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North America Introduction U.S. and Canada Highly urbanized and mobile society Culturally diverse Resource-rich environment Postindustrial economy Environmental Geography Interior lowland(Great Plains) surrounded by mountainous topography(Rocky, Appalachian) Major landform division of the North America Physical setting - East Appalachians and surrounding regions East/South of Appalachian Highlands Southern Appalachian (South PA) Coastal plains (S.NY to TX): not well drained prone to flood Sedimentary rock rich in coal Northern Appalachian (North of PA) Crystalline rock irregular surface form (eg. New England, Canadian Maritimes) Physical setting - Interior Lowland drained by the Mississippi River and its tributaries Extends from west central Canada to the Gulf of Mexico Eastward Westward Southern Great Lakes, Ohio River Valley Sediments eroded from the Rocky Mountains Northward Glacial forces - North of Ohio and Missouri rivers Physical setting - West Rocky Mountains Extends from Alaska to New Mexico A series of uplift with 10K ft height Source of Platte, Rio Grande, Columbia, Colorado river Denver and Calgary are located here Great Basins Nevada, sparsely settled Pacific Rim Formed on the convergent plate boundary – North American plate collides with Pacific plate Majority is the temperate climates except for dry climates in the southwestern part 100th meridian dry humid Climate and Vegetation - East South of Great Lakes Abundant in deciduous (broadleaf) forest, but some are cleared for agriculture North of Great Lakes Coniferous (evergreen/boreal) forest Tundra: mixture of low shrubs, grasses and flowering herbs near Hudson Bay Climate and Vegetation - East Deciduous in Piedmont Coniferous in Manitoba Subtropical humid climate; Fields of cotton and corn are bordered by mixed oak-pine woodland Subarctic climate; Spindly Conifers of little commercial value; Marshes are common in glaciated environment Climate and Vegetation - East Tundra in the Northwest Territories Covered with lichens and grass; no tree can be seen Climate and Vegetation – Great Plains East of 100th Meridian Above 20-inch precipitation (subhumid) Prairie: tall grasslands West of 100th Meridian Below 20-inch precipitation (arid) Short grasses and scrub vegetation Climate and Vegetation – Great Plains Prairie in the eastern Kansas Climate and Vegetation – West Desert (Southeast of Sierra Nevada) Southern Pacific coast (South of SF) Northern Pacific coast (North of SF) Mediterranean climates – chaparral scrub Marine west coast climates – mixed, coniferous forest Rocky mountains Varies by altitude (pine to tundra) Climate and Vegetation – West Chaparral in Monterey, CA Found in the foothills of California; dense growth of evergreen shrub Conifers in Colorado Rockies Taken at an elevation of 11,000 feet; Conifers gives way to Alpine Tundra at the higher altitude Climate cycles Long term Glacial advance 15,000 years ago north of the Missouri and Ohio rivers (eg. Great Lakes) Short term Drought cycles early 1900s on the Great Plains (eg. Dust Bowl era of the 1920s and 1930s) Creation of Great Lakes Natural Hazards Seismic rigors: earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanoes along the plate boundary in the Western North America Densely settled coastline: vulnerable to flood, hurricane, rise of the sea level Wildfire: mountains of western North America Western Montana, summer 2000 Global warming, periodic droughts, and growing population may cause this scene to be repeated Environmental issues – soils and vegetation Native vegetation has been removed for cropping, grazing, and urbanization Widespread soil erosion as a result Environmental issues – water Distribution of water resources (eg. aqueduct) eg. LA Aqueduct, Central Valley project Colorado River ->agricultural/metropolitan regions in Southern CA Water shortage eg. Depletion of Ogallala Aquifer beneath the Great Plains Water contamination Wastewater, Oil spill, raw sewage, fertilizer/pesticides, salinization California aqueduct reconfigures the distribution of water resources promotes the agricultural and metropolitan expansion Environmental issues – atmosphere Local scale Urban heat islands Warmer temperature in the metropolitan area than nearby rural areas Regional scale Acid rain Caused by sulfur dioxide & nitrogen oxides in atmosphere Damage forests, poison lake Produced in the Midwest, southern Ontario Affects the Ohio Valley, Appalachia, the northeastern US, eastern Canada Population & Settlement Sparsely populated Low RNI, TFR Population aging High urbanization rate Spatial pattern of population Densely populated areas are Canadian urban corridor Toronto, Ottawa, and Montreal U.S. Megalopolis - Washington D.C., Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York, and Boston Southern Great Lakes, South, Pacific Coast Population growth Rapid growth since European colonization (1600~) Higher rates of immigration in the late 19th and 20th centuries Birthrates gradually fell after 1900 “Baby boom” between 1946 and 1965 Continuing increase in immigration Projected to 375 million by 2025 Occupying the Land Precontact period (Native Americans) Estimated 3.2 million for the Continental US, and 1.3 million for Canada, Alaska, Hawaii, and Greenland (A.D. 1500) European settlement expansion First stage (1600-1750) – Coastal region of east Second stage (1750-1850) – eastern half Third stage (1850-1910) – west European expansion – First stage St. Lawrence Valley, Canadian Maritimes - French Southern New England - English Puritans New Netherlands (later New York) - Dutch Pennsylvania - English Quaker plantation South (Virginia, South Carolina) - Bicultural European, and African Gulf of Mexico (New Orleans 1718) - French Southwest (Santa Fe 1610), and Florida (St. Augustine 1565) - Spanish European expansion – Second stage Found the interior Lowlands region ideal for agricultural settlement Midwest and interior South European expansion – Third stage Attracted by opportunities in California, the Oregon country, Mormon Utah, and the Great Plains Mineral rushes in Colorado, Montana, and British Columbia’s Fraser Valley Migration trend - outlines Westward-moving populations Black Exodus from the South Rural-to-urban migration Growth of the Sun Belt South Counterurbanization trend Westward-moving populations By 1990 More than half lived west of Mississippi River 1990-2000 Growth of the interior West (Nevada, Arizona, Utah, Montana) Fueled by new job creation in high-technology industries Includes many outward-bound Californians Nevada (66 percent growth) and Arizona (40 percent growth) were the two fastest-growing states between 1990 and 2000 Black Exodus from the South Black populations were originally concentrated in the plantation South Industrialization South Growth North (early 20th centuries) North and West of Sun Belt (after 1970) and West South Rural-to-urban migration Fueled Urban by industrialization orientation facilitates processes of modernization and globalization Growth of the Sun Belt South After 1970 Georgia, Florida, Texas, and North Carolina grew more rapidly than states in the Northeast and Midwest Contributed by The South’s buoyant economy Modest living costs Adoption of air conditioning Attractive recreational opportunities Counterurbanization trend Significant population gains in nonmetropolitan areas Participants Growing are retiree population Lifestyle migrants: prefer small towns that are affordable, amenities-rich, and free of urban problems The evolution of the city in the U.S. A: pre-1888 B: 1888-1920 C: 1920-1945 D: 1945-present A B C D Changing transportation technologies decisively shaped the evolution of the city U.S. cities became increasingly decentralized Urban decentralization Suburb of Las Vegas 1990 2000 Edge city Tysons Corner, Virginia Have fewer functional connections with the central city than they have with other suburban centers Urban settlements grow in area, but decline in density Rapid loss of surrounding rural land Challenges in the inner city As a result of suburbanization, inner cities suffer Losses in population Increased levels of crime and social disruption Shrinking tax base Racial tension especially in the U.S. City of Buffalo – Map by census 2000 Median household income Black population White population Hispanic population Gentrification Inner-city revitalization by new public and private investments Displacement of lower-income residents of centralcity neighborhoods with higher-income residents eg. Seattle’s Pioneer Square, Toronto’s Yorkville district, and Baltimore’s Harborplace Cultural Coherence and Diversity Cultural identity Historically tied to Great Britain Consumer culture blossomed after 1920 Anglo world view has been implanted (eg. law, democracy, individualism, pragmatism, social mobility) Increasingly secular society oriented toward convenience and consumption Coexists with pluralism Persistence and assertion of distinctive ethnicity Migration to the U.S. Phase 1 (before 1820) Phase 2 (1820-1870) dominated by English, African dominated by Northwest Europeans Phase 3 (1870-1920) Southern, eastern Europeans, and Scandinavian Political strife and poor economies in Europe High peak around 1900 Hardly targeted job-poor South (thus prevalence of whites in the Northern area persists still) Migration to the U.S. Phase 4 (1920-1970) from Latin America, and Canada Overall totals plunged due to federal immigration policies, the Great depression, and WWII Phase 5 (after 1970): Most originated from Latin America, and Asia Made possible by economic and political instability abroad, growing postwar U.S. economy, loosening of immigration laws U.S. immigrations, by year and group Projected U.S. ethnic composition year By late in the century, almost one in three Americans will be Hispanic, and non-Hispanic whites will achieve minority status amid an increasingly diverse U.S. population Migration to Canada Before 1765: French in the St. Lawrence Valley After 1765: Britain, Ireland, and U.S. 1900-1920: Eastern Europeans, Italians, Ukrainians, and Russians Recent: Asian (60% of recent immigrants) eg. Vancouver - dominated by Asian populations Now Canada has 16% foreign-born population Vancouver’s immigrant population, by place of birth, 1996 The geography of ethnicity in U.S. White: all around U.S., but northern prevalence reveals relative to other ethnicities (early European settlement) African-American: concentrated in the Southeast (legacy of the cotton South) Hispanic: concentrated in the Southwest, and Miami (early Spanish control) Asian: concentrated in California, and Hawaii American Indian: concentrated in Navajo Reservation Culture and Place Cultural identity is strongly tied to place, thus imprints cultural landscape Culturally distinct areas can be found in a regional scale and local scale scale – forms cultural homeland Local scale – forms ethnic neighborhoods Regional Cultural Homeland culturally distinctive nucleus of settlement whose ethnicity has survived over time, affecting cultural landscape Selected cultural regions in North America French-Canadian Quebec The French have established settlement since the 17th century 80% of Quebec population speaks French Hispanic Borderlands Standford University The Spanish have established settlement since 16th century Currently 32 million Hispanic population in the U.S. Black Belt Legacy of the Cotton South Has diminished in intensity due to outmigration Home to black folk tradition (eg. blues) Acadiana The Cajun culture in the southwestern Louisiana Created in the 18th century when French settlers were expelled from eastern Canada and relocated to Louisiana Louisiana Bayou Navajo Reservation, Nunavut Eskimo in the Northwest Territories Navajo Reservation: part of Arizona, New Mexico, and southern Utah Nunavut: became separate Canadian territory in 1999; 80% Inuit Currently, 4 million native American in the North America Ethnic neighborhoods Local-scale ethnic signatures compared to regional-scale cultural homelands Reflects North American migration patterns Ethnicity in L.A. Ethnic neighborhoods Ethnic concentrations of nonwhite populations in the inner city 75% of Detroit, and 60% of Atlanta are AfricanAmerican in terms of population in the inner city 40% of L.A. is Hispanic in terms of population in the inner city North American Religion Dominance of Protestant Regional concentration of American Catholics 60% of U.S., 40% of Canada Quebec, Northeast U.S., Southwest U.S. Millions with religious or secular traditions apart from Christianity Jewish, Eastern Orthodox Growing Islam among urban populations Increasing portion of nonbelievers Globalization of American culture North America’s cultural geography is becoming more global Eg. Internationalized food, increasing use of non-English language, international travel, and music (Brit-pop, Techno) Global cultural geographies are becoming more North American Eg. U.S. products abroad, popularity of English-language Cultural nationalism is responsive to this force being affected by others… Annual beer imports to the United States also affecting others Tokyo Disneyland Geopolitical Framework Creating political space For the last 400 years, European settlers have displaced Native peoples who had lived for 20,000 years US: driven by nationalistic interest (American Revolution) – uniting and expanding States Canada : driven by geographic convenience (close link with U.K.) – assembling Provinces Creating political space – U.S. ~1750: organized around 13 English colonies 1787: Northwest Ordinance 1803: Louisiana Purchase Mid 19th century Captured Southwest from Mexican war Possessed Northwest from the treaty with Britain By the late 19th century acquisition of Alaska(1867) and Hawaii(1898) Northwest possession Northwest Ordinance (1787) (1846) Louisiana Purchase (1803) Mexican war (1848) Creating political space – Canada 1774: The Quebec Act – allow for continued French settlement in the St. Lawrence Valley 1791: Constitutional Act – divide the colony into Upper Canada(Ontario) and Lower Canada(Quebec) 1840: Act of Union – reunite the two Canadas 1867: Canadian Confederation - unite the provinces of Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick Later: northern portion of the continent joined Canada Geopolitical relationships between Canada and the U.S. 19th century: Canada worried about being in the political shadow of U.S. War of 1812 – conflict between U.S. and Britain on the neutral rights on the maritimes Manifest Destiny – expansion of U.S. Land throughout northern continent at the post-Civil War era 20th century: political cooperation Environmental - Boundary Waters Treaty(1909), St. Lawrence Seaway project(1959) Military - NATO (1949) Trade - NAFTA (1989): reducing barriers to trade and capital investment among U.S., Canada, and Mexico Legacy of Federalism U.S. Limited centralized authority in the U.S. Constitution (1787) ends up with powerful central government through growing nationalism Canada Central authorities in the Canadian Constitution (1867) ends up with more provincial autonomy due to the close connection with Britain (less nationalism) Challenge to federal political power Quebec Different language, distinct cultural identity, and economic disparity between the Anglo and French populations Secession from Canada? 2000, Clarity Act: Quebec could only secede if a “clear” majority voted to do so Challenge to federal political power – Native Peoples U.S. Since 1960, decisive turn away from earlier policies of assimilation Trend has been toward Increased Native American autonomy Canada Territory (1999) – represents a new level of native self-government in North America Nunavut Geopolitical reach of the U.S. Monroe Doctrine (1824) Spanish-American War (1898) Growing role of the U.S. military in the Central America and the Caribbean (1898-1916) WWII: Redefined the U.S. role in world affairs Cold War: Truman Doctrine, Korean/Vietnam War Post-Cold War: Middle East, Kosovo, Global terrorism Global Terrorism groups’ attack on the U.S. reminds us that open system makes us vulnerable to the terrorist attack, and also geopolitical realities of globalization have brought both opportunities and risks into the lives of every American Anti-American Economic/Social Development Land size, geographic diversity, resource abundance, and human capital enabled North Americans to achieve high levels of economic development Agriculture Highly commercialized, mechanized, and specialized Efficient transportation systems, global markets, and large capital investment Employs a small % of labor force U.S. (2.6%), Canada (3.7%) Nevertheless, remains important part of economy The geography of agriculture The geography of agriculture Northeast: dairy operations due to the proximity to major cities U.S. Midwest, western Ontario: corn and soybeans with the tradition of mixed farming North of Corn Belt: dairy operations South: subtropical specialty crops or livestock farming Kansas, Saskatchewan, Alberta: commercial wheat and other small grain farming Central valley: Mediterranean agriculture (with irrigation) Industrial raw materials Petroleum U.S. produces 12% of the world’s oil and consume 25% Imported from Venezuela, Mexico, Canada, Saudi Arabia, and Nigeria Produced in the Gulf Coast of Texas and Louisiana… Coal US-23% of the world’s total reserve; produced in Appalachia Metals resources 20% of the world’s copper, lead, and zinc reserve 20% of the world’s gold, silver, and nickel production Economic success in North America Last 200 years, explained by the marriage between abundant resources (natural & human) and the Industrial Revolution Recently, by (1) diversifying economic base (2) extending its global reach Economic growth can be seen from (1) how well the society is connected (2) how occupational structure changes Connectivity & Economic growth -1830 Canal Erie canal: connects the Midwest with New York city 1830-1920 Train Chicago – transfer load, connecting regions 1920 Automobiles, air, telephone Highway(1970), St. Lawrence Seaway(1950) Sectoral Transformation Technology innovation and economic restructuring affects the change in employment structure Evolution of a nation’s labor force from one highly dependent on the primary sector (natural resource extraction) to one with more employment in the secondary (manufacturing or industrial), tertiary (services), and quaternary (information processing) sectors Relative dominance: primary (by late 19th century) secondary tertiary, quaternary (later 20th century) Eastern Canada’s Maritime provinces continue to suffer from high unemployment as the regional economy struggles to shift away from dependence on primary sector activities Regional economic patterns Why certain area is economically better developed than others? and Midwest in the mid/late 19th century Sun Belt, and West after 1960 Northeast, Northeast, and Midwest in the mid/late 19th century Dominant areas producing steel, automobiles, machine tools, and agricultural equipment, also producer service such as banking and insurance Location factors are Proximity to natural resources Increasing connectivity Ready supply of productive labor National/global market demand for its industrial goods Capital investment Sun Belt, and West after 1960 South’s Piedmont manufacturing belt The Gulf Coast industrial region Lower labor cost, Sun Belt amenities Energy refining and petrochemical industries - proximity to fossil fuels reserves The West Coast industrial region Aerospace operation – government spending Silicon Valley - access to innovation and research and agglomeration economies Global Links: U.S. exports, 1999 Wealth and Poverty U.S. Wealthiest communities are suburbs on the edge of large metropolitan areas (see p80 in Atlas - income) Ethnicity is often linked with poverty (see p80 in Atlas: compare maps ethnicity and poverty level) Canada Ontario and British Columbia are the country’s wealthiest provinces Canadian Maritimes are poor rural region Digital divide Poor and underprivileged groups have significantly less access to Internet communications than the wealthy Persistent Job social issues are security Education vs ethnicity Gender gap Health care and aging Job security North American Eg. compete globally Back office jobs (p.4 in Text) Vulnerable to uncertainties of world economy Education vs Ethnicity American whites are two or three times more likely than blacks or Hispanics to hold a college degree Gender gap Women still earn only about 75 cents for every dollar than men earn Corporate America’s “glass ceiling” Large portion of single-mom led household in a poverty level Health care and aging North Americans get older Debate on reforming social security system Geographically, gets more oriented around retirement – retirement community (eg. Florida, southern Arizona) Map resources on the web Selection of contemporary maps. http://www.nationalgeographic.com/resources/ngo/maps/ Easy-to-use, very large collection of country maps - many historic. http://oddens.geog.uu.nl/index.html Public-domain maps, mostly from the US Government. http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/index.html Interactive map quiz – world political http://www.lizardpoint.com/fun/geoquiz/index.html