Vocabulary Ch. 9
Refers to heat from beneath Earth's crust
Geothermal
The breakdown of rock caused by wind, water, and climate
Weathering
Describe the land and climate of the West
The West has valleys and mountains, deserts, rainforests, glaciers, and volcanoes. It has the country's warmest and coldest temperatures.
When could a territory become a state?
When population of a territory grew large enough, its people could ask Congress to make it a state
Supplying land with water
Irrigation
Using something carefully and not wasting it
Conservation
How were the Rocky Mountains and the Cascade Mountains formed?
The Rocky Mountains were formed by moving tectonic plates. Some of the Cascades were formed by volcanoes
Why was the building of the transcontinental railroad important to the West?
It was the first train system to link the East and the West; it allowed the population of the West to grow
Electricity produced from flowing water
Hydroelectric power
the natural home of a plant or animal
Habitat
What 3 factors affect temperatures in the West?
Latitude, the ocean, and elevation
Why are the Pacific States such large producers of food?
The Pacific climate and long growing seasons allow farmers to grow many different crops
Very dry
Arid
an environment and all its living things, working together as a unit
Ecosystem
Why did the Spanish set up missions?
The Spanish set up missions to teach Christianity to American Indians
What different kinds of plants grow in the Mountain States?
Evergreen forests, mixed hardwood trees, grasslands, and sagebrush
Land that is set aside by the federal government
No longer existing
Extinct
Why did people go West in the mid-1800s?
To look for gold, others went for cheap land; some went to find religious freedom
How do some Pueblo Indians make a living in the rural Southwest?
They farm, raise livestock, teach school, and run businesses