While state and local boundaries are clearly defined and embodied in law, those of the region called the Pacific Northwest are not. Cohesion derives from the region’s early geographic isolation and resulting history. In this article, “Pacific Northwest” refers to Washington, Oregon and Idaho (Schwantes), although the term is sometimes used also to include British Columbia, western Montana and/or northern California.

This variegated, 250,000 square mile, parallelogram-shaped region spans 480 miles north to south and 680 miles east to west. It is bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west, the Canadian border to the north, the Klamath (Siskiyou) Mountains and Great Basin desert to the south, and the Rocky Mountains to the east. Its vegetative diversity reflects its climatic diversity, with three major vegetation provinces—forest, shrub-steppe and alpine. Unifying the region is the Columbia River, with its many tributaries, transportation and communication networks, trade and commerce patterns and a special sense of place derived from its history and geography.

What gives Pacific Northwesterners a different sense of place from others? The environment. The region’s spectacular landscape offers a plethora of contrasts, from breathtaking views of jagged mountains to alpine meadows; from the glistening waters of the coast to the vast, dry, sagebrush interior; from wide sandy beaches to rugged headlands; from lush forested valleys to bare rock faces; and from placid estuaries to turbulent mountain streams.

The region’s geography provides the basis for understanding its history and economy.

The Pacific Northwest remained isolated from the main centers of economic and political power through the early part of the twentieth century. Because of its separateness and the fact that it supplied the country with raw materials such as furs, logs, lumber, agricultural products, seafood and metals it came to be thought of as a colonial hinterland.

The region was home to two contrasting American Indian cultures. The coastal and plateau peoples located in a rich natural environment produced a stable economy and sedentary culture. In contrast, the desert peoples adapted to its dry climate and scarcity of food with a seminomadic lifestyle.

The region’s environment is an outcome not merely of geologic history but also of values about nature deeply embedded in the local psyche. Pacific Northwest literature is replete with images of human interaction with the natural environment. It is often suggested that the environment itself determined who settled here—that the rugged mountains and gigantic forests attracted strongwilled, self-reliant people.

In all three states of the Pacific Northwest, tourism is one of the top three revenue generators. The area’s many recreational resources not only benefit the regional economy but are also an important contributor to Pacific Northwesterners’ high quality of life. The terrain seduces worldclass mountain climbers, skiiers and other outdoor enthusiasts.

Hikers escape to the untrammeled wilderness areas, combers and surfers to the beaches, fishing enthusiasts to the streams, lakes and rivers and hunters to the wildlife of the forests and shrub steppes.

Bucking one of the strongest traditions of the American West—an individual’s right to develop his or her own land—the Pacific Northwest led the country in several areas of environmental protection through growth management, as well as forest and salmon protection legislation. This was not, however, achieved without controversy—the battle lines were clearly visible from bumper stickers declaring: “I Like Spotted Owls—Fried” versus “Save an Owl, Educate a Logger.” The 1990 census showed the Pacific Northwest outpacing the national rate of population growth, with newcomers arriving from all over the United States as well as from overseas. Washington has five times the population of Idaho, while Oregon’s population lies between the two. The average population density was thirty-five people per square mile in 1990, significantly lower than the national average of seventy. The Pacific Northwest’s population has always been overwhelmingly Caucasian, but now includes rapidly growing Spanish-speaking, Asian and African American populations.

Over time, the Pacific Northwest’s attitudes towards its minority populations have shifted dramatically but differently in each state. Idaho’s image is often associated with that of the white supremacists. Contrast the late nineteenth-century banner seen in Seattle proclaiming “The Chinese must go!” with the 1996 election of Washington Governor Gary Locke, the first Chinese American governor in US history. While discriminatory signs once excluded blacks from public places in Washington State, African Americans have recently been elected as County Executive (Ron Sims) and Seattle mayor (Norm Rice).

Although the Second World War expanded the region’s economy to include manufacturing (due to Puget Sound-based Boeing’s defense contracts), forestry mining, fishing and agricultural industries continued to be important. In Washington’s Puget Sound region in particular, the economy has taken wild rollercoaster rides as Boeing’s defense and commercial contracts have alternately expanded and shriveled.

Following a dramatic downturn in manufacturing in the early 1970s, the region made a concerted effort to diversify its economy. This resulted in marked expansions in international trade, service and high-technology industries—most notably Microsoft, which catapulted the region onto the world’s radar screen. The Pacific Northwest continues to dominate the high-tech industry worldwide, while spawning numerous spinoff businesses here at home.

Images of Northwest scenery in TV series such as Twin Peaks (ABC, 1990–1) and Northern Exposure (CBS, 1990–5), and Gus Van Sant’s My Own Private Idaho (1991) have introduced millions around the globe to this region.

“Northwest cuisine” not only reflects variations in the area’s landscape and ethnic populations, but captures its adventurous spirit through four subregional cuisines. Coastal waters cuisine dares us with dishes such as matsutake mushrooms in seaweed broth and creamy sea-urchin bisque. Farmland cuisine tempts us with Walla Walla onion frittata and Fraser Valley pheasant. Cities cuisine features microbrew steamers and cappuccino cheesecake. Finally, mountains and forests cuisine includes tasty delicacies like morels on toast and vegetable pâté with watercress and fiddlehead ferns. With Northwest wines and microbrews winning international awards, a locally made beverage is a must to accompany the region’s culinary delights.