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Introduction to Human Migration and Population
(Adapted and modified from McDougal Littell – World Geography)
Not all lands are suitable for human habitation. Almost 90 percent of the world’s
population lives in the Northern Hemisphere, the majority living in East Asia or South
Asia. Climate, altitude, and access to water all influence where people choose to live.
Almost two-thirds of the world’s population lives in the zone between 20 degrees N and
60 degrees N latitude due to some of the lands here having suitable climate and
vegetation for dense human living. This zone is warm and wet enough to make
agriculture possible. Many populations are also concentrated along coastal regions and
river valleys. The more lightly populated areas are in polar, heavily mountainous, and
desert regions.
Although more than half the people today live in rural regions, that is changing with more
people moving into cities for many reasons. Large-scale migration of people who move
from one location to another is what is changing the population shift into cities. People
migrate to different areas based on push-pull factors. Push factors cause people to leave
their original home and migrate to another. These factors could be environmental, such
as a drought or natural disaster, and political, caused by war or ethnic/religious
persecution. Pull factors draw or attract people to another location. Countries or cities
with good economic conditions, especially jobs and high salaries, attract migrants from
other locations. Another pull factor could be a favorable climate.
Subregions of the United States
(Adapted and modified from McDougal Littell – World Geography)
The Northeast
There are 11 states that comprise the Northeast subregion of the United States. Maine,
Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Pennsylvania,
New York, New Jersey, Maryland, and Delaware are all considered “America’s
Gateway” due to their location along the Atlantic coast where millions of European
immigrants first arrived to the settle the region. Fishing and farming were the main
activities the settlers engaged in, but because of the region’s proximity to the Atlantic
Ocean and other major rivers, it developed into a major trade, commercial, and industrial
area for the nation. The cities of Philadelphia, Boston, and New York still serve as
international trade centers.
Some of the areas natural resources, such as coal, iron ore, and oil, helped industrialize
the region. Iron, steel, petroleum, and lumber still influence the areas economy, but the
majority of jobs and industry are now found in manufacturing and service industries like
electronics, communications, chemicals, medical research, finance, and tourism.
Today, Pennsylvania, New York, and New Jersey are sometimes called the “rust belt”
because of the decline in traditional industries of iron and steel. Many of these industries
moved to warmer climates in the “sunbelt” areas of the South and West.
The Midwest
The subregion of the Midwest is called the American Heartland because of its central
location. Flat plains are common in this region, but so are many waterways that include
the Great Lakes, the Mississippi River and its many tributaries. North and South Dakota,
Minnesota, Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin,
and Iowa are all states in the Midwest.
The Midwest is called the nation’s “breadbasket” because its fertile soil, adequate
rainfall, and favorable climate that allow Midwesterners to produce enough food to feed
more people than in any other part of the world. Agriculture is the basis for the region’s
industries that include meatpacking, food processing, farm equipment, and grain milling.
The area is also popular for the jobs it provides in steel and automaking.
The Midwest’s central location and various waterways make it a trade, transportation,
and distribution center. The city of Chicago, Illinois is considered the cultural, financial,
and transportation center of the Midwest. Large bodies of water, including the Great
Lakes and major rivers, helped transport goods in the region’s major cities. Those cities
include Detroit, Cleveland, Milwaukee, Cincinnati, St. Louis, Minneapolis, St. Paul,
Kansas City, and Omaha.
Today, farming in the Midwest is declining because of the growth in the area of services.
Many of the region’s metropolitan areas are expanding as city people and commercial
businesses leave the central areas of the cities for the suburbs. Many people and
industries from the Midwest are choosing to leave for the warmer climates of the South
and West.
The South
The South’s early settlers, warm climate, suitable soils, and abundance of natural
resources have all affected the development of this area. Oklahoma, Texas, Louisiana,
Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky, West Virginia, North and South
Carolina, Georgia, and Florida are all part of the subregion. The “Old South” has mixed
cultures that reflect its early development, including the first European settlement in
Virginia, Africans who originally worked as slaves, Mexicans whose families settled
there from Mexico and Texas, French-Canadians, Creoles of French, Spanish and African
descent, and Cubans. Cotton, tobacco, fruits, peanuts, and rice are crops that are still
grown from its early development. However, the “New South” also relies on livestock in
states like Texas and Arkansas. The region’s vast natural resources have made industries
in oil, coal, natural gas, and water grow tremendously since the 1950s. Major industries
in the New South are petroleum, steel, chemicals, food processing, textiles, and
electronics. Many of these industries and retirees fled the harsh weather of the Northeast
and came to this “sunbelt” region because of its warm climate. Atlanta, Georgia is now
the major financial, trade, and transportation center of the New South. Other rapidly
growing metropolitan areas of the South include Miami, New Orleans, Houston, DallasFort Worth, and San Antonio.
The West
It is important to note that the West covers about one-half of the land area of the United
States, including Alaska and Hawaii. Other states are Washington, Oregon, Montana,
Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, California, and Nevada. This
subregion is the fastest growing area of the country with California being the most
populated state; Los Angeles serving as its cultural and commercial center, and its
excellent farmland, harbors, and climate attracting settlers for many years. Many people
like to live in California for its coastal waters and mountains that create many
opportunities for a variety of recreational activities. The economic activities of the West
have drawn people to the area for jobs in farming, logging, fishing, mining, oil refining,
filmmaking, tourism, and electronics. Foreign trade with countries in Asia is also
possible due to harbors in Los Angeles, Long Beach, San Francisco, and Seattle.