Regional Characteristics
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Introduction
The Pacific Northwest Region (PNR) has the largest land mass but is the least populated of all of the National Network of Library of Medicine (NN/LM) regions. While each of the five states has great natural beauty, there are fewer urban locations and public libraries than most areas of the United States. Only three medical schools serve the region, and a large percentage of the land is designated as frontier. As of the 2000 Census, the region encompasses 27% of the total area of the United States, yet has less than 5% of total population. Because of these characteristics, the NN/LM PNR staff and affiliates find ample opportunities for creative rural outreach, cooperative partnerships, and innovative health information connectivity.
In addition to this regional page, five state web pages are available for the PNR region (Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington). Each state page provides a description and map, along with selected links that describe the organization, populations and health status of the state. The state pages are designed to support NN/LM-related outreach by librarians, researchers, and health care intermediaries. The scope of the content flows from the NN/LM mission and from the PNR goal of improving health information services to rural and underserved populations as well as public libraries and public health organizations. The resources offered here do not necessarily represent a complete picture of each state nor of the region.
Below is a demographics table for quick reference regarding individual and collective state data.
Census (2008 estimate) and land data by state compared to the United States | ||||||||||
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Population | Population Rank | White/Non Hispanic | Black/African American | American Indian/Alaska Native | Asian | Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander | Hispanic or Latino Origin | Square Miles | % of US area | |
UNITED STATES | 304,059,724 | NA | 65.6% | 12.8% | 1.0% | 4.5% | 0.2% | 15.4% | 3,537,438 | NA |
Alaska | 686,293 | 47 | 65.7% | 4.3% | 15.3% | 4.5% | 0.7% | 6.1% | 571,951 | 16% |
Idaho | 1,523,816 | 39 | 85.1% | 0.9% | 1.5% | 1.1% | 0.1% | 10.2% | 82,747 | 2.3% |
Montana | 967,440 | 44 | 87.9% | 0.7% | 6.4% | 0.6% | 0.1% | 3.0% | 145,552 | 4.1% |
Oregon | 3,790,060 | 27 | 80.0% | 2.0% | 1.4% | 3.6% | 0.3% | 11.0% | 95,997 | 2.7% |
Washington | 6,549,224 | 13 | 75.5% | 3.7% | 1.7% | 6.7% | 0.5% | 9.8% | 66,544 | 1.9% |
REGIONAL TOTALS | 13,516,833 | NA | 10,574,754 | 368,120 | 354,174 | 628,690 | 51,412 | 1,285,047 | 962,791 | 27.0% |
% OF US POPULATION RESIDING IN PNR | 4.4% | NA | 5.30% | .95% | 11.65% | 4.59% | 8.45% | 2.74% | NA | NA |
Sources of Information for the Table
U.S. Census Bureau - State and County Quickfacts - Estimates for 2008
U.S. Census Bureau - American Factfinder
Demographics and Maps
American
Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) Data and Links
Census and American Community Survey data, economic data,
population estimates, maps, and links to the Federal
Register List of Federally Recognized Tribes and other
programs.
National
Association of Counties
National and state-specific county data, maps to view the
counties within each state, and more.
National Clearinghouse for Frontier Communities -
Frontier Education Center
Defines the "frontier" county designation, lists frontier
counties by state, and links to maps of farming, federal,
government, Indian, and mining lands.
States Ranked by American Indian and Alaska Native Population, July 1, 1999
US Census
Bureau State & County QuickFacts
Quick, easy access to facts about people, business, and
geography in the 50 states and the US. Searchable by
state or thematic map.
United
States Maps
From the Perry-Castaneda Map Collection, a resource of demographic, historical, and natural
resource state maps.
Health Data and Organizations
Bureau of
Health Professions - Health Professional Shortage
Areas
Defines the health professional shortage area (HPSA) designation
criteria and offers database searching by state and
county.
CDC
National Center for Health Statistics Fastats
A-Z
Search by topic or state for vital statistics and related
information.
Indian Health Service - Alaska Area Office
Federal health program for American Indians and Alaska Natives serving the state of Alaska.
Indian Health Service - Billings Area Office
Federal health program for American Indians and Alaska Natives serving the states of Montana and Wyoming.
Indian Health Service - Portland Area Office
Federal health program for American Indians and Alaska Natives serving the states of Idaho, Oregon and Washington.
Kaiser
Family Foundation State Health Facts Online
The latest state-level data on demographics, health, and
health policy, including health coverage, access,
financing, and state legislation.
March
of Dimes PeriStats
An online source for perinatal statistics.
Northwest
Center for Public Health Practice
Education and training resources, an online public health
journal, and other resources and portals designed to
support the day-to-day activities of the front-line public
health workforce.
Northwest Portland
Area Indian Health Board
A non-profit organization representing the health care
interests of 42 federally recognized tribes in
Washington, Oregon, and Idaho.
WWAMI Program - Area Health Education Center
(AHEC) Network
Description of and links to the AHECs in the University
of Washington WWAMI (Washington, Wyoming, Alaska,
Montana, and Idaho) region.
Library and Information Resources
Pacific Northwest Library Association
Pacific Northwest Chapter of the Medical Library Association
Search for NN/LM Network Members
For more information, please see the NN/LM PNR Mission Statement.
We welcome comments and suggestions in order to continue to improve this resource, please contact us.