From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Regional definitions vary from source to source.
New Mexico and
Arizona (in dark red) are almost always considered the core, modern-day Southwest, while the striped states may or may not be considered part of the same region.
California is usually excluded from the definition, and
Texas and
Oklahoma are often considered a sub-region of the
South rather than the West.
The Southwestern United States is defined as the states that lie west of the Mississippi River, with the qualification of a certain northern limit such as the 37, 38, 39, or 40 degree north line. A 97.33 degree west line could qualify as the separation of the American Southwest from the American South. The Southwest historically began at the far west side of Fort Worth, 10 miles east of downtown Austin, and 55 miles east of downtown San Antonio. Some sources however, put this boundary line much further west, classifying most of Texas and Oklahoma as a "southwestern" sub-region of the South itself, thus distinguishing them from the other states commonly considered Southwestern[1]. However, Southwestern vegetation such as the Desert Spoon, Prickly Pear Cactus, and the Spanish Dagger can be seen growing natively in Austin, the Texas Hill Country, San Antonio, South Texas, the Rio Grande Valley, and South Padre.
The Southwest is ethnically varied, with significant European American and Hispanic American populations in addition to more regional African American, Asian American, and American Indian populations.
The area also contains large cities and metropolitan areas, despite its low population density in rural areas. Houston, Dallas, Phoenix and San Antonio are among the top ten most populous cities in the country[2]. Many of the states in this region, such as Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico and Texas have witnessed some of the highest population growth in the United States. Urban areas in this region, like Albuquerque, Austin, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Tucson and El Paso are some of the fastest-growing cities in the country.
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