Southwestern United States
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Southwestern United States (called the American Southwest or simply the Southwest) is a region of the western United States, warmer than the northern states and drier than the eastern states. Its population is less dense than neighboring areas (even its cities have relatively low population density), and with significant Spanish American, Mexican American, and American Indian populations, it is also more ethnically varied than neighboring areas. Contained within this region is the Desert Southwest consisting mainly of Arizona and New Mexico. Parts of Nevada and Utah, Western Texas and Oklahoma, Southern California, and Southwestern Colorado may be considered part of the Southwest, although the precise definition varies widely. Generally, people from the Eastern United States are more prone to consider Texas and Oklahoma part of the Southwest (often omitting California entirely), while people from California, Arizona, and New Mexico consider most of Texas, perhaps with the exception of westernmost Texas (e.g., El Paso), to be part of the South. Los Angeles is the largest city in the Southwestern United States (and second largest in the entire nation); and Phoenix, in the center of the southwest, also ranks among the United States' ten largest cities. Many of the urban areas in this region (e.g., Las Vegas, Phoenix) have witnessed some of the fastest population growth in the United States over the past decade. This region is known for its bold art. Tex Mex cuisine was popularized in South Texas (San Antonio), although more traditional Southwestern cuisine can be found west of Texas.
| Geographic regions of the United States |
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| Central • Coastal States • Deep South • Upland South • East • East Coast • Great Basin • Gulf Coast • Mid-Atlantic • Midwest • Mountain States • New England • North • Northeast • Northwest • Pacific • South • South Atlantic • South Central • Southeast • Southwest • Upper Midwest • West • West Coast
Multinational regions: Atlantic Northeast • Border States • Great Lakes • Great Plains • Pacific Northwest |
