Peculiar identity of the United States South-West
Tetiana Balabushevich, PhD (history), Associated Professor, National Kyiv Mohyla Academy
Abstract
There are various opinions on what might be called traditional “American South-West” between Los Angeles, Denver and El-Paso. Arizona and New-Mexico are certainly its core, while most experts also include such states as Colorado, Idaho, California, Kansas, Nebraska, Nevada, Oregon, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah, Wyoming. This article regards different interpretations of what are the South-West geographical limits, main stages of its pre-history and gradual including into the United States by annexations with peace treaties or purchases from Mexico, evolution of official status from the newly acquired territories to constituent sovereign states, natural resources and climate, comfort or discomfort of mountains and deserts for human living, population density, ethnic composition and languages, tragic destiny of native tribes in the past and efforts at improving situation with self-government, peculiarities of mentality and culture compared with the US North and South, its economic and political significance, strategic role in the Cold War, the most important centers, specific features of modern cities and exotic towns, tourist attractions, current dynamic developments and prospects.
Keywords
USA, Mexico, Arizona, California, Texas
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