Chapter 20: Hawaii

Hawaii is the youngest of the 50 United States and is the only state entirely made up of islands. (Wikipedia) It is the eighth smallest state as well as the eleventh least populated state in the U.S. It offers beautiful scenery, a tropical climate year round, a variety of public beaches and is home to over 1,500 miles of volcanoes. over seven million tourists visit the islands per year many of which visit for the year round mild weather the state has to offer. The tropical state is located just 2,479 miles away from Los Angeles. 

Chapter 19: California

California is a state located at the very western end of the United States. It the most populous of the 50 states with roughly 38 million people living there. It is home to eight of the fifty most populated cities which includes Los Angeles. California also houses the both the highest and lowest points in the United States with Mount Whitney and Death Valley. About 37,000 earthquakes are reported annually in the state. California is responsible for producing half of the United States fruit supply and is the leader in vegetable production. 

WELCOME TO THE GOLDEN STATE!

Chapter 17: Pacific Northwest

The Pacific Northwest is a region of western North America bordered by the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. Although there have been disagreements over the actual definition of the exact boundaries that make up the Pacific Northwest. The Northwest is highly geologically active with seven active volcanoes and geological faults. Active volcanoes include Mount Garibaldi, Mount Baker, Mount Rainier, Mount Saint Helens, Mount Hood, Mount Jefferson, and Mount Shasta. Mount Saint Helens last erupted in 1980. Unlike The Pacific Northwest, Los Angeles is not home to any active volcanoes but is located just east of the San Andreas Fault. 

Chapter 16: Intermontane

Chapter 15- The Rocky Mountains

The Rocky mountains are defined as a range of mountains that stretch 3,000 miles from the northernmost part of British Columbia to New Mexico in the southern United States. The "Rockies" were formed about 80 to 55 million years ago according to wikipedia, and draw millions of tourists every year. Tourists can enjoy opportunities to hike, camp, and participate in mountain sports, when visiting the Rocky Mountains. In L.A. tourists are invited to enjoy a wide variety of activity from outdoor excursions through hiking and water sports to walking down Hollywood Blvd and visiting some of the main attractions the iconic city has to offer. Los Angeles hosts about 40 million tourists every year. 

Chapter 14: The Great Plains

Spread across ten of the United States, the Great Plains lie west of the Mississippi River and East of the Rocky Mountains. The Plains experience very cold and harsh winters as well as very hot and humid summers and suffer through a dust storm almost every year. The Great Plains also host lightning storms through the spring and summer and are also home to the famous "tornado alley" which is the most active tornado region of the world. Los Angeles, as mentioned before have four distinct seasons with summers being sunny and only reaching highs of about 90 degrees and low fifties for the winter season. Unlike the Great Plains, Los Angeles' main concern are not tornadoes, but mainly Earthquakes as it is located in the state that houses the San Andreas Fault.

Chapter 13: The Mid West 

The North Central Region, or the "Mid West" of the United States consists of twelve states including:Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Ohio, and Wisconsin. Divided into two regions when collecting data for the census, the mid west is home to 65,377,684 people. The political views of those who live in this area tend to swing back and forth between Democratic and Republican thus making them crucial to the outcomes of elections. Los Angeles is home to 3.858 million Americans, however the area is majority in favor of the Democratic party as it is located in one of the most Democratic states; California. 

Chapter 12: The Ozarks

The Ozarks make up the geologic highland region of the central United States and are commonly referred to as the Ozark Mountains. The Ozarks have several large lakes that were created by dams across the White and Black rivers; the dams generate electricity. The scenic Ozarks, with forests, streams, and mineral springs, are a popular tourist region, and the construction of summer homes there has grown. Los Angeles is also home to multiple lakes including, among others, Castaic Lake, Pyramid Lake, and Malibou Lake which host tourists year round as well. 

Chapter 11- Gulf Coast Plains, Mississippi

The Gulf Coast Plains reach from the western Florida Panhandle, across Alabama while stretching over most of Mississippi while taking over some of western Tennessee, Kentucky, southwest Arkansas, Louisiana, the southeast corner of Oklahoma, and Texas. According to Landscope.org, The Gulf Plains have remained occupied by plants and animals due to the fact that it has never been glaciated and is one of the most bio diverse ecoregions in North America. The ecoregion is home to many species including vascular plants, reptiles, amphibians, and fish. Various types of each of those spieces are only known to this region and remain limited even in the area. Unlike the Gulf Coast Plains ecoregion, Los Angeles, while being home to many animal species, is not home to a specific species that only inhabits particularly in this city. 

Chapter 10: Florida

 Welcome to the "Sunshine State" Florida. This southeastern state is situated on a peninsula between the Gulf of Mexico, the Atlantic Ocean and the Straits of Florida. The prevalent climate of Florida is humid subtropical, while the coastal areas have a true tropical climate. In addition, summer highs in the state rarely exceed 100*F and the maxima cold have been 30*F. Florida is known to have hurricanes which doesn't help the 20 million people that live there (uscensus.gov). Also the racial make-up consist of: 75% Whites, 16% Blacks and  2.4 Asian American. Shockingly, tourism makes up the largest sector of the state economy. Tourist visit attractions such as amusement parks and beach towns. On the same note, Los Angeles attracts tourist from all the world to places like Hollywood and Universal Studios.

Just like Florida, Hollywood attracts millions of people from all over the world.

Chapter 9: South Atlantic

The South Atlantic ecological system includes forest and marshy grasslands off the coast. The region's climate features hot, humid, rainy summers and mild winters. Its tobacco agriculture is still thriving even after the end of slavery. Other resources that are grown are cotton, rice, and indigo. When it comes to racial makeup, the population has a distinct black-white racial profile. Unfortunately, Los Angeles weather, racial make-up, and ecological systems all contrast with the South Atlantic.  L.A.'s climate features a Mediterranean climate (hot summer/ cool winters) and a melting pot of different races.

Tobacco has been a cash-crop in the South Atlantic for centuries

Madi Gras in Louisiana. The South Atlantic has culture

Chapter 8: Appalachia

The Appalachia region is a mountainous region in the Eastern U.S. that impedes transportation and promotes isolation. There is not enough flat land for farms to thrive and people to live. The Appalachian Plateau was formed by stream erosion of uplifted horizontal rock beds Moreover, "the Piedmont, stretches almost nine hundred miles from New Jersey into Alabama and is the effective divide between the fall line and the Appalachian Blue Ridge Mountains" (Mayda 209). In contrast, the Los Angeles region has very little in common with the Appalachia region. The one exception is that L.A. is surrounded by mountains but they do not compare to the Appalachian Mountains

The region known as Appalachia

Chapter 7: Megaopolis

The term Megalopolis (great city) was coined by Geographer Jean Gottman in 1957 and in the United States this region runs from Washington D.C. to Boston (Mayda). In addition, the BosWash Megalopolis generates the greatest wealth and poverty, is the business and government center for the nation, and generates 20% of the nation's total personal income. Uniquely, Los Angeles is seen as the New York of the west coast since Los Angeles population is second after New York's population. Also, L.A. is one of the most ethnically diverse counties in the United States. Furthermore, L.A. is ranked sixth in the Global Cities Index (wikipedia.org) and is an important node for trade and finance. Nice beaches, Hollywood and job opportunity are all factors into why Los Angeles has become a Megalopolis.

Los Angeles - Mega-region

BosWash Megalopolis from a satellite image

Chapter 6: North Atlantic Provinces

The city of Los Angeles is quite different from the area known as the North Atlantic Provinces. Population in the North Atlantic is is not as densely populated than Los Angeles. Also, the North Atlantic is 50% urban/ 50% rural in comparison to L.A. which is mostly urban. The air mass in the North Atlantic are polar, continental, maritime and as a result it's generally cool and damp. Moreover, rain and snow are more common in the North Atlantic than Los Angeles. Surprisingly these two regions have in common accessible sea ports for trade via ocean. When it comes to agriculture, the North Atlantic are great producers in of apples and potatoes; whereas, L.A. produces cinema.

Chapter 4: Population and Consumption

According to the 2010 U.S. Census, Los Angeles had a population of 3,792,621 and population density of 7,544.6 people per.(census.gov)  With a population of that size living in an arid desert the consumption of water from other places is a must. The racial makeup of L.A. is composed of Whites (49%), African Americans (9.6%), Native Americans (0.7%), Asians (11.3%), Latinos (48.5%) and other races (23%). Mexicans make up the largest ethnic group in L.A. With a variety of races Los Angeles has provided a number of ethnic enclaves like Chinatown, Filipinotown, Little Tokeyo and Thai Town.

The population is the densest in East L.A., San Fernando Valley, Echo Park, South Central and San Pedro

Chapter 3: Sustainability

Los Angeles is far from a "sustainable city" but in recent years there has been programs to promote sustainability. One program implemented is recycling and reuse of waste water, so Los Angeles can become water self-reliant. Shockingly, the city of Los Angeles only uses about 117 gallons per person per day, which is the least amount of water per person of all U.S.cities over 1 million people. The public transportation system METRO is affordable ($1.50 a trip), operates throughout majority of L.A. county, and ridership is second to New York. This helps alleviate some of the carbon emissions that motor vehicles emit. Furthermore, The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power already has reduced Green House Gas emissions 21% below 1991 levels and committed to a coal free energy future by 2020.

Chapter 2: The Nonhuman World

Los Angeles is home to a variety of  plants, wildlife, and climate. The Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy zone covers an area from the edge of the Mojave Desert to the Pacific Ocean. Some native plant species are California poppy, matilija poppy, toyon, live oak and the Los Angeles sunflower. By far, chaparral is the dominant vegetation in the Conservancy zone. Moreover, cool, wet winters and hot, dry summers create a Mediterranean-type of ecosystem. On another note, the Santa Monica Mountains and other terrains contain wild animals such as coyotes, deer, bobcats, mountain lion, rodents, black beers and many more. Los Angeles has a Subtropical-Mediterranean climate that allows for more shine than rain. To elaborate, the average annual temperature in downtown is 66 *F (19*C) during the day and 57*F (14*C) at night and the average precipitation annually is 15.14 inches. Equally important, Los Angeles is subject to a phenomena called microclimate: big variations in temperature in close physical proximity of each other.

The average low in Sunny Los Angeles doesnt drop below 40*F

Precipitation is at an all time low during the months of June, July, and Aug

Chapter 1: Regions and Ecoregions

Hi and welcome to the beautiful city of Los Angeles, California. Located on the west coast of the United States, the city of Los Angeles covers a total area of 502.7 square miles (468sq miles of land and 34sq miles of water). Within the city consists flat and hilly terrains such as the Santa Monica Mountains that stretch from Topanga Canyon to Downtown L.A. In addition, Los Angeles diverse terrain is composed of beaches, wetlands and mountains. This variation in terrains allows for a multiple number of different plants and animals to live and coexist with humans in this region.

Santa Monica Mountains extending from the Pacific Ocean to Downtown Los Angeles

A view of Los Angeles and the San Fernando Valley

Beautiful Santa Monica Beach with the S.M. Mountains in the background