For starter's, we can take a look at what each region exports. The Pacific's largest export in California (as mentioned in multiple previous posts) is agricultural goods, which constitute over half of the United States' food supply. The year-round warm and sunny climate makes it easy to grow food here, with help from the rich soil as well. The Appalachian's largest export is coal, which is mined from the surface's of the Appalachian Mountains in different states in the region, such as West Virginia and Pennsylvania. This coal is used not only in the United States, but is also exported to countries such as Canada, Japan, Brazil, and France. In the United States, coal is mainly used for generating electrical power, due to its low cost when compared to oil, and its safety factors when compared to nuclear power. Therefore, massive amounts of coal are needed to be supplied in order to generate power at these plants. The coal in this region is mined mainly in one of two ways: the first method is through underground mining, while the second method is through surface mining techniques.
Surface Mining for Coal(Source: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgScAfvTzi64VjhZhlTRaQbDm-OpmPAbmhaF6a2yM5ITT4lEAJ5vzd4kVCi6ZoCzMrravVUiHcpzj6A7xvTVUR6NfcYTeUb_ORCeFXeyIU52EPJFgFggEaqoF8Q1CYMyjJm-OEUYWQHiwzq/s1600/Strip_coal_mining.jpg)
The next comparison is the diversity between the two areas. According to information from the 2000 Census, the State of California is composed of over 22 million white citizens, with the second largest being listed as "Other". However, it is important to note that people of Hispanic origin have always been placed under as either "White" or "Other", due to the fact that up until this last census in 2010, there has been no choice available for "Hispanic" origin. However, when one visits any major city in California, it is easy to tell that these areas mostly are made up of either Hispanic or White people, with no majority being within the two. This is different from how the Appalachian and Ozark region is composed. The majority of Americans there have a European background. These backgrounds include people from Ireland, Scotland, Germany, and England.
Appalachian deep coal miners.(Source: http://www.dailyyonder.com/files/imagecache/story_default/imagefield/Corn_Jack065.jpg)
The last comparison is with the topography that is found in each region. The Pacific region is composed mountainous regions, with a mix of smaller hills in between as well. Generally, the more North you go in the Pacific region, the more mountainous terrain you encounter. However, most of this terrain (especially in the northern region) is located next to the Pacific Ocean. The rest of the region, until you begin to get into Oregon, is mainly flat with some minor hills. The topography located in the Appalachians is, for the most part, mountainous and rigid everywhere. Intensive erosion has occurred in the region over millions of years here, through both intensive ice formations and rainfall occurring over the area. The small amount of agriculture that is grown here is grown within the valleys of the region, where a lot of smaller towns and cities are also located. River's that run through the valley have been known in the past to overflow and cause flooding. These rivers have been now equipped with dams, which both help stop flooding and generate power for the cities and towns that run through this region.
Appalachian Mountains in West Virginia(Source: http://www.marietta.edu/~biol/biomes/images/alpine/mtopview.jpg)
Regardless of whether or not you choose one region over the other, both are beautiful in their own ways.
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