THE CULTURAL GEOGRAPHY OF THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA CHAPTER 6, SECTION 1 Population Patterns

The People 5% of the world’s population lives in the United States and Canada  285 million in the US  31 million in Canada All are immigrants or descendants of immigrants  Some arrived recently  Others belong to families whose ancestors came to North America centuries ago.

Push and Pull Factors 1. Push Factors:  Conditions that drive people to leave their homes  Examples: Land scarce in home country Political and/or religious persecution Revolutions Poverty 2. Pull Factors:  Conditions that attract people to a new area  Examples: Promise of freedom (religious and political) Hope for a new life Industry Jobs Land “Streets paved with gold”

Waves of Immigrants North America’s first immigrants probably moved into the region from Asia – Today they are known as Native Americans – 2.5 million in the US – 700,000 in Canada Europeans, Asians, Africans, and Latin Americans US and Canada are among the world’s most diverse populations

Immigrants cont’d Moved for: (Pull Factors) – Political freedom – Religious freedom – Economic opportunities Natural resources Rapid industrial and economic growth made the US and Canada very attractive Left because: (Push Factors) – Wars – Natural disasters Us and Canada have always benefitted from immigrants

Population Density and Distribution Canada’s population density is 8 people per sq mile – Most of Canada is inhospitable Rugged terrain and cold climate – 90% of Canadians live along the border of Canada and the US – The Canadian Shield has poor soil so many settled near the Great Lakes-St. Lawrance lowlands – Population centers are also in farming and ranching areas in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta

US Population Density 77 people per sq mile The Northeast and the Great Lakes regions are the most densely populated areas Population cluster: – Pacific Coast Pleasant climate Natural resources Economic opportunities More people live in California than in any other state

US cont’d Since the 1970’s, the American South and Southwest is the countries fastest growing areas. – Nicknamed the sunbelt Mild climate – Growing manufacturing, service and tourism industries The least densely populated: – Subarctic region of Alaska – The parched Great Basin – Parts of the arid or semiarid Great Plains

The Cities US and Canada began as agricultural societies  They have experienced urbanization  The concentration of population in cities Cities:  Grew as machines in agriculture created commercial farms  Less labor was needed  People moved to cities for work

The Cities cont’d Today most people live in metropolitan areas  This includes city with a population of at least 50,000 and outlying suburbs  80% of the population of the US live in the 276 metropolitan areas  60% of the population of Canada live in the 25 metropolitan areas

Coastal Cities Most population centers in the US and Canada lie in coastal areas  Along the northern Atlantic coast of the US a chain of closely linked metropolitan areas forms a megalopolis or “great city”  Megalopolis  42 million people  Boston, New York, Philadelphia and Baltimore  Washington D.C.  Miami  New Orleans  Houston

Pacific Coast Megalopolis  San Francisco through Los Angeles to San Diego  All three cities are major ports  Seattle, San Francisco and the neighboring area called Silicon Valley features innovative computer and Internet industries Developed aerospace industries, enterprises that design and manufacture airplanes, satellites, and space vehicles Vancouver is the largest city in the Canadian providence British Columbia and an important shipping center for Canada

Inland Cities Rivers, lakes and inland waterways promoted growth of inland cities North American waterways  Natural resources  Transportation  Both contributed to rapid industrial growth Canada  Ships reach Quebec, Montreal, Toronto, and Ottawa through the St. Lawrence River, Ottawa River, and the Great Lakes

United States City – River/Lake connections  Detroit, Chicago, Milwaukee, Cleveland – Great Lakes  Pittsburgh, Cincinnati – Ohio River  Minneapolis, St. Louis – Mississippi River  Winnipeg – Red River  Saskatoon, Edmonton – Saskatchewan River  Canada

Future Trends US and Canada have low birthrates  Increase population 0.5% per year Immigration is most of the population growth Mobility – the freedom to move from place to place  In one year 1 in 6 US residents relocates  Often to cities