The post-war years would be ones of great prosperity and growth on the west coast of North America . The quick reemergence of Japan and its stunning growth over the next decades meant great wealth for the west coast ports . Japan became the second largest trading partner of both Canada and the United States , and this trade was almost entirely based in the west coast ( the United States and Canada are each other 's largest trading partners ) . Later the other Asian economies would add to this trade . Throughout the Pacific Northwest , the primary extractive activities of logging , mining , and fishing remained the central industries . California became a center of entertainment , aerospace engineering , and electronics . Following Alaska 's admission to the Union in 1959 , military spending , the development of Cook Inlet oil industry , and rebuilding after the 1964 earthquake fueled the state 's economic growth in the 1960s
1964 earthquake
1964 Alaska earthquake
History of the west coast of North America