World Regional GeographyWorld Regional Geography

March 10, 2010March 10, 2010

Reading: Marston Chapter 6 pages

272-283, 286-300306-319 (beginning with

Rural Poverty)

Goode’s World Atlaspages 67-69, 88-89

Next Week: Map Quiz #3

North AmericaUSA & Southern Canada from space at night

Canada: Political MapCanada: Political Map

Historical Notes: US & CanadaHistorical Notes: US & Canada• Different paths to independence• Similar settlement patterns

• East-to-West• Canadian expansion inhibited by Canadian Shield• Plains & Mountain regions initially by-passed

• Industrialization• Northeast US• Limited in Canada

• Urbanization• Similar to industrialization pattern in US• Canadian core• North / South variations

Culture: US & CanadaCulture: US & Canada• Immigrant Nations

• Wide variety of cultural influences• Mixing of musical and artistic styles• Ethnic enclaves

• World-wide connectivity• Export of America• Import and inclusion of foreign culture

•Sports•Export or American/Canadian sports•Import of foreign players

Economies: US & CanadaEconomies: US & Canada

• Sectoral Shifts• Regional Variations• Inequality

• United States: world’s largest economy• Canada: 9th largest economy

Measured by Gross National Product (GNP), the value of all goods and services produced by countries citizens/companies, regardless of location.

Canadian EconomyCanadian Economy

•Staples economy•Early dependence on resource extraction

•Lack of large industrial sector•Shift to services

• Regional Variations• Atlantic provinces• Quebec/Ontario• Prairies• British Columbia

American EconomyAmerican Economy

•Three major shifts• Agriculture• Industrialization• Services & the New Economy

American EconomyAmerican Economy

• Regional Variations• Northeast• Upper Midwest (“Rust-Belt”)• South & Southwest (“Sun-Belt”)• Great Plains• Mountain West• West Coast

Wealth & InequalityWealth & Inequality“Rich getting richer and poor getting poorer”

• US Poverty Rate: 13.2%• 39.1 million people• Child poverty rate: 17%• 58% of Americans will spend at least 1-year in poverty

• Why?• Low government benefits• Stagnation of lower income wages

Wealth & InequalityWealth & Inequality

•Rural vs. Urban Poverty

Wealth & InequalityWealth & Inequality

•40% will experience poverty

Geographic DisparitiesGeographic Disparities

$16,036

$43,670$31,781

$77,519

$74,346

$34,987

MigrationMigration

• Migrant or mover?• Mobility or migration?

• Temporary / Seasonal workers• Commuters

• What is permanent?

Any permanent change in residence involving the detachment from daily activities at one place and the engagement in daily activities at another.

Who is a migrant?Who is a migrant?

Types of Migration Types of Migration

• Internal• International

In both cases, migration is a significant contributor to the demographic transition.

• Internal migrants are in-migrants and out-migrants.

• International migrants are immigrants and emigrants.

Types of International MigrantsTypes of International Migrants

• Legal• Illegal• Refugee• Asylee

Why do People Migrate? Why do People Migrate?

• Pull factors: characteristics of the receiving region that draw migrants

• Push factors: characteristics of the sending region that drive out-migrants

• Benefits (B)• Push & pull factors

• Costs (C)• Distance• Social changes

The Migration Decision: A Social Science ModelThe Migration Decision: A Social Science Model

If B > C, then a migration occurs

Who Migrates? Who Migrates?

• Age Schedule

Standard Curve

0

0.005

0.01

0.015

0.02

0.025

0.03

0.035

0.04

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90

Age

Mig

rati

on

Rat

e

Age Schedule of Migration

FemaleMale

Who Migrates? Who Migrates?

• Variations in schedules• Rural / Urban• Labor / Family

Immigration to the United StatesImmigration to the United States

Three Major Waves• 1820-1870• 1870-1920• 1970-Present

Immigration to CanadaImmigration to Canada

• Early Immigration (Pre-1750)• Largely French

• Post-1750• Similar to US patterns• Significant increase in British and Irish• 1810 - British restrict American immigration to Canada

•Present Day•Asians account for 50% of immigrants•Hong Kong – Vancouver•10% of Canadians speak a language other than English or French.

Internal Migration: US & CanadaInternal Migration: US & Canada

• US: Four Major Shifts• Rural-to-urban• East-to-West• South-to-North• Urban-to-Suburban

Another shift??

• Northeast & Midwest to the Sun-belt

• Canada: Two Shifts• Rural-to-urban• East-to-West

Internal Migration: USInternal Migration: US

Assimilation vs. MulticulturalismAssimilation vs. Multiculturalism

US Model: Assimilation• The “Melting Pot”• A mixture of many cultures fusing into one

unique American culture.

Canadian Model: Multiculturalism• Right to retain individual cultures• Languages• Peaceful coexistence