WG-3 - A Virtual Field Trip of Physical Geography in Ventura County
advertisement
NORTH AMERICA DEFINING THE REALM • IN THIS CHAPTER • Spectacular Scenery— Natural Wealth • The American Creed • Bilingualism in Canada • The Geography of Home Foreclosures • Immigration and the Future of Multiculturalism NORTH AMERICA Population Clusters • Cultural Pluralism— people of different cultures live adjacent to each other but do not mix • Canada ‒ East and South Asian • United States ‒ Hispanic (16%) ‒ African American (13%) ‒ Other Ethnic Backgrounds • Current US Population = 300-million + NORTH AMERICA’S PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY Physiographic Regions • Plains • Coastal Plains ‒ Gulf-Atlantic Coastal ‒ Arctic Coastal Plain • Interior Plains ‒ Interior Lowlands ‒ Great Plains • Canadian Shield • Mountains and Highlands ‒ ‒ ‒ ‒ Appalachian Highlands Interior Highlands Rocky Mountains Intermountain Basins and Plateaus ‒ Pacific Mountains and Valleys NORTH AMERICA Climates • Diversity of Environments • Tropical A ‒ Southern tip of Florida • Moist coastal zones C ‒ East Coast—humid Cfa ‒ West Coast—Cs and Cfb • Arid Interior and West B ‒ Vegetation ‒ Scrub and brush ‒ Great Plains • Northern D and Polar E • Rain Shadow Effect • West coast eastside of inland mountains ‒ Moisture-laden air arrives from the Pacific, precipitation on mountainous west, dry on east NORTH AMERICA Native Americans and European Settlement • Native Americans— U.S. • First Nations— Canada ‒ Metis ‒ Inuit • European ‒ Britain ‒ France • Languages ‒ English is Lingua Franca; enhances mobility within realm NORTH AMERICA Predominant Religions • Baptists ‒ Southeast from Texas to Virginia • Lutherans ‒ Upper Midwest ‒ Northern Great Plains • Methodists ‒ Lower Midwest • Mormons ‒ Interior West centered on Utah • Roman Catholics ‒ United States • Southwest—Hispanics • Northeast—Irish and Italians ‒ Canada • Quebec • Federal States • Canada ‒ 10 Provinces, 3 Territories • United States ‒ 50 States NORTH AMERICA Distribution of Natural Resources • Water: rivers, lakes, ice • Minerals—concentrated in three zones: – Canadian Shield • Iron ore, nickel, copper, gold, uranium, and diamonds – Appalachians • Iron ore, lead, and zinc – Western Mountains • Copper, lead, zinc, molybdenum, uranium, silver, and gold • Fossil Fuels – Oil and Natural Gas – Coal NORTH AMERICA Energy and Mineral Deposits • Oil/Natural Gas Production Areas: • Gulf Coast ‒ Coastal zone and offshore • Midcontinent District ‒ Western Texas to eastern Kansas • Alaska’s North Slope ‒ Facing and extending below the Arctic Ocean • Canada’s Northeastern ‒ Alberta (tar sands) • Coal Reserves ‒ Appalachian Mountains ‒ Beneath the Great Plains ‒ Southern Midwest ‒ Rocky Mountains NORTH AMERICA Industrialization and Urbanization • Industrial Revolution • American Manufacturing Belt • Areas of Growth • Movement of Goods NORTH AMERICA Deindustrialization and Suburbanization • Deindustrialization – Began in 1960s – loss of manufacturing (and jobs) due to automation • Suburbanization – Outer cities became destination for economic activity (suburbs) • Information Economy – Quaternary Sector • Technology/Science/Business Centers • Ex. Silicon Valley: NorCal global tech industry NORTH AMERICA Polycentric Cities • Gentrification • Limited return of more affluent residents • Construction of multipleuse high-rises • Displacement of lowincome local residents • Raise real estate value, taxes, living costs • Often spark resistance and conflict ‒ Los Angeles example: Metropolis with 6 nodes (YOU are in North West/San Fernando) Effects of Great Recession • Housing Loss/Negative Equity NORTH AMERICA Multicultural Realm • Mobile Populations – East to SouthWest • Migration – near constant immigration (large influx of people of Latino/Asian descent) • Melting Pot or Mosaic Culture – Melting Pot – assumed assimilation to norm culture – Immigrant numbers in America sufficient to create durable societies within the national society, thus defying the melting pot idea (USA and Canada) – Complex ethnic and cultural mosaic (in US large number of people with African/Hispanic descent, in Canada Asian and Montreal large French descent) NORTH AMERICA REGIONS OF THE REALM • U.S.-Canada Cross-Border Linkages • The Hispanicization of the Southwest • The Natural Riches of the Northern Frontier • Miami: South of the South • China’s Impact on the Pacific Hinge • The Alaskan Frontier and U.S. Geopolitics NORTH AMERICA • REGIONS OF THE REALM • North American Core • Maritime Northeast • French Canada • Southeast • Southwest • Pacific Hinge • Western Frontier • Continental Interior • Northern Frontier NORTH AMERICA Canada’s Spatial Structure • Second largest country in the world territorially • Atlantic Provinces ‒ Prince Edward Island ‒ Nova Scotia ‒ New Brunswick ‒ Newfoundland and Labrador • Francophone Quebec • Populous, heavily urbanized Ontario NORTH AMERICA Canada’s Spatial Structure • Western Canada ‒ Prairie Provinces • Manitoba • Saskatchewan • Alberta ‒ British Columbia • Arctic North ‒ Yukon ‒ Northwest Territories • Nunavut—”Our Land” ‒ Created in 1999 ‒ All of Canada’s Eastern Arctic ‒ Inuit People • Population Clustered ‒ Along 300-km (200-mi) of U.S. border ‒ Along ocean shores • Population pattern creates cross-border affinities with major American cities ‒ Toronto-Buffalo ‒ Windsor-Detroit ‒ Vancouver-Seattle NORTH AMERICA Canada’s Cultural Contrasts • Capital—Ottawa ‒ Located on Ottawa River • Between English-speaking Ontario and French-speaking Quebec • English-Speaking Canada ‒ 60% of population • Head of State ‒ Queen Elizabeth II ‒ Part of the British Commonwealth • Represented by Governor General • French-Speaking Canada ‒ 23% of population • Politics of Devolution • Secession threat that weakens state (West vs. East) ‒ Quebec • 80% French Canadian • Historic, traditional, and emotional focus of French culture in Canada • Nationalist movement NORTH AMERICA Canada: Ascendancy of Indigenous Peoples • First Nations ‒ 1.4 million native people (First Nations, Métis, and Inuit) • Creation of Nunavut • Treaties for self-government in northern British Columbia • CreeHistoric domain covers the northern half of Quebec ‒ James Bay Hydroelectric Project • Cree attempted to block construction • Dropped opposition in return for income from electricity • Secured the right to control their own economic and community development Regionalism and Ethnicity in the United States • As compared with Canada… – No serious contemporary campaign for secession, or withdrawal for political independence, since the Civil War. – Indigenous peoples were weakened by westward push of European settlers: • Loss of population and territory • Little political power NORTH AMERICA Regionalism and Ethnicity in the United States NORTH AMERICA Regions of North America The North American Core • Largest Cities and Federal Capitals • Leading Financial Markets • Largest Number of Corporate Headquarters • Dominant Media Centers • Prestigious Universities • Cutting-Edge Research Complexes • Busiest Airports and Intercity Expressways • More than One-Third National Populations • American Manufacturing Belt NORTH AMERICA Regions of North America The Maritime Northeast • Northern Border of Massachusetts to Newfoundland • Difficult Environments • Maritime Orientation • Limited Resources • Rural Character • Slow Economic Development • Primary Industries ‒ Fishing, Logging, Farming, Recreation, and Tourism ‒ Discovery of offshore oil reserves of Newfoundland and Labrador NORTH AMERICA Regions of North America French Canada •Southern Quebec ‒ Focused on St. Lawrence River Valley—Montreal to the River’s Mouth •French-speaking Acadians in New Brunswick ‒ Reject the notion of independence and promote efforts to keep Quebec within the Canadian federation •Montreal ‒ Information Technology ‒ Telecommunications ‒ Biopharmaceuticals NORTH AMERICA Regions of North America The Southeast • Sunbelt Migration in 1970s • Core-region companies located subsidiary offices ‒ Atlanta, Charlotte, Miami-Fort Lauderdale, Tampa • Racial segregation dismantled by civil rights movement • New facilities: Airports (Atlanta) to theme parks, CNN, Cape Canaveral • Gap between rich and poor wide • New South ‒ Virginia’s Washington suburbs, North Carolina’s Research Triangle, Tennessee’s Oak Ridge complex, Atlanta’s corporate campuses • Old South ‒ Appalachia and rural Mississippi ‒ Tobacco, cotton, and sugar plantations • Climate ‒ Warmer and more humid than Core and Southwest NORTH AMERICA Regions of North America The Southwest • East Texas to Eastern Southern California • Environment ‒ Arid—Steppe and Desert • Culture ‒ Anglo ‒ Hispanic ‒ Native American • Economy ‒ Oil and Natural Gas ‒ Technopoles—State-of-the- Art, High Technology Industrial Complexes ‒ NAFTA NORTH AMERICA Regions of North America The Pacific Hinge • California’s border with Mexico to Vancouver, British Columbia ‒ California, western portions of Oregon and Washington ‒ San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Portland, and Seattle •California ‒ America’s most populous state ‒ Economy within world’s ten largest ‒ Productive agricultural regionCalifornia’s Central Valley ‒ Spectacular economic growth ‒ Culturally diverse population •Involvement in the economic growth of countries on opposite shores of the Pacific Ocean •Key interface between North American realm and the Pacific Rim ‒ China, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Vietnam, Singapore NORTH AMERICA Regions of North America The Western Frontier • From the Sierra Nevada Mountains and Cascades to the Rocky Mountains • Parts of southern Alberta and British Columbia, eastern Washington State and Oregon, all of Nevada, Utah, and Idaho, western Montana, Wyoming, Colorado •Las Vegas ‒ Fast-growing metropolitan area ‒ 40 million visitors annually ‒ Now, foreclosure, unemployment, due to national and global economic crises NORTH AMERICA Regions of North America The Continental Interior • Interior Canada to the borders of the Southeast and Southwest • Kansas City, Omaha, Minneapolis, Winnipeg • Agriculture—Breadbasket ‒ Meat Belt—beef and pork ‒ Corn Belt—animal feed and ethanol ‒ Soybean ‒ Spring Wheat—Dakotas and Prairie Provinces ‒ Winter Wheat—Kansas • Food processing, packing, marketing, flour milling, soybean, sunflower and canola oil production U.S. FARM RESOURCE REGIONS NORTH AMERICA Regions of North America The Northern Frontier • Largest region of the realm • 90% of Canada and Alaska • Isolated settlement • Resources • Canadian Shield • Metallic ores such as nickel, uranium, copper, gold, silver, lead, and zinc • Yukon and Northwest Territories • Gold and diamonds NORTH AMERICA Regions of North America The Northern Frontier •Alberta ‒ Oil reserves—Tar sands •Vast deposits of “oil sands”petroleum is mixed with sand ‒ Expensive, complicated, damaging process to extract •Athabasca Tar Sands constitute one of the world’s largest reserves •Open-pit mining, Fort McMurray NORTH AMERICA Regions of North America The Northern Frontier •Alaska ‒ North Slope oil ‒ ‒ ‒ ‒ exploitation1300kilometer (800-mi) Trans-Alaska Pipeline Brooks Range to Arctic Ocean Dwindling supplies at Prudhoe Bay Additional reserves in Alaska’s north Opposition from preservationist groups • Climate Change • Global Warming very observable • Recession of Arctic ice • Fauna threatened • Altered shipping routes and intercontinental distances NORTH AMERICA Regions of North America The Northern Frontier •Canadian Boreal Forest Agreement •Involves 21 logging firms, 9 environmental organizations, and the Canadian government •Moratorium on logging within certain areas •Boreal forest ‒ Dense stands of coniferous needle leaf trees (spruce, fir, and pine) ‒ Habitat of endangered wildlife species (caribou, lynx, American black bear, and wolverine) Homework 1. Read Textbook Chapter 3a/b 2. Homework: • Choose one “@from the Field Notes” subsection topic in Ch.3 textbook; research and summarize (1 page). OR • Choose a realm/region within or adjacent to North America to review in detail (1 page). Use Chapter 3b for ideas and information, research and summarize.
