The Great Plains
"The Great Plains are a dynamic but often forgotten landscape
overlooked, undervalued, misunderstood, and in desperate need of conservation."
-michael forsberg
A region once referred to as the "Great American Desert" is now more commonly called the "heartland." The Great Plains are encompassed by expansive grasslands stretching from the Rocky Mountains to the Missouri River. This area is more than 1800 miles from north to south and more than 500 miles from east to west. Much of the vast land mass is fairly flat including Kansas which is in fact "flatter than a pancake." Unlike California's earthquakes, the Heartland is prone to tornadoes and this region is actually more susceptible to tornadoes than anywhere else in the world. Tornado Alley, extending from northern Texas, across Oklahoma and into Kansas is subject to 200 mph winds causing property damage, injuries, and even fatalities. Most industries in this region are agriculture-related due to the reliance on the primary sector. However "well over half of all employment n the Great Plains states.. is in the tertiary and quaternary sectors of economy" (219). With all the farmland, teachers, social service workers, law enforcement officers, and local government employees still outnumber farmers in many communities. Unlike San Francisco, the tourist sector is not well-developed. It is very rare to hear someone tell an exciting story about their vacation in the the Great Plains. Nevertheless, this region is immersed with beauty and "the grasslands might become sources of revenues for ecotourism, for wildlife viewing, for hunting and fishing and for people wanting to learn about native cultures" (223).
Resources :
Hardwick, Susan, Fred M. Shelley, and Donald G. Holtgrieve.
The Geography of North America. Illinois: Pearson College Division.
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http://plainshumanities.unl.edu/encyclopedia/