The Mojave is the largest desert in California, covering
some 25,000 square miles. Much of the surface consists of immense
stretches of sandy soil. Active volcanoes erupted long ago, depositing
layers of lava, mud, and ash onto the desert floor. Today the region
is dotted with extinct volcanic cones and small isolated mountain
ranges.
Several Native cultures, including the Quechan (Yuma)
and Mojave, flourished along the Colorado River. Others, such as
the
Cahuilla
and Serrano, lived farther west. The Old Spanish Trail crossed
the region in the late eighteenth century, as did the Santa Fe railroad
in the nineteenth. Today the region supports several resort centers
and successful farming communities in the western Antelope Valley.
Dry lake beds contain rich deposits of boron, a valuable mineral
used for jet-engine and rocket fuels.
