HUMAN GEOGRAPHY UNITED STATES

ESPN: A FRAMEWORK FOR STUDYING COUNTRIES  Economic  Social  Political  eNvironment

WHY THE U.S.? 17 th and 18 th century migration  Religious persecution  Economic gain/resources 19 th century migration  Religious persecution (again!)  Famine in Europe  Jobs in factories  Railroad construction  Available land 20 th and 21 st century migration  Economic growth and opportunity  War and revolution (with religious persecution!)

REGIONS WITHIN THE U.S. Perceptual regions – How would you describe…  The Northeast?  The Midwest?  The South?  The West?

REGIONS WITHIN THE U.S.: THE NORTHEAST  1/5 of the country’s population  Financial and industrial center  Urbanization centered around rivers and ports  “Rust Belt”  Culturally diverse

REGIONS WITHIN THE U.S.: THE MIDWEST  Major farming region  “Corn Belt”  “Dairy Belt”  Leading producer of industrial goods  Large cities along the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River  African American population concentrated in urban centers

REGIONS WITHIN THE U.S.: THE SOUTH  30% of the country’s population  Historically agricultural, but new industries developed in late 20 th century  Economy centered around natural resources  Large Hispanic population

REGIONS WITHIN THE U.S.: THE WEST  Largest and most sparsely populated  Interior West very different from Pacific states… why?  Livestock, mining, and tourism

POPULATION PATTERNS What are the major cities in the U.S.? Where has population shifted over time? Human-Environment Interaction  Railroads and interstate highways opened/connected new areas  Rivers, dams, bridges, canals, and irrigation made water resources more useful  People live near key resources

POLITICS What is the political system in the U.S.? What do voting patterns in the U.S. have to do with population?  Gerrymandering – Manipulating voting districts to gain a desired outcome Does the U.S. political system allow for popular participation?

ECONOMICS Mixed economy  Which elements are free enterprise?  Which elements are socialist?

ECONOMICS - DEMOGRAPHICS How would you describe the level of development of the U.S.? More developed Where does the U.S. rank in the Human Development Index? NUMBER FOUR! US High Per Capita GDP45,800 High Life Expectancy78 years Low Population Growth Rate.88% Low Infant Mortality6.3/1000

ECONOMICS – RESOURCES AND INFRASTRUCTURE Rich in resources  Minerals, energy, forests  Arable land Highly developed infrastructure  Roads  Communications  Ports and railroads  Education

ECONOMICS – GLOBALIZATION Vast export sector Large role in world financial markets Multinational corporations and outsourcing NAFTA

THE U.S. AND THE WORLD The influence of American population culture America as a world power  National security and the military  The United Nations