What are the different ethnic and religious groupsthat live in North America?

The People• US population is among

the most diverse• Diversity reflects influence

of immigration on the country

• Canadians trace roots to immigrants

• Some Canadians are descendants of Native Americans

The People• People in the United

States and Canada have a high standard of living– Able to have many

personal choices and opportunities

– Agricultural surplus makes food inexpensive

– Housing varies (high-rise apartments, multifamily row houses, or suburban houses)

– Owns phones, TVs, 94% own computers

The People• 50% of households are

married couples with 22% have children under 18

• Households are smaller than the past, 2008 61% had one or two children, compared to 46% in 1970

• Canadian characteristics of family are similar to United States

• 69% are married, with 41% have children, 44% of families with children have one child, 39% have 2, and 17% have 3 or more

• Canada and the United States both have aging populations

United States• Over 300 million people• Many are descendants of

immigrants or are immigrants

• 2.5 million are NativeAmericans

• Europeans, Asians, Africans, and Latin American descendants make up the rest of the population

United States• Immigrants came for

– religious freedom,– political freedom,– better economic

opportunities,– fled war or natural

disasters

United States• Natural resources and

rapid industrial and economic development attract immigrants

• Immigrants first faced discrimination, but offered hard work, talent, enthusiasms, and diverse cultural practices

• Immigrants today seek jobs, education, career opportunities, or refuge from political situations

• 2008, 12.5% of US population was foreign born, half of foreign born population are from Latin America

Canada• Immigrants to Canada

came for– Political freedom– Religious freedom– Economic opportunities– Education– Refuge from war

Canada• Loyalists fled to Canada

from the British colonies after the American Revolution

• Many loyalists settled in the Maritime provinces of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island

• Mix of ethnic origins varies from province to province

Canada• Quebec is mostly French

descendants• Over ¼ of Canadians

identify themselves as of mixed ethnic origins

• Over 1 million identify themselves as Native American (Inuit), or of mixed European and Native American descent

Culture of United States of AmericaLanguage and Religion

– English is the main language of the United States

– People also speak or use words or phrases from other languages

– Some people are bilingual– Growing Latino population has

made Spanish the second common language

– Most Americans are Christian– Other religions practiced are

Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism

Culture of United States of AmericaEducation and Health Care

– Education is a network of public and private schools

– Attending school is required until age 16

– USA has a 99% literacy rate– Health care is available to

many, but some are unable to purchase health insurance

– The government is in the process for providing health care for all citizens

Culture of United States of AmericaThe Arts

– First Americans integrated art, music, and storytelling into daily life

– European settlement caused art in America to be dominated by European traditions

– Mid 1800s people began to create own art forms reflecting their lives and culture

– Jazz was developed by African Americans

Culture of CanadaLanguage and Religion– Two official languages

(English and French)– Reflects the power struggle

between French and British in the past

– French is dominant in the province of Quebec

– Other languages spoken are German, Italian, and Chinese

– Native languages include Cree and Inuktitut

– Christianity is the largest religion

– Other religions include Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Judaism, and Sikhism

– Multiple religions reflect Canada’sdiverse immigrant population

Culture of CanadaEducation and Health Care

– 99% literacy rate– Network of public and private

schools, each province is responsible for organizing and administering public education

– Required for students 6 to 16– Government helps pays for

health care for all its citizens– Each province finances and

manages its own health care systems

– High life expectancies has led to increased health care costs which have resulted in limiting benefits or raising taxes

Culture of CanadaThe Arts– Influenced by British,

French, American, and native cultures

– Immigrant population has added to literature, visual arts, theater, and music

– Government promotes locally produced cultural products in mass media since 1950s

– Toronto is highly regarded in theater and music

Where do the people of the United States andCanada live?

United StatesDensity and Distribution

– Population density of United States: 87 people per square mile.

– Large population distribution outside of urban areas.

– Northeast and Great Lakes regions are MORE densely populated b/c they are historic centers of commerce and industry.

– Pacific coast attracts people looking for mild climate and economic opportunities, which leads to clusters of densely populated areas

United States

Density and Distribution– Subarctic region of Alaska, the

parched Great Basin, and parts of the arid and semi-arid Great Plains are the LEAST densely populated.

– American South and Southwest are the fastest growing areas.

• Area nicknamed the Sunbelt for its mild climate; area draws people to growing manufacturing, service, and tourism industries. Proximity to Mexico and Caribbean draws immigrants to the region.

United StatesUrban Areas

– Urbanization – movement of people from rural areas to urban areas

• Mechanized agriculture required fewer workers leading to movement to cities to find job opportunities.

– Metropolitan area – includes a city with a population of at least 50,000 people and outlying communities called suburbs

• Most people in the U.S. live in metropolitan areas.

– Urban Sprawl – As metropolitan areas become crowded, leads to the further spread of people and suburban development

United States

Urban Areas– Megalopolis – a great big area

that is made up of several large and small cities

• Many U.S. population clusters lie in coastal areas where strong economies are linked to world trade and can support large populations.

• Pacific coast cities provide important links to the rest of the world, growth of inland cities fueled by their proximity to rivers and lakes.

– Example: Area between Boston and Washington D.C. along the Atlantic Coast an called the Boswash megalopolis.

CanadaDensity and Distribution– Most of Canada is inhospitable

due to rugged terrain and bitterly cold climates.

– 90% of Canadian population lives along the US-Canada border

– Average population density is 9 people per square mile

– Most densely populated areas clustered near waterways and in places that support agriculture

– Over past 100 years most internal migration has been to the Prairie Provinces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta

• Migration due in part to the discovery of oil and natural gas in the arctic

CanadaUrban Areas

– Most population lives in urban areas

– Toronto – largest city, industrialand financial center

– Montreal – industrial and shipping center, ships reach the inland through the St.Lawrence & Ottawa Rivers, and the Great Lakes.

– Vancouver – handles nearly all trade between Canada and Asia

– Edmonton – grew with development of the petroleum industry

How did the United States and Canada develop intoan interdependent and globalized economy?

Economic Activities• Market Economies – allows

people to own, operate, and profit from their own businesses.– Allows businesses to hire

employees and pay them for their work.

– Laws in place to protect private property rights, employment opportunities, and the health and safety of workers.

– Both developed countries with mostly industrial economies.

• Postindustrial Economies – place less emphasis on heavy industry and traditional manufacturing and more emphasis on service and high-tech businesses.

Economic Activities– 7 7 % of the region’s workers

are employed in service jobs, such as government, education, health care, and banking.

– Many of these service jobs located in the central business district of urban areas where the high concentration of office buildings and retail shops is easily accessible from the industrial areas as well as from the suburbs.

• Central business district – a traditional business and commercial center referred to as downtown.

Economic Activities– High tech industries –

less dependent on location.

• Located in areas similar to that of a person’s choice of where to live: weather, proximity to work, and access to recreational facilities

– Example: Silicon Valley – the 3rd largest high tech center after New York and Washington D.C.

» Located near a cosmopolitan area, year round pleasant weather, and offices nearby housing.

Economic ActivitiesManufacturing

– 20% of both U.S. and Canadian economies

– Companies began moving from the Manufacturing Belt south to the Sunbelt

– Rust Belt,͟ area left behind as industries moved south to the Sunbelt. Many old, unused factories being converted for new industries, a process called retooling

• Examples:– Sunbelt – transportation

equipment and machinery– California/Washington –

aircraft and aerospace equipment

– Midwest – automobiles– California/Northeast – food

processing– Canada/Quebec – wood based

products (timber resources)

Economic ActivitiesAgriculture

– Commercial agriculture – producing agricultural commodities

• Most farms are still owned by families, rather than large corporations, many have formed cooperative operations

– Approximately 920 million acres in US used for agriculture

– Approximately 167 million acres in Canada used for agriculture

Economic Activities

Agriculture– Size of farms has decreased

in the U.S. due to:• High cost of farming• Unpredictable consumer

demand,• Risk of natural disaster• Time/hardwork to run a

farm

Economic ActivitiesAgriculture– Key agriculture products:

• Cattle Ranches – Western, Southern, Midwestern, North-Central United States/ Prairie Provinces, Quebec, and Ontario in Canada

• Wheat Belt – Great Plains United States/ Prairie Provinces of Canada

• Corn – Corn Belt stretches from Ohio to Nebraska/ Quebec, Ontario, and Manitoba Canada

Economic ActivitiesAgriculture– Agriculture

Technology:• Dairy farming in the

United States can occur in every American state and many Canadian provinces as a result of:

– Improved feed sources and automation

Transportation and CommunicationsThe Automobile

– Most popular means of personal transportation

– Heavy investment in highways, roads, and bridges, which are also important for the transport of good.

– US roads/highways are densest along the east & west coasts, and the Mississippi & Ohio River valleys

Transportation and CommunicationsThe Automobile

– Canada roads/highways concentrated on the southern part of the country

• Trans-Canada Highway runs 4,860 miles from Victoria, British Columbia to Newfoundland.

– Reliance on automobiles results in air pollution and traffic congestion in the region’s cities

– Long-haul trucks carry about28% of the region’s freight

Transportation and CommunicationsOther Means of Transportation

– Airport networks• Atlanta and Chicago’s

international airports are two of the busies in the United States

• Toronto International airport Canada’s busiest airport

• Carry a small portion of the region’s heavy freight

Transportation and CommunicationsOther Means of Transportation

– Railroads/Pipelines• Railroads – Move 36% of the

region’s freight• Pipelines – carry about 20% of

region’s freight in the form of oil and gas

– Waterways – Moves 13% ofRegion’s freight

• Great Lakes – St. Lawrence Seaway System used by both US and Canada to transport goods

• Mississippi River – used to transport US grain/petroleum products

Transportation and CommunicationsCommunications

– Communication networks – influenced the success of region’s economy

– Mobile communication –cellular and digital services

– Internet/Email – business transactions/ personal communications

Transportation and CommunicationsCommunications

– Television , radio, newspapers (local/national), magazines (local/national), and international news

– Canada’s broadcasting/publishing services publicly owned

– US Broadcasting/Publishing services privately owned – government regulations in place to prevent development of a monopoly

Trade and InterdependenceGlobal economy, the merging of economies in which countries are interconnected and become dependent on one another for good and services

Trade and InterdependenceExports and Imports

– US spends more on imports than it earns from exports resulting in a deficit

• US Deficit results from the countries large consumer population and growing industries that require costly energy purchases

• Some countries charge high tariffs or taxes on imports, which would increase the price of US products and reduce their sales abroad.

Trade and InterdependenceExports and Imports

– Canada exports more than it spends on imports resulting in a trade surplus

• Smaller population makes energy needs less costly

• Canada’s actual export revenues (profits) are closer in total to the amount of money spent on imports

Trade and InterdependenceNAFTA – North American Free Trade Agreement

– Trade agreement between US, Canada, and Mexico – created in 1994

– Created one of the world’s largesttrading blocks

• Eliminated trade barriers• Increased economic activity among

three countries• Strengthened their political and

economic positions in the global economy

– Outsourcing – setting up plants, service industries, and other businesses abroad to produce parts and products for domestic use or sale.

– NAFTA allows US companies to set up assembly plants in Mexico, where labor costs are lower

Trade and InterdependenceUnited Against Terrorism

– After September 11, 2001 US and Canada created the Smart Border action plan to enhance border security.

– Focuses on• monitoring the flow of

People/goods• Securing infrastructure• Sharing information• The Free and Secure Trade

Program (FAST program) – Establishes complete and reliable records for all cargo

• Sharing and coordination between US and Canadian law enforcement agencies have increased greatly under the Smart Border plan.