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The Northeast
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Geography Nine States Diverse Geography New York - New Hampshire
Pennsylvania - Maine Vermont - Massachusetts New Jersey - Connecticut Rhode Island Diverse Geography Craggy Shorelines Vast varieties of trees Farmland
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Natural Resources Few Natural Resources
Rocky soil and steep hills make farming difficult Coal in Pennsylvania only mineral resource Water has become main resource in area Fishing and Commerce has been important since colonial times Natural harbors make good locations for water travel Fishing is very good of the coast of Massachusetts Grand Banks
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Industry Rivers in Northeast encouraged Industry
Hudson River Connecticut River Delaware River Factories sprung up around rivers Rivers moved quickly due to high precipitation Water powered machines used to produce goods Shoes Cloth These rivers became the basis for other transportation routes Railroads Highways
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Megalopolis Harbors helped cities on Atlantic coast grow
Industry grew, creating jobs People moved to the cities for work 1840 – 80,000 European immigrants moved to the Northeast Cities began to grow and spread together Atlantic coast is now considered a megalopolis 40 Million people live here Cities included: Boston New York City Philadelphia Washington DC
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Problems in the Northeast
Area might run short of water or room for waste disposal Reducing Population People have left the area for less crowded locations Cities have to collect higher taxes from fewer residents New York city still remains most important city in the world Large number of consumers Incentives have led to new jobs Beauty of less crowded areas still attracts people
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The South
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Geography 15 States Virginia - West Virginia Maryland - Kentucky
Texas - Oklahoma Tennessee - North Carolina South Carolina - Alabama Mississippi - Florida Georgia - Arkansas Louisiana
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Geography contd. Climate Vegetation Closer to Equator = Warmer
Humid and subtropical Weather systems from Gulf bring great amount of precipitation Western parts can be drier Vegetation Thick mixed forests Marshy mangrove trees Swamps Bayous Texas and Oklahoma have vast amounts of grasslands
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Agriculture Rich soil has been used for centuries European Migration
Native Americans grew corn, melons, tobacco, and other crops European colonists settled for same reason European Migration Plantations were built in area Slaves were used to work the tobacco, rice, and cotton fields Farming is still important to the South today Poverty Areas in the Appalachian Mountains remain poor Rocky soil makes for little agriculture Little industry is located here
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Industry Fall Line Oil was discovered in Texas in 1901 Gulf of Mexico
Many textile mills were built along rivers in the Carolinas Mills harnessed the power of swiftly moving rivers Mills were also located near the cotton plantations Oil was discovered in Texas in 1901 Largest oil reserves in America are here Brought great wealth to region Decline in gas prices in the 80s hurt the region Gulf of Mexico Large band of manufacturing border the Gulf - Open ports receive raw materials and other goods
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Changes in Region Industry The Sunbelt Space industry settled in area
South attracted business due to better working conditions and cheaper land on which to build Lack of unions made labor cheaper The Sunbelt Job opportunities lured many people to the South Better climates and beaches attracted people from the North
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Southern Population Varied Population
Half the US African American Population live in the South Reverse from Civil War times Large number of Hispanics have migrated Mexico Cuba White population have roots in region Ancestors have been in region for centuries France, England, Scotland, Ireland
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Southern Cities New Orleans Atlanta Houston Washington DC
Important trading center on Mississippi Atlanta Major railroad and airline hub Houston Large industrial center Home of NASA Major oil and banking center Washington DC Created from parts of Virginia and Maryland First planned city in the nation Home to the country’s leaders
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The Midwest
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Geography Midwest includes 12 States North Dakota -South Dakota
Indiana -Illinois Ohio -Michigan Wisconsin - Iowa Missouri -Nebraska Kansas -Minnesota
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Agriculture Most of the Midwest is flat
Dark soil called hummus helps promote healthy farming Regional Variations The growing season varies depending on location Longer in Kansas Shorter near Canadian border Crops vary depending on location Corn, Soybeans, and Cattle grow in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa and Wisconsin Wheat and oats grow in Great Plains states
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Agriculture contd. Nation’s Breadbasket
Iowa has produced more corn, soybeans, and hogs than any other state Midwestern farms feed the entire nation High production leads to high exports
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Changing Farms America has changed from small family farms to large farms Technology 1834- Reaper allowed farmers to harvest large amounts of wheat Increase in technology led to less need of farm workers Linking farms to cities Small towns are needed to collect grain from farms Large Midwestern cities produce goods from grain and are involved in the market for farm goods Chicago Minneapolis Indianapolis
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Industry and Transportation
Natural resources have led to cities in the Midwest becoming manufacturing centers Minnesota – Iron ore Indiana and Illinois – coal and steel production Michigan – automobile production Water transportation has led to the growth of other Midwestern cities Great Lakes – Cleveland, Detroit, Chicago Major Rivers – St. Louis, Minneapolis, Omaha Railroads and highways are also used to transport Midwestern goods Chicago and Kansas City
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The West
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Geography The West includes 13 states Washington - Idaho
California - Oregon Wyoming - Montana Colorado - New Mexico Arizona - Utah Nevada - Alaska Hawaii
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Vegetation Most of the west is desert
Only short grasses and cactus grow The West Coast receives ample rainfall Deciduous and Mixed forests are common Hawaii Wet tropical climate with rain forests Alaska Tundra with short grasses and moss
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Natural Resources Rocky Mountains and Sierra Nevada contain many minerals Silver - Uranium Gold 1849 – California Gold Rush Thousands of people moved to the West to become rich Caused the increase in western cities and towns Large deposits of Natural Gas and Oil can also be found Prudhoe Bay, Alaska Trans-Alaska Pipeline
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Natural Resources contd.
Forestry Half of the nation’s lumber is taken from the Pacific Northwest Washington and Oregon Commercial Fishing Billions of pounds of fish are caught in the Pacific Alaska and Hawaii Exports equal billions of dollars
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Growth of Cities Transcontinental Railroad
The fare between the Midwest and Pacific Coast was lowered People wanted to start new lives in the West Most of people in the West live in cities Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle Attraction came from gold and movie industry Living in the cities Water is brought in using aqueducts Draughts are common in area resulting in conservation efforts
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Frontier States Alaska Hawaii Largest state, least populated
Very few roads pass through Juneau can only be reached by boat or airplane Anchorage is the largest city and only has two major roads leaving it Hawaii Eight main islands, 100 smaller ones First interested America because of location between mainland and Asia Used as a major naval base New telecommunications and air travel have made Hawaii less isolated
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