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Geology of Idaho. Cities and Industries. Idaho – vast forests, rolling plains, soaring peaks, and surging rivers. Idaho – land of active towns/cities where businesses and industries thrive. Some of the important towns and cities of the state of Idaho. www.netstate.com/ states/maps/id_maps.htm.
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Geology of Idaho Cities and Industries
Idaho – vast forests, rolling plains, soaring peaks, and surging rivers
Idaho – land of active towns/cities where businesses and industries thrive
Some of the important towns and cities of the state of Idaho www.netstate.com/ states/maps/id_maps.htm
Gold dots indicate early mining claims Dark shading indicates areas of current impact
Currently mining silver, lead, zinc Silver profitable when >$5/oz (currently $12)
Currently mining phosphate for fertilizers, explosives, etc.
Idaho – the most forested state in the Western U.S. Timber has been one of the major industries for Idaho
Idaho agriculture is concentrated in two major zones. It is important statewide, however, just on a smaller scale.
The agricultural processing industry shadows agricultural areas for obvious reasons
Bluegrass seed in the panhandle Wheat in the Palouse Orchards in the SW “Spuds” and in the SE
Grasses/hay on the Camas Prairie Livestock throughout the State Sugar beets in the South Truck farms in the SW
“Here We Have Idaho…..” • Recreation and Tourism are rapidly becoming the biggest, most important, (economically) industry in the state • The problem is that they pay much lower wages than mining and timber have historically provided
Idaho’s scenic beauty draws a variety of people for different reasons The out-of-doors in North Idaho
Sun Valley Native American Casinos The River of No Return
The major population centers are located in two particular regions:
Boise – the capital of Idaho and business/financial/education/entertainment center of Southern Idaho/Northern Nevada/Northern Utah/Eastern Oregon
Turning the desert into productive ground through irrigation
livestock Sugar beets Alfalfa hay Potatoes
Food processing • Twin Falls • Pocatello • Idaho Falls (incl. stockyards) • Rexburg (Sugar City)
Many towns grew up on the plain to support the various forms of agriculture there
Light Manufacturing and Related Industries • Water resources from Snake River • Electrical power • Growing workforce • Resulted in a new type of industry
Mining –sometimes in unusual forms- is found in Idaho Phosphate mining near Soda Springs
On February 1, 2005 the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory and Argonne National Laboratory-West became the Idaho National Laboratory (INL).