Southwest which states

Depending on what definition you use, as few as two states or as many as eight states make up this region. The states of Arizona and New Mexico are said to be the core of the region.

No matter what boundaries are used, these two states are always considered southwest states. The six additional states that may or may not be included in the definition of the southwest states include some Mountain States and West Coast states. These states are:. Arizona, Nevada, Utah, and Texas are among the country's fastest growing states. Between and , Arizona grew 1.

Arizona boasts some of the best weather and affordability. In winter people take their skis and head to the snowy slopes of Aspen , Breckenridge, or Vail. Away from the gorgeous scenery and incredible range of things to see and do, Colorado also has a number of great towns and cities on offer. Lying between California and Utah in the southwest corner of the States, Nevada may be renowned for being home to Las Vegas , but it certainly has much more to offer than just casinos, nightclubs, and glitzy performances.

While most of its landmass is located within the Great Basin, Nevada actually has lots of lovely desert scenery to show off. Although often overlooked by visitors to the Southwest, New Mexico is a gem just waiting to be discovered.

Beautiful mountain ranges, desolate desert scenery, and fascinating towns exhibiting a mix of American, Mexican, and Native American influences all await the hardy adventurer. Defined in many ways by the Rio Grande, which runs from north to south through the state, New Mexico is a land of contrasts. The imposing Rocky Mountains loom above the Great Plains and the rugged desolation that makes up the rest of its territory.

The ancient landscapes have long been home to Native Americans, and lots of Ancestral Puebloan ruins can be found here and there; the most impressive sites are in Chaco Canyon and at Bandelier National Monument. This rich cultural heritage still lives on in towns and cities such as Sante Fe, Albuquerque , and Farmington. What makes New Mexico particularly fascinating to visit is its past as a Spanish colony, which led to the current mix of Hispanic, American, and Native American cultures we see today.

The areas in the United States that were once part of Mexico white. The Southwestern United States also known as the American Southwest is a region defined in different ways by different sources. Narrowly defined, the "core" Southwest is centered around the Four Corner states, with parts of the other states making up the beginnings and endings of the Southwest.

The five main southwestern states; Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, and Nevada are also all considered part of the Mountain West , as well as the southwest. The total population of these states is roughly 19 million people. Here, a view from Sotol Vista. Geographer Uriah D. Meinig defines the core of the Southwest as the portion of New Mexico west of the Llano Estacado and the portion of Arizona east of the Mohave - Sonoran Desert and south of the "canyonlands", and also including the El Paso district of western Texas and the southernmost part of Colorado.

It extends from the San Luis Valley of southern Colorado to south of Socorro and including the Manzano Mountains , with an east-west breadth [3] in the north stretching from the upper Canadian River to the upper San Juan River.

Important ethnic groups include Hispanos , Anglo-Americans , and the Puebloan peoples. The area around Albuquerque is sometimes called Central New Mexico. The city of Phoenix is the largest urban center, and located in the approximate center of the area, but it is just one of many urban centers, such as Tempe , Mesa , and many others.

None are clearly dominant although the whole can be considered the greater metropolitan area of Phoenix. While El Paso and Tucson are distinctly different cities they share a similar and somewhat overlapping hinterland between them.

Tucson occupies a large oasis at the western end of the El Paso-Tucson corridor. The region between the two cities is a major transportation trunk with settlements servicing both highway and railway needs. There are also large mining operations, ranches, and agricultural oases. About 70 miles km to the southeast are the research facilities at Fort Huachuca. These military installations form a kind of hinterland around the El Paso-Tucson region, and are served by scientific and residential communities such as Sierra Vista , Las Cruces , and Alamogordo.

The entire region has a large Hispano population. The Native American Tohono O'odham and Yaqui Native Americans continue to preserve cultural traditions and link Tucson with native lands to the west and south.

The fourth subregion Meinig calls the "Northern Corridor and Navaholands". A major highway and railway trunk connects Albuquerque and Flagstaff. Just north of the transportation trunk are large blocks of Native American land. Once regarded as a bleak wasteland populated by a dying culture the native cultures, especially the Navajo Nation , have undergone a strong resurgence and are playing an increasingly important role. Other tribes such as the Hopi and Zuni have also experienced a similar resurgence.

Several towns and cities serve as contact points between the native peoples and other groups. Many old Mormon settlements have grown rapidly with the arrival of migrants mainly from Texas, the American South, and the Pacific Northwest. Districts around old Mormon villages such as Ramah, New Mexico are often populated by a mix of at least five ethnic groups and culture, such as Mormons, Pueblo Zunis, Navajos, Hispanos, and Texans. Garden of the Gods public park, located in Colorado Springs.

Four Corners Monument , often considered the heart of the American Southwest. Phoenix , Tucson , and Las Vegas dominate the western most metropolitan areas in the southwest region, while, Albuquerque , Denver , Colorado Springs , and El Paso dominate the eastern most metropolitan areas of the southwest, not including Northern, Central, and Eastern Texas, and Oklahoma, because they are not always considered part of the southwest.

Reno and Salt Lake City also dominate the northernmost metropolitan areas of the southwest. Thus the basic spatial structure of the Southwest can be seen as focused on the largest metropolitan areas in each state such as Phoenix , Albuquerque , Denver , Salt Lake City , Las Vegas , and El Paso.

This core of the Southwest is directly linked to other regions. The Mojave Desert separates it from Southern California. Several corridors and urban centers in the desert link the two region, most significantly at Las Vegas, Nevada , where the Arizona and California systems interlock. These areas link the Southwest with the main concentration of Mormon settlements in Utah and eastern Idaho. The Southwest is linked with the Midwest in northeast New Mexico, into which the grain farming system of Kansas had been extended.

The southwest borders the Midwestern United States also. The southwestern state of Colorado borders the Midwest states of Nebraska to the northeast and Kansas to the east.

Nevada borders the Northwestern States of Oregon and Idaho to the north. Utah borders the Northwestern States of Wyoming and Idaho also. And, Colorado borders the northwest state of Wyoming. The Southwest also borders the South. New Mexico borders a small portion of Oklahoma to the east.

Also, a small portion of Southeastern Colorado borders the state of Oklahoma. West Texas is directly linked with Central and northern Texas, which is often considered part of the American South. El Paso , Amarillo , and Lubbock are almost always considered to be in the southwest region, while Fort Worth , Dallas , and Houston are usually considered to be more a part of the American South.

Some may consider these cities to be a part of the Southwest as well, while others usually see them as southern cities.

The Southwest is linked to Texas in eastern New Mexico, especially along the Pecos River and on the Llano Estacado, where an early mass influx of Texan farmers was later reinforced by the oil industry. Roswell, New Mexico occupies a border position between Albuquerque and the Texan system. Ancient Pueblo Peoples ruins at Chaco Canyon. With the European colonization of the Americans, New Spain , later to become Mexico was dominant until the 19th century.

With Manifest Destiny , United States gradually gained control over the west.