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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.