00:00Why do 80% of all Americans live east of this line, while only 20% occupy the western part of the United States?
00:07Even more, the majority in the West live in California, Oregon, and Washington within this line,
00:13accounting for 11% of all those living in the West.
00:17Thus, only 9% of Americans live in half of the mainland of the U.S.,
00:21which is equivalent to the population of New York City alone.
00:23Why is that?
00:24The main reason for this is geography, especially the rocky mountains that stretch across the entire country
00:30and act as a natural barrier for the rains coming from the Pacific Ocean.
00:34They are so high that they prevent the clouds from passing into the center of the country,
00:39and this effect is called rain shadow.
00:41At the same time, precipitation from the east can easily penetrate into the depths of the country,
00:46but due to winds from the Gulf of Mexico, cannot cross this line as it changes its direction.
00:51Because of the lack of precipitation, it creates an area of dry land that is not suitable for agricultural production,
00:57and this is reflected in the population density.
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