North America

DEFINING CHARACTERISTICS
· ANGLO-AMERICAN LABEL
· ENGLISH LANGUAGE
· CHRISTIAN FAITHS
· EUROPEAN NORMS
· HIGHLY URBANIZED
· MOBILE POPULATIONS
· HIGH INCOMES
North south alignment of the major mountain ranges of Rocky mountains, Appalachian mountains Unlike the Alps in Europe, they do not form a topographic barrier to polar or tropical air mass flowing into the interior of the continent.
Contain excellent harbors
Gulf coast plain is where the Mississippi river empties
The piedmont area contains many fast rivers. Extends 1600 miles from Newfoundland in Canada to Alabama. Because it an old mountain (400million years), they have been eroded
Highest points between 1200-2400feet. Area flattened by huge glaciers thousands of years ago
Contain thousands of lakes ex. Huron, Ontario, Superior, Rivers- Mississippi- Missouri-Ohio
Contain world’s most fertile soils.

Three subdivisions

Interior Plains
Great plains-treeless
The Canadian Shield

Major mountain system
Rocky Mountain
Extend about 3000 miles from Alaska to New Mexico
Relatively young (80million years)
They are not yet eroded
12000 feet high
The line of highest point in the Rockies marks the separation between rivers flowing east and rivers flowing west

Great lakes
Huron,
Ontario,
Michigan,
Erie and Superior

Rivers
Mississippi-Missouri-Ohio
Mississippi’s main tributaries are: Ohio and Missouri rivers
Canada’s longest river is Mackenzie River

Climate
Temperature varies with latitude- the farther north one goes, the colder it gets
Regional land-water heating differentials distorts this pattern
Western Rain shadow
Precipitation decline towards the west except the Pacific Coastal strip itself as a result of Rain Shadow effect

Human Geography
First settlers were Nomads. They probably migrated from Asia over Beringia
Beringia- a land bridge that once connected Siberia and Alaska

Indigenous North America
They are called Native Americans or First Nations in the United States and Canada respectively
The eastern Nations were the first to bear the brunt of the European invasion
They were forced to settle westward towards Oklahoma
The indigenous people of north American include: Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek, Cherokee

Population distribution
Role of Migration
Migration is the change in residential location intended to be permanent.
First permanent colonies were established in the 1600s

Migration decision
Perceived degree of difference between the source and the destination
The effectiveness of information flow about the destination area
The distance between the source and the destination

Ernst Ravenstein-proponent of the theory
Push
Pull
Push factors
Conditions and perceptions that tend to induce people to leave their place of residence
Push factors
1) Political circumstances
2) Environmental factors
3. Individual consideration of economic conditions:
work or retirement conditions,
cost of living,
personal safety and security,
weather and climate)

Pull factors
Circumstances that effectively attract people to certain locales from other places
Pull factors tend to be more vague and may depend on several visits to the destination.
Excessively positive images and expectations regarding the destinations
Migration trends in the US
Ongoing internal migration
Persistent drift of people and livelihoods towards west and south- Sunbelt
End of part 1

URBAN GEOGRAPHY
CONCERNED WITH THE SPATIAL ASPECTS OF CITIES AND URBAN NETWORKS
4 MAJOR THEMES
1. HISTORICAL EVOLUTION OF CITIES
2. INTERURBAN GEOGRAPHY
3. INTRAURBAN GEOGRAPHY
4. URBAN SOCIAL GEOGRAPHY

3 KEY MODELS
BORCHERT; ADAMS; VANCE

Historical evolution
Industrial urbanization occurred simultaneously at two levels
Macroscale- A system of new cities emerged
Microscale- large centre within cities

BORCHERT’S MODEL(METROPOLITAN EVOLUTION)
GENERALIZATION OF THE HISTORICAL GROWTH OF THE US URBAN SYSTEM
BASED ON KEY CHANGES IN ENERGY AND TRANSPORTATION TECHNOLOGY
OCCURRED IN 5 STAGES
Sail-Wagon Epoch (1790-1830)
Iron Horse Epoch (1830-1870)
Steel-Rail Epoch (1870-1920)
Auto-Air-Amenity Epoch (1920-1970)
Satellite-Electronic-Jet Propulsion Epoch (1970-?)
Sail-wagon Epoch (1790-1830
Leading cities were the northeastern ports oriented to the European overseas trade

The Iron Horse Epoch (1830-1870
Steam-powered railroads- A nationwide transport system
New York emerged as primary city
The steel-Rail Epoch ( 1870-1920)
Fast moving trains and with capacity to carry heavier cargos
Auto-Air Amenity (1920-1970)
Key elements were automobile and airplanes
Expansion of white color jobs
Pleasant environment
Satellite-electronic-Jet propulsion Epoch ( 1970-
Advancement in information management
Computer technologies
Global communication etc
American Manufacturing belt
Southern Ontario
Boston
Milwaukee
St Louis
Baltimore
Changing structure of the US metropolis
ADAM’S MODEL
FOCUSED ON INTRAURBAN GROWTH
BASED ON BREAKTHROUGHS IN TRANSPORTATION TECHNOLOGY
A PATTERN OF OUTWARD-AREAL EXPANSION
OCCURRED IN 4 STAGES
1888- WALKING-HORSECAR ERA
1888-1920- ELECTRIC STREETCAR ERA
1920-1945- RECREATIONAL AUTO ERA
1945-PRESENT- FREEWAY ERA

URBAN SPATIAL CHANGESMICROSCALE (Intraurban)
James Vance defines a new tributary area; URBAN REALMS
Single urban structure of the past is transformed into a multicentered model in which several outlying activity concentrations rival the Central Business District (CBD)

Cultural Geography
Language and Religion
Ethnic patterns and Immigration

Language and Religion
1/8th or more of US population speak a primary language other than English
Christian dominance with regional variations
Baptist- Southeastern
Lutherans- Upper Midwest
Mormons- Utah
Ethnic patterns and Immigration
Largest ethnic minority-Hispanics since the 1990s- Account for 15% of the US population
The changing Geography of Economic Activity
Major components of the spatial economy
Primary
Secondary
Tertiary
Quaternary
Quinary

Primary Activity
Extractive sector of the economy
- Mining
-Agriculture
2% of US economy
Secondary Activity
Manufacturing sector in which raw materials are transformed into finished industrial products
Examples: General Motors Corporation, Ford Motor Company, Chrysler, Boeing, Gates Rubber Company
15% of US workforce
Tertiary Activity
The service sector, including retailing, financing, tourism, insurance etc
18% of US workforce
Quaternary Activity
Involves the collection, processing and manipulation of information
Constitutes 65% of US Labor force
Quinary Activity
It is managerial decision making in large organizations
Constitutes about 10% of US labor force

Manufacturing
INDUSTRIAL LOCATION FACTORS
Location of raw materials
Labor availability
Energy availability
Location of market
Transportation
Post Industrial Revolution
High-technology
White color
Office based activities
Internet- the US handles up to 75% of the world’s internet traffic
The Silicon Valley
The world’s leading centre for computer research and development
The Headquarters of the U.S microprocessor industry
The Silicon Valley
POSTINDUSTRIAL LOCATION FACTORS
300 days of sunshine per year
Recreational water within 1 hour drive
Affordable housing
Start up capital ($1 billion)
Low risk environment
Tax breaks
Cooperative state & local governments
Lenders
Businesses
POSTINDUSTRIAL OCCUPATIONS
Major University (Graduate Engineering Program)
Economic enterprises
Government
Social-services complexes
Military

Canada
A federal state
Organized into ten provinces and three territories
Maps of Canada
1. Prince Edward Island (PEI)
2. Nova Scotia
3. New Brunswick
4. Newfoundland and Labrador
5. Quebec
6. Ontario
7. Manitoba
8. Saskatchewan
9. Alberta
10. British Columbia (BC)
11. Yukon
12. Northwest Territories
13. Nunavut
Population
32 million
Population is divided by culture and tradition
About 60% speak English
23% speak French ( 90% reside in Quebec)
Remaining 17% speak other languages
Only 1/8th of Canada can be classified as its Ecumene- inhabitable zone of permanent residence
Canada’s Ecumene
There are four clusters
Main street cluster
Saint John-Halifax crescent in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia
The prairies of Southern Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba
Southern Corner of British Columbia
Main Street Cluster
URBAN SPATIAL CHANGESMacroscale (Interurban)
MAURICE YATES
Developed a model to explain Canada’s urban system
Views cities as points in a network that interact with one another and serve the hinterlands
Similar to Borchert’s model
Included 3 developmental eras
URBAN SPATIAL CHANGESMacroscale (Interurban)
Frontier-Staples Era (<1935)
Economic transition from mercantile economy to one oriented to staples (raw materials and agricultural goods for export)
Growth of the industrial heartland
Montreal and Toronto emerged as dominant cities.
URBAN SPATIAL CHANGESMacroscale (Interurban)
Era of Industrial Capitalism (1935-1975)
Increase in manufacturing and tertiary sectors of the economy
Increase in urbanization
Large investment by US corporations in Canadian branch-plant production (auto industry)
Alberta experiences growth due to oil and natural gas production.
URBAN SPATIAL CHANGESMacroscale (Interurban)
Era of Global Capitalism (since 1975)
Rise in foreign investment from western Pacific Rim and Europe
Canada’s movement into the Postindustrial Society
Country achieves 77% urbanization

REGIONS OF THE REALM
MARITIME NORTHEAST
FRENCH CANADA
CORE
CONTINENTAL INTERIOR
SOUTH
SOUTHWEST
WESTERN FRONTIER
NORTHERN FRONTIER
PACIFIC HINGE