NEW MEXICO PROVINCES

BASIN AND RANGE

CLIMATE Very hot Hottest temperature was in 1934 at 116

degrees Dry climate Few streams Rain Shadow effect

Air travels east over the Pacific Ocean gathers moisture and then when it reaches the Sierra Nevada Mountains suck most of the moisture out of the air. The air that gets to New Mexico holds very little moisture which causes our hot dry climate

RAIN SHADOW EFFECT

PLANT AND ANIMAL LIFE Growing season can last for more than

200 days. Desert grasslands and scattered

mountains which have mesquite-tarbush desert scrub, creosote bush, and large patches of Palo Verde cactus shrub and saguaro cactus.

Animals: pronghorn antelope, coyotes, jack rabbits, cattle, elk, mountain lion, quail, deer, and roadrunners

SETTLEMENT PATTERNS The two largest cities in New Mexico are

in the Basin and Range Province: Las Cruces and Albuquerque

Both are in the Rio Grande Rift and began as farming communitiesBecause of fertile soil and access to water

Both were colonized around the same time as Santa Fe

WORKS CITED Melzer, R., & Reyes, C. K. (2012). The

New Mexico Journey. Layton, UT: Gibbs Smith Education.