Chapter 20: Hawai'i

Santa Clarita and Hawai'i

Hawaii is the 43rd largest state in the United States of America, making it one of the smallest states out of the 50.  It is surrounded by the Pacific closest and is one of the furthest states from the rest.  Hawaii is the most recent of the 50 states of America (joined in 1959).  Hawaii is 10,931 square miles total (when all islands are added up).

Santa Clarita Population and Hawai'i Population

Hawaii is one of the smallest states in the US in terms of population with its total population (as of 2012) reaching 1.392 million.   The population of SCV is 204,951.  This means that Santa Clarita is about 1/5th of the total population of Hawai'i, WOW.

Santa Clarita Climate and Hawai'i Climate

Hawai'i is known for its tropical climate which makes it the ideal vacation spot for families across the United States.  In terms of tropic climates within the US, Hawai'i is the number one tourist location.  It is sometimes even referred to as the most beautiful islands in the world.  It's climate is a result of its location in the middle of the Ocean as well as its volcanic activity.  Hawai'i averages 24 inches of precipitation annually which is much greater than the desert climate of Santa Clarita.

Chapter 19: California

Santa Clarita and California

Florida is the 22nd largest state in the United States of America.  It borders Georgia and Alabama and is part of the South Atlantic Region.  It's eastern border is the Atlantic Ocean, its western border is the body of water known as the Gulf of Mexico, and its southern border is the Straits of Florida (named after the state of Florida).  The state is very much characterized by sedimentary soil and is different than the rest of the South Atlantic region because of its climate and location in the middle of all the separate bodies of water.

Santa Clarita Population and California Population

Santa Clarita is glad to be a part of the total population of California.  California's total population is over 38,000,000.  In terms of city population, Santa is ranked 3rd in the Los Angeles County, 19th in all of California, and 105th in the entire United States of America.  About 1 out of every 8 Americans lives in the Golden State.  

 

 

 The population of SCV is 204,951.  The only two cities with larger populations than Santa Clarita in the Los Angeles County are Los Angeles with a population of 3.8 million and Long Beach with a population over 464,000 people.

Santa Clarita Climate and California Climate

As stated many times, California is home for Santa Clarita! Santa Clarita shares many aspects of California's climate because it is so close to the middle of California.  A friend once put it best when he said " I love California because you can drive to whatever weather you would like it to be."  This being said, it would be best to specify that Santa Clarita shares the desert-like climate that is come common with the lower half of southern California because of its nearness to the driest parts of the state. Santa Clarita has received snow twice in 20 years and doesn't look like it'll be receiving any more soon.

Chapter 17: Pacific Northwest

Santa Clarita and Pacific Northwest

The Pacific Midwest is one of the smaller regions in North America.  It really only consists of half of Washington, half on Oregon, a small part of British Columbia in Canada, and the very small tip of the top of California.  Although small, this region is very much different than its neighbors: Intermontane and California. The presence of the US-Canadian border has had a great effect on the earlier life and settlement.  This area also is one of the smaller populated regions in North America due to its size.

Santa Clarita Climate and Pacific Northwest Climate

Due to it's marine climate, the Pacific Northwest is a very "wet" place to be.  This is not the same in comparison the the desert-like climate that is in Santa Clarita with it only averaging 0-5 inches monthly.  The Pacific Midwest is one of the wettest places in the United States.  They can have anywhere from 250 inches of precipitation annually.  This marine type climate is a result of their proximity  to their neighbors, the Rockies and the Pacific Ocean.  Due to this, a lot of their water comes from snowmelt, 70% of it to be more specific.

Chapter 16: Intermontane

Santa Clarita and Intermontane

The Intermontane is the "closest to home" without actually being home when should you compare it to Santa Clarita.  The Intermontane is directly west of Santa Clarita and includes the states of Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Utah, New Mexico, Arizona, a small part of Texas, and a small part of California.  Only the outermost eastern lip of California falls into the Intermontane line making it so that Santa Clarita misses it.

Santa Clarita Climate and Intermontane Climate

As we recall, Santa Clarita is very much effected by its desert climate.  This makes it very dry year round with little precipitation. The Intermontane is almost similar due to its position in between the Rocky Mountains and the Sierra Nevada.  This makes is so its dry and tough to live there because water is a little more scarce and needs to be put in reserve and have a close eye kept on.  It is a region characterized by canyons due to its volcanic formation.  We already understand that Santa Clarita can get as hot as low 100's with records even hitting 117 degrees, woah!

Chapter 15: The Rocky Mountains

Santa Clarita and the Rocky Mountains

Although one of the thinnest regions in the United States, the Rocky Mountains cover a lot of ground.  As one would guess by the name, the Rocky Mountains are characterized by their mountain features that stretch for more than 3,000 miles.  Mount Evert is the highest recorded peak within the Rocky Mountains at 14,440 feet high (or 4,400 meters).  One should not confuse this group of mountains with the Sierra Nevada, Cascade Range, and Pacific Coast range which all lie more to the west.  Santa Clarita does not share too many characteristics with the Rocky Mountains due to the geographic landscapes of the two.

 Santa Clarita Tourism and Rocky Mountain Tourism

Due to the mountains and the snowfall that occurs during the winter, the Rocky Mountains are now one of the best vacation spots in the United States for Skiing and snow resorts.  Thousands of Americans and international travelers head to lodges in the Rockies for their great slopes and challenges.

Being that Santa Clarita is pretty new, its largest and most well-known attraction would be its branch of the Six Flags company.  Within SCV, right off of the I-5 freeway, one can visit Six Flags Magic Mountain and Six Flags Hurricane Harbor.

Chapter 14: The Great Plains and Candian Prairie

Santa Clarita and The Great Plains and Canadian Prairie

The Great Plains and the Canadian Prairie begin to share more traits with Santa Clarita than a number of the other regions discussed.  Their location in North America is different, but their climates, human settlement, and industry are all greatly characterized by their dryness.  Both regions are looking into sustainability options that take advantage of the land around them especially when it involves the preservation and distribution and water.  The Great Plains and Canadian Prairie span a whopping 1,300,000 square kilometers which is noticeably larger than Santa Clarita's 62.16 square miles but this is obviously due to the fact that there are a number of states that are a part of this large central region.

Santa Clarita Climate and The Great Plains and Canadian Prairie Climate

Although different, the two areas do share a couple features for their climates.  Both Santa Clarita and the Great Plains and Canadian Prairie have dry climates that call for hot summers and cold winters.  Both receive little precipitation have dry winds that pass through them.  However, the pacific air in the great plains and Canadian prairie climate move eastward, so even more moisture is lost as is attempts to pass through the mountains.  This adds to the dryness of the wester plains that lack precipitation (yet remain a little more humid due to the Gulf Coast air)

Chapter 13: The Midwest

Santa Clarita and the Midwest

Also known as the North Central region, the Midwest of the United States consists of Illinoi, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.  The region maintains a fairly even balance between its agriculture and industry.  The "midwestern" term has been around since the 1880's and is a region that is often undecided when it comes to political elections.

 

Santa Clarita Population and Midwest Population

The population of the midwest is very large due to the fact that it has so many separate states within it.  It is one of the largest regions in the United States.  As of 2012, it is estimated that the total population of the Midwest region exceeds 65,370,000 people!  This region is so large that it is actually divided into two groups of states by the Census Bureau.

As stated earlier in the blog, its hard to compare the population of one region to a city, but to put it in comparison, the midwest region is 314 times more populous than Santa Clarita's population, wow!

Santa Clarita Lakes and Midwest Lakes

The Great lakes found in the Midwest are definitely on of the regions, if not the nation's, most known body of lakes.  The five great lakes that consist of the Great lakes are Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario.  The only lake in Santa Clarita is Castaic Lake.