Table of Contents
Why did such a variety of cultures exist in California and along the Northwest coast?
The Pacific Northwest Coast at one time had the most densely populated areas of indigenous people. The mild climate and abundant natural resources, such as cedar and salmon, made possible the rise of a complex aboriginal culture.
What is the name of the ocean along the California coast?
Pacific Ocean
Given its 840 miles of beautiful coastline, California’s relationship with the Pacific Ocean is deep and abiding.
How is the northern coast different from the southern coast of California?
The northern Coast Ranges are generally higher than the southern Coast Ranges. North-south trending valleys and ridges which lie along a series of parallel faults and folds make up the Coast Ranges. The Russian River (northern CR) and Salinas River (southern CR) are major rivers of the Coast Ranges.
What is the culture like in the Pacific Northwest?
The Northwest Economy was based on abundant natural resources, especially fish and wood. The people were atypically wealth-conscious, with a highly stratified Society and a distinctive Culture. Their Lifestyle was organized and stable. They would later be influenced by European explorers, trappers and settlers.
Who inhabited California first?
When Spanish navigator Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo became the first European to sight the region that is present-day California in 1542, there were about 130,000 Native Americans inhabiting the area.
Which beach in California has the warmest water?
The Balboa Peninsula provides shelter from the open Pacific to make Newport Beach waters the warmest in California year round.
What does the Pacific Northwest depend on?
The most important source of sustenance throughout the Pacific Northwest are the salmon runs, in which the fish swim up into the rivers from the ocean.
What kind of vegetation grows in Southern California?
Chaparral slopes are typical of southern Coast Ranges. Maritime is unique in that it forms low to the ground, on sandy soil, and grows in open woodland. Various forms of Manzanita and California Lilacs are typical forms of this vegetation in this area. Many of these shrubs are endemic to California. Mixed Evergreen Forest
Where did the rocks in the coast ranges come from?
Geology of the Coast Ranges Many of the rocks in this range originated south of where they currently sit. The batholithic rocks (granite) form the Salinian block. These were probably formed by subduction south of the Sierra Nevada and via the movement of the San Andeas fault lie where they do today.
What kind of vegetation are the Coast Ranges made of?
The Coast Ranges consist of Oak Woodland and Foothill Woodland (basically the same thing). The southern part of this range has Coastal Sage Scrub and chaparral. North facing slopes tend to have evergreen oaks with deep roots thatreach to permanent water sources.
What kind of climate does the North Coast Range have?
The maritime climate on the western side of the slopes is generally colder, foggy, and lots of water. There is little water loss here and the soil stays very damp due to fog drip. In the north Coast Range the fog drip is responsible for the Coastal Redwoods.