- Intermountain West
The Intermountain West is a region of
North America lying between theRocky Mountains to the east and the Cascades and Sierra Nevada to the west. It is also called the Intermountain Region.Topography
Many of the Intermountain Region's
mountains 'streams andrivers never reach the sea. Instead they flow into brackish lakes or intodesert sinks. Only some rivers are able to reach theocean . Some portions are made productive byirrigation systems .Cattle ranching is another process used.Climate
The
climate of the Intermountain Region is affected by location and elevation. The winters depend on location. In the southern parts, the winters are short, warm, and have little precipitation. In the northern portions, the winters are cold and moist, with hot and dry summers. This portion lacks precipitation as well, but theweather is moderate.Vegetation
The vegetation ranges from sparse
grassland to plants that are able to survive in desert conditions. Higher areas have thin,pine forests . edible plants are corn, sugar beets, and alfalfa, which is used for cattle feed.Intermountain states
The intermountain states are generally considered to be
Idaho ,Utah ,Nevada andArizona , as well as portions of easternOregon , easternWashington , northwesternNew Mexico , westernColorado , southwesternWyoming and northwesternMontana . The intermountain states are so named because they lie between (or at least amidst) theRocky Mountains , the Sierra Nevada and the Cascades. Large areas of these states are less mountainous than typical of the Rocky Mountain region. The intermountain states are included among those states considered as theMountain States .References
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