NORTH AMERICA NOTES UNIT 4

FORMAL REGION = BOUNDARIES/BORDERS (PHYSICAL OR HUMAN) FUNCTIONAL REGION = COMMON SYSTEM (LANGUAGE, RELIGION, TRANSPORTATION ROUTES…) PERCEPTUAL REGION = STEREOTYPES OR OPINIONS PLAYGROUND POLITICS - CANADA

Factors that affect climate of North America: LEMPOS!

L: LATITUDE

E: ELEVATION U.S. HAS MORE VARIED VEGETATION ZONES THAN CANADA THE HIGHER YOU GET, THE COLDER IT GETS BECAUSE BOTH AIR PRESSURE & TEMPERATURE DECREASE

M: MOUNTAIN BARRIERS

P: PROXIMITY TO WATER

O: OCEAN CURRENTS CORIOLIS EFFECT: AFFECTS THE DIRECTION OF PREVAILING WINDS

S: STORMS

SO HOW DO THESE FACTORS AFFECT NORTH AMERICA?

ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES HIGH LATITUDES MID LATITUDES LOW/TROPI CAL LATITUDES Trade and trees Agriculture and variety

SETTLEMENT PATTERNS PROXIMITY TO WATER AND TRANSPORTATION ROUTES AVAILABLE ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES AND ACCESS TO NATURAL RESOURCES GROWTH OF URBAN AREAS = AIR CONDITIONING!!

United States Big Ideas  Country populated by diverse group of immigrants  Westward expansion = industrialization  Representative democracy = democratic republic  Fertile land + valuable resources + good location = Economic Leader  Much of U.S. economy based on service industry  Most of population lives in urban areas

United States Subregions Big Ideas  Northeast = heavily populated & industrialized; economic center  Midwest = produces a variety of agriculture and manufactured goods; moving toward service industries  South = rapid industrialization; large population growth with land availability and low density  West = rapid economic growth; many technology centers and resources