Gold is a valuable resource in the Pacific West region. In 1848, James Marshall discovered gold in California. This was the beginning of the California Gold Rush. Towns sprang up over night. They were called boom towns. People came to California hoping to find gold and become rich. Fifty years later, Alaska was the sight of another gold rush.
Oil is another valuable resource in the Pacific West region. It was discovered in Alaska in the 1960's. Alaska is now ranked 2nd in the U.S. for oil production. Texas is ranked number one. The oil in Alaska is moved through pipeline called the Trans-Alaska Pipeline. In 1989, There was a huge oil spill in at Valdez, Alaska. An oil tanker called the Exxon Valdez ran aground. It was a huge disaster. The water and the shoreline was damaged. Oil spills hurt the environment and kill wildlife.
Timber is a valable natural resource in California and Oregon. There are two special kinds of evergreen trees grown in this region. The two trees are redwoods and giant sequoias. They are both very tall trees. These two types of trees are protected by the government. The Douglas Fir grows in Washington. It is used to make lumber.
Fishing is an important industry in this region. The most important fish in this region is the salmon. Most of the salmon industry takes place in Alaska and Washington.
Manufacturing is important to this region too. California is the number one manufacturing state in the United States. It is known for manufacturing aircraft and silicon chips for computers. Food processing is also important to this region.
