The Statue of Liberty New York City

The Washington Monument Washington, D.C.

555 ft 5⅛ in

The White House Washington, D.C.

The Lincoln Memorial Washington, D.C.

St. Louis Arch St. Louis, Missouri

630 feet (192 m) tall, and is 630 feet (192 m) at its widest point

Independence Hall Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

1,454 ft 1,450 feet Empire State Building 1,046 feet Sears Tower Chrysler Building

Skyscrapers

8,991 feet

The Golden Gate Bridge San Francisco, CA

The Pentagon Arlington, Virginia

Center of the U.S. Department of Defense

Virginia State Capital Building Richmond, Virginia

Bilingual Signs Canada

The Jefferson Memorial Washington, D.C.

The United Nations Building New York City, NY

Mt. Rushmore South Dakota

Vietnam Memorial Washington, D.C.

Arlington National Cemetery Arlington, Virginia

Influence of Automobiles

Physical Geography of The United States Landforms Chapter 5: and Canada

Western Mountains and Plateaus

Alaska Range Mt. McKinley 20,320 ft.

Pacific Ranges Sierra Nevada Cascade Range Coast Range Alaska Range Mt. McKinley Tallest Point in N. America Rocky Mountains 3,000 miles long

Cascade Range

Link the US and Canada, over

Sierra Nevada Death Valley -282 ft.

Great Basin Death Valley: Lowest pt. In N. America

Great Basin

Sierra Nevada Range Cascade Range

Coast Ranges Alaska Range and Mt. McKinley

Rocky Mountains

Great Basin and Death Valley, CA

Interior Lowlands The Great Plains

Sometimes called the interior Plains, they can reach up to 6,000 ft of elevation.

They may seem flat, but actually slope gradually (10ft/mi) down to the Mississippi River Valley.

Breadbasket

This is the main grain-growing region of N. America

The Great Plains

Eastern Mountains and Lowlands

Appalachian Mountains Old worn-down mountains.

Extend north into Canada Canadian Shield Area of Bedrock surrounding Hudson Bay Coastal Plains Atlantic and Gulf Appalachian Mountains

Appalachian Mountains

Canadian Shield

Islands

Manhattan Island: NY US and World Economic Center

Hawaiian Islands

Volcanic Archipelago in the Pacific Ocean

Canadian Islands

Newfoundland, Prince Edward Island, Cape Breton Island.

Greenland

World’s largest Island that is not a continent

Hawaiian Islands

Water

Rivers from the Rockies

Continental Divide

Also called the Great Divide. E. of the Divide rivers flow toward the Arctic, Hudson Bay, the Atlantic and the Mississippi River into the Gulf of Mexico.

To the west rivers flow into the Pacific Ocean

Mississippi River Missouri River Gulf of Mexico Ohio River

The Mississippi River System

2,350 miles long, it begins in Minnesota and empties into the Gulf of Mexico. It drains 1,200,000 mi 2 of land.

Tributaries of the Miss.

Ohio and Missouri Rivers.

St. Lawrence River

Eastern Rivers

St. Lawrence River One of Canada’s most important rivers, it forms part of the U.S./Canadian border. Pittsburgh, PA A place where several rivers merge is called a: Confluence Site Monongahela, Allegheny, and Ohio Rivers

Fall Line Cities The boundary where the higher land of the Piedmont drop to the lower Atlantic Coastal Plain, here rivers break into rapids and waterfalls making ship travel impossible.

Philadelphia, PA Baltimore, MD and Washington D.C. Niagara Falls On the Niagara River which forms part of the border between Ontario, Canada and New York State in the U.S. it provides a lot of Hydroelectric power for the region.

From Glaciers to Lakes

The Great Lakes Formed by glaciers during the last ice age about 14,000 years ago.

St. Lawrence Seaway

A series of canals, rivers, and inland waterways linking the Great Lakes with the Atlantic.

St. Lawrence Lowlands

Areas along the St. Lawrence River. Major industrial area of Canada.

Lake Superior Lake Huron L. Ontario Lake Michigan L. Erie

Natural Resources of the United States and Canada Fuels

Fossil Fuels TX and Alaska have large oil reserves

Minerals

Rocky Mountains: Gold, Silver, and Copper Canadian Shield: Iron and Nickel Potash: Used to make fertilizers

Timber

50% of Canada is Forest

Fishing

Coastal areas of the Atlantic, Pacific and Gulf of Mexico The Grand Banks One of the world’s richest fishing areas

Climate and Vegetation Wide Variety of Climates This region has a wide range of climates ranging from Tundra to Tropical Northern Climates

Two-Thirds of Canada has a Sub-Arctic Climate

Western Climates

Marine West Coast Ocean currents and winds form the Pacific Ranges give the W. Coast this climate.

Plateaus, Basins, and Deserts

Rain-shadow effect in the West causes desert conditions in the Great Basin. Death Valley (134°F) and Mojave Desert

Highland Areas

The Rocky Mountains and Pacific Ranges have Highland climates due to their high elevations.

Timberline

10,000 ft, trees will no longer grow above this height.

Chinook

Dry winds that blow down from the Rocky Mountains toward California. They can fuel wildfires.

Interior Climates

Great Plains: Humid Continental Climate with cold winters and hot summers.

Prairies: Naturally treeless plains across the midsection covered with grass.

This region is prone to Tornadoes.

Eastern Climates

Southeast: Humid Sub-Tropical Climate with long, muggy summers and mild winters.

Has Deciduous forests, and wetlands and swamps in Florida.

Prone to Hurricanes along Gulf and Atlantic Coastal Area.

Northeast

Humid Continental Climate, deciduous and mixed forest. Winters can be harsh with Blizzards and Nor'easter weather systems.

Tropical Climates

Florida and Hawaii only

Chapter 6: Cultural Geography of the U.S. and Canada

Section 1: Population Patterns

Immigration: The United States and Canada are both nations made up of immigrants.

The People

Immigrant Nations: Both have increasingly diverse populations due to immigration.

Native Americans: Arrived here from Asia thousands of years ago. They now are a minority, number only 2.5 million in the U.S. and 700,000 in Canada.

Population Density and Distribution

U.S. has a higher population density than Canada.

U.S. has an average of 77 people per square mile, Canada has only an average of 8 people per square mile. This density is misleading though, because the population is unevenly distributed.

Most of Canada’s population lives along the US/Canadian border and in the St. Lawrence Lowlands. Most of the population of the United States’ is concentrated in the NE and Great Lakes region and in the Sunbelt states such as California.

Sunbelt: US states with a mild climate that are gaining population Rustbelt: Old US industrial states that are losing population.

Cities

Urbanization: Both countries are experiencing a trend of Urbanization, where people are leaving rural (country) areas and moving to urban (city) ones. Metropolitan Area: A city with a population of at least 50,000. 80% of the population of the US lives in metropolitan areas. 60% of Canada’s population lives in metropolitan areas.

Suburbs: Outlying communities surrounding a city.

Coastal Cities: Many population centers are in coastal areas.

Megalopolis: Great city; BOWASH: Boston, NY, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington, D.C. Other coastal cities include Miami, New Orleans, Houston, and L.A. in the US. Canada: Vancouver.

Inland Cities

Along Waterways and Railroads

Canada: Ottawa, US: Detroit (Great Lakes) Cincinnati on the Ohio River Minneapolis and St. Louis on the Missouri River Omaha, Nebraska; Sacramento, California—Cities that grew up along the U.S. Transcontinental Railroad

Future Trends

Low Birthrates: Population grows about .5% each year, immigration accounts for most of the population growth of the US and Canada. Mobility: People in the US and Canada frequently move from place to place, especially form rural to urban areas

Increasing Diversity: Due to Immigration

U.S./Canadian Border: Longest Undefended Border in the World

History of Trade: The United States and Canada have been trading partners for a long time, beginning with the fur trade, then raw materials and various resources.

Canadian Identity Crisis

Many Canadians feel that they are losing their culture and French heritage to US influence.

The Quebecois of Quebec have gone so far as to want to separate the form their own separate country.

Section 2: History and Government

Native Americans

Different climate conditions forged different native cultures.

European Colonies

Many Europeans came to North America in search of land, minerals, and political and religious freedom. Most came from Spain, France, and England.

France

The French came initially for the fur trade. They set up trading posts along the St. Lawrence and Mississippi rivers sending furs to Europe.

England

The English came for personal and financial reasons.

Shipbuilding, trade and fishing were important industries.

Agriculture also became important, especially Tobacco.

Revolutions and New Countries

American Revolution The American revolutionary war beginning in 1775 led to the formation of the new country of the United States.

Some colonists, still loyal to England, left the newly formed United States and moved to Quebec Canada, which was controlled by England.

Dominion of Canada

In 1867 Prime Minister John A. MacDonald four Canadian Colonies Quebec, Ontario, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick united to form the Dominion of Canada.

The other provinces joined over the years and now Canada has 10 provinces and three territories.

Expansion: Manifest Destiny

From sea to shining sea.

This was a movement for the United States to extend from the Atlantic coast to the Pacific coast Louisiana Purchase: US bought land from France Texas became independent from Mexico and the US gained a lot of territory from Mexico that is now the SW United States.

The Gold rush caused people to push out west. They left ghost towns in their wake.

Added Alaska in 1867, bought from Russia.

Canada also added lands to its west and North. Both groups displaced their native populations in the process

Industrial Revolution

Factories first appeared in the Northeast US because of its proximity to coal and steel.

Steam was a major source of power Textile production led to a demand for Cotton, which fueled plantation agriculture in the south.

The Underground railroad developed as a way for slaves to escape the United States up into Canada where they could be free.

Disputes about slavery, political, and economic tensions led to the outbreak of the American Civil war which lasted from 1861-1865.

Transcontinental Railroad, development

The Railroad was completed in the late 1800’s, this made it possible to transport manufactured goods across the country.

Immigrants from China, Ireland, Mexico and others worked on the railroad.

During the 1900’s assembly lines (invented by Henry Ford), led to mass production of the automobile, and other goods, which forever changed America.

America became increasingly urban because of the car.

WWI: Was fought between the Allies and Central Powers. The War helped to boost the economy.

After WWI, there was a period of great prosperity (The roaring 20’s) then collapse, the Great Depression.

WWII: The Axis and Allies. The manufacturing for the war helped to boost the economy of the US. Both the US and Canada’s economies grew after WWII.

After WWII, the US became a great power in the world. This was the beginning of the Cold War and the Nuclear Age.

Changes in Industry Industry in this region shifted in the 1990’s to more high-tech industries.

The US and Canada are both major exporters of technology.

Nunavut The Native population of Canada, the Inuit, negotiated a deal with the government to have their own territory. This territory is called Nunavut and was carved out of the eastern half of the Northwest Territories.

Government

Both Federal Democracies. Power divided between the state (province) and national level.

USA

The United States has a Constitution drafted in 1787. It has had various amendments added over the years, including the first 10 the Bill of Rights.

There are three branches to the US government

Executive: The President who enforces the laws Legislative: The Congress who makes the Laws Judicial: The Courts who interpret the laws

Canada

Originally Canada was a Dominion, with partial governing power and close ties to England.

Today They have a strong central government and some powers to the territories.

Parliament: The law-making body Prime Minister: Governor General, elected by the legislature.

Cultural Characteristics

Religious Freedom: Both the US and Canada have a history of granting freedom of religion.

The majority religion in both countries is Christianity

Language

US: English is the main language in the United States, but there are many other languages spoken due to immigration.

Canada

Bilingual: Canada is a bi-lingual nation recognizing both French and English.

In Quebec, French is the official language. There has been a movement in Quebec to break off and become an independent country from Canada. These people are called the Québécois .

The Arts

Media Centers NY: New York is a major center for Theatre and News Media.

Hollywood: Major center for movies Proliferation of US Culture: US culture has greatly influenced Canada, much to the dismay of some Canadians. It has also spread throughout the world.

Lifestyle

Socioeconomic Status

Both countries have a high standard of living, with uneven distribution of income.

Health Care

US: Private health care, many people uninsured.

Canada: Government Sponsored Education: Similar education systems of public and private schools. Both have mandatory attendance with 12 grades. Both have a literacy rate of 97%.

French fries in BC; they drive on logging roads and carry wood chips there.) •Every weekend during the summer, southern Ontarians go in droves from Toronto and its environs to their second homes (ranging from campers to great big houses with all the amenities) in cottage country (usually Muskoka -- I'm told that calling it "the Muskokas" marks you as an outsider). •Every weekend during the summer, southern Quebecers go in droves from Montréal and its environs to their cottage country (usually the Laurentians; the Eastern Townships; Burlington, Vermont; Lake Champlain, New York; or Plattsburgh, New York). •Every weekend during the winter, the cottage country people go back to cottage country to go snowmobiling. Gas stations are just as likely to be filling snowmobiles as cars or trucks. •Cars (especially on the Prairies) have electrical plugs sticking out from under the hoods. These are for block heaters, to prevent engines from freezing when it's -40. •People give distances in times, not miles. •People ask whether you'd like "a coffee" rather than "some coffee." •Canadians tend to use British spelling. They

Recreation

Both countries devote a large amount of money to recreation.

Popular sports in the US are Baseball and Football The most popular sport in Canada is Ice Hockey.

Chapter 7: Living in The United States and Canada Economic Activities

Market Economies: Decided by producers and consumers

Canada: Government owns and administers many services

including broadcasting and health care.

USA: These sectors are privately owned. Developed Economies: Both are developed countries with

a majority of income coming from Secondary and Tertiary economic activities.

Even though the US and Canada are both developed nations, they both make a good deal of income from Primary Economic Activities.

Canada Lumber: Canada exports a good deal of lumber

Agriculture: Primary Economic Activity

Commodities Both nations engage in Agribusiness, or large commercial farms.

Commodities are large amounts of a good sold for profit. Grains: Staple Crops Corn Belt: Major corn growing areas Wheat: Great Plains-Breadbasket, extends up into Canada Dairy Belt: Wisconsin, milk products Livestock: Cows, Pigs, Sheep, Chickens, Animals raised for use and consumption

Manufacturing and Service Industries: Secondary and Tertiary Economic Activities

Exports: Transportation, Equipment, and Technology Post-Industrial Economies: Shifting from manufacturing to service industries. Service Industries: 75% of the regions’ work force is in service industry jobs. High-Tech Industry: Computers, robotics, consumer electronics.

The Rust Belt: retooling, switching to service industries to keep population from leaving.

Transportation and Communication Infrastructure: Roads, RR, and communications systems.

Highway systems: Interstate Highways, the Alaska Highway, and others allow the movement of people and goods throughout the countries. Canada has difficulty with transportation in its extreme climatic zones. Negative Affects: Air and Noise Pollution, traffic, urban sprawl.

Communications: Both nations have good communications systems.

Trade and Interdependence

Trade Deficit U.S.: The US has a negative balance of trade, they import more than they export. This is bad for the economy because we buy more than we sell.

Trade Surplus: Canada: Canada has a positive balance of trade, they sell more than they buy, they export more than they import.

NAFTA: The North American Free Trade Agreement.

The US, Canada, and Mexico all agreed to eliminate barriers to trade between their countries.

Barriers to trade can include Tariffs, or taxes against imports; embargos, blocking an import; or quotas, limits on the amount of an import.

Section 2: People and Their Environment

Environmental Degradation: Human Impact

People have damaged the environment in the US and Canada.

Drilling for oil, mining for minerals, clear-cutting forests, air pollution, chemical dumping, and thermal pollution are all affecting the US and Canada. Resource Management: Both countries are working on better protecting and utilizing their resources.

Pollution

Acid Rain: Us industry causes a lot of acid rain. The burning of fossil fuels, especially coal contributes to acid rain because it releases sulfur into the atmosphere. Acid rain can destroy trees, buildings, fish, and hurt other wildlife. US affecting Canada: Industries in the Northeast United States release pollution into the atmosphere which causes acid rain in Canada. This acid rain is destroying forests and buildings in the St. Lawrence lowlands.

Smog

A Visible haze causes when the sun’s rays interact with exhaust and industrial emissions, that damages, or kills plants and irritates people’s eye, throats, and lungs.

Cities like LA are working to reduce Smog, but it is still a major problem.

Water Pollution

Water Pollution

Dumping: There is a lot of dumping of industrial, medical and household waste into our water supplies.

Runoff: Runoff from farms includes chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and animal waste products.

This can kills fish, birds, and other wildlife that depend on these water supplies and can make them unusable for people.

Eutrophication: A lake or other body of water becomes rich in nutrients. There is an overgrowth of water plants and algae that uses up all the oxygen in the water killing the fish. Hopes for the Future: Clean up efforts are improving things, some rivers have been reclaimed that were once too polluted for use.

http://emily.icomm.ca/how.html

Everything is labelled in English and French. Everything is measured in metric. (No, the temperature does not drop fifty degrees when you cross the border, and the speed limit doesn't double.) Milk comes in plastic bags as well as in cartons and jugs. There's hockey gear everywhere. A guy can get onto a bus wearing goalie pads, a helmet -- everything but the skates – and nobody gives him a second look. Restaurants serve vinegar with French fries. There are $1 and $2 coins. The paper currency is in different colors, and it's pretty.

These are the biggest department stores: The Bay (the Hudson's Bay Company, the oldest company in North America and possibly the world -- it was incorporated on May 2, 1670) Eaton's (Toronto, Montréal, Calgary, Edmonton, and Vancouver are among the cities that have large malls called the Eaton Centre (Centre Eaton in French)). Eaton's has been having financial troubles for several years now, and finally closed a number of its stores and sold the rest to Sears Canada. Zellers -- owned by the Bay, Zellers is similar to KMart (which recently pulled out of Canada) or Target (which isn't in Canada at all

These are the most well-known Canadian restaurant chains:

Harvey's -- fast food burger joint Mr. Sub -- similar to Subway The Keg (Le Keg en français) -- a big, high-end yet still generic steakhouse Pizza Pizza -- similar to Domino's Tim Horton's -- do(ugh)nuts! See below. Swiss Chalet -- sit-down chicken and ribs place Robin's -- another do(ugh)nut chain, popular in western Canada. Mountain Dew has no caffeine. Coke and Pepsi use real sugar instead of corn syrup.

When you step on someone's foot, he apologizes. (This really happened.) There are billboards advertising vacations in Cuba, and Cuban cigars are freely available. Nobody worries about losing a life's savings or a home because of illness. In pharmacies, you can buy acetaminophen or codeine over the counter, but you can't buy hydrocortisone ointments or creams without a prescription. ASA with At county fairs and the Canadian National Exhibition (Canadians: it's the other way around in the States.) , red ribbons indicate first place and blue ribbons indicate second.

Cars (especially on the Prairies) have electrical plugs sticking out from under the hoods. These are for block heaters, to prevent engines from freezing when it's -40. People give distances in times, not miles. Most Canadians will tell you that the last letter of the alphabet is pronounced "zed." Sharon, Lois, and Bram, popular children's entertainers, make it a point in their performances of "The Alphabet Song" to say "zed" instead of "zee." People end sentences with "eh," eh?