Free
Imagine a jigsaw puzzle. Does it have lots of pieces? Do the shapes of the pieces fit together? Does every bulge in one piece match a dent of the same size and shape in another?
If so, you know something about the geography of Oregon. It’s a jigsaw puzzle of shapes and elevations. This state borders Washington, Idaho, California, and Nevada. It also borders the Pacific Ocean. Oregon has six geographic areas. They include lowlands, plateaus, and mountains. The areas include the Coast Range, the Klamath Mountains, and the Willamette Valley. They also include the Cascade Mountains, the Columbia Plateau, and the Basin and Range Region. Each area has its own story and its own beauty.
▲ Here, in the Coast Range, are forest-covered mountains, small lakes, and 1,000-foot cliffs. The climate here is the wettest and mildest in the state. It’s no surprise that the forests are lush. The range is an ancient volcanic chain of islands that struck North America 50 million years ago. And stayed. Mary’s Peak is the highest in the range. Its top is at 4,097 feet. The Kalapuya, Native Americans of the area, called the peak tcha Timanwi. That means “place of the spiritual power.”
▲ The Klamath Mountains are named for the Klamath tribe of Native Americans. The mountains are a rugged range with deep river valleys. A wide variety of animals live here. Plants, too. For example, more kinds of cone-bearing trees are here than anywhere else in North America. Hundreds of bird species can be also be found here. Plus deer, black bears, and mountain lions.
The Willamette River and others flow through this area from the surrounding mountains. As they flow, they leave sediment, or rich soil, behind. This has made the Willamette Valley an area for farming. Crops include grapes used in making wine, and trees for Christmas. Often the destination of early settlers, Oregon’s three biggest cities are in this region. Portland is one of them. Salem and Eugene are the others. ▶
Loading the player...
▲ The Cascade Mountain area claims several firsts. At 11,239 feet, Mount Hood is the highest peak in Oregon. Crater Lake is the deepest lake in the United States. The Cascade Mountains, which give this area its name, are part of the Pacific Ocean Ring of Fire. This is a path in the Pacific Ocean of frequent earthquakes and active volcanoes. The path runs up along the west coast of South and North America. Then it bends west toward Asia. Oregon’s Mount St. Helens (above) is on that path. The last major eruption of Mount St. Helens was in 1980.
◀ The Columbia Plateau is a great place for farming. Its rolling hills, fertile soil, and flowing rivers make it so. At other locations, deep river canyons cut into the hills. Hells Canyon (left) is the deepest river canyon in all of North America. It averages 5,500 feet deep. Elsewhere are tall columns of volcanic rock, called basalt. These formed 6–17 millions years ago. At that time, lava from deep in the Earth came up through cracks in the surface. The lava rose straight up from the land in layers. Then the layers hardened.
▲ You might think you’re looking at the Old West. But it’s a present-day picture of Beatys Butte (be-YOOT). A butte is a hill with steep sides and a flat top. Buttes are the result of soil and rock being worn away by ice, water, and wind. They’re very common in this part of Oregon. The whole area is made up of about a hundred small mountain ranges that run north and south. The ranges are separated by flat areas. These are called basins. Much of the area is like a desert. That’s especially true in the southeastern part of the state. There, yearly precipitation is only 8–12 inches.
