Bypassed Atlantic Periphery

“Bypassed East” Newfoundland & Labrador, northern New England, Adirondack region of New York A transportation shadow Slow economic growth Settled early, but became increasingly isolated Relatively few large urban areas

Physical Geography Topography Northern extension of the Appalachian Mountains Green Mountains (Vermont) Range to 4,600 ft Ice covered during the Pleistocene White Mountains (New Hampshire) Extend to 6,500 ft Upper slopes rugged and steep Mountains of the Atlantic Provinces <2,200 ft and well rounded

Physical Geography Climate Maritime impact minimized by continental and polar air masses (Dfb & Dfc) Labrador Current flows southward chilling coastal waters Generally, the climate is seldom hot, often cool, and usually damp

Early Settlers Early 1600s - initial settlers relied upon three means to support their livelihood Fishing: cod and haddock Timbering, especially focusing on white pine Agriculture, mainly subsistence

Agriculture Present Trends < 10% of New England is farmland Agricultural peaked during the late 1800s; farms decreased by 66% Today’s farming is specialized, single crop production

Major Areas and Products Aroostook Valley (NE Maine) Silty loam soils Newest commercial agricultural area Suffers from competition with Idaho and Oregon

Major Areas and Products Lake Champlain Lowland Serves as a milk shed for the Megalopolis cities of Boston and New York

Major Areas and Products Prince Edward Island Annapolis Valley Cranberry Farming, Maine Tulip Farm, Prince Edward Island

Major Agricultural Areas

Economic Mainstays Forestry Limited role: lack reforestation Northern Maine: pulpwood Forestry products Northern New Brunswick and Newfoundland: pulp and paper

Economic Mainstays Fishing Inshore more important Nova Scotia: leads all provinces in total catch each year Newfoundland, New Brunswick, and PEI are 3rd, 4th , and 5th Maine lobster industry vitally important to New England 70% of the region’s total catch

Offshore Banks

Economic Mainstays Mining Tourism - a mixed blessing? Natural gas and oil; limited coal in Nova Scotia Plentiful building stone Tourism - a mixed blessing? Summer and Spring: hiking, fishing, camping, canoeing, and sightseeing Fall: foliage Winter: skiing and winter sports

Spillovers from Megalopolis

Canadian Places on the Periphery Halifax, Nova Scotia

American Places on the Periphery

The Future?

Discussion Questions The now-bypassed periphery used to be the “front door” to Europe. Can (or should) the Periphery return to that past glory? Since the region is basically at the doorstep of Megalopolis, might it turn into a place where Megalopolis residents take away the Bypassed Atlantic Periphery’s sense of place?

Related Books Irving, John. 1985. The Cider House Rules. New York: Ballantine. Coming of age novel set in 20th century Maine. Jenkins, Jerry and Andy Keal. 2006. The Adirondack Atlas: A Geographic Portrait of Adirondack Park. Syracuse: Syracuse University Press. Everything you wanted to know about anything Adirondack in concise, one-page essays! Montgomery, Lucy Maud. 1908. Anne of Green Gables. Boston: L. C. Page & Co. Famous novel that takes place on Prince Edward Island. Wood, Joseph S. 1997. The New England Village. Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press. A solid historical geography of rural New England.

WebSources Nova Scotia Tourism Newfoundland and Labrador Quickfacts http://novascotia.com/en/home/default.aspx Newfoundland and Labrador Quickfacts http://www.educationcanada.com/facts/index.phtml?sid=nf&a=1&lang=eng Native Americans—Algonquian Language Family http://www.native-languages.org/famalg.htm The Great Stone Face http://www.nh.gov/oldman/ Atlas of Canada Maritime Provinces http://atlas.gc.ca/site/english/maps/reference/provincesterritories/maritimes