Pacific Northwest

Pacific Northwest Cascadia
Left-right from top: Seattle skyline and Mount Rainier, Multnomah Falls, Crater Lake, Vancouver skyline, the Black Tusk, Cannon Beach, Portland skyline and Mount Hood
Composition	British Columbia, Oregon, Washington, and Idaho sometimes: Southeastern Alaska, Northern California, Western Montana, Yukon
Largest metropolitan areas	Greater Seattle Greater Vancouver Greater Portland
Dialect	Pacific Northwest English

The Pacific Northwest, also referred to as Cascadia, is a region on the west coast of North America. It refers to the northwestern corner of the United States and the southwestern part of Canada. The U.S. states of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and western Montana are in the southern part of the Pacific Northwest. The Canadian province of British Columbia and the southeast of the U.S. state of Alaska is in the northern part. The entire region is bordered by the Pacific Ocean to the west.

Historically, the Pacific Northwest had been inhabited by Native Americans. About 15,000 years ago, Native Americans settled along the coastline and along the major rivers. From the 1500s to the 1700s, Europeans explored the region, beginning with the discovery of Oregon and Washington State. In the early 1800s, the famous Lewis and Clark expedition arrived in Washington State. In the 19th century, the region began to be settled. Today, the largest cities in the Pacific Northwest include Vancouver, Seattle, and Portland.

The rugged mountains of the Pacific Northwest consist of the Coast Range, which is nearer the coast, and the Cascade Range. In northern Washington State, the Cascade Range is called the North Cascades. In British Columbia, it is called the Canadian Cascades.^[1] The many rivers of the Pacific Northwest result from its wet climate since the mountains trap wet Pacific air and leave little rain for inland states like Idaho. The rivers once supported large salmon runs, but large power dams have been built on many rivers.

The main language of the Pacific Northwest is English in both the United States and Canada. Also, among the Native Americans, Chinook Jargon is common. Among the many Asian immigrants, Chinese is being used more in the Northwest.

1. ↑ "Canadian Cascades (Cascade Mountains)". Bivouac - Canadian Mountain Encyclopedia. Retrieved 2009-07-21.