13) The Empty Interior

One of the most notable landmarks located in the Empty Interior is the Hoover Dam.  The Hoover Dam, located 25 miles southeast of Las Vegas, was completed in 1936 and controls the flow of Lake Mead while producing large amounts of hydroelectric power.  Most people don't know this, but Malibu has a dam of its own.  Rindge Dam, named after Malibu's founding family, is located in Malibu Canyon and controls the flow of Malibu Creek.  Rindge Dam was completed a full 10 years before the Hoover Dam in 1926.

While Rindge Dam may be older than the Hoover Dam, the Hoover Dam is considerably larger.  The Hoover Dam measures almost 730 feet high compared to Rindge Dam's 100 feet.  Rindge Dam is accessible only by foot after an intensive hike and is frequented by only the most dedicated hikers while Hoover Dam attracts about 1,000,000 tourists every year.  

One interesting fact about the Hoover Dam is that of the electricity it produces, 56% of it goes to power parts of Southern California.  Rindge Dam does not produce any power, however one interesting fact about it is that the frame is made out of the 15 miles of old rail of the railway that used to pass through Malibu.  Many environmentalists have protested for the deconstruction of Rindge Dam, but that would cost about $80 million and the effects of the increased flow of Malibu Creek are unknown.  

12) The Great Plains and Prairies

While not all of the Great Plains and Prairies are completely flat, the majority of it is.  This is not to say that all of the plains lay in low elevations.  The eastern end of the plains are about 1500 feet above sea level and slowly merge into the western end that lays about 6000 feet above sea level.  The change in elevation between eastern and western ends happens very gradually.

The flatness of the Great Plains are in stark contrast to the dramatic mountains located in Malibu.  The Santa Monica Mountain Range that runs through Malibu (along with many other coastal cities) allow for elevations ranging from 0 feet above sea level at the beach to about 2000 feet above sea level at the highest points in Malibu.  While more mountains aren't necessarily better, it sure does allow for more (and different) photo opportunities.

11) The Agricultural Core

When viewed from a bird's eye perspective, land parcels in the Agricultural Core are rectangular in shape.  The reason behind this was so that land could be more accurately accounted for.  The Land Ordinance of 1785 began this trend.  It was then that land was delimited and split into territories determined by east-west and north-south lines.  The parcels were then divided into townships.  Townships were originally 36 square miles.  From there, land was divided even more precisely before being put up for sale.  This led to what looks like a rather precise grid of land when viewed from above.

All of this is in stark contract to the orientation of Malibu.  Malibu is situated on a narrow sliver of land along the coast with no room for grids of land.  Homes and shops are built wherever they will fit.  Many homes built right into the sides of mountains.  When viewed from above, there is no order or organization of Malibu's properties.

Do these regions' people embody their land orientation ideals?  Are people in the Agricultural Core more conservative and old-fashioned because their properties are all organized into perfect squares?  Likewise, are residents of Malibu more free-thinking and independent because of the lack of structure in the organization of their properties?  It's unlikely that land organization is the sole cause of these character traits, but it is interesting to consider, no less.

10) The Southern Coastlands

Both Southern California and the Southern Coastlands share one large commonality.  Their beaches are widely known as the most beautiful beaches in the country.  The humid, subtropical climate in the Southern Coastlands is much different from that in Southern California.  The Southern Coastlands have mild winters and hot summers along with year-round humidity, while Southern California's coastlands have mild winters, warm summers, and relatively dry weather year-round.

So which region has the better coastlands?  Is it a matter of preference?  Do people from the East Coast automatically think Florida's beaches are better than California's?  Do people from the West Coast think that California has the better beaches?  The beaches themselves are different.  While the beaches in Florida may have bluer water and whiter sand, the beaches of California have a dramatic backdrop of mountain ranges.

So which do you prefer?  The coastlands of areas like Florida or the coastlands of California?