Some parts of the Southwest are desert.
The rest is very dry. When rain does fall, it’s often in short, strong thunderstorms that cause flash floods. This doesn’t seem like a good climate for people, especially farmers. Even so, the Native Americans of the Southwest grew corn, beans, squash, and cotton.
In 1492, the Pueblo people lived in the Southwest. One of them was the Hopi. Like some other Pueblo people, they lived in multistory buildings or houses. These were built on the tops of mesas (high, flat-topped hills). They were also built on the sides of a cliff. Put on your hiking boots and climb the long stone stairway to the top of the mesa. The people who live there are waiting to meet you.