Transcript Chapter 1 United States and Canada

Chapter 1
Region: United
States and Canada
Geography: the study of earth’s physical
features
and
the
living
things
which
inhabit
it.
• Geographer’s must consider:
• 1. The world in spatial terms (location)
• 2. Regions
• 3. Physical Systems
• 4. Human Systems
• 5. Environment and Society
(interrelationship)
• 6. Uses of geography (how the
information and data is attained and
Absolute Location:
the exact location
(spot) in which a
place is found on
earth.
Grid System: Longitude and Latitude
Hemispheres: two halves
- Equator (0 degrees)
- Prime Meridian (0 degrees)
• Region: area united by specific factor.
Maps
U.S. and Canada: 12% of
land
• Advantages:
• Fresh Water Supply
• Fuels: Natural Gas, Oil, and Coal
• Minerals: Gold, Silver, Copper, Iron, and
Nickel
• Vast Forests- Timber (50% has been cut
down)
• Ocean Access- Fisheries (not landlocked)
Natural Gas
Coal Reserves
Athabasca Oil Sands
Peak Oil: the maximum of oil
production/extraction is reached.
Immigration
• Due to the physical divide caused by the Atlantic
and Pacific, the Native populations were
relatively small.
• Current populations are primarily based off of
immigrant populations.
• less than .9% in the U.S. and 2% in Canada is
native.
Population
Distribution
• Canada:
• Most of the Canadian population is along the
U.S. and Canadian Border
• U.S.:
• Sunbelt: the southwest growth boom due to...?
• Coastal Populations: East, West, and Southern
Gulf
• Megalopolis: chain of metropolitan areas which
share a similar infrastructure.
Megalopolis: Chain of
metropolitan areas which
share a similar
infrastructure.
Economics
• Both are mixed markets
• post-industrial: most of their economic
activities are no longer manufacturing, but
based in service industries.
• Created the Rustbelt and retooling.
• agriculture: most crops are grown as
commodities, and not for sustenance.
• Cornbelt: Ohio through Nebraska
Rust belt
Retooling: Adapt an industrial facility to produce a new
product.
Politics
• U.S.- Federalism, Republic
• Canada- Parliamentary Democracy,
limited power to 13 provinces.