Vancouver, Whistler & Vancouver Island - Washington, Oregon and the Pacific Northwest - page 841

The high-tech industry has redefined the region's personality by creating jobs and en-
riching support industries. The Seattle area continues to be headquarters for many big
companies like Microsoft, Nintendo and Amazon.com , while Oregon's 'Silicon Forest' is
supported by campuses of Intel, Tektronix and Google. British Columbia has its own
high-tech niches, but Vancouver's vibrant film industry tends to steal the economic spot-
light. Outdoor clothing and shoe companies like Nike, Columbia Sportswear and Adidas
(North America office) are all based here, and - with the region's high precipitation - hy-
droelectric power is another big industry.
Agriculture flourishes along the moist valleys of the Rogue, Umpqua, Skagit and
Fraser Rivers. The valleys along the Pacific Coast are famous for their dairy farms, and
along the Columbia and Okanogan Rivers are vast orchards of apples, cherries, peaches
and pears. And let's not forget the grape: Oregon's fertile Willamette Valley yields its
famous pinot noir, while the irrigated vineyards of Washington's Columbia, Walla Walla
and Yakima Valleys produce world-class chardonnays and merlots.