USA and CANADA Region at a Glance. 1. LOCATION.

USA and CANADA Region at a Glance

1. LOCATION

WHAT DO YOU ALREADY KNOW ABOUT THE REGION?

What do you want to learn?

2. HUMAN ENVIRONMENT INTERACTION

Physical GeographyCanada

• Canadian Shield: Ancient rock formation ~2.5 billion years old

• Hudson Bay – 2nd largest bay in the world• St. Lawrence Seaway: Gateway to the

Atlantic from the Great Lakes• Rocky Mountains

USA• Vast central plain• Mountains in west - Rockies• Hills and low mountains in east -

Appalachians• Rugged mountains and broad river

valleys in Alaska• Rugged, volcanic topography in

Hawaii

Climate Regions

Canada• Subarctic and Tundra in northern region• Humid Continental (four regular seasons)

along the southern border of Canada• Also: Steppe, Highland, and Marine West Coast

USA• Mostly temperateHowever… • Tropical in Hawaii and Florida• Arctic in Alaska• Semiarid in the great plains west of the

Mississippi River• Arid in the Great Basin of the southwest

Natural HazardsCanada

• Winter storms throughout

• Droughts in the interior provinces

• Earthquakes along the Pacific Coast

USA• Hurricanes in Atlantic and Gulf

regions

• Earthquakes along the Pacific coasts

• Tornadoes and extreme heat events (drought, grassfires) in the interiors

Human Environment Interaction

• Transcontinental Railroads

• National Highway System

• Erie Canal

• St. Lawrence Seaway: Locks

• Taming the Mississippi

• Hoover Dam

3. MOVEMENT

Population and Migration in the New World• Columbian Exchange - The exchange of

plants, animals, disease, and people (slaves) between the old and new worlds.

• Melting Pot (USA) vs Mosaic (Canada)

• Dust Bowl – Period of severe dust storms during the 1930s affecting the US and Canadian prairies; caused by severe drought and poor farming practices

• Megalopolis – Chain of large metropolitan areas

• Quebec City – Windsor Corridor• Northeast• Great Lakes• Texas Triangle

Population Geography of Canada• About 90% of Canada’s

population lives within 100 miles of the US-Canadian border.

• One-third of Canada’s population lives in Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver.

Dust Bowl

4. PLACE

What’s it like? Looking at the 9 Cultural Traits

Historical Geography of Canada

• Prehistory – Ancestors of Inuit (Eskimos): Beringia • 980 - 1000 CE – Vikings: Greenland/Newfoundland

• 1497 – Giovanni Caboto: Newfoundland, British

• 16th/17th centuries – British/French territorial opposition. Britain defeated France in the French and Indian war, but French settler’s remained

• 18th century – Protestant British (Upper Canada) and Roman Catholic French (Lower Canada)

• 1830s – Political and ethnic revolts

• 1867 – Dominion of Canada: Upper/Lower Canada + colonies. Other territories by the 20th century

Historical Geography of the USA

• 18th century – Thirteen colonies

• 1803 – Louisiana purchase

• 1840s – Mexican cession and Texas

• 1840s – Gold rush

• 1850s to 1890s – Westward expansion

• 1898 – Hawaii

• 1945 to Present – Postwar sunbelt explosion

Overview of United States•3rd largest country by size (after Russia and

Canada)

•3rd largest population (after China and India) = 310,232,863 (July 2010 est.)

•Constitution-based federal republic; strong democratic tradition

•Most powerful military in the world – Nearly half of global military spending is done for the US military alone. Only 4% of GNP, though.

•Guarantor of global political, military, and economic stability

Canada

• 2nd largest country in land area• Made up of ten provinces and three territories• Largest block of population settled in the southeast near

the valley of the St. Lawrence Seaway• Longest undefended border in the world: >5000 mi • Extensive social safety network: old age pensions, family

allowance, unemployment insurance, and welfare

• Canada is a constitutional monarchy and a federal state with a democratic parliament

• Canada is a member of the British Commonwealth, with Queen Elizabeth II as the “Head of State”

Economic Geography of Canada and the USA

• Post-industrialized economiesAgriculture → Industrialization → Tertiary/Quaternary Activities → Higher Quality of Life

• Market-oriented/capitalist economies with highly diversified employment sectors

• Major focus on tertiary and quaternary jobs

• USA: Largest, most technologically powerful, industrialized economy in the world – nearly 25% of global GDP, though currently in crisis• Canada: 3% global GDP

• USA: Guarantor of global political, military, and economic stability

Difference Between Canadians and Americans

•Tom Brokaw Explains Canada

Sketch Map Rubric5 = Exceeds Expectations (91 – 100%)•Neatly sketched, labeled thoroughly and accurately, colored appropriately (see

directions for guidelines), includes TODAL, ready for display in classroom.4 = Meets Expectations (81 – 90%)•Mostly neatly sketched, mostly labeled thoroughly and accurately (may have

some misspellings, incorrect use of capitalization; see directions for guidelines), colored appropriately, incudes TODAL.3 = Mostly Meets Expectations (71 – 80%)•May be slightly lacking one or more of the following: neatly sketched, thorough

and accurate labels, appropriate coloration, TODAL.2 = Below Expectations (61 – 70%)•Turned in late, had to be redone, not neatly sketched, not legible, inappropriate

coloring, lacking TODAL.1 = Not Completed (50%)•0 = Not Attempted/Not Turned In (0%)

5. REGIONS

Regions of 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

©2010, TESCCC

Maritime or Atlantic Provinces

•Atlantic Canada - consists of the provinces of Newfoundland, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island

•Cod fishing - mainstay of region’s economy ever since earliest settlement

•The Grand Banks – Shallow waters in the Atlantic, have long been a rich source of fish harvest because of the mixing of warm waters from the south and cold from the north.

•Recently, the Banks have become so over-fished that they have lost their capacity to support the region's fishing population.

©2010, TESCCC

Core Provinces•Ontario and Quebec - the two

provinces which make up the core of Canadian settlement and political influence.

•Two-thirds of Canada's population lives in this region.

•The margins of the St. Lawrence River and the Great Lakes make up the areas of primary settlement and industrial activity.

•Ontario- strongly British, and Quebec is powerfully French in its cultural flavor, with 80% of the Quebec population of French origin.

©2010, TESCCC

Prairie Provinces•Prairie region - made up of

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.

©2010, TESCCC

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.©2010, TESCCC

Northern Frontier: Territories

•Canadian North – sparsely populated

–Nickel, copper, and uranium are the major resource metals mined and exported from the area.

–Forestry, pulp manufacture, and hydroelectricity - additional economic resources

•Nunavut is the newest political unit. (1999)

©2010, TESCCC

UNIT 4 Exam ReviewAVAILABLE ONLINE AT MR. BENTON’S WEBSITE!

Major Regions of the United States

● Northeast

● Midwest/Rust Belt

● South

● Great Plains

● Western Interior

● Pacific West

● Alaska and Hawaii

NortheastMaine, 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

SouthNorth 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 StatesNew 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 StatesCalifornia, 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 HawaiiAlaska 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

6. CURRENT EVENTS