Chapter 18 - Hawaii

The Islands of Oregon

Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge is a U.S. National Wildlife Refuge off the southern Oregon Coast.  The refuge consists of 1,853 small islands, rocks and reefs that are home to a diverse population of animals.  Most common are the dozen seasbirds that nest in the area.  It is also home to four different species of pinnipeds and is has the largest number of breeding Stellar sea lions ourside of Alaska.  Except for one island the entire park is closed off to the public.

Haystack Rock

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Chapter 16 - The North Pacific Coast

The Oregon Coast

 

 

The Oregon coast is generally divided into three regions; the North Coast, Central Coast and South Coast. The coastal areas are Oregon's top tourist destination

 

North Coast

The North Coast is most known for the miles and miles or uninterrupted beaches.  Astoria, which is the northern most city in the state is the staging area for ships that are entering the Colombia River.  The area has extremely low lands which causes the annual floods in the region.

Central Coast

The Central Coast has much of the same terrain as the North Coast but possesses more sea cliffs and has a greater number of bays.  There are several urban cities in this area but because the region is squeezed between the ocean and the mountains many of the cities are quite small.

South Coast

Oregon Dunes

The South Coast is most different from the North and Central regions because is has a more mountainous terrain.  This area also contains the Oregon Dunes which is a national park of windswept sand and is the largest sand dune in North America.  This area also contains a shift from pine and douglas fir trees to redwood and cypress trees.  This region of the coast has more sunshine compared to the other two coastal areas.
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Chapter 15 - California

Oregon vs. California

An article on News Geography reports that California is causing a crisis in Oregon.  The article states that because of the dire economic situation in California and influx of California residents are making Oregon their new home.  This would be a good thing if many of them were skilled workers but the authors worry that many of them are unemployed and have contributed to the rising unemployment rate in Oregon.  They are also concerned that with them, these recent immigrants bring the laid back California political attitude of bureaucracy, high taxes and a disregard for economic activity.  The authors want to remind Oregonians that  "as the population swells, there's no concurrent growth in businesses and employment. Over time, this could pose serious problems. Remember, quality of life begins with a job, preferably a rewarding, well-paying job."

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Chapter 14 - The Southwest Border: Tricultural Development

Native American Tribes of Oregon

There are 9 federally recognize Native American tribes in Oregon.  One of them, the Klamath Tribes consists of the Klamath, Modoc and the Yahooskin tribes and has about 3,500 members.  The tribes inhabited southern Oregon and northern California living of the plentiful land and salmon from the rivers but with the settlement and expansion of the United States they were forced onto the Klamath Reservation in 1864.

 In 1954, the US Congress terminated federal recognition of tribal sovereignty of the Klamath, with the plan to assimilate Native Americans into the mainstream population. During that time much of the land that belonged to the tribe and its individual members was lost or sold off.  In the late twentieth century there was a resurgence of Indian activism and, in 1986,  the Klamath Tribes regained federal recognition.  They are now in the planning stages of a new reservation and purchasing the land back.

Chapter 13 - The Empty Interior

Eastern Oregon

  

In comparison to the western portion of Oregon the eastern territory is much drier and has greater variations in temperature.  This part of the state receives a great amount of snow during the winter and because most of it receives less than 10 inches of rain annually it is classified as a desert.  The lack of rain is due to a "rain shadow" caused by the Cascade Mountain Range.

35% of eastern Oregon is covered in pine and juniper forests, which is why the regions economy leader includes timber and also agriculture.

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Chapter 12 - The Great Plains and Prairies

 High Lava Plains

 

The High Lava Plains are located in central Oregon.  It is a flat region that has been uplifted to about a mile above sea level.  There is high volcanic and tectonic activity in this region.

 In the area you will find many geologic mineral sample such as obsidian, that forms from rapidly cooled viscous lava and also balsalt rock, which is also formed by rapidly cooled lava.  Due to the unigue geologic features of the area the one plentiful supply of mineral has been depleted.

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Chapter 11 - The Agricultural Core

Oregon agriculture

 

 

 

 

Oregon has an extremely diverse agricultural industry.  This is due to the climate, varied types of soil and other factors.  Oregon exports about 80% of its agricultural products, with nearly 1/3 going out of the country.  Crops account for 69% of the state’s total sales, while livestock and poultry account for 31% of the state's total sales.

The leading agricultural products are hay, grass seed, wheat, potatoes, Christmas trees, storage onions, pears are the leading crops in Oregon.  Compared to rest of the nation Oregon leads in the production of blackberries, hazelnuts, loganberries, black raspberries, ryegrass seed, orchardgrass seed, crimson clover, fescue seed, boysen and youngberries, sugarbeets for seed, red clover seed, potted florist azaleas, Christmas trees, Dungeness crab and storage onions.
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