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Regional definitions vary from source to source. The states shown in dark red are usually included, while all or portions of the striped states may or may not be considered part of the Southwestern United States.

Phoenix, Arizona: The largest city in the immediate Southwest.

The Southwestern United States, commonly referred to as the Southwest, is a region of the western United States. The consists principally of Arizona, southern Nevada and Utah, New Mexico, southern Colorado, southeastern California, and western Texas. Although the precise definition varies widely, western Oklahoma is also commonly considered part of "the Southwest."

The population density of the region is less than three people per square mile. The Southwest is also more ethnically varied than neighboring regions, with significant Spanish American, Mexican American, and American Indian populations.

Despite the low population density of the region as a whole, the Southwest contains many large cities and metropolitan areas. Los Angeles is the most populous city in the Southwestern United States, as well as the second most populous city in the U.S. as a whole; Phoenix and San Diego each rank among the top-ten largest American cities. Houston, San Antonio and Dallas rank in the top ten as well, with Fort Worth and San Jose in the top 20. Many of the urban areas in this region such as Phoenix, Las Vegas, and Dallas in particular, have witnessed some of the highest population growth in the United States since the 2005 census.

In particular, this region is known for its unique indigenous art and cuisine.

Tex-Mex cuisine was popularized in San Antonio, and has spread to many other areas, both in Texas and in other nearby western states. New Mexican cuisine, includes a notable focus on it's respective regional emphasis on chile spice. Arizona's very popular Arizona-Sonoran cuisine, hold's it's own meld of northern Mexican states' love of heavy sauces, as well as that regional respect for chile heat. And, the San Francisco burrito and "Fresh Mex" or Baja California-style of Mexican food is also commonly associated with the Southwest.