NORTH AMERICA NOTES

UNIT 4

FORMAL REGION = BOUNDARIES/BORDERS (PHYSICAL OR HUMAN)

FUNCTIONAL REGION = COMMON SYSTEM

(LANGUAGE, RELIGION, TRANSPORTATION

ROUTES…)PERCEPTUAL REGION =

STEREOTYPES OR OPINIONS

PLAYGROUND POLITICS - CANADA

Factors that affect climate of North America: LEMPOS!

L: LATITUDE

E: ELEVATION

• U.S. HAS MORE VARIED VEGETATION ZONES THAN CANADA

• THE HIGHER YOU GET, THE COLDER IT GETS BECAUSE BOTH AIR PRESSURE & TEMPERATURE DECREASE

M: MOUNTAIN BARRIERS

P: PROXIMITY TO WATER

O: OCEAN CURRENTS

• CORIOLIS EFFECT: AFFECTS THE DIRECTION OF PREVAILING WINDS

S: STORMS

SO HOW DO THESE FACTORS AFFECT NORTH

AMERICA?

ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES

HIGH LATITUDES

MID LATITUDES

LOW/TROPICAL LATITUDES

Trade and trees

Agriculture and variety

SETTLEMENT PATTERNS

• PROXIMITY TO WATER AND TRANSPORTATION ROUTES

• AVAILABLE ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES AND ACCESS TO NATURAL RESOURCES

• GROWTH OF URBAN AREAS = AIR CONDITIONING!!

United States Big Ideas

Country populated by diverse group of immigrants

Westward expansion = industrializationRepresentative democracy = democratic

republicFertile land + valuable resources + good

location = Economic LeaderMuch of U.S. economy based on service

industryMost of population lives in urban areas

United States Subregions Big Ideas

Northeast = heavily populated & industrialized; economic center

Midwest = produces a variety of agriculture and manufactured goods; moving toward service industries

South = rapid industrialization; large population growth with land availability and low density

West = rapid economic growth; many technology centers and resources