1. ECONOMIC REGIONS IN NORTH AMERICA

2. INTRODUCTION
What is a region?
A region is an area in which certain features
are similar. Regions are defined by either
natural or human features. Natural features
are such things as landforms, vegetation, and
climate. Human features include population,
culture, and the economy of an area.
An economy is a system of producing,
distributing, and consuming goods and
services. Regions can be defined by what
goods and services are produced, distributed,
or consumed.
Economic regions often develop because
of the natural resources available to the
region. Regions then specialize in producing
certain goods or services with those resources
and trade with other regions. For instance,
the Midwest might trade crops such as corn
or soy beans with the Mountain West for
minerals such as copper and gold found there.

3. C H A P T E R 1
North America has abundant land for
farming, ranching, as well as vast forests.
Beneath the surface of the continent are
minerals such as copper and iron. Further
below the surface are fossil fuels which supply
oil, coal, and gas. There is also fresh water.
Some of the natural resources in North
America are renewable—they can be replaced
at a rate at which they are used. For example,
trees can be planted to replace forests that
have been harvested. However, some resources
are nonrenewable. When their supply is used
up, they cannot be replaced. Fossil fuels are
an example. Because of this scarcity, we
must make choices about how to allocate
these resources, what to produce with them,
and therefore what we can buy.
Natural Resources and the Economy
scarcity: the condition of not being plentiful
allocate: to decide that something should be used for a
particular purpose

4. Societies allocate scarce resources in
various ways. In some places, resources are
shared equally. For example, Native
Americans shared natural resources equally
within their tribes. Other societies allow
resources to be claimed on a first-come-firstserved
basis. Frontier land in the United
States was settled in this way.
In some societies natural resources are
rationed—only a certain amount is made
available—or a lottery is used so that
everyone has an equal chance to acquire
them. During World War II, many goods
such as gasoline, silk, and steel were
rationed by the U.S. government in order to
ensure enough supply to produce weapons,
parachutes, and other goods for soldiers.
Other societies barter for resources,
goods, and services. The early pioneers
bartered goods with Native Americans.
rationed: to give out a fixed share when something is scarce
lottery: a system that involves selection by chance such as a
drawing
barter: to pay for goods with other goods instead of money
RATIONING
BARTERING

5. Different regions or countries may have
different allocation methods. In countries
with a command economy, the government
controls the allocation of resources and the
production of goods. The government tells
businesses exactly what to make, how much
to make, and what to charge for the goods.
The United States, has a market economy.
The government does not control what and
how much is produced. Goods and services
are produced based on consumer wants
and needs.
Individuals in all economies must answer
the fundamental economic questions of what
to produce, how to produce, and for whom
to produce.
command economy: an economy in which decisions about production and allocation are made by the government
market economy: an economic system that permits an open exchange of goods and services between producers and consumers

6. C H A P T E R 2
Location of Natural Resources
While North America has abundant
renewable and nonrenewable resources,
they are located in specific regions of the
continent. For example, the plains and
prairies of the central United States and
southern Canada provide land for farming
and ranching.
The Rocky Mountains, which stretch
from northwestern Canada, through the
western United States, and into Mexico are
rich with forests for lumber and minerals
such as copper, gold, and silver. This region is lacking in an important natural resource, though—water. Because of its dry climate, farming is not a major economic activity.
The Midwest region of the United States
and Canada has the Great Lakes. This is the largest supply of freshwater in the world.

11. ALBERTA PLAINS IN CANADA
British Columbia Forests