Transcript North America Background

North America

Background
– North America/Anglo America
– United States and Canada among the most prosperous,
highly developed countries of the world
– Generous resource endowments- abundant minerals and
good agricultural land
– Settlement of US and Canada undertaken by peoples who
came from other lands
– Native American peoples dispossessed and forced off their
lands
– Slaves were imported from West Africa to work as laborers

Cultural and Historical factors
– Size- both countries are large in area
– Internal Unity -- both have a strong sense of national
unity,
– Canada has some issues with the integration of Québec
– Resource Wealth- both rich in natural resources
– Population Size- Combined population is large but not
overpopulated
– Technology- both have highly mechanized economies,
high levels of technology in production
– Good Neighbors- no significant boundary problems, largest
undefended border in the world
– Geographical Diversity- wide range of different
environments
– Institutional Stability- Long history of political stability and
democratic practices.

Major Landforms
– The Canadian Shield
 ancient rocks rich in metal bearing ores
 thinly populated
 gently rolling hills
– The Arctic Coastal Plain
 Alaska section along the Arctic Ocean has rich oil
deposits
 Isolated and under populated
– Gulf Atlantic Plain
 low and relatively level plain
 pine trees and mixed old pine forests cover large
areas
 swamps and marshes,
 coast is indented by rivers and bays
 good in productive soils
 oil and gas are major resources on the Gulf Coast
 the Piedmont inland from the Gulf Atlantic Coast
has better soils
– Appalachian Highlands
 located west of the Piedmont
 elevations are relatively low and most land has been a for us,
deciduous, or mixed forests
 areas rich in coal mines
– Interior Upland's
 physical characteristics like Appalachian Highlands
 these Highlands are divided by the Arkansas River Valley
with Ozark plateau located in the north and the Ouachita
Mts on the south
 area produces beef, pork, corn, soybeans, and wheat
 coal mines also dot the area
– The Interior Plains
 these lie within the drainage basins of the Mississippi
River, the St. Lawrence, Mackenzie River and
Saskatchewan River.
 Rolling in flat terrain with some of the best soils in the
world
 area produces large quantities of beef, pork, corn,
soybeans, and wheat
– Rocky Mountains
 high and rugged mountains with few passes between them
 ranching, mining, and winter recreation
 Columbia, Colorado, Missouri, and Rio Grande Rivers
originate in Rockies
– Interior basins and plateaus
 high plateaus and basins found in Nevada, Utah,
 area shielded from moisture bearing winds
 Mining of copper, oil, gas, oil, uranium
 several major dams generate hydroelectric power long the
Columbia and Colorado River's
– Pacific Coastlands
 Pacific Mountains and valleys parallel the Pacific Ocean
 Central Valley, the Willamette Valley, and Puget Sound has
good agriculture
 high mountains and large glaciers in Cascades
 abundant forests, fisheries, and agriculture in this area
North American Physical
Regions

Major Climate Regions
– Tundra
 Long, cold winters and brief summers
 mosses, lichens, and hearty grasses found there
– Sub-arctic climate
 long cold winter in short mild summers
 natural vegetation coniferous forests in a similar to the
Russian taiga
 population extremely sparse
 trapping, hunting, fishing, mining, logging, and military
activities support this area
– The Humid Continental climate (short summers)
 northern part United States and southern part of Canada
 short summers and cold winters
 dairy farming and this spring wheat production
– Humid Continental climate (long summers)
 cold winters with the longer summer and longer growing
season
 corn, soybeans, cattle, and hogs raised in this area
 Midwest part United States
– Humid Subtropical climate
 short winner and long hot summers
 good agricultural conditions growing tobacco, cotton,
rice, peanuts, and a wide variety of fruits and vegetables
 evergreen soft wounds and broadleaf deciduous
hardwoods, many used in furniture construction
– Steppe
 dry grasslands located just to the east of the Rocky
Mountains
 some agriculture but the economy focuses on
ranching
– Desert
 Southwest part of the US from eastern California,
through Arizona and New Mexico
 Retirement and recreation communities in this area
 Irrigation supplies major cities and towns
– Mediterranean climate
 dry summer subtropical climate in Southern California
 most rain comes in the winter
 production of cattle feed, vineyards, fruits, vegetables,
cotton and a wide range of other crops
 California is the largest US state in total agricultural
output
– Marine West Coast
 Pacific northwest part of United States
 abundant moisture during most of the year
 large forests of Douglas fir, western red cedar, and
other evergreen trees
 High mountains with a moderate climate
Canada

Background
– Canada highly developed and affluent country
– One of top manufacturing countries
– Highly urbanized with 78% of people in cities and 35% of
the people who live in Toronto (2.5 mil); Montreal (3.5 mil)
or Vancouver (2 mil)
– Canadian population clustered near US border

Unique Features of Canadian Development
– Pattern of trade with Canada exporting raw materials and
semi-finished goods, energy and agricultural products
– Imports manufactured products and specialty food
products
– High dependence on trade with US
 US imports 87% of Canadian exports
 US supplies 70% of Canadian imports
– High dependence on US investment in Canada
 75% of all investment in Canada from US
 High dependence occasionally produces irritation
 Canada taken for granted in US. Ignorance of
Canada in the US
 US cultural imperialism

Good Neighbors
– Longest common border in the world (5,000 miles)
– Amicable relations between two countries
– 90% of all Canadians live within 100 miles of the US
border
– Alaska salmon problems
– Charges of dumping Canadian products in US
– Trade wars over wood products like cedar roofing
Regions of Canada

Regional Landscape of Canada
Atlantic Region
 Newfoundland, Labrador, New Brunswick, Nova
Scotia, and Prince Edward Island
 Land of small farms and scattered settlements
 Relatively isolated from rest of Canada
 Halifax, largest city with 300K residents
 Whole Atlantic region only has 2.5 million
 Poorest of all Canadian regions
 Exceptionally rich fishing areas offshore but stocks
are in decline, especially cod fish
 Grand Banks over-fished; Canadians established
200 mile limit
Canadian Core Region (Ontario & Quebec)
 Contains
2/3’s of Canadian population
 Includes provinces of Ontario and Quebec
 Quebec largely Catholic by religion and French-speaking
 Ontario mainly British in language and culture
 Cities include Toronto (2.5 mil); Montreal (3.5 mil);
Ottawa, the federal capital, (1.2 mil)
 Hamilton is major steel industry for automobiles and
metal fabricating
 75% of Canadian manufacturing in this region
 St Lawrence Seaway connects Great Lake with Atlantic
Ocean
 Transports wheat, iron ore, petroleum and other products
Prairie Region
 Manitoba,
Saskatchewan, Alberta
 Relatively isolated with abundant grasslands
 Settlers attracted by good farmland in19th C
 Spring wheat for export
 English-speaking peoples migrated from Eastern Canada
and the US
 Alberta- fossil fuel capital of Canada which stimulated a
boom in Calgary and Edmonton
 “Blue-eyed Arabs of Alberta
 Large quantities of oil, gas and “tar sands”
 Canadian reserves 2-3 times the energy equivalent of oil in
the Arab Middle East
 Problems
with “resource separatism”
 Who should benefit from provincial resources– the
federal government or the provincial governments?
 Cites of the Prairie include Edmonton (900K); Calgary
(850K), and Winnipeg (700 K)
 Little manufacturing but good tourism. Beautiful
mountains and scenery
 Lots of minerals like coal, zinc, copper, nickel, uranium,
and potash
 Exports of oil and natural gas to US
Vancouver Region and British Columbia
 Vancouver
City located on superb natural harbor at
the Frazier River
 Victoria located at tip of Vancouver Island offshore
 Canadian Pacific Railroad transformed Vancouver
City into major for Canadian exports
 Vancouver was major destination for Chinese
workers in the 19th C. Second major influx of
Chinese immigrants and investment from Hong
Kong Chinese fearful of the PRC takeover of HK in
1997.
 Japanese tourism has major positive impact on local
economy. Gardens, shopping, skiing and hiking.
 Vancouver
big exporter of bulk commodities, i.e.
grains, wood, coal, sulfur, metals, potash and
asbestos
 Major center of world trade with Far East
 Industrial, governmental and corporate capital
 Mild climate with moderate temperatures and
abundant rainfall
 Salmon fishing
 Aluminum smelting with abundant hydro power.
Canadian North
 Provinces
of Yukon, Northwest Territories, and
Nunavut
 Large area, few people, very isolated
 Islands of development surrounding mining
settlements.
 Sudbury (100K) north of Ontario, nickel, copper
and iron ore.
 Pulp and paper mills
 Port of Churchill on Hudson Bay to ship wheat from
Prairie provinces
.
 Territorial
Canada under federal government
administration.
 Native people, Inuit (Eskimos) hunt, fish
 New territorial division with creation of Nunavut
(meaning “our land” in Inuit language)
 Governmental allocation of $1.2 billion for
distribution to native peoples by 20016
 Airplane service, communication links, medical
clinics and schools for native peoples.
 Native peoples pressing land claims to mining areas
with demands for ecological regulations
United States
Regions of the United States
 The Northeast
– the Northeast is the most intensively developed, densely
populated, and ethnically diverse region of the US
– main center of political financial and cultural activity
contains 16 million people or about 21% of the national
population
– highly urbanized area particularly from Boston to
Washington, DC
– seven main metropolitan areas including Boston, MA
(male5.8 mil), Providence, RI (1.2 mil), Philadelphia (6.2
mil), Washington, DC (5 mil), Baltimore, MD (2.6 mil)
– Megalopolis (DC to Boston conurbation)
– almost 40% of all office space located within a 50 mile radius
of New York
– almost 40% of all office space located within a 50 mile radius
of New York
– New England area had good ports, swift streams to power
water wheels, and abundant European immigrants especially
the Irish
– emphasis on textile production and other industrial goods
– economy of the Northeast
clothing design and manufacturing
 iron and steel manufacturing, Pittsburgh PA
 chemical industries for industry and consumers (DuPont Co.)
 photographic film and equipment (Kodak Co)
 electronics manufacturing in the Boston area

electrical equipment manufacturing centered on New England,
New York, and Pennsylvania (General Electric Co.)
 aircraft engines (United Technologies and Pratt & Whitney)
 nuclear submarines produced in New London Connecticut
(Trident submarines)
 publishing and printing in New York, Washington DC

– much manufacturing in the US move from Northeast and
Midwest to the south
– adaptive reuse of old buildings for housing and new
business
– gentrification of Northeast cities (revitalization of
downtown areas with condominiums, specialty shops,
trendy restaurants, and improved sports facilities

The South
– the southern part of US include states along the Atlantic
Ocean, (Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina,
Georgia, and Florida) states along the Gulf of Mexico
(Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas)
– most of the states sided with the South in the Civil War
– most of the South has the humid subtropical climate
with a long hot summer's and abundant rainfall
– most of the South as rolling plains
– region of rapid population growth with the declining
farm population
– region of rapid population growth with the declining farm
population
– largest city is on our Dallas-Fort Worth (5.2 mil), Houston (5
mil), Atlanta (4.1 mil), Miami (4 mil) and Tampa-St.
Petersburg (2.5 mil)
– the South contains large percent of African-Americans
– increasing Hispanic population of Mexican-Americans,
Cuban-Americans and Cajuns of French dissent
– Economy in the South
declining importance of agriculture
 farms tend to be small low in production with part-time farmers
 importance of beef cattle, poultry, and dairy cattle
 importance of tobacco in cotton
 specialty crops like oranges in Florida, sugarcane in Louisiana,
Rice said the Mississippi lowlands, peanuts in Georgia, and
resources bred in Kentucky
 Manufacturing of textiles, chemical products, furniture, tobacco,
and machinery also important
 shifts a production from the South to Mexico and other offshore
manufacturing sites
 the importance of the Tennessee Valley Authority and revitalizing
the South
 oil and natural gas concentrated along the Gulf Coast

 Appalachia
– (Kentucky, West Virginia, Tennessee, Arkansas)
– Coal mining
– Poorest region of the US
– TVA (Tennessee Valley Authority) and development of
cheap power
– Isolated area with some economic progress recently
US/Canada Oil and Gas
Regions
The Midwest and Great Plains
– the North Central Midwest includes 12 states- Ohio,
Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa,
North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, and
Missouri
– this region produces the great output of food and feeds in
the world
– soils are exceptionally good
– unusual to have extremely fertile soils with a long growing
season and considerable rainfall
– huge areas of flat land permit highly mechanized planting
and harvesting
– corn is single leading product of Midwest farms
– beef cattle raised primarily on corn
– soybeans are another large crop for Midwest farmers
– meat packing, grain milling and other food processing
industries important
– Chicago early center of pork and cattle processing
– largest farm machinery corporations based in Midwest (John
Deere, Caterpillar, and Navistar)
– automobile industry concentrated in Detroit, MI (General
Motors, Ford and Chrysler now Daimler-Chrysler)
– auto industry spread to other areas like Flint and Lansing,
Michigan and Cleveland and Dayton Ohio
– Chicago, main railroad hub connecting East and West
– River cities like St. Louis, Mo/ Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN/
Cincinnati, OH/ and Kansas City MO
– Barges transport goods on the Mississippi River
– many these areas losing population to the South and
Southwest
The West
– Eleven states in the West-three on the Pacific Coast
(California, Oregon, in Washington) and eight states and
the interior (New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, Utah,
Nevada, Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho)
– West under-populated except for Southern California, the
Bay area of San Francisco, Portland, OR and the Puget
Sound region of Washington
– California coastal range of mountains, the Cascade Mts
and the Olympic Mts in Washington state
– several large lowland plain areas- the Central Valley in
California, the Willamette Valley in Oregon, and the
Puget Sound region of Washington
– water is the most critical resource in the West
– the transcontinental railroad opened up the West and led
to a large influx of population
– two significant water systems and the American West
largest is the flow from the Colorado River that serves Arizona
and Southern California
 the second is a 200 mile gravity flow canal that brings water
from Sierra Nevada mountains through the Owens Valley north
of Los Angeles

– land east of the coastal states used for grazing cattle and
sheep
– Las Vegas, NV booming growth in tourism/gambling
– Los Angeles and San Diego boomed in the 20th century
 Center of agriculture in the early part of the 20th
century
 the center of the movie and television industry
 aerospace and electronics industry
 major influx of Hispanic peoples from Mexico
– Bay area and San Francisco
 Climate is very mild, Marine West Coast
 Napa Valley center of California wine industry's
 Silicon Valley south of San Francisco center of
computer and computer hardware industry
 influence of Stanford University and University
California at Berkeley
– Seattle and Portland
 the Puget Sound basin and Willamette Valley are both
excellent agricultural areas
 abundant rainfall and mild temperatures
 Seattle home of Boeing aircraft Co.
 timber products from extensive forests inland
 fishing for salmon and shellfish
 Redmond, Washington home of Microsoft Corp.
 Seattle also home of a thriving biotech firms
US Geographical Regions
Alaska and Hawaii
– Alaska one-sixth of US land area but less than 1 million
people
– rugged, cold and remote
– Coastal plain of tundra in North; Brooks Range of Mts,
Yukon River basin, Pacific Mts and Valleys
– Fairbanks, Anchorage, and Juneau are major cities.
– Part of the “ring of fire” volcanically active
– Economic growth since 1940’s from US military, fishing,
Arctic oil, tourism
– New potential sources of oil on North coast in Alaska
National Wildlife Reserve and ecological concerns
– Four main Hawaiian islands- Oahu, Hawaii, Kauai, Maui,
and Molokai
– Volcanic high islands with a coral reef
– Over 1 million residents- Caucasian (35%); Japanese
(25%); Polynesian (15%); Filipino (15%); Chinese and
Korean (10%)
– Heavy rainfall on windward side of islands (200+ inches)
– Agriculture focuses on sugarcane, pineapples, Kona coffee
– Importance of tourism from Asia- warm climate, beautiful
beaches, scenery, and tourist shopping
– Impact of Japanese economic slowdown on investment
and tourism
– Defense installations
Alaska and Hawaii