The document provides information on the population, physical geography, cultural history, and economies of the United States and Canada. Some key points:
- The US population is over 311 million compared to Canada's 34 million, though Canada is only slightly smaller in area. 90% of Canadians live within 100 miles of the US border.
- The countries have a variety of landforms and climates that have influenced settlement patterns and land uses. Native American civilizations like the Anasazi and Mississippian developed complex societies before European arrival.
- European colonization in the 15th-19th centuries brought immigration waves that shaped the ethnic and cultural landscapes of both nations. The US and Canada are now highly urban
2. 11.1 Area and Population
Canada is only slightly larger in area than the U.S.
Canada & U.S. share world’s longest int’l border (5,527 mi)
Population
United States 311 Million (2011) Pop Density = 84/mi2
Canada 34 Million (2011) Pop Density = 9/mi2
Together, the countries have 5% of the world’s population on
13% of its land surface
90% of Canadians live within 100 miles of U.S. border
Canadians and Americans are overwhelmingly urban
79% of Canadians and Americans are city dwellers
Megalopolis (“Boswash”) is home to 1 out of 7 Americans
500-mile-long narrow, urban belt from Boston to Washington
Includes 7 metropolitan areas
7. 11.1.1 Migration into North America
Nations of Immigrants
Due to immigration, the U.S. is the only MDC in the world that
is experiencing significant population growth
Each year, nearly a million legal immigrants arrive in the U.S.
and over 280,000 arrive in Canada
65,000 Guest Workers enter the U.S. Annually
Illegal Aliens / Undocumented Workers
Estimated 11 million illegal immigrants live in the U.S.
Controversy of Illegal Immigration in U.S.
Fear of immigrants taking jobs and bleeding social services
Others argue low-wage immigrants are vital for the American
economy, taking jobs shunned by most Americans, while
contributing to the economy through their purchases
Measures to Handle Illegal Immigration
Secure Fence Act of 2006
Secure Border Initiative and the Virtual Fence
9. 11.2 Physical Geography & Human Adaptations
Remarkably diverse natural environments
Some of most spectacular wild landscapes on the planet
Present people with a vast array of opportunities for land
use and settlement
It is important to consider how these landforms
have promoted or hindered human uses and
how climates have also done the same
10. 11.2.1 Landforms and Land Uses
Major Landforms
Greenland
Canadian Shield
Appalachian Mountains
Piedmont
Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plains
Great Plains
Rocky Mountains
Columbia Plateau
Great Basin
Pacific Mountain Ranges
Arctic Coastal Plain
12. Natural Hazards of
North America
Earthquakes
along the San Andreas Fault
Volcanoes
in the Cascade Range
The Midwest As
“Tornado Alley”
Hurricanes batter the
East Coast and Gulf of Mexico
Blizzards in the
U.S. Midwest and Northeast
Droughts (1930s “Dust Bowl”)
16. 11.2.2 Climates and Land Uses
The U.S. has more climatic types than any other country in
the world, and even Canada is quite varied
Tundra (Canada and Alaska)
Subarctic (Canada and Alaska)
Humid Continental (Midwest)
Humid Subtropical (U.S. Southeast)
Tropical Savanna (Southern Florida)
Tropical Rain Forest (Hawaii)
Marine West Coast (Coastal Pacific Northwest)
Mediterranean (Central and Southern California)
Semiarid / Steppe (Interior West)
Desert (U.S. Southwest)
Undifferentiated Highland (Rockies, Sierra Nevada)
17. 11.3 Cultural and Historical Geographies
Migrations of Native Americans into the Region
Began their migrations as Asians
Started crossing what was then a land bridge between
Alaska and Siberia at least 12,500 years ago
(possibly as early as 33,000 years ago)
Migration persisted until about 3,000 years ago
18. 11.3.1 Native American Civilizations
Similarities to Indigenous Cultures of Latin America
Some developed civilizations, the rather complex, agriculture-based
ways of life associated with permanent or semipermanent
settlements and stratified societies
Dominant Native American Civilizations
Anasazi (1200 B.C.E. – 1300 C.E.)
Mogollon (300 B.C.E. – 1400 C.E.)
Hohokam (100 B.C.E. – 1500 C.E.)
Mound Builder Civilizations
Poverty Point (2000 B.C.E. – 200 C.E.)
Adena (2000 B.C.E. – 200 C.E.)
Hopewell ( 200 B.C.E. – 700 C.E.)
Mississippian ( 700 C.E. – 1700 C.E.)
20. 11.3.2 Indigenous Culture Groups & Lifeways
Seven Native American Language Families
(represented by more than 250 languages)
Aztec-Tanoan
Hokan-Siouan
Penutian
Mosan
Algic
Na-Dene
Eskimo-Aleut
A trait apparently shared by most of the Native American
groups was their deep reverence for the natural world
22. 11.3.3 European Impacts on Native Cultures
Narratives of what took place in North America following 1492
Europeans: Times of settlement, development, taming the
frontier, and “civilizing the savages”
Native Americans: Times of depopulation and cultural demolition
Canada
Native American peoples refer to themselves as the First Nations in
acknowledgement of their pre-Columbian claims to the land
In 1999, Canada ceded ¼ of its total area to the Inuit peoples in
creating the territory of Nunavut
United States
Native American Reservations (“The Res”)
Home to 1/3 of Native Americans today
Among poorest communities of the country
Plagued by high rates of incarceration, alcoholism, drug abuse, depression,
broken families, teen suicide, and unemployment
Importance of legalized gambling revenues
26. 11.3.4 European Settlers and Settlements
Waves of European Settlement in North America
Religious persecution in Europe
Colonization of new lands by European powers
Expansionist efforts of newly independent Canada and the U.S.
Several Territorial Acquisitions of the United States
Manifest Destiny (opening of settlement all the way to the Pacific)
California Gold Rush (1849) as impetus for settlement
Homestead Act (1862)
Allowed pioneer family to claim up to 160 acres of land for $10
Multiculturalism Act (1988)
Recognized Canada as a multicultural society
30. 11.3.5 Ethnic Minorities
Minorities comprise about 1/3 of the U.S. population
16% are Hispanic (50 million)
13% are African Americans (39 million)
4% are Asian Americans
Hispanics overtook blacks as the largest minority in the
United States after the 2000 Census
Future lack of a majority
By 2040s, non-Hispanic whites to drop below 50% of US population
34. 11.3.6 Nonindigenous Languages & Faiths
Language
English and French are Canada’s official languages
U.S. does not have an official language
(English spoken by 96% of its residents)
“Spanglish”
Hybrid tongue of Spanish and English
From Hispanic neighborhoods into mainstream culture of U.S.
Laws guarantee religious freedoms in both nations
Both countries predominantly Christian
Largest single denomination is Roman Catholicism
43% in Canada / 26% in the United States
Other monotheistic faiths in the U.S.
5 million Jews and 1 million Muslims
Islam is the fastest-growing religion in the U.S.
37. 11.4 Economic Geography
The U.S. and Canada are very wealthy nations
United States $ 45,640 GNI PPP
Canada $ 37,280 GNI PPP
Where the United States ranks:
World’s largest economy
World’s largest producer and consumer of goods/services
World’s largest federal foreign debt
World’s largest national debt
With about 5% of the world’s population,
the U.S. has a third of the world’s wealth
The “average” American has been going nowhere
economically for a number of years, due to inflation
15% of Americans (46 million) are considered poor
39. 11.4.1 Sources of the Region’s Affluence
Keys to Region’s Affluence
Large endowments of important natural assets
Large population represents pool of labor and talent as well as a market
Mechanized economies
Peace and stability within and between these countries
Overall sense of internal unity and track record of continuity in political,
economic, and cultural institutions
Imbalance in the Distribution of National Wealth
Wealthiest 1% of Americans take in 20% of country’s total income
Protested in the form of the 2011 Occupy Wall Street movement
Poorest 10% of Americans take in less than 2% of total income
While 15% of Americans live below the poverty line,
less than 10% of Canadians are below its poverty line
However, this is a region where most people enjoy the “good life”
40. 11.4.2 An Abundance of Resources
U.S. and Canada resemble European environments and their
potential for production of wheat, cattle, and other products
Largest food-exporting region of the world
U.S. has more arable land than any other country
A much smaller proportion of Canada is arable,
but it has more farmable land than many other countries
Resource Rich:
Forests (Canada is world’s largest exporter of wood)
Mineral Resources
Energy Resources
Oil (Including Shale Gas)
Natural Gas
46. 11.4.3 Mechanization, Services, and IT
Transition to Service Sector / Information Technology
Although raw materials contribute much to their wealth,
the U.S. and Canada have become prosperous because
of machines and mechanical energy, complemented by
a boom in IT
Most Americans and Canadians employed in service sector
Finance, Medical Care, Retail Sales, Entertainment, etc.
Manufacturing now only accounts for 10% of U.S. economy
Rust Belt
U.S. profits from a “knowledge economy”
Designing products, but not making them
48. 11.4.4 U.S.-Canadian Economic Relations
Vital Trading Partners
Canada is much more dependent on the U.S.
Canada is the leading country in total trade with the U.S.
Main pattern of trade is the exchange of Canadian raw and
intermediate materials for American manufactured goods
Economic Disputes
Wheat War
Salmon War
Lumber Dumping
Despite occasional disagreements, the trend has
been toward more cooperation and free trade
Canada-U.S. Free Trade Agreement (1988)
North American Free Trade Agreement (1994)
49. 11.4.5 Transportation Infrastructure
Transcontinental railroads first linked the coasts
Interstate Highway System (Late 1950s)
Primary network for the trucking of cargo across the U.S.
Reflects American love affair with the automobile
Public transportation is popular only in cities
Gridlock makes it an attractive alternative to driving
51. 11.5 Geopolitical Issues
Historical Relations between the U.S. and Canada
The United States’ Place in the World
52. 11.5.1 Historical Relations
Friction following the American Revolution
Northern colonies failed to join the Revolution
British used those colonies as bases during the war
Many in the north came from Tory stock
Wanted to maintain political connections with British government
Tensions were high over who would have ultimate control of the
central and western reaches of the continent
War of 1812 fought largely as U.S. effort to conquer Canada
Canada’s emergence as a unified nation came partly as a
result of U.S. pressure
Hostility between U.S. and Canada did not immediately end
with the establishment of an independent Canada,
but relations improved gradually
Today these countries are strong allies
53. 11.5.2 The United States’ Place in the World
U.S. displays its power through military action and trade
Isolationism
Geographic advantage of being far away from world’s hot spots
Entered both world wars late
Attacks of September 11, 2001
Policy of Preemptive Engagement
U.S. remains world’s sole superpower
Strongest economy
Military expenditures larger than
those of next 14 countries combined
Dominance of global popular culture
World’s best universities
Headquarters to many of the world’s
leading international organizations
54. 12.6.1 Canada: Quebec
The Québec Separatist Movement
The French were earliest European settlers in the Québec area of Canada
In 1763, a major British military victory resulted in a broad sweep of British
language and culture across Canada
Cultural dichotomy developed that gave the French dominant influence in
Québec but little elsewhere in Canada
In Québec, 82% speaks French as a preferred language
After the end of WWII, French Canadian dissatisfaction spread
Led to the formation of the separatist political party Parti Québécois (PQ)
Party is dedicated to the full independence of Québec from Canada
Québec refused to ratify the country’s 1982 constitution
Twice the separatists forced the country to hold referenda on Québec’s
independence, but both failed
A 1995 vote of provincial voters also failed, but by a small margin
Canada has officially recognized Québec as a “distinct society” within Canada
55. 12.6.2 Canada: Atlantic Region
Atlantic Provinces include Newfoundland and Labrador, New
Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island
Importance of the fishing industry
Waters located off the Atlantic coast from near Cape Cod to the
Grand Banks were always exceptionally rich in fish
In 1977, worried about overfishing, the Canadian government
began enforcing a 200-mile offshore jurisdiction prohibiting
foreign competition in the fishing of the Grand Banks
Still, in the 1990s and early 2000s, overfishing of cod and other
species in the banks led to a decline in fishing productivity
In 2003, the government completely closed several cod-fishing
grounds in Newfoundland waters
Tens of thousands of fishers and fish processors lost their jobs
Fishing tradition may be restored only if fish stocks can
themselves be replenished
56. 12.6.3 Canada: The Arctic
Canada has a vast Arctic territory and wants to
explore it to maximum advantage
This is becoming possible as global warming
frees the Arctic Ocean of summer sea ice
Also becoming possible is a Northwest
Passage for ship navigation through the
maze of Canada’s Arctic islands
This potential sea route would be an
enormous boon to shipping interests
Canada could charge shipping fees
Canada and Russia are also talking about
opening the Arctic Bridge
Shipping route from Churchill, Canada to
the Russian port of Murmansk
Considerations:
Warming Arctic Ocean waters will mean
Recent dramatic reductions in sea ice cover, new fishing grounds will open
and hopes of abundant resources, have Estimated 1/4 of world’s undiscovered oil
countries staking territorial claims and and gas reserves lie in the Arctic
drawing future trade routes.
57. 12.6.4 Greenland
Greenland is geologically part of
North America because of its
proximity to Canada
Danish province
World’s largest island
There are estimates that
Greenland may have oil
reserves as great as Libya’s
About 80% of the island is
covered by an icecap up to
10,000 feet thick
Between 2003 and 2011, an
average of about 50 mi3 of
this icecap were lost each
year due to global warming
58. 12.6.5 The United States:
Changing Geography of Settlement
Although the American population has more than tripled
between 1900 and 2010, 25% of U.S. counties lost population
Trend of movement from rural areas to larger cities
Walmart Effect
Walmart and other large retailers drove out diverse businesses in
small and middle sized towns by offering consistently lower
prices and a wider selection of merchandise
Exurbanization
This is a trend of re-embracing rural life, but in response to
urban conditions
City dwellers who are priced out of suburbs or drawn to wider
spaces move to the “exurb”, an outer suburb of the city typically
so far out as to stand almost alone
60. 12.6.6 United States: A Tale of Two Cities
New York City, NY (“The Big Apple”)
Largest city in the United States (8 million)
Unchallenged in size, commerce, and economic impact
Today, more than 35% of the city’s population are foreign-born, with the
largest contingents coming from the Dominican Republic, China & Jamaica
Offsets out-migration of longer-resident New Yorkers (e.g., Asians moving to
West Coast, retiring whites to Florida, blacks moving back to the South, Puerto
Ricans returning to home island)
9/11 attacks on World Trade Center
Mayor Michael Bloomberg unveiled a plan in 2006 to make New York a
greener “sustainable city” and pledged affordable housing
San Francisco, California
Population of about 7 million, with roughly 20% being Asian Americans
San Francisco Bay Area plays a vital role in California’s economy
A major domestic and international tourist destination
Manufacturing is varied, but in recent decades, computer-related and other
electronics businesses have boomed (“Silicon Valley” is home of Apple)
Home to University of California at Berkeley and Stanford University
Dot-com bubble popped at turn of 21st century
61. 12.6.7 United States: Thirsty West
The American West has some environment challenges:
Dry climates
Rough topography
A lack of water transportation except along the Pacific Coast
Settlement is clustered in places where water is adequate
Explosive suburban populations have surpassed local water supplies
New resources had to be found or redirected from elsewhere
Region’s largest water source is the
Colorado River, carrying snowmelt
from mountain peaks in the Rockies
In many cases, dams, reservoirs, and
irrigation projects have been used to
supply needs
Water allocation is a zero-sum game,
meaning that any benefit to one party
equals a loss to another
Glen Canyon Dam, Arizona
62. 12.6.8 United States: Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina was the worst natural disaster in U.S. history
On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina made landfall as a Category 3
storm along Gulf of Mexico coast from SE Louisiana to Alabama
New Orleans was the hardest hit by the storm
Geographically, New Orleans is extremely vulnerable to hurricanes
The city already lies an average of 9 feet below sea level
It continues to slowly sink at a rate of 3 feet each century
Preparations for the storm were inadequate, and the emergency
response was tragically inept
1,577 lives were lost
Economic costs of repair and cleanup were over $80 billion
Nearly 1 million people were made homeless along the Gulf Coast
300,000 were made jobless
As New Orleans continues to rebuild, it will need to use adaptation and
mitigation to help protect the city in the future
64. 12.6.9 United States: ANWR
Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR)
This 12,500 square mile refuge was set aside as wilderness in 1980
Fate of oil beneath tundra ecosystem left for Congress to decide at later time
Subject of ANWR’s oil has been a bitter and polarizing debate ever since
One side argues that the U.S. must develop these reserves to give the U.S.
more independence from Middle Eastern oil
The other side argues that oil production in ANWR will do irreparable
damage to the coastal plain’s unique environment and the indigenous
people who depend on it
The main Native American group is the Gwich’in
Insist that oil drilling and related activity will endanger their way of life
The indigenous perspective on ANWR is not united, however:
An Inuit group, the Inupiat, supports oil production because of the
jobs it would bring them
Meanwhile, attention is turning to two other potential oil sites in Alaska:
The North Slope’s Teshekpuk Lake
And central Alaska’s Yukon Flats National Wildlife Refuge