Southwestern
United States
Interesting Information
Just the Facts
The geography of the American Southwest is comprised mostly of desert with higher elevation mountainous areas.
As with most of the North American continent, this area was occupied by indigenous people, Native Americans, for thousands of years before European settlement. There are many different tribes and all speak their own languages and have their own cultures.
Most of the American Southwest was part of Mexico before it was part of the United States. The culture of the area is very much influenced by it’s Native American, Mexican and European American past.
There are many states that comprise the American Southwest. The states listed here, but also Southern California, Nevada, Utah, and Colorado are often considered part of the region and by the early 20th century the whole area was part of the United States.
Population & Language
English is the most widely spoken language in the American Southwest as it is in the country as a whole. However, Spanish is very widely spoken here as the majority of the Southwest was part of Mexico prior to being acquired by the United States. Mexican and Southwest Native American cultures are very intertwined in history and culture of this area.
The population of the region is approximately 42.88 million. That is about 13% of the U.S. population.
Largest and Smallest
Largest Land Area: Texas
Smallest Land Area: Oklahoma
Largest Population: Texas
Smallest Population: New Mexico
Most Populated City: Houston
Biggest Island: Padre Island
Longest River: Rio Grande
Highest Mountain: Wheeler Peak
Largest Lake: Lake Powell
Lowest Point: Gulf Coast
Top Tourist Destinations
Grand Canyon
San Antonio River Walk
Santa Fe
The Alamo
Oklahoma City Natl. Memorial
Sedona
Carlsbad Caverns Natl. Park
Monument Valley
Galveston
Tombstone
Phoenix
Ft. Worth Stockyards
Most Populated Cities
(Population of City Proper)
Houston - 2.32 million
Phoenix - 1.68 million
San Antonio - 1.55 million
Dallas - 1.34 million
Austin - 978,000
Ft. Worth - 909,000
El Paso - 681,000
Oklahoma City - 655,000
Albuquerque - 560,000
Tucson - 548,000
Where do you want to go?
Arizona
Oklahoma
New Mexico
Texas
Where is it?
