THE EMPTY INTERIOR

The Empty Interior
By Stephen S. Birdsall and John Florin

Stretching from the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains westward to the Sierra Nevada of California, to the Cascade Range of the Pacific Northwest and into Alaska, is the largest area of sparse population in America. Its low average population density is the key identifying feature of this region. Indeed, there is much variation in other elements of the territory's geography. Portions have rugged terrain interspersed with a series of plateaus, many of which contain extensive flat areas. Annual precipitation ranges from more than 125 centimeters in northern Idaho to less than 25 centimeters in the plateau country. The population of the region is mostly of European origin, although Hispanic-Americans and American Indians are found in significant proportions in the south. Irrigated agriculture is important in some areas, as is ranching, whereas in other areas, lumbering, tourism, and mining are dominant.

SIERRA NEVADA CALIFORNIA

YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK PART OF THE SIERRA NEVADA

IS A BEAUTIFUL PLACE TO ENCOUNTEER WITH NATURE.