The U.S. West Coast is home to about 51 million people, but in this vast region spanning southern Oregon and northern California, there are only 1.5 million residents—just 3% of the coast's total population! 🤯 Even though it covers nearly a quarter of the West Coast's land and is comparable in size to Great Britain, it remains sparsely populated. But why? The answer lies in history and geography 📜 During the Oregon Trail, settlers flocked to the Willamette Valley, while Southern California boomed thanks to the Gold Rush and the Transcontinental Railroad. Meanwhile, this area remained largely undeveloped 🌄 Add to that the rugged mountain ranges, dense forests, and arid lands, and it’s clear why settlement here was challenging. This region is even known as the ""State of Jefferson"" a proposed U.S. state that locals have unsuccessfully tried to establish multiple times 🇺🇸

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