North America Chapter 6 – Human Geography of the U.S.

Section 1 The History and Government of the U.S.

The Nation’s History  America was primarily colonized by England  They often fought with the French over control  America gained the most territory at one time when they purchased the middle third of modern America (which doubled the size of America at that time) from France  This became know as the Louisiana Purchase

The Nation’s History  The Civil War was caused by Sectionalism, where people placed loyalty to their region rather than their nation  Immigrants most often were employed in textile and steel jobs  They also worked in the oil and food processing industries

A Nation’s History  America’s government was set up as a representative democracy, where the people rule through elected representatives  At the same time, we are a federal republic, where power is divided between the national, state, and the local governments

Section 2 Economy and Culture

World’s Greatest Economy  The major sectors of the U.S. economy are agriculture (2%), services (73%), and manufacturing (25%)  The U.S. accounts for 10% of the world’s exports (goods sold to another country)  The U.S. economy gets most of its strength because it operates on a free enterprise economy, where private individuals own most of the resources and businesses and operate for profit with little government interference

American Agriculture  Most agricultural output in America can be found in the Midwest and the South  Most livestock farming can be found in the West

Postindustrial Society  The American economy is driven today most by service industries, which provides a service rather than a product. Examples include information processing, finance, medicine, transportation, and education  This is all part of an economic phase know as a postindustrial economy, where manufacturing no longer plays the dominant role  Some companies have become so large that they have become multinationals where they own businesses worldwide

Languages and Religion  English is the dominant language of the U.S. with Spanish being second  Christianity is the dominant religion, making up roughly 85% of the populations

American Life Today  About 80% of Americans live in or near cities, made possible because of the widespread ownership of cars

Section 3 Subregions of the U.S.

The Northeast  Consist of only 5% of the land but 20% of the population of the U.S.  This is in large part because of the industry in the Northeast  This is a region with several large cities grow together, along with the transportation

The Midwest  Nicknamed the nation’s “breadbasket” because of their favorable climate and soil made for excellent wheat and corn production  It is linked to trade through the Great Lakes and Mississippi River

The South  The site of much early English settlement  In addition to the British descendants, the South is diverse with African descendants because of slavery and Hispanics who first migrated form Mexico and Texas  Although agriculture was the first economic activity of the South, cities have begun setting up in the South, which is causing a rapid growth in metropolitan areas, which are large cities and their suburbs

The West  Stretches from the Great Plains to the Pacific Ocean  People have to settle wherever they can because of the varied climate and landforms