Chapter 18: Hawaii

Although separated from the mainland of the United States, Hawaii continues to have very strong to the rest of the country. This is in part due to the significant presence of the federal government in the state. According to government records, in 2010 the federal government employed nearly 35,000 people. Of these, approximately 18,500 worked for the United States Department of Defense.

The Department of Defense has a very large presence on the Hawaiian Islands. This includes Fort Shafter, Pearl Harbor Naval Air Station, Barbers Point Naval Air Station, Hickam Air Force Base and the Fourteenth District Coast Guard. It is also home to the United States Pacific Command Center.

United States Pacific Command Center

 
Sources: http://www.civilbeat.com/topics/federal-government-in-hawaii/
http://www.avsinc.net/imgs/pictures/coc-case-study.jpg
http://usmilitary.about.com/library/milinfo/statefacts/blhi.htm

Chapter 16: The North Pacific Coast

The North Pacific Coast region is well known for it's rugged mountains, lush forested areas and heavy rainfall. Due to the physical environment, the fishing and lumber industries have thrived in this area of North America. In contrast, Washington D.C. does not have the heavy industry that the North Pacific Coast region is known for, nor does it have the rugged, forested landscape that makes up a large portion of physical environment.

What it does have in common is a fair amount of precipitation. Although, the heavy amount of rainfall that the North Pacific Coast experiences is far greater. D.C.'s precipitation occurs year round, with the heaviest months in late spring and summer. May is at the top of this list, with 4 inches of rain. In contrast, Seattle experiences nearly 6 inches of rain in their wettest month, November. But comparing the two cities shows that in May-September, D.C. bests Seattle in the area of rainfall, as this is the typical dry season for the area.

Source: http://www.clrsearch.com/Demographic?state_id=349357&city_id=281472&place=Washington%2C+DC+20037&state=District+of+Columbia&chart=weatherprecip

Sources: http://www.weather.com/weather/wxclimatology/monthly/graph/USDC0001
 http://www.weather.com/weather/wxclimatology/monthly/graph/USWA0395

Chapter 15: California

There is no denying the fact that California, particularly the Los Angeles area, is the capital of tv and movie production in the United States. With studios such as Paramount, 20th Century Fox, Warner Brothers and Universal based in the area, it is the first choice for many filmmakers to base their operations.
However, with Washington D.C. being the capital of the U.S., it's location is the basis for many television shows and movies each year. With such important and historical backdrops such as the White House, the U.S. Capitol building, F.B.I Headquarters and the National Mall, it is no wonder that many political based shows and movies choose D.C. as their primary filming location.
The following is a list of just some of the t.v. shows and movies that have been filmed in the D.C. area:

• Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
• In the Line of Fire
• Spy Game
• JFK
• The Exorcist 
• The X-Files
• Bones
• NCIS
• Homeland 

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Films_shot_in_Washington,_D.C.

Source: http://www.onlocationvacations.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/t31.jpg

Chapter 14: The Southwest Border Area: Tricultural Development

The Southwest Border area is home to the larges population of Latinos and Native Americans in the United States. Although both populations are scattered across the whole of the country, this has become the largest area of settlement due to the proximity of both large Native American reservations and the U.S. border with Mexico.

Museum of the American Indian
Source: http://www.paulridenour.com/hagers63.JPG

Washington D.C. contrasts with the Southwest Border Region in this area. According to the United States 2011 Census, only .3% of the population of D.C. are Native Americans. In addition, only 9.1% of the the population are Latino or Hispanic. The largest population of the area being African Americans at 50.7%, followed by Whites at 38.5%. The distance from reservations and the Mexican border are great contributors to these numbers.

Source: http://www.gracemeridianhill.org/site/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/dc_latin_origin_r12.jpg

Chapter 13: The Empty Interior

The Empty Interior is home to over 30 National Parks, both from the United States and Canada. Although no other area of the United States can compare to that number, there are a significant number of National Parks that lie outside of that area.

Shenandoah National Park is the closest of these parks to the Washington D.C. area. It lies approximately 75 miles SW of the D.C. city limits. Shenandoah National Park covers nearly 80,000 acres and it's highest peak is Hawksbill Mountain, which reaches a height of 4,051 feet. (Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shenandoah_National_Park).

Source: http://0.tqn.com/d/gosoutheast/1/0/n/N/-/-/shen_nps_500.jpg

Also, like the Empty Interior, Washington D.C. is a magnet for tourism. People from all over the county (and world) come to the area to visit the capital of the United States. There are various monuments, museums and historic sites that see large amounts of visitors annually. Tourist season generally ranges from April to September, avoiding the chilly winters and taking advantage of the warm spring season. In 2010 there were 15.4 million visitors to the district, including 1.75 foreign visitors. (Source: http://washington.org/planning/press-room/corporate-and-convention-info/research-and-statistics)

Source: http://www.michelintravel.com/_uploads/2011/09/Must_Sees_WashingtonDC_Cover-600x1024.jpg

Chapter 12: The Great Plains and Prairies

Washington D.C. is very different from the Great Plains, especially the physical environment. Whereas the Great Plains hold vast amounts of flat, open space, the D.C. area is quite the opposite. Although there are only slight elevation changes within the D.C. city limits, there are a large amount of trees and other vegetation. The parks that I previously mentioned are a prime example of this.

Just outside the D.C. area are the lush, forested areas of Virginia, West Virginia and Maryland. These areas include various elevation changes due to the mountainous areas of land in which they lie. Within these states are situated various National Forests and Shenandoah National Park.

Source: http://www.outdoorbasecamp.com/new/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/Shenandoah_National_Park.jpg

Significant rainfall and extreme weather is present in both the Great Plains region and Washington D.C. Although, the tornadoes of the Great Plains are replaced by blizzards and the occasional hurricane in the D.C. area.

Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/71/Blizzard_12_2009_Arlington_DC_8258.JPG

Chapter 11: The Agricultural Core

Washington D.C. is far from the heartland of America. It is not an agricultural city by any means, it is a large metropolitan city with no vast stretches of farmland. However, D.C. is very important to agriculture in that it is the headquarters for the United States Department of Agriculture.

 The USDA began as a division of the US Patent Office. It's main duties were to collect statistics on agriculture and to serve "other agricultural purposes."It was not until 1862, that President Lincoln established the USDA as its own autonomous agency. The USDA has served many purposes over the years. It has helped teach agriculture and home economics to the public, helped to ensure that food was being produced and distributed during the Great Depression, assisted with loans for landowners, and has helped to provide education on proper nutrition.

Source:http://thesocietypages.org/graphicsociology/files/2009/06/food_pyramid_usda_old.png