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North America. Introduction. U.S. and Canada Highly urbanized and mobile society Culturally diverse Resource-rich environment Postindustrial economy. Environmental Geography. Interior lowland(Great Plains) surrounded by mountainous topography(Rocky, Appalachian). - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
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North AmericaNorth America
Introduction
U.S. and Canada Highly urbanized and mobile society Culturally diverse Resource-rich environment Postindustrial economy
Environmental Geography
Interior lowland(Great Plains) surrounded by Interior lowland(Great Plains) surrounded by mountainous topography(Rocky, Appalachian)mountainous topography(Rocky, Appalachian)
Major landform division of the North America
Physical setting - EastPhysical setting - EastAppalachians and surrounding regionsAppalachians and surrounding regions East/South of Appalachian HighlandsEast/South of Appalachian Highlands
Coastal plains (S.NY to TX): not well drained Coastal plains (S.NY to TX): not well drained prone to flood prone to flood
Southern Appalachian (South PA)Southern Appalachian (South PA) Sedimentary rock Sedimentary rock rich in coal rich in coal
Northern Appalachian (North of PA)Northern Appalachian (North of PA) Crystalline rock Crystalline rock irregular surface form irregular surface form
(eg. New England, Canadian Maritimes)(eg. New England, Canadian Maritimes)
Physical setting - InteriorPhysical setting - Interior
Lowland drained by the Mississippi River and its tributariesLowland drained by the Mississippi River and its tributariesExtends from west central Canada to the Gulf of MexicoExtends from west central Canada to the Gulf of Mexico EastwardEastward
Southern Great Lakes, Ohio River ValleySouthern Great Lakes, Ohio River Valley
WestwardWestward Sediments eroded from the Rocky MountainsSediments eroded from the Rocky Mountains
NorthwardNorthward Glacial forces - North of Ohio and Missouri riversGlacial forces - North of Ohio and Missouri rivers
Physical setting - WestPhysical setting - West Rocky MountainsRocky Mountains
Extends from Alaska to New MexicoExtends from Alaska to New Mexico A series of uplift with 10K ft heightA series of uplift with 10K ft height Source of Platte, Rio Grande, Columbia, Colorado riverSource of Platte, Rio Grande, Columbia, Colorado river Denver and Calgary are located hereDenver and Calgary are located here
Great BasinsGreat Basins Nevada, sparsely settledNevada, sparsely settled
Pacific RimPacific Rim Formed on the convergent plate boundary – North American Formed on the convergent plate boundary – North American
plate collides with Pacific plateplate collides with Pacific plate
Majority is the temperate climates except for Majority is the temperate climates except for dry climates in the southwestern partdry climates in the southwestern part
humiddry
100th meridian
Climate and Vegetation - East
South of Great LakesAbundant in deciduous (broadleaf) forest, but some are
cleared for agriculture
North of Great LakesConiferous (evergreen/boreal) forestTundra: mixture of low shrubs, grasses and flowering
herbs near Hudson Bay
Climate and Vegetation - East
Subtropical humid climate; Fields of cotton and corn are bordered by mixed oak-pine woodland
Subarctic climate; Spindly Conifers of little commercial value; Marshes are common in glaciated environment
Coniferous in ManitobaDeciduous in Piedmont
Climate and Vegetation - EastTundra in the Northwest Territories
Covered with lichens and grass; no tree can be seen
Climate and Vegetation – Great Plains
East of 100th MeridianAbove 20-inch precipitation (subhumid)Prairie: tall grasslands
West of 100th MeridianBelow 20-inch precipitation (arid)Short grasses and scrub vegetation
Climate and Vegetation – Great PlainsPrairie in the eastern Kansas
Climate and Vegetation – West Desert (Southeast of Sierra Nevada)
Southern Pacific coast (South of SF) Mediterranean climates – chaparral scrub
Northern Pacific coast (North of SF) Marine west coast climates – mixed, coniferous forest
Rocky mountains Varies by altitude (pine to tundra)
Climate and Vegetation – West
Chaparral in Monterey, CA Conifers in Colorado Rockies
Taken at an elevation of 11,000 feet; Conifers gives way to Alpine Tundra at the higher altitude
Found in the foothills of California; dense growth of evergreen shrub
Climate cycles
Long termGlacial advance 15,000 years ago north of the Missouri
and Ohio rivers (eg. Great Lakes)
Short termDrought cycles early 1900s on the Great Plains (eg. Du
st Bowl era of the 1920s and 1930s)
Creation of Great Lakes
Natural Hazards Seismic rigors: earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanoes
along the plate boundary in the Western North America
Densely settled coastline: vulnerable to flood, hurricane, rise of the sea level
Wildfire: mountains of western North America
Western Montana, summer 2000 Global warming, periodic droughts, and growing population may cause
this scene to be repeated
Environmental issues – soils and vegetation
Native vegetation has been removed for cropping, grazing, and urbanization
Widespread soil erosion as a result
Environmental issues – water Distribution of water resources (eg. aqueduct)
eg. LA Aqueduct, Central Valley projectColorado River ->agricultural/metropolitan regions in Southern CA
Water shortage eg. Depletion of Ogallala Aquifer beneath the Great Plains
Water contamination Wastewater, Oil spill, raw sewage, fertilizer/pesticides, salinization
California aqueduct reconfigures the distribution of
water resources promotes the agricultural and
metropolitan expansion
Environmental issues – atmosphere Local scale
Urban heat islands Warmer temperature in the metropolitan area than nearby rural areas
Regional scale Acid rain
Caused by sulfur dioxide & nitrogen oxides in atmosphere Damage forests, poison lake Produced in the Midwest, southern Ontario Affects the Ohio Valley, Appalachia, the northeastern US, eastern Canada
Population & Settlement
Sparsely populated Low RNI, TFR Population aging High urbanization rate
Spatial pattern of population
Densely populated areas are Canadian urban corridor
Toronto, Ottawa, and Montreal
U.S.Megalopolis - Washington D.C., Baltimore,
Philadelphia, New York, and BostonSouthern Great Lakes, South, Pacific Coast
Population growth
Rapid growth since European colonization (1600~) Higher rates of immigration in the late 19th and 20th
centuries Birthrates gradually fell after 1900 “Baby boom” between 1946 and 1965 Continuing increase in immigration Projected to 375 million by 2025
Occupying the Land
Precontact period (Native Americans) Estimated 3.2 million for the Continental US, and 1.3 million for
Canada, Alaska, Hawaii, and Greenland (A.D. 1500)
European settlement expansion First stage (1600-1750) – Coastal region of east Second stage (1750-1850) – eastern half Third stage (1850-1910) – west
European expansion – First stage St. Lawrence Valley, Canadian Maritimes - French Southern New England - English Puritans New Netherlands (later New York) - Dutch Pennsylvania - English Quaker plantation South (Virginia, South Carolina) - Bicultural
European, and African Gulf of Mexico (New Orleans 1718) - French Southwest (Santa Fe 1610), and Florida (St. Augustine
1565) - Spanish
European expansion – Second stage
Found the interior Lowlands region ideal for agricultural settlement
Midwest and interior South
European expansion – Third stage
Attracted by opportunities in California, the Oregon country, Mormon Utah, and the Great Plains
Mineral rushes in Colorado, Montana, and British Columbia’s Fraser Valley
Migration trend - outlines
Westward-moving populations Black Exodus from the South Rural-to-urban migration Growth of the Sun Belt South Counterurbanization trend
Westward-moving populations
By 1990More than half lived west of Mississippi River
1990-2000Growth of the interior West (Nevada, Arizona, Utah,
Montana)Fueled by new job creation in high-technology industriesIncludes many outward-bound Californians
Nevada (66 percent growth) and Nevada (66 percent growth) and Arizona (40 percent growth) were Arizona (40 percent growth) were the two fastest-growing states the two fastest-growing states between 1990 and 2000between 1990 and 2000
Black Exodus from the South Black populations were originally concentrated in
the plantation South
Industrialization (early 20th centuries)South North and West
Growth of Sun Belt (after 1970)North and West South
Rural-to-urban migration
Fueled by industrialization
Urban orientation facilitates processes of modernization and globalization
Growth of the Sun Belt South After 1970 Georgia, Florida, Texas, and North Carolina grew more
rapidly than states in the Northeast and Midwest Contributed by
The South’s buoyant economy Modest living costs Adoption of air conditioning Attractive recreational opportunities
Counterurbanization trend
Significant population gains in nonmetropolitan areas
Participants are Growing retiree populationLifestyle migrants: prefer small towns that are affordabl
e, amenities-rich, and free of urban problems
The evolution of the city in the U.S.
Changing transportation technologies decisively shaped the evolution of the city
U.S. cities became increasingly decentralized
A: pre-1888B: 1888-1920C: 1920-1945D: 1945-present
ABCD
Urban decentralization
Suburb of Las Vegas
1990 2000
Edge city Have fewer
functional connections with the central city than they have with other suburban centers
Urban settlements grow in area, but decline in density
Rapid loss of surrounding rural landTysons Corner, Virginia
Challenges in the inner city
As a result of suburbanization, inner cities sufferLosses in population Increased levels of crime and social disruptionShrinking tax base Racial tension especially in the U.S.
City of Buffalo – Map by census 2000
Median household income Black population White population Hispanic population
Gentrification Inner-city revitalization by new public and private
investments
Displacement of lower-income residents of central-city neighborhoods with higher-income residents
eg. Seattle’s Pioneer Square, Toronto’s Yorkville district, and Baltimore’s Harborplace
Cultural Coherence and Diversity
Cultural identity Historically tied to Great Britain
Anglo world view has been implanted (eg. law, democracy, individualism, pragmatism, social mobility)
Consumer culture blossomed after 1920 Increasingly secular society oriented toward convenience and co
nsumption
Coexists with pluralism Persistence and assertion of distinctive ethnicity
Migration to the U.S. Phase 1 (before 1820)
dominated by English, African Phase 2 (1820-1870)
dominated by Northwest Europeans Phase 3 (1870-1920)
Southern, eastern Europeans, and Scandinavian Political strife and poor economies in Europe High peak around 1900 Hardly targeted job-poor South (thus prevalence of whites in the
Northern area persists still)
Migration to the U.S. Phase 4 (1920-1970)
from Latin America, and Canada Overall totals plunged due to federal immigration policies, the
Great depression, and WWII
Phase 5 (after 1970): Most originated from Latin America, and Asia Made possible by economic and political instability abroad,
growing postwar U.S. economy, loosening of immigration laws
U.S. immigrations, by year and group
By late in the century, almost one in three Americans will be Hispanic, and non-Hispanic whites will achieve minority status amid an increasingly diverse U.S. population
Projected U.S. ethnic composition
year
Before 1765: French in the St. Lawrence Valley After 1765: Britain, Ireland, and U.S.
1900-1920: Eastern Europeans, Italians, Ukrainians, and Russians
Recent: Asian (60% of recent immigrants) eg. Vancouver - dominated by Asian populations
Now Canada has 16% foreign-born population
Migration to Canada
Vancouver’s immigrant Vancouver’s immigrant population, population, by place of birth, 1996by place of birth, 1996
The geography of ethnicity in U.S. White: all around U.S., but northern prevalence reveals
relative to other ethnicities (early European settlement) African-American: concentrated in the Southeast (legacy of
the cotton South)
Hispanic: concentrated in the Southwest, and Miami (early Spanish control)
Asian: concentrated in California, and Hawaii
American Indian: concentrated in Navajo Reservation
Culture and Place
Cultural identity is strongly tied to place, thus imprints cultural landscape
Culturally distinct areas can be found in a regional scale and local scaleRegional scale – forms cultural homelandLocal scale – forms ethnic neighborhoods
Cultural Homeland culturally distinctive
nucleus of settlement whose ethnicity has survived over time, affecting cultural landscape
Selected cultural regions in North America
French-Canadian Quebec The French
have established settlement since the 17th century
80% of Quebec population speaks French
Hispanic Borderlands The Spanish have
established settlement since 16th century
Currently 32 million Hispanic population in the U.S.Standford University
Black Belt
Legacy of the Cotton South Has diminished in intensity due to outmigration Home to black folk tradition (eg. blues)
Acadiana The Cajun culture in
the southwestern Louisiana
Created in the 18th century when French settlers were expelled from eastern Canada and relocated to Louisiana
Louisiana Bayou
Navajo Reservation, Nunavut Navajo Reservation:
part of Arizona, New Mexico, and southern Utah
Nunavut: became separate Canadian territory in 1999; 80% Inuit
Currently, 4 million native American in the North America
Eskimo in the Northwest Territories
Ethnic neighborhoods Local-scale ethnic
signatures compared to regional-scale cultural homelands
Reflects North American migration patterns
Ethnicity in L.A.
Ethnic neighborhoods
Ethnic concentrations of nonwhite populations in the inner city75% of Detroit, and 60% of Atlanta are African-
American in terms of population in the inner city40% of L.A. is Hispanic in terms of population in the
inner city
North American Religion Dominance of Protestant
60% of U.S., 40% of Canada
Regional concentration of American Catholics Quebec, Northeast U.S., Southwest U.S.
Millions with religious or secular traditions apart from Christianity Jewish, Eastern Orthodox Growing Islam among urban populations Increasing portion of nonbelievers
Globalization of American culture North America’s cultural geography is becoming more glo
bal Eg. Internationalized food, increasing use of non-English langua
ge, international travel, and music (Brit-pop, Techno)
Global cultural geographies are becoming more North American Eg. U.S. products abroad, popularity of English-language Cultural nationalism is responsive to this force
Annual beer imports to the United States
being affected by others…
Tokyo Disneyland
also affecting others
Geopolitical Framework
Creating political space For the last 400 years, European settlers have displaced
Native peoples who had lived for 20,000 years
US: driven by nationalistic interest (American Revolution) – uniting and expanding States
Canada : driven by geographic convenience (close link with U.K.) – assembling Provinces
Creating political space – U.S. ~1750: organized around 13 English colonies 1787: Northwest Ordinance 1803: Louisiana Purchase Mid 19th century
Captured Southwest from Mexican warPossessed Northwest from the treaty with Britain
By the late 19th centuryacquisition of Alaska(1867) and Hawaii(1898)
Louisiana Purchase (1803)
Northwest Ordinance (1787)
Mexican war (1848)
Northwest possession (1846)
Creating political space – Canada 1774: The Quebec Act – allow for continued French settle
ment in the St. Lawrence Valley 1791: Constitutional Act – divide the colony into Upper C
anada(Ontario) and Lower Canada(Quebec) 1840: Act of Union – reunite the two Canadas 1867: Canadian Confederation - unite the provinces of On
tario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick Later: northern portion of the continent joined Canada
Geopolitical relationshipsbetween Canada and the U.S.
19th century: Canada worried about being in the political shadow of U.S. War of 1812 – conflict between U.S. and Britain on the neutral rights o
n the maritimes Manifest Destiny – expansion of U.S. Land throughout northern contine
nt at the post-Civil War era 20th century: political cooperation
Environmental - Boundary Waters Treaty(1909), St. Lawrence Seaway project(1959)
Military - NATO (1949) Trade - NAFTA (1989): reducing barriers to trade and capital investme
nt among U.S., Canada, and Mexico
Legacy of Federalism
U.S. Limited centralized authority in the U.S. Constitution
(1787) ends up with powerful central government through growing nationalism
CanadaCentral authorities in the Canadian Constitution (1867)
ends up with more provincial autonomy due to the close connection with Britain (less nationalism)
Challenge to federal political power - Quebec
Different language, distinct cultural identity, and economic disparity between the Anglo and French populations
Secession from Canada?
2000, Clarity Act: Quebec could only secede if a “clear” majority voted to do so
Challenge to federal political power – Native Peoples
U.S.Since 1960, decisive turn away from earlier policies of
assimilationTrend has been toward Increased Native American
autonomy Canada
Nunavut Territory (1999) – represents a new level of native self-government in North America
Geopolitical reach of the U.S. Monroe Doctrine (1824) Spanish-American War (1898) Growing role of the U.S. military in the Central
America and the Caribbean (1898-1916) WWII: Redefined the U.S. role in world affairs Cold War: Truman Doctrine, Korean/Vietnam War Post-Cold War: Middle East, Kosovo, Global
terrorism
Global Terrorism
Anti-American groups’ attack on the U.S. reminds us that open system makes us vulnerable to the terrorist attack, and also geopolitical realities of globalization have brought both opportunities and risks into the lives of every American
Economic/Social Development
Land size, geographic diversity, resource abundance, and human capital enabled North Americans to achieve high levels of economic development
Agriculture
Highly commercialized, mechanized, and specialized
Efficient transportation systems, global markets, and large capital investment
Employs a small % of labor forceU.S. (2.6%), Canada (3.7%)
Nevertheless, remains important part of economy
The geography of agriculture
The geography of agriculture Northeast: dairy operations due to the proximity to major
cities U.S. Midwest, western Ontario: corn and soybeans with
the tradition of mixed farming North of Corn Belt: dairy operations South: subtropical specialty crops or livestock farming Kansas, Saskatchewan, Alberta: commercial wheat and
other small grain farming Central valley: Mediterranean agriculture (with irrigation)
Industrial raw materials Petroleum
U.S. produces 12% of the world’s oil and consume 25% Imported from Venezuela, Mexico, Canada, Saudi Arabia, and
Nigeria Produced in the Gulf Coast of Texas and Louisiana…
Coal US-23% of the world’s total reserve; produced in Appalachia
Metals resources 20% of the world’s copper, lead, and zinc reserve 20% of the world’s gold, silver, and nickel production
Economic success in North America Last 200 years, explained by the marriage between
abundant resources (natural & human) and the Industrial Revolution
Recently, by (1) diversifying economic base (2) extending its global reach
Economic growth can be seen from (1) how well the society is connected (2) how occupational structure changes
Connectivity & Economic growth -1830
CanalErie canal: connects the Midwest with New York city
1830-1920Train
Chicago – transfer load, connecting regions
1920-Automobiles, air, telephone
Highway(1970), St. Lawrence Seaway(1950)
Sectoral Transformation Technology innovation and economic restructuring affects
the change in employment structure
Evolution of a nation’s labor force from one highly dependent on the primary sector (natural resource extraction) to one with more employment in the secondary (manufacturing or industrial), tertiary (services), and quaternary (information processing) sectors
Relative dominance: primary (by late 19th century) secondary tertiary, quaternary (later 20th century)
Eastern Canada’s Maritime provinces continue to suffer from high unemployment as the regional economy struggles to shift away from dependence on primary sector activities
Regional economic patterns
Why certain area is economically better developed than others? Northeast, and Midwest in the mid/late 19th centurySun Belt, and West after 1960
Northeast, and Midwest in the mid/late 19th century
Dominant areas producing steel, automobiles, machine tools, and agricultural equipment, also producer service such as banking and insurance
Location factors are Proximity to natural resources Increasing connectivity Ready supply of productive labor National/global market demand for its industrial goods Capital investment
Sun Belt, and West after 1960 South’s Piedmont manufacturing belt
Lower labor cost, Sun Belt amenities
The Gulf Coast industrial region Energy refining and petrochemical industries - proximity to
fossil fuels reserves
The West Coast industrial region Aerospace operation – government spending Silicon Valley - access to innovation and research and
agglomeration economies
Global Links: U.S. exports, 1999
Wealth and Poverty U.S.
Wealthiest communities are suburbs on the edge of large metropolitan areas (see p80 in Atlas - income)
Ethnicity is often linked with poverty (see p80 in Atlas: compare maps ethnicity and poverty level)
CanadaOntario and British Columbia are the country’s
wealthiest provincesCanadian Maritimes are poor rural region
Digital divide
Poor and underprivileged groups have significantly less access to Internet communications than the wealthy
Persistent social issues are Job securityEducation vs ethnicityGender gapHealth care and aging
Job security
North American compete globallyEg. Back office jobs (p.4 in Text)
Vulnerable to uncertainties of world economy
Education vs Ethnicity
American whites are two or three times more likely than blacks or Hispanics to hold a college degree
Gender gap
Women still earn only about 75 cents for every dollar than men earn
Corporate America’s “glass ceiling” Large portion of single-mom led household in a
poverty level
Health care and aging
North Americans get older Debate on reforming social security system Geographically, gets more oriented around retirem
ent – retirement community (eg. Florida, southern Arizona)
Map resources on the web Selection of contemporary maps.
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/resources/ngo/maps/ Easy-to-use, very large collection of country maps - many
historic.http://oddens.geog.uu.nl/index.html
Public-domain maps, mostly from the US Government.http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/index.html
Interactive map quiz – world politicalhttp://www.lizardpoint.com/fun/geoquiz/index.html