Regional Geography
and the United
States and Canada
WG.3b,4
 Regions are used to simplify
the world for study and
understanding
Regional Landscapes
 Regional landscapes reflect
the cultural characteristics of
their inhabitants. This can be
seen in the architectural
structures used in a region,
and in the statues and
monuments of local, national,
or global significance.
Architectural Structures
Mosques-Islam
Churches-Christianity
Synagogues (Judaism)
Temples (Buddhism)
Pagodas (Buddhism)
Dwellings (homes)
 Tiles roofs in the Mediterranean
Chalets in Switzerland
Thatched Roofs
Tents and Yurts
Castles in Europe
Statutes, and Monuments
 Many have
local,
national or
global
significance
 Taj Mahal
Dome of the Rock and
Pyramids
Eiffel Tower and the White
House
Examples of other well know
monuments
 Kaaba (Mecca), Western Wall
(Jerusalem), Church of the Holy
Sepulcher (Jerusalem),
Washington Monument,
Lincoln Memorial, Kremlin
(Moscow), Statute of Liberty,
Virginia State Capital building
Kaaba
Western Wall (Wailing Wall)
Examples of Physical and
Cultural Regions
 Physical regions
Sahara, Taiga, Rainforest, Great
Plains, Low Countries
 Cultural regions
Language (Latin America,
Francophone world)
 Ethnic regions (Chinatown,
Kurdistan)
 Religious regions (Islam, Buddhism)
 Economic regions (Wheat Belt,
European Union)
 Political regions (NATO, African
Union {AU})
 Changes in perception regions
(Middle East, Sun Belt, Rust Belt)
United States and Canada
physical characteristics
 Both nations have abundant
natural resources.
 The Continental Divide sits at the
top of the Rocky Mountains and
acts as a divider for North America
 Many important rivers (Mississippi,
St. Lawrence, Colorado,
Columbia, and Rio Grande)
 US and Canada also have
other important water features.
(Gulf of Mexico, Great Lakes,
Arctic Ocean, Pacific Ocean,
Atlantic Ocean, and the
Hudson Bay)
 Important landforms—Aleutian
Islands, Hawaiian archipelago,
Appalachian Mountains, Pacific
Coastal Ranges, Basin and
Range region, Rocky
Mountains, Great Plains,
Interior Lowlands, Atlantic and
Gulf coastal plains, Canadian
Shield, Grand Canyon
 Both have varied climate
regions—they range from
the tundra in Alaska to a
tropical wet climate in
Hawaii
US and Canada economic
characteristics
 Both countries are major
exporters of technology,
consumer goods, information
systems, and foodstuffs
 Both have highly developed
infrastructures
 Both have highly diversified
economies
 Both have a rich supply of
mineral, energy, and forest
resources
 Both are members of the North
American Free Trade
Agreement (NAFTA)
 Both are home to many
multinational corporations
 US is the center of the world
financial markets (New York
Stock Exchange)
 Both have sustained economic
growth
 Both have a widening gap
between the rich and the poor
 The US exports our culture
via the global marketplace.
Examples—McDonald’s,
Coca-Cola, music, blue
jeans
Cultural characteristics of the
US and Canada
 Both countries were originally
colonized by countries from
Europe
 Both have multicultural
societies
 Both have increasingly diverse
populations
 Both have high literacy rates
 Both have a high standard of
living
 Both are highly urbanized
 Canada struggles to maintain a
national identity
 Both have highly mobile
populations
 The world’s largest unfortified
border is between the US and
Canada
 Both have a democratic form of
government
 Both are members of NATO
 Both have arts that reflect the
cultural heritage of their
multicultural societies
Important cities
(centers of culture and
trade)
 Washington DC
 Chicago
 New York City
 Los Angeles
 Houston
 Toronto
 Montreal
 Ottawa
 Quebec
 Vancouver,
British Columbia
Examples of the cultural
landscape
 US Capital
building
 Golden Gate
Bridge
 Independence
Hall
 St. Louis
Gateway Arch
 Wheat fields
 Skyscrapers
 Shopping malls
 Bilingual signs
 Influence of
automobiles (ex.
Gas stations,
motels, interstate
highways, drive up
services)
Human interaction affects the
environment
 Deforestation—examples are the
Amazon Basin, Nepal, and
Malaysia
 Acid Rain—example is the Black
Forest in Europe
 Decreased soil fertility—Example
is the Aswan High Dam in Egypt
Criteria for determining a
countries relative
importance
 Gross Domestic Product
(GDP)
 Land size
 Population size
 Resources
How do physical features
impact humans
 Example—Water
Rio Grande River is a boundary
Ob River flows northward into
the Arctic Ocean
Zambezi River provides water
power
Ganges and Brahmaputra Rivers
are flood hazards
 Example—Mountains
Rocky Mountains create a rain
shadow on the leeward slopes
Himalayas block moisture and
create steppes and deserts in
Central Asia