The United States and Canada

Chapters 5-8

Landforms

• Canada and the US are some of the largest countries in the world.– Abundant resources, fertile soil, ample water supply– Both benefit from these resources and have carved

them into world powers• The Eastern Lowlands– A flat coastal plain from the Atlantic Ocean to the Gulf

of Mexico– Piedmont plateau between the ocean and Appalachian

Mountains

Landforms

• Appalachian Highlands– West of the coastal plain– Contains Appalachian Mountains

• From Canada to Alabama• Includes the Catskill, Green, Blue Ridge, and Great Smoky mountain

ranges

• The Interior Lowlands– Flattened by glaciers thousands of years ago– Some of the world’s most fertile soil– Divided into three sub-regions:

• Interior Plains• The Great Plains• The Canadian Shield

Landforms

• The Western Mountains, Plateaus, and Basins– The Rocky Mountains are a series of ranges from Alaska to New

Mexico– The Continental divide is the highest points of these ranges that

determine if a river flows east or west.– Sierra Nevada and Cascade ranges are the other

• Steep cliffs

• The Islands– Canada’s northernmost islands are encircled by icy seas

• Three of these, Ellesmore, Victoria, and Baffin are only smaller than Greenland

– The Aleutian Islands in Alaska and the Hawaiian Islands are made from volcanoes

Landforms

• Oceans and Waterways– Ample water sources– Three oceans- Atlantic, Pacific, Arctic– Gulf of Mexico– The Great Lakes

• Superior, Michigan, Ontario, Huron, Erie• With the St. Lawrence river, forms a large shipping route

– Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio rivers• Canada’s Longest river= Mackenzie River

Climate

• Colder Climates– Arctic coasts have a tundra climate (Long winters, short

summers)– Some areas have permafrost- Ground that is permanently

frozen• Moderate Climates

– North Central, NE US and Southern Canada have Humid Continental Climates- Cold winters, Warm summers

– Marine West Coast Climate• Northern California-British Columbia• Coastal currents and mountains are called-Prevailing Westerlies• Warm Summers, Long Winters

Climate

• Milder Climate– Humid Subtropical- Southern states– Hot, muggy summers, mild and cool winters– Adequate rainfall provides long growing seasons

• Dry Climates– Southwestern states have a dry, arid climate

• Tropical Climate– Temperatures only vary a few degrees year round– Hawaii– Everglades in Florida

Human-Environment Interaction

• Nomadic peoples settled into areas due to farming• Building cities from that point• Montreal- Adapting to the Weather– Built on an island, major port city– 100 days or more of winter– Vast parts of city built underground

• Los Angeles-Creating Urban Sprawl– Desirable Pacific location– Built around foothills-lots of air pollution, inadequate

water supplies, earthquakes

Canada

• History – Colonized by the French and the British in the 16th and

17th centuries– France and Britain fought the French and Indian war

for control of Canada• Britain won but French settlers stayed

– Split the land into provinces- political units, to try to stop fights between the French and the British settlers

– British North American Act- 1867• Created the Dominion of Canada (like creating states)

Canada

• Government– Was recognized as an independent nation in 1931– Has a parliamentary government

• The congress= parliament• The leader= Prime Minister

• Population growth– Started to grow as British immigrants moved in– Farming was the main attraction– Cities are growing rapidly, especially in warmer

climate closer to US.

Canada

• Economy – Farming, logging, mining, are main industries

• Ample fisheries due to lots of coastline

– Service industries • Real economic power 70% of GDP• Includes finance, insurance, real estate, tourism, transportation, trade,

and utilities

• Culture– First settlers were Inuit– French and Native descent are called metis– Canada is officially bilingual (French and English)– Population and urban sprawl is dictated by the harsh climate

The Atlantic Provinces

• Area includes: Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland,

• Home to just 8% of the Canadian population– Due to severe weather and rugged terrain• 89% of the land in Nova Scotia is too rocky to use

• Logging and fishing are mainstays of the economy

• Hydroelectric power supplies Quebec and the NE US

The Core Provinces

• Area is Quebec and Ontario– Often referred to as Canada’s Heartland– 3/5 of the population lives here• French speakers live in Quebec• English speakers live in Ontario

– Ottawa is the Capital of Canada (Ontario)– Great Lakes and mining provide economic strength

here

The Prairie Provinces

• Area includes: Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta– Are part of the Great Plains – Account for 50% of Canada’s agriculture– Very diverse populations• Scottish, Irish, Ukrainians, Poles, and Scandinavians

immigrated to this region.

– Very flat land

The Pacific Provinces

• Area includes: British Columbia, Yukon Territory, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut– British Columbia

• Dense forests and high mountains• Logging mining, and hydro-electric power• Vancouver is Canada’s largest port city

– The Territories• 41% of the land mass of Canada• Mostly unspoiled wilderness and sparse population• Populations too spread out to have significant economies

The United States

• History– Many different peoples settled the land and were drawn there

due to farming– English, French, Spanish, Dutch, explorers all came to claim

land.• Used the abundant resources of their area

– Started with the 13 colonies and expanded in the Louisiana Purchase and Lewis and Clark’s expedition from the Atlantic to the Pacific.

– We moved westward with the population expanding– Industrialized in the late 1800s– Became a world power in the 1940s.

The United States

• The Population– Americans live in a globalized world

• Concerned with world affairs• Work with other countries

– The majority of Americans live in cities and suburbs• The Government

– The US has a representative democracy– Broken into three branches

• Executive: President and his cabinet• Legislative: Congress• Judicial: Supreme Court

– Each branch checks and balances each other’s power

The United States

• Economy– The world’s greatest economic power– Makes up 10% of the entire world’s exports in

agriculture and manufacturing– The economy is run on free enterprise• Private individuals own the resources and the land and

sell goods for a profit

– Easy shipping access around the world• Great lakes, Mississippi River, Atlantic and Pacific Ocean

The United States

• American Life Today– More than 307 million people live in the US– 80% of Americans live in cities– Highly developed roads system– Free education system• 9/10 students attend public schools• Ages 6-16 are required to go to school

– 1 in 8 Americans lives in poverty

The Northeast

• Region includes: Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, New York, and New Jersey– New England- Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire,

Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut– Mid-Atlantic States- Pennsylvania, New York, and New

Jersey (sometimes Delaware and Maryland too)– Strong industrial start of the US

• Now called the Rust Belt- industry is dying there

– Contains megalopolis- stretches over 500 miles

The Midwest

• Area includes: Ohio, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, and Kansas– Agricultural and Industrial Heartland• Called the “Breadbasket” due to favorable climate and

soil for farming• Shipping hubs such as Chicago, Duluth, Cleveland,

Detroit, Milwaukee, and Minneapolis

The South

• Area includes: West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Louisiana, Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi– Called the “Sunbelt” because of its warm climate– The Old South:

• Slave laborers, agricultural economy• Mixed races: Cajuns= French-Canadian

– The New South• Air conditioning helped grow southern industrialization• People are retiring in the south, Tourism

The West

• Area includes: Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, Idaho, Washington, Oregon, California, Alaska, Nevada, Hawaii– Favorable landforms and climate– Irrigation has made the region able to produce

goods – Film industry makes region wealthy– Most rapidly growing region

US and Canada Issues Today

• Terrorism– The unlawful use of, or threatened use of force or violence

against individuals or property for the purpose of intimidating or causing fear for a political or social ends.

– Many terrorist groups fighting with the US’ War on Terror• What is the outlook on terrorist groups operating inside

the US?• How long can we sustain attacking terror cells across

the globe?• Do you agree?: “One person’s terrorist is another

person’s freedom fighter.”