The Coastal South

Introduction Might appear to be a region of the “New South,” but it does not “fit”, economically or environmentally The southern coastlands are distinct Can divide entire southern margin of the US in half based on human geography:

Physical Geography Low & flat topography Soil sandy and infertile Abundant precipitation, but poor drainage Swampy Bays, estuaries, and barrier islands Cape Fear, North Carolina, 5 pm

Physical Geography: Climate Humid subtropical (Cfa) Almost the entire region experiences 9 months or more of potential growing time

Physical Geography: Hazards Most thunderstorm-prone region in US Frosts –Mid-winter frosts can be devastating since most agriculturalists expect the first frost not to occur before December 15 th Water Supply –Groundwater overdraft = subsidence and the creation of sinkholes

Physical Geography: Hazards Hurricanes Katrina Florida

Historical Settlement Native American (Southeast Cultures) –“Mound Builders” Early European (1523) 18 th century “Cajuns” America goes shopping…

Historical Settlement French and Spanish influence Anglo- American vs. Roman Law St. Louis Cathedral (a French Cathedral), New Orleans LA

Historical Settlement

African Americans, Latin Americans, and Vietnamese Immigrants –African influences on music, food habits, speech patterns, and architectural styles The “American Paradox” –Cuban-Floridian; Latino-Floridian –Vietnamese refugees

Agriculture Two key agricultural advantages: –Specialty crops which cannot be grown elsewhere –Double cropping Key specialty crops –Citrus –Sugarcane –Rice

Agriculture  Sugarcane –Exclusive to the southern coastlands –Mostly grown in Louisiana using the natural water supply; in Florida by irrigation

Agriculture  Rice –Irrigated and grown in Louisiana and Texas –Also north (in Arkansas) along the Mississippi Valley Rice field in Louisiana

Shrimping

Secondary Economic Activities Resources Continental shelf Texas and Louisiana are number one and two in US oil production Natural gas is also available in large quantities

Secondary Economic Activities Industrial Development: Petrochemical industry For everyday items: –Plastics –Paints –Antifreeze

Secondary Economic Activities Industrial Development –“Texas Triangle” Spatial arrangement of Houston, Dallas/Fort Worth, and San Antonio Linked together by transportation and communications networks and economic activity

Trade Coastal Location: –Several major ports at the mouths of major rivers Sheltered bays: –Pensacola, Mobile, Galveston, Corpus Christi Significant port cities for Latin America and Europe: –Jacksonville, Brownsville, New Orleans, and Houston

Tertiary Economic Sector: Tourism Disneyworld & EPCOT Cruises at Ft. Lauderdale

Tertiary Economic Sector: Retirees

Places of The Coastal South Miami-area a 20 th century creation –Recreation –Travel –Latin American commercial connection New Orleans –Industrial and recreational importance –Constrained site restricts growth

Houston Development: the Future for The Coastal South?

Readings & Discussion Question Reading: EPCOT Reading: Galveston Reading: Braus, Patricia “Strokes and the South,” American Demographics 20: 26–29. –A disturbing study of some of the health issues facing the American South due to economic challenges and racial differences. Why do Geographers distinguish between the “Coastal” South and the “Inland” South?

Related Books Hardwick, Susan Wiley Mythic Galveston: Reinventing America’s Third Coast. Baltimore: The John Hopkins University Press. –A study of the impacts of immigrant groups on the evolution of this island city set within the content of the urban historical geography of Texas. Colten, Craig E An Unnatural Metropolis: Wresting New Orleans from Nature. Baton Rouge, LA: Louisiana State University Press. –An environmental history of the city that probably never should have been built (published a few months prior to the devastation of Hurricane Katrina). Boswell, Thomas D., ed South Florida: The Winds of Change. Washington, D.C.: Association of American Geographers. –Overview of the development of south Florida through time and a discussion of key issues facing the region up through the early 1990s.

WebSources Florida Population Information: City of Galveston: Hurricane Information: