1. Chapter Seven The United States and Canada Today

2. Section One Living in the United States and Canada

3. Economic Activities Both the U.S. & Canada have free market economies –Individuals are free to own, operate, and profit from their own business There are differences in the way the U.S. & Canada approach the ownership of some corporations and the administration of some services –Examples: Health care & broadcasting are run by the government, while such programs are held privately in the U.S.

4. Economic Activities Both the U.S. & Canada have moved from agricultural societies to mainly industrial societies Both countries are developing a post-industrial economy--place less emphasis on heavy industry and traditional manufacturing and more emphasis on service & high-tech business *Important to remember that agriculture is still an essential element to the vitality of the U.S. & Canada

5. Economic Activities Agriculture Commodities = goods –commercially produced for sale Farming is still largely a family run operation –Only 5% of farms in the U.S. and Canada are owned by large corporations

6. Economic Activities 1 billion acres of land is used for agriculture in the U.S. –Not just for farming, but also for feeding livestock Today, farms are bigger but fewer people are employed in agriculture –Only 2% of Americans work in agriculture –Only 4% of Canadians

7. Economic Activities Some factors contributing to the decline in farming –High cost of farming Requires purchasing expensive machinery, fertilizers, & pesticides –Unpredictable consumer demand If there is not a great demand for a large supply of any product that a farmer has to offer, then the farmer must reduce the prices of his/her product & may lose money –Risk of natural disasters –Generally farming is very hard work & demands a lot of time & energy

8. Economic Activities Key Agricultural Products The U.S./Canada region plays a vital role in producing the world’s beef, milk, corn, wheat, & other grains –Traded internationally The Corn Belt is a band of farmland that stretches from Ohio to Nebraska –In Canada, corn is grown in Quebec, Ontario, and Manitoba

9. Economic Activities About 50% of the corn grown in this region is used to feed livestock –The rest is processed to make consumer goods for human use Many different fruits and vegetables are grown across the states & provinces –Northern U.S. & Southern Canada = apples, peaches, & cherries –Potatoes are an important crop in both countries –California produces tomatoes, lettuce, peas, grapes, & strawberries just to name a few –Citrus fruits are grown in south-central U.S. & Florida –Hawaii grows sugarcane, pineapple, & bananas

10. Economic Activities Breaking Geographic Boundaries America’s Dairyland is located in New York State and Minnesota where there are native grass highly suited for dairy cattle Advances in agricultural technology have allowed states not independently suitable for farming to participate in agriculture & benefit economically from it

11. Manufacturing and Service Industries Manufacturing makes up about 20% of the economy in both the U.S. & Canada –Employs about 20% of the workforce Technology has greatly changed the workforce in the region These changes have left some factories in the North and Northeastern parts of the U.S. out of commission –Because buildings were just rusting away, the area was given the name “The Rust Belt” Recently the old factories have been converted for new uses through a process called retooling

12. Transportation & Communications The automobile is the greatest advancement in transportation history –What advantages has the automobile industry created in America? –What disadvantages is there to having a heavy reliance on cars?

13. Transportation & Communication Airports Railroads Bus systems Pipelines--long networks of underground or aboveground pipes, carry almost one-fourth of the region’s freight in the form of oil or gas

14. Communication Both the U.S. and Canada have exceptional modes of communication –What are all of the communication tools that we have today? –Which do you feel is the most important? Communication companies in Canada are owned by the government & owned by private companies in the U.S. –The Federal government regulates ownership of such companies by banning monopolies--total control of a type of industry by one or more company

15. Trade and Independence Both the U.S. & Canada export a variety of raw goods & manufactured materials –Exports--goods that are shipped out of the country and sold to another The U.S. spends more on imports than it receives from exports –Imports--goods that are brought in & purchased by a country

16. Trade and Independence This results in a trade deficit--difference in value between a country’s imports & its exports –The U.S. has a deficit of hundreds of billions of dollars –US Debt ClockUS Debt Clock Debt is caused by costly energy purchases (oil) & some countries impose high tariffs-- taxes--on imports, so it is difficult to trade with others and make money

17. Trade and Independence Canada does not have the same debt issues as the U.S. –They have a trade surplus--earns more from exports than it spends on imports NAFTA –North America Free Trade Agreement An agreement between the U.S., Canada, & Mexico that removed trade restrictions –Does not allow for the free flow of workers among member countries at the European Union does

18. United Against Terrorism Terrorism has become a major issues since the September 11th attacks in 2001 –FootageFootage Terrorism is the political use of violence of intimidation George W. Bush created the Office of Homeland Security to protect Americans from further terrorists attacks

19. United Against Terrorism October 2001--the U.S. attacked Afghanistan –Ruled by the Taliban Headed up by Osama bin Laden & his terrorist network al- Queda The winter of 2002 was the beginning of the U.S. attack against Iraq –Bush accused the of having weapons of mass destruction –By March 20, 2003 the U.S. was at a full blown war in Iraq By April 9, 2003 the leadership had collapsed and the U.S. occupied the capital of Baghdad

20. Section Two People and Their Environment

22. Human Impact Humans have inflicted heavy damages to the environment in search of natural resources for energy and profit –Now we are in the process of trying to fix our land Mismanagement of resources had been an issue both the U.S. & Canada have had to face –Clear-cutting-the practice of taking out whole forests when harvesting timber

23. Human Impact Clear-cutting had created a number of environmental concerns –Destruction of many old-growth forests –Wildlife endangerment –Massive erosion and flooding Maintaining the environment we live in is a delicate balance –Sometimes wildfires are good because they get rid of undergrowth and allows new vegetation to rise –Controlled burning began with Native Americans

24. Pollution Pollution--the introduction of harmful materials into he environment Pollution is directly related to the region’s physical geography and economic activities Acid Rain Acid rain--precipitation that carried abnormally high amount of acidic material –Caused by chemical emissions from cars, power plants, factories, and refineries that react with water vapor in the air Harmful to fish & plan life in many parts of the eastern U.S. & Canada

25. Pollution Acid rain clouds are blown around by wind, thus having a larger impact on the region than simply destroying the areas causing the pollution –Nearly half of the acid rain in Canada is blown in from the U.S. The U.S. & Canada are attempting to improve the air quality –Reduced acidic levels in lakes show some improvements being made

26. Smog Smog--a type of acid rain caused by sulfur and nitrogen oxides in the air –A visible haze across skylines of major cities when the sun’s rays interact with automobile exhaust and industrial emissions Some cities have such high levels of smog that they have had to create an alert system to notify people if they need to stay inside What are some solutions to smog and other air pollution issues?

27. Water Pollution On top of acid rain, sewage and industrial and agricultural wastes flow into water supplies –This may be an illegal issue if companies are dumping toxic materials into water supplies Groundwater--freshwater that lies below the earth’s surface--can also be contaminated by chemicals leaking from industrial buildings, runoff from agricultural chemicals

28. Water Pollution Waste contaminations can spread disease to humans –In 2000, seven people died & thousands became ill in Walkerton, Canada when their drinking water was infected with E. coli bacteria Eutrophication--the process by which a lake or other body of water becomes rich in dissolved nutrients, encouraging overgrowth of small plants--like algae –Can deplete the water of its oxygen, causing fish to die –Could turn a lake into a swamp or dry land area

29. Challenge for the Future Global warming--phenomena caused by pollution that results in an increase in atmospheric and oceanic temperatures –One visible effect: melting polar ice caps in the Arctic regions of Alaska and Canada Has greatly affected wildlife in the area –The permafrost of the the Arctic region has started to melt Led to weakening foundations on houses & buckling of the earth

30. Challenge for the Future Other problems global warming creates: –Ocean levels rise Increased danger of coastal flooding New Orleans--the city that lies below sea level –Significant danger of one day being completely submerged due to the rising ocean and frequent floods of the Mississippi River –Changes in global weather patterns Different issues with sever weather are impacting areas that haven’t had to deal with problems caused by drought and flooding before