The Southwestern area of the United States could be defined as the states south, or for the most part west of the Mississippi River, with the qualification of a certain northern limit, such as the 37, or 38, or 39, or 40 degree north line. The Mississippi River is the second longest River in the United States, with a length of from its source in Lake Itasca in Minnesota to

Regional definitions vary from source to source. The states shown in dark red are usually included, while all or portions of the striped states may or may not be considered part of the Southwestern United States.

Phoenix, Arizona: The largest city in the immediate Southwest. Phoenix (ˈfiːˌnɪks O'odham Skikik, Yavapai Wasinka, Western Apache Fiinigis, Navajo Hoozdo,

Geography

The Southwestern United States is a region of the western United States, and home to over 50 million residents. The Western United States &mdashcommonly referred to as the American West or simply the West &mdashtraditionally refers to the region comprising the westernmost The USGS does not define regions so regional definitions vary from source to source. The United States Geological Survey ( USGS) is a scientific agency of the United States government. ^[1] The Southwest always includes New Mexico and Arizona, but often takes in western Texas. New Mexico ( is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States of America. The State of Arizona ( is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States.

The population density of the region is less than three people per square mile. The Southwest is also more ethnically varied than neighboring regions, with significant European American, Mexican American, and American Indian populations. A European American (Euro-American is a person who resides in the United States and is either from Europe or is the descendant of European immigrants See also History of Mexican-Americans Mexican Americans are Americans of Mexican ancestry Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples from the regions of North America now encompassed by the continental United States

The Southwest contains many large cities and metropolitan areas of the country, despite the low population density of the region as a whole. Phoenix, Los Angeles, Dallas, San Antonio, San Diego and Houston all rank among the top ten most populous cities in the country^[2]. Phoenix (ˈfiːˌnɪks O'odham Skikik, Yavapai Wasinka, Western Apache Fiinigis, Navajo Hoozdo, Los Angeles (lɑˈsændʒələs los ˈaŋxeles in Spanish) is the largest City in the state of California and the American West Fort Worth and Austin are in the top 20 ^[2]. Fort Worth is the fifth-largest city in the state of Texas and the seventeenth-largest city in the United States. Many of the states in this region, such as Nevada, New Mexico and Arizona, have witnessed some of the highest population growth in the United States. Nevada ( is a state located in the western region of the United States of America. New Mexico ( is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States of America. The State of Arizona ( is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. Urban areas in this region, like Las Vegas, Albuquerque and Phoenix are some of the fastest growing cities in the country. Las Vegas ( Spanish: "The Meadows" is the most populous City in the state of Nevada, the seat of Clark County, and an internationally

Cuisine

Tex-Mex cuisine was popularized in Texas^[3], and has spread to many other areas, both in Texas and in other nearby western states. Tex-Mex is a term used primarily in Texas and the Southwestern United States to describe a regional American cuisine that blends Food products New Mexican cuisine, includes a notable focus on its respective regional emphasis on chile spice, more particularly the famous "Hatch Green Chile". New Mexican food is a type of regional cuisine originating in the U Arizona's very popular Arizona-Sonoran cuisine, holds its own meld of northern Mexican states' love of heavy sauces, as well as that regional respect for chile heat. And, the San Francisco burrito and "Fresh Mex" or Baja California-style of Mexican food is also commonly associated with the Southwest. In San Francisco California, the Mexican-American Burrito has become a city specialty as the New York-based writer Calvin Trillin describes in his essay Baja California (pronounced ˈbɑːhɑː kælɨˈfɔrnjə in English is the northernmost state of Mexico.

Notes

External links

• American Southwest, a National Park Service Discover Our Shared Heritage Travel Itinerary