Sun Belt

The Sun Belt (in French the “ girdles sun ”) is composed of the States of the south and the west of the the United States presenting an economic dynamism and a pleasant framework of life.

Sun Belt attracts the internal migratory flux (the North-East) and external (Mexicains). The Hispanic population is well represented in these areas and increases more quickly than the other ethnicities. The natural resources are the Hydrocarbure S (states of Washington, California, Texas and Louisiana), ores in the Rocky Mountains. Sun Belt also accommodates many national nature reserves and constitutes an appreciated tourist destination. The agricultural productions are provided by often intensive large farms: fruit and vegetables, cotton, canes with sugar and fodder for the breeding. The State emblematic of the Sun Belt is the California ( to see this article ).

Under these common characteristics important disparities between the States hide. The principal demographic and economic poles are: the State of Washington, California (San Francisco and Los Angeles), the Texas (Dallas and Houston), the Louisiana, the Georgia (Atlanta) and the Florida (Miami).

Geography

Physical geography

Sun Belt is made up of very varied natural areas:

• Relief
• the plains are located near the littorals of the Pacific and the Gulf of Mexico.
• the area is concerned with high-altitudes in the Rocky Mountains and the Grand Basin.
• the highest top is the Mont Whitney (4421 Mr.) in the Sierra Nevada (California).
• the point low is the Vallée of Died the in California.
• the Plateau of Colorado is notched by the Large Canyon.
• Rivers
• Colorado (river)
• the Mississippi (river)
• Climate

Sun Belt is characterized by shone upon climates, which does not mean inevitably hot. It snows in winter in the mounts of the Sierra Nevada and the Rock ones. Several deserts occupy the south-west of the area (Sonora, Vallée of Dead the…). The aridity and the requirements out of water for the big cities affect the mode of the rivers.

Principal agglomerations

• Los Angeles

• San Francisco
• Houston
• Dallas
• Miami
• Las Vegas
• Atlanta

Economy

Primary sector

Agriculture and fishing

The sunny climates of Sun Belt allow the cultures of the Mediterranean type (California) and tropical (Florida). The Irrigation is often essential (in particular in the west of the meridian 100e) and requires important investments then.

Mines and energy

At the 19th century, gold encouraged the settlement of California. Oil a long time made the prosperity of Texas and California. The electrical production comes from the stoppings (Colorado). Renewable energies make remarkable great strides, especially in California.

Secondary industry

High technology

Industries of high technology (aerospace, aeronautical, data-processing, biotechnology…) quickly developed, in particular in San Francisco (Silicon Valley), Portland, Dallas, Miami… the majority of the head offices of the large data-processing firms are in Sun Belt: Microsoft in Seattle, Texas Instruments with Dallas, Compaq with Austin, Hewlett-Packard in Silicon Valley. NASA has its decision-making centres in California, in Texas (Houston) and in Florida (Cape Kennedy).

Tertiary sector

Sun Belt is one of the very first destinations of the world for tourism. It concentrates active and dynamic ports: Long Beach (Los Angeles, California), Corpus Christi (Texas), Tampa (Florida)… The Californian coasts and of the Gulf of Mexico are Interface S open on the partners of ALENA (Canada and Mexico), like on the rest of the world.

See too

• Geography of the United States
• regional Geography
• blue Banana

Random links:

List princes de Hrodno | Arkeod | J. Edward Bromberg | Forwarding British Graham Land | Banner of the Barag Old man | John_Snow

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