 Notes Canada and the US Name_________________Per____
 United States of America and Canada
 Human Environment and Interaction
o St Lawrence Seaway - North America’s most important deep
water ship route; joint project between USA and Canada.
o A system of locks, canals, and channels that allow large ship
to travel from central North America, through the Great
Lakes, and out to the Atlantic Ocean.
o Without the locks boats would not have been able to travel
over this area because of waterfalls.
 Railroads
o Trains were instrumental in settling the western part of the
United States of America.
o To encourage development of rail lines westward, the
government offered railroad companies massive land grants
and bonds. Railroads received millions of acres of public
lands and sold that land to generate money for the
construction of the railroads. The federal government gave
134 million acres of land as incentives to the railroads.
 Hoover Dam
o Why was it built
 To help control flooding
 To provide water for irrigation
 To produce hydroelectric power
 Population and Migration
 Beringiao Land bridge that once connected Siberia and Alaska
 Population and Migration
o Columbian Exchange - The exchange of plants, animals,
disease, and people (slaves) between the old and new worlds.
 Population and Migration
o Melting Pot (USA) vs Mosaic (Canada)
o Melting pot is much closer to assimilation
o Mosaic is much closer to multiculturalism
o Plano, TX –no “towns”
o Los Angeles- Chinatown, Korea town, Little Italy,
 Population Geography of Canada
o About 90% of Canada’s population lives within 100 miles of
the US-Canadian border.
o One-third of Canada’s population lives in Toronto, Montreal,
and Vancouver.
o Population Geography of USA
 East Coast-first settled, then West Coast, Middle
America.
 Culture/Government
o Canada is a constitutional monarchy and a federal state with
a democratic parliament.
o USA-Constitution-based federal republic; strong
democratic tradition
 Culture-People
o Metis- People of French and Native heritage.
o Immigrant-someone who comes to a new country. (Push or
Pull) Railways (Pull)
o Refugee- someone forced to flee their country due to war,
persecution or violence. (Push)
o Culture Religion
 Canada Catholics 44%
 Protestants 30%
 USA Protestants – 60%
 Catholics – 26%
 Culture Language
o Canada - 2 official languages
o French and English
 USA - O official languages. The federal government has never
mandated an official language
o English spoken by 80% of America
o Spanish spoken by 30% of America
Regions - Canada
• Maritime Atlantic Provinces- Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince
Edwards Island, and Newfoundland.
• Core – Quebec and Ontario (Includes French Canada
• Prairie Provinces – Manitoba,
Saskatchewan, and Alberta
• Western Province- British Columbia
• Northern Frontier- Nunavut,
Northwest Territory, Yukon
Maritime or Atlantic Provinces
Atlantic Canada - Easternmost provinces of Newfoundland, New
Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island
• Cod fishing - mainstay of region’s economy
• The Grand Banks – Shallow waters in the Atlantic, rich source of
fish.
Core Provinces
• Ontario and Quebec
• Two-thirds of Canada's population lives in this region.
• Settled along the St. Lawrence River and the Great Lakes
• Ontario - strongly British
• Quebec - 80% of the population of French origin.
Prairie Provinces
Prairie region - Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta.
• Wheat, petroleum, and coal
• Newly discovered “shale oil” reserves may be larger than the
Middle East.
• Major urban centers include Edmonton, Calgary, and Winnipeg.
Western Provinces
Western Frontier - centered in Vancouver, British Columbia, at the
mouth of the Fraser River.
• More than one-half of the province's population lives in the
Vancouver area, which is the region's main industrial,
administrative, financial, and cultural center.
• Vancouver is home to the second largest Chinatown in North
America.
• Shares many of the same characteristics at the Pacific
Northwest of the U.S.
Major Regions of the United States
• Northeast
• Midwest/Rust Belt
• South
• Great Plains
• Western Interior
• Pacific West
• Alaska and Hawaii
Northeast
Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode
Island, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, and
the District of Columbia
Historical Geography
• longest history of European settlement, gateway to immigrants.
• financial and manufacturing hub early in the industrial revolution.
Economic Geography
• Rural areas are agricultural – primary sector
• Urban areas are major world economic centers – tertiary,
quaternary sectors
Cultural Geography
• Very diverse, large population – many ethnic groups and languages
• Usually votes Democrat
Midwest “Why is it called the Rust Belt?”
Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Iowa
Historical Geography
• Once the “Western Frontier”, hence the name.
• Breadbasket of the U.S., as this is an agricultural region.
• Also known as a manufacturing, blue-collar hub of the U.S.
Economic Geography
• Formerly mining and manufacturing center – primary and
secondary sector
• Decline in recent past, hurt area economy, jobs moved away
Cultural Geography
• Large cities, declining population - Urban Gentrification in some
places. “White Flight” in 1960’s-80’s.
• Mainly blue collar, rural areas mainly white
South
North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi,
Tennessee, Arkansas, Virginia, W. Virginia, Kentucky, and Louisiana
Historical Geography
• settled as an agricultural region, with slavery and cash crops
• Anglo Protestant plantation farmers were dominant group.
• Significant in US Civil War (1861-65) and Civil Rights Movement
(1960’s)
Economic Geography
• Agriculture, new heavy industry, tourism
• Moving from primary sector to secondary and tertiary sectors
Cultural Geography
• Large African-American population
• Strongly Christian, usually votes Republican
• Culture still has connection to Civil War
Great Plains
Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota, Oklahoma
Historical Geography
• Staging point of war between the native people and the American
settlers, especially after the 1862 “Homestead Act”.
• Was also used for cattle grazing and cattle drives, cities founded
as railroad hubs for cattle.
Economic Geography
• Agriculture – farming and cattle, Primary sector
• Region makes enough food to feed whole world
Cultural Geography
• People are mainly Anglo, Protestant
• Mainly rural – lots of small towns, fewer cities
Western Interior States
New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, Utah, Nevada,
Arizona, Texas
Historical Geography
• Mining towns, Outlaws (Wild West)
• Cattle/Sheep Grazing, Reservation Lands
• Las Vegas and Reno- Gambling towns
Cultural Geography
• Low population density
• Large Hispanic population, as well as Native Americans
Pacific West States
California, Oregon, Washington
Historical Geography
• Population grew during the 1840’s “Gold Rush”.
• Grew again when irrigation and canals brought water to dry areas
for farming.
Economic Geography
• Mostly mining and ranching, primary sectors; tourism, tertiary
sectors.
• High-tech centers in San Francisco, Seattle areas – quaternary
sector
• Entertainment and media in Southern California
Cultural Geography
• Presently, about one-seventh of the United States population
lives in southern California.
• Rapidly increasing urban population, due to high birth rate and
immigration
• Large Hispanic population
Alaska and Hawaii
Alaska and Hawaii, Pacific Ocean
Historical Geography
• Alaska was purchased from Russian Empire in 1867, for
$7.2 million, became a territory in 1912, and the 49th state of
the U.S. in 1959.
• Hawaii was independent republic from 1894 until 1898, then
annexed by USA. Attack on Pearl Harbor by Japan on December
7, 1941. Became a state in 1959.
Economic Geography
• Tourism and fishing, agriculture in Hawaii
• Oil, mining, and forestry important in Alaska
Cultural Geography
• Large populations of Hawaiians, Native Americans, and Asians