Unit 1 Chapter 7

Living In TheUS and Canada

Economic Activities

• Both the US and Canada have free market economies, in which people can own, operate, and profit from their own businesses.

• Once, both economies were agriculture but now are industrial and service economies

Agriculture

• US has 1 billion acres of farm land and Canada has 167 million acres of farm land.

• Only a small percentage work as farmers because it’s so expensive.

• How do you make money farming, what do you have to have?

Key Agricultural Products

• US and Canada produce mostly corn and wheat for crops.

• Both have a large supply of ranches and dairies for beef, milk, and eggs.

• Lots of fruits and vegetables.

Manufacturing

• About 20% of Americans and Canadians work in manufacturing industries.

• 75% of Americans and Canadians work in service industries. Ex. Government, Education

• As the US economy shifted from manufacturing to services, many areas in the Northeast were left abandoned.

• This led to the nickname “the Rust Belt”

Transportation & Communication

• Due to the automobile, there has been investments in the building and maintenance of highways and bridges.

• Planes and Railways transfer not only people but goods or freight from place to place.

• Pipelines carry the regions gas and oil.• Cell Phones, Faxes, and electronic

communication are the most common forms of communications in the 21st Century.

Trade

Imports

• American imports more than they export causing a trade deficit.

• Canada suffers little trade deficit.

Exports• The US provides more that

10% of the worlds exports.• Foreign tariffs are taxes on

our goods, raising the prices of our goods over seas.

NAFTA is the North American Free Trade Agreement – This removes all trade restriction among the US, Canada, and Mexico

War on Terrorism

• After the terrorist acts on September 11, 2001, the US and other nations have carried out a war on terrorism.

• Both Sudam Hussein and Osama Bin Laden have been eliminated since 9/11

Human Impact

• Both Americans and Canadians have adversely affected their environment.

• However, there are efforts to repair the damage throughout the region, but much work is still needed.

Pollution

• Acid Rain – Chemical emissions from automobiles and plants react with the water vapor.

• Acid rain corrodes buildings and effects the environment.

• Smog is a combination of smoke and fog that creates a haze in the air.

• Some US states require emissions testing for automobiles.

• In addition, these countries are discovering new renewable energies.

Water Pollution• Industrial Waste combines with acid rain to

pollute water, killing fish and birds and making people sick.

• Runoff from fertilizers and pesticides used on farms also pollutes water resources.

Back from the Brink• Water in the Great Lakes region became so

polluted that the Cuyahoga River in Ohio actually caught fires several times in the 1970’s

• Cleanup efforts are returning the lakes and rivers to their natural state.

Challenges for the Future• Global Warming poses major challenges to

North America and the rest of the planet.• US and Canada will monitor the changes in

temperature as well as the melting of the polar ice caps.

• Could create major catastrophes such as major coastal flooding.