This book undertakes a study of the San Joaquin Valley (SJV) and a comparison with the Appalachian region. The eight-county San Joaquin Valley, part of California's Central Valley, is home to 5 of the 10 most agriculturally productive counties in the United States. By a wide range of indicators, the SJV is also one of the most economically depressed regions of the United States. This book analyses the SJV's counties and statistically documents the basis of current socio-economic conditions. The book further explores the extent to which the SJV shares similarities with and differs from the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) area and a 68-county Central Appalachian sub-region which contains some of the most economically distressed counties in Appalachia. The book also examines the role of federal expenditures in the cities and counties of the SJV. In addition to examining socio-economic conditions in the SJV, the book provides analysis of water supply and quality issues especially those concerning agriculture, air quality concerns, and rail and shipping issues. It is fully indexed.