Region
Arizona, New Mexico, Texas and Oklahoma
ArizonaCapital: Phoenix
The Grand Canyon
• The Grand Canyon is located in Arizona and stretches to Colorado. The Grand Canyon is a national park and has become a national landmark. People from all over the world travel to see the Grand Canyon.
Grand Canyon
How Was the Grand Canyon Formed
• The truth is that no one knows for sure though there are some pretty good guesses. The chances are that a number of factors combined to create the views that you see in today's Grand Canyon. The most powerful force to have an impact on the Grand Canyon is erosion, primarily by water (and ice) and second by wind. Other forces that contributed to the Canyon's formation are the course of the Colorado River itself.
Canyon Features
• The Canyon’s walls are made up of rocks, cliffs, hills, and valleys. The Grand Canyon rocks were formed millions of years ago. The bottom of the canyon receives 8 inches per year (between rainwater and snowmelt). Some parts of the northern rim are frosted. The Grand Canyon is found mostly in Northern Arizona but it extends through some western states.
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Canyon Facts• Scientist have proven that people have lived at the Grand
Canyon for more than 3,000years.
• The Anasazi Indians lived there hundreds of years ago. They built adobe homes on the cliffs of the canyon. The Anasazi were skilled basket makers and potters. They built irrigation systems to bring water to their crops.
• The first American person to cross the Colorado River upstream was Hamblin in 1864.
• In 1869 Major John Wesley Powell made a journey through the Grand Canyon by way of the Colorado River.
• In 1903 President Theodore Roosevelt visited the Grand Canyon and was influential in preserving its beauty of all.
• Finally in 1917 The Grand Canyon became a national park and millions of people have visited it since.
The Havasupai Indians live there today.
Havasupai created a Sky Walk so many tourists will come and pay to see the beautiful view.
Wow! Don’t look down or maybe you are not afraid of heights. The visitors wear paper slippers over their views so they do not scratch the class walkway.
Animals Live in the Grand Canyon
• Did you know 75 different species of mammal, 50 species of reptiles, 25 species of fish, and 300 species of birds live in the Grand Canyon?
• Mammals• Some of the larger animals seen wondering in and
around the Grand Canyon include big horn sheep, mule deer, mountain lions, bobcats and coyote.
• There are many smaller animals who also call Grand Canyon National Park home; such as ringtails, which are closely related to raccoons, beavers, gophers, chipmunks, rabbits and bats.
Birds Living in the Grand Canyon
• Birds that can be seen in the area include Bald and Golden Eagles, several types of hawks including the Red-tailed Hawk, Jays of all types, Mountain Chickadees and Wild Turkeys. However, the most common bird found at the Grand Canyon National Park is the Raven. These giant black birds seem to spend most of their day watching the many visitors coming and going from the various sites in the park. They don’t seem to fear people and love to soar playfully over the canyon or hover in an air current.
Reptiles Living in the Canyon• The large Chuckwalla and the Short-horned Lizard are just two of the
many lizards found roaming throughout the Grand Canyon National Park. Most people wouldn’t expect to find toads and salamanders on the list of creatures calling this desert canyon home, but they can both be seen on the edges of the Colorado River.
• Visitors are advised to keep an eye out for snakes. The Grand Canyon Rattler and the Diamond Back Rattler are poisonous snakes found in the area. Both have brown diamond shapes on their backs and are pink or tan in color. They blend in with their surroundings in order to catch their prey. They do not like the heat of the day and usually venture out during the cooler morning and evening hours. Like all snakes, rattle snakes are frightened of humans and will make every effort to keep clear of hikers and sight-seers.
The Painted Desert
New Mexico
New MexicoCapital: Santa Fe
• Native Americans have been living in New Mexico for some twenty thousand years. The Pueblo, Apache, Comanche, Navajo, and Ute peoples were in the New Mexico region when Spanish settlers arrived in the 1600s.
Quick Facts About New Mexico• The state of New Mexico shares an international border
with the country of Mexico.
• The Rio Grande is New Mexico's longest river and runs the entire length of New Mexico.
• New Mexico is one of the four corner states. Bordering at the same point with Colorado, Utah and Arizona.
• New Mexico has far more sheep and cattle than people. There are only about 12 people per square mile.
• Since New Mexico's climate is so dry 3/4 of the roads are left unpaved. The roads don't wash away.
Industry in New Mexico
• Two important aspects of New Mexico's economy are scientific research such as the nuclear energy research and mining of natural resources such as oil, natural gas, uranium, copper, coal, zinc, gold and silver.
TexasCapital: Austin
Texas• The Alamo is located in
San Antonio. It is where Texas defenders fell to Mexican General Santa Anna and the phrase Remember the Alamo originated. The Alamo is state's most popular historic site.
Visit These Links to Learn More About Texas
• http://www.texasbeyondhistory.net/kids/facts-new.html
Industry in Texas
• Before 1900, Texas had an agricultural economy based, on "cotton, cows, and corn."
• In 1997, three of the state's leading industrial products were refined petroleum, industrial chemicals, and oil-field machinery.
• Major oil refineries are located at Houston and other Gulf ports.
OklahomaCapital: Oklahoma City
Quick Facts About Oklahoma• The name "Oklahoma" comes from the
Choctaw words: "okla" meaning people and "humma" meaning red, so the state's name literally means "red people."
• Oklahoma has the largest American Indian population of any state.
• Oklahoma ranks fourth in the nation in the production of all wheat, fourth in cattle and calf production; fifth in the production of pecans; sixth in peanuts and eighth in peaches.
Oklahoma’s History
• On November, 16, 1907, Oklahoma became the 46th state. Statehood had become a sure thing, in part due to a discovery which made Oklahoma the "place to go to strike it rich" -- oil. People came from all parts of the world to seek their fortunes in Oklahoma's teeming oil fields. Cities like Tulsa, Ponca City, Bartlesville, and Oklahoma City flourished.
Westward Expansion and Oklahoma
• After the Civil War, Oklahoma became a part of the booming cattle industry, starting the era of the cowboy. Western expansion reached the territory in the late 1800s, creating a problem over the fate of the land. Treaties were signed and the U.S. government forced the Indian tribes to give up lands and accept small payment to make way for expansion. The government decided to open the western parts of the territory to settlers by holding a total of six land runs between 1889 and 1895. Settlers came from across the nation and even other countries like Poland, Germany, Ireland and Slavic nations to stake their claims.
Oklahoma Industry
• A major producer of natural gas, oil and agriculture, Oklahoma relies on a base of aviation, energy, telecommunications, and biotechnology.
• It has one of the fastest growing economies in the nation, ranking among the top states in per capita income growth and gross domestic product growth.
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