Emerald Triangle

The Emerald Triangle refers to the three counties of Mendocino, Humboldt, and Trinity in Northern California, United States.^[1]

This region is also called Behind the Redwood Curtain,^[2][3] because the two major highways that connect these three counties, U.S. Route 101 and State Route 299, are narrow, winding and lined with tall coastal redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) trees. This cuts the Emerald Triangle off from the rest of California.

The three are the biggest marijuana producing counties in California and also the USA.^[1] A county-commissioned study reports marijuana accounts for up to two-thirds of the economy of Mendocino.^[1]

The three counties are known for their general liberal politics as well as libertarian politics and historical dependence on the timber industry. They were also associated with various ill-fated plans to secede from California and become, along with several counties in neighboring Oregon, a part of the proposed State of Jefferson.

The total population of the three counties was just 225,835 as of 2010. The area sits on 10,260 square miles of dense forests, with houses spread sparsely throughout.

References

Coordinates: 40°00′07″N 123°32′40″W / 40.00198°N 123.54453°W