Pacific Northwest

The Pacific Northwest is a large land.

It sits in North America. The big ocean is to the west.

Tall mountains are to the east.

Many lands are part of it. These include Oregon and Washington. Idaho is also there. British Columbia is a part too.

Indigenous people lived here for a long time. They lived near rivers and the sea. They used cedar wood and salmon for food.

Many people live in big cities now. Seattle and Vancouver are large areas. Portland is another big place.

It is a place with many different parts. People still enjoy its rich history.

The Pacific Northwest is a large area in North America.

It sits by the Pacific Ocean to the west. The Rocky Mountains are to the east. People do not always agree on its exact borders. Most people include Oregon, Washington, and Idaho. They also include the Canadian province of British Columbia.

Indigenous peoples have lived here for thousands of years. Some groups lived in large villages by the coast. They used cedar wood and salmon for many things. In the mountains, some groups moved from place to place. In the north, the Haida and Tlingit people made tall totem poles. These are famous works of art.

Many explorers came to this land in the past. Spanish and English sailors mapped the rocky coast.

Captain George Vancouver charted much of the area. Many places, like Vancouver Island, are named after him.

Today, many people live in big cities here. Seattle is a very large area. Vancouver and Portland are also big cities.

The region has a long and rich history.

The Pacific Northwest is a large region in western North America.

It sits right next to the Pacific Ocean to the west. To the east, the land is bounded by the Rocky Mountains. People do not always agree on its exact borders. Most people think of Oregon, Washington, and Idaho. They also include the Canadian province of British Columbia.

Some definitions even reach up into Alaska and the Yukon. Others only look at the areas west of the mountains.

Indigenous peoples have lived in this region for thousands of years. Some scholars think people moved here from northeast Asia a long time ago. Evidence from the Port Eliza Cave shows people could live here 16,000 years ago. Other findings in Oregon's Paisley Caves date back 14,500 years. Many groups lived in large villages along the coast. They used salmon and cedar wood to build their societies. The Haida and Tlingit people made famous, carved totem poles. These poles are iconic symbols of their artistic traditions.

Many explorers sailed to these shores to map the land. Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo was the first European to explore this coast in 1542. Later, English captain Francis Drake sailed the area in 1579. He called the land New Albion and claimed it for England. Spanish explorers also visited many times during the 1700s. They explored places like the Olympic Peninsula and the mouth of the Columbia River. These sailors helped create the first maps of the complex coastline.

Captain George Vancouver led a big mission for Great Britain. From 1792 to 1794, he charted many bays and inlets.

He explored the Strait of Georgia and Puget Sound. Many places are named after him today. These include Vancouver Island and the city of Vancouver. He even worked with Spanish explorers to map the area. This helped people understand the many islands and waterways.

Today, the region is home to many large cities.

Greater Seattle is the largest area with 4 million people. Metro Vancouver has 3.4 million people living there. Greater Portland has about 2.5 million people. The Boise area has over 845,000 people. The Spokane-Coeur d'Alene area has about 793,000 people. These cities are part of a busy and connected region. The border between the U.S. and Canada shapes how people live here.

The Pacific Northwest, often called the PNW, is a vast geographic region in western North America.

It is bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Rocky Mountains to the east. Because there is no official boundary, people define the region in different ways. The most common definition includes the U.S. states of Oregon, Washington, and Idaho. It also includes the Canadian province of British Columbia.

Some broader views reach into Alaska, the Yukon, and even parts of Montana or California. The region is often split into two distinct areas. The Northwest Coast covers the coastal areas, while the Northwest Plateau refers to the inland interior.

Indigenous peoples have occupied this land for many thousands of years. Some scholars study the coastal migration hypothesis to understand how people arrived. This theory suggests people moved from northeast Asia into the Americas along the coast. Evidence from Port Eliza Cave suggests a survivable climate existed there 16,000 years ago. Other findings in Oregon's Paisley Caves date human occupation back to 14,500 years ago. These findings occur even while continental ice sheets were near their maximum extent. The richness of local fisheries allowed some groups to develop complex, sedentary societies. These societies remained hunter-gatherers but lived in large, permanent villages.

The cultures of these indigenous groups are incredibly diverse and sophisticated. Along the coast, societies developed systems of social rank and prestige. They established extensive trade networks that connected different groups. In the interior, some groups were mobile and egalitarian. Others lived in affluent, sedentary societies along the Columbia and Fraser rivers. The Haida and Tlingit peoples are famous for carving elaborate totem poles. These poles are iconic symbols of their artistic traditions. Many indigenous people today still organize their societies around the resources of cedar and salmon.

European exploration of the region began in the 16th century. In 1542, the Portuguese navigator Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo became the first European to explore the west coast of the modern United States. By 1579, the English captain Francis Drake sailed up the coast during his circumnavigation. Drake may have reached as far north as 48N latitude. He claimed the area for Queen Elizabeth I, naming it New Albion. Later, the Greek captain Juan de Fuca supposedly found the Strait of Juan de Fuca around 1592. By the late 1700s, Spanish, British, and Russian explorers were all competing to map the coastline.

Spanish expeditions were very active during the late 18th century. In 1774, Juan Pérez landed on Haida Gwaii. In 1775, Bruno de Heceta sighted the mouth of the Columbia River and named it Bahia de la Asunción. During this same era, the Russian Empire established several posts along the coast. These settlements eventually reached as far south as Fort Ross in California. The name of the Russian River comes from this local presence. These various expeditions helped create the first detailed representations of major features like the Fraser River delta.

Between 1792 and 1794, Captain George Vancouver led a major British charting mission.

He mapped the Strait of Georgia, Puget Sound, and much of the British Columbia coast. His work was so significant that many places bear his name. These include Vancouver Island, the city of Vancouver, and Vancouver, Washington. Vancouver often worked alongside Spanish explorers to chart the complex coastline. This cooperation helped clarify the many intricate bays and inlets of the region. His expeditions helped transform the maps of the Pacific Northwest into more accurate tools.

Today, the Pacific Northwest is a major center of human population. The region contains several large metropolitan areas that are closely connected. Greater Seattle is the largest, with 4 million people. Metro Vancouver follows with 3.4 million people. Greater Portland has 2.5 million people. The Boise metropolitan area holds 845,877 people, and the Spokane-Coeur d'Alene area has 793,285 people.

The international border between the United States and Canada has a profound impact on the region. Historian Ken Coates notes that the boundary has actually determined the history and character of the Pacific Northwest.