The Southwestern area of the United States could be defined as the states 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.
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.
The Southwest is ethnically varied, with significant European American, Hispanic American, Asian American, and American Indian populations.
The area also contains large cities and metropolitan areas, despite its low population density in rural areas. Houston, Phoenix, Los Angeles, San Antonio, San Jose, San Diego and Dallas all rank among the top ten most populous cities in the country1. Fort Worth, San Francisco, Las Vegas and Austin are in the top 20.1 Many of the states in this region, such as New Mexico and Arizona, have witnessed some of the highest population growth in the United States. Urban areas in this region, like Las Vegas, Albuquerque, Phoenix, Tucson and El Paso are some of the fastest growing cities in the country.
Notes
External links
|