ABSTRACT
Population growth in the West during the 1970s resulted from a complex of many changes in the nation and region. Subregional growth arid change within the West is the product of a wide variety of national, regional, and local trends. Population movements within the region interact with movements between the regions. Industrial relocation is one of the prime sources of growth for particular subregions. This involves both the expansion of some types of industrial activity, such as mining, and the movement of other types, such as manufacturing and governmental activities. Continuing developments in transportation have extended the commuting radius around major metropolitan centers to permit residence in places much farther removed from the metropolitan core. The age structure of any regional population reflects a decades-long history of highs and lows in birth rates, modified by the impacts of its history of migration.
