Population PatternsChapter 6

Section 1

Objectives: Identify the People of the United States and

Canada Explain waves of immigration Analyze Population Density and Distribution

The People About 5% of the world’s population lives in the

United States and Canada. 285 million people in U.S. and 31 million

people of Canada. Many are immigrants, and most are

historically recent immigrants.

Waves of Immigrants North America’s first immigrants likely moved

into the region from Asia thousands of years ago.

Today their descendants, known as the Native Americans, number 2.5 million in the U.S. and 700,000 in Canada. Other waves of immigration came later, including

Europeans, Asians, Africans, and Latin Americans, creating diverse nations.

Reasons for Immigration: Political Freedom

Example? Religious Freedom

Example? Economic Opportunities

Example? Rich Natural Resources

Example?

Population Density and Distribution Although the United States and Canada are

“nations of immigrants”, their populations differ in terms of density and distribution.

Slightly larger than the U.S in land area, Canada only has an average population density of only 8 people per square mile. Why?

About 90% of Canadians live in the narrow strip of land along Canada’s border with the United States.

The poor soil of the Canadian Shield steered settlement towards the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence lowlands.

Other farming and ranching areas include the southern part of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta and the Pacific Coast of British Columbia.

U.S. population density: 77 people per square mile. Seems crowded, but outside large urban areas the

population is widely distributed. Northeast and Great Lakes region most

densely populated, and historic commerce centers.

Another population cluster is the Pacific Coast.

Since the 1970s the American South and Southwest have become the fasting growing areas.

Nicknamed the Sunbelt for its mild climate, it draws employees to its growing manufacturing, service, and tourism industries. Retirees and Immigrants

The least densely populated areas of the U.S. include: The subarctic region of Alaska The parched Great Basin, Parts of the arid or semi-arid Great Plains.

Why?

Closure: What did you learn today?

Objectives: Explain Urbanization Identify the differences between Coastal and

Inland cities Analyze future trends

The Cities Both U.S. and Canada have agricultural

societies, but also have experiences urbanization, the concentration of population in cities. Cities grew as use of machines in agriculture gave

rise to commercial farming. Today, most people in the United States and

Canada live in metropolitan areas. A metropolitan area includes a city with a

population of at least 50,000 and outlying communities called suburbs.

More than 80% of the U.S. lives in the countries 276 metropolitan areas.

Canada contains 25 metropolitan areas which are home to about 60% of the Canadian population.

Coastal Cities Much of the population lie in coastal areas

where healthy economies support large populations.

Along the northern Atlantic coast, a chain of closely linked metropolitan areas form a megalopolis, or “great city”- nicknamed Boswash. Include Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore,

and Washington D.C.

Other important U.S. cities include Miami, New Orleans, and Houston.

Houston, which connects to the Gulf of Mexico through the Houston Ship Channel, is the southern end of a developing megalopolis.

Pacific megalopolis: stretches from San Francisco through Los Angeles, to San Diego. All three have major ports.

Seattle is a major coastal cities that features growing computer industries (along with San Francisco and Silicon Valley)

Vancouver is one of the largest cities in British Columbia and is an important shipping center.

Inland Cities In Canada, ships teach the cities of Quebec,

Montreal, Toronto and Ottawa through the St. Lawrence River, the Ottawa River, and the Great Lakes.

Detroit is situated around The Great Lakes A megalopolis links the Great Lake cities of

Chicago, Milwaukee, and Cleveland with Pittsburgh, a freshwater port on the Ohio River.

Other major U.S. and Canadian inland cities: Cincinnati, on the Ohio River Minneapolis and St. Louis on the Mississippi River Winnipeg, on the Red River Saskatoon and Edmonton on the Saskatchewan

River Atlanta Denver San Antonio Regina Calgary

Future Trends Like most developed countries, the U.S. and

Canada have low birthrates, which increase the population by only 0.5% annually.

Immigration accounts for most growth. One of the benefits of living in the region is

mobility, the freedom to move from place to place.

In a typical year 1 in 6 U.S. residents relocate.

Closure: Today I learned… For example… Therefore… Clearly…

Classwork/Homework Page 137 1, 3-6