Every state in the Mountain West region has mountains with high elevations. Colorado's altitude makes it the nation's highest state.  The Rocky Mountians are in this region. The Rocky Mountains are the largest mountains in the United States. The Rockies are bordered on the east by The Great Plains. The Great Basin borders the Rockies on the west. The Great Basin Desert covers most of Nevada and Utah. The population in the Rocky Mountains is low. There are few cities. The principal economic resources of the mountians are minerals such as coal, copper, gold, iron ore, lead, petroleum, natural gas, silver and zinc.

The Continental Divide runs through this region. It is a line of ridges that runs north to south through the Rocky Mountains. Glacier National Park is located on the Continental Divide. The Continental Divide separates rivers that flow west into the Pacific ocean from rivers that flow east into the Atlantic Ocean. The Arkansas, Colorado, Columbia, Missouri, Río Grande, Saskatchewan, and Snake rivers rise in the Rockies. The Snake River is the chief tributary of the Columbia River. It snakes its way through Wyoming and Idaho. It rises in Yellowstone National Park. The most important river in the Mountain West region is the The Colorado River.

There are deserts and semideserts in Utah and Nevada. A semidesert is not as dry, hot or bare as a regular desert. The Great Salt Lake Desert is in this region. Three important cities of the Mountian West region are in the deserts. These cities are Las Vegas, Reno and Salt Lake City.

Activity 2: Physical Features