north america
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North America. AP Human Geography Exam Review. North America. 23 independent states 529 million people 7.5% of human population 3 rd largest continent. Rocky Mountains . New Mexico to northern Canada Highest mountains in NA Industry: natural gas drilling; silver and copper mining - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
North America
AP Human GeographyExam Review
North America• 23 independent states• 529 million people• 7.5% of human population• 3rd largest continent
Rocky Mountains • New Mexico to
northern Canada• Highest mountains in
NA• Industry: natural gas
drilling; silver and copper mining
• Nature reserves/natural parks
Mount McKinleyMount
McKinley or Denali in Alaska
is the highest
mountain peak in
North America,
at a height of
approximately
20,320 feet (6,194
metres)
Cascades• Northwest US &
Southern British Canada
• Highest peak: Mt Rainier
• Known for volcanic activity – Mt. St. Helens in 1980
Death ValleyDeath Valley is a valley in the U.S. state of California, and is the location of the lowest elevation in North America.
Sierra NevadasThe Sierra Nevada is
a mountain range that is almost entirely in the eastern portion of the U.S. state of California. The range is also known as The Sierra.
Mount Whitney, at 14,505 feet (4,421 m), is the highest point in the contiguous United States.
Interior Plains & the Great Plains
Appalachian Mts
Appalachian Mountains
• Georgia to Newfoundland• Includes:
• Smoky Mountains (TN, NC)• Blue Ridge & Shenandoah (VA)• Poconos (PA)• Adirondack Mts (NY)• Catskills (NY)
Appalachian Mts• Economy: mining, forestry, agriculture,
chemical industries, and heavy industry
North America RiversSt. Lawrence River
The Rio Grande River
Missouri River
Grand Canyon & Colorado River
US & Canada• English speaking (British colonization)
except Quebec – French speaking (colonization)
• Primarily Christian (mostly Protestant)• Only 0.8% of US population is Native
American
Urbanization• Mexico City: 8.8 million• NYC: 8.4 million• Los Angeles: 3.8 million• Toronto: 2.7 million• Chicago: 2.7 million• Houston: 2.1 million• Havana: 2.1 million• Montreal: 1.6 million
North American Population
Density
Middle America and
the Caribbean
Global CulturesSnyder
MEXICO
• Capital: Mexico City (8.7 million)• 5th largest country in the Americas by
total area and 14th largest in the world
• 11th most populous country • the most populous Spanish-speaking
country in the world.
Landforms• Mexico is on the Ring of Fire• Most of Mexico is a Central Plateau – over 7500’• 3 mountain ranges border Central Plateau
• Sierra Madre Oriental• Sierra Madre Occidental• Sierra Madre del Sur
• coastal plain on both sides
Landforms•Mexico City is at the southern
end of the plateau (thin air, pollution, located in a bowl/valley)
•southern Mexico is very rugged•Isthmus of Tehuantepec in
southern Mexico•narrow strip of land connecting
two larger land areas
Landforms•Yucatan Peninsula separates Caribbean from Gulf of Mexico•made up of limestone•Sinkholes and caves have
formed – can scuba dive from Caribbean under land
Yucatan Peninsula: History meets tropical paradise
Climate and Natural Resources
• leading producer of silver • oil and gas mined along the Gulf coast• Northern areas have become
industrialized (maquiladoras)• Yucatan & Baja California: tourism
The Border
The BorderThe U.S.–Mexico border has the highest number
of both legal and illegal crossings of any land border in the world.
Besides the closeness of the two countries, differences in living standards on the two sides of border is the primary driving force behind these migratory flows.
A large percentage of the border is guarded by large numbers of patrolling agents of the U.S. federal government.
On the flip-side…• Mexico is home of the largest number
of American citizens abroad (estimated at one million), which represents 1% of the Mexican population and 25% of all American citizens abroad.
Tijuana
Greater Mexico City• Mexico City is the cultural, economic and political center of
Mexico• it is a large, modern metropolitan city• built on Indian ruins – some ruins still visible• tourism industry is very important• the Spanish influence is also visible – churches, food, music,
language, architecture• parts of the city are poor• very bad air pollution – Mexico City is built in a bowl
Central Mexico• this is the Central Plateau – Mexico City
is in the Central Plateau• the 2nd largest city in Mexico is here -
Guadalajara• this city looks like a Spanish city
• was a major grain growing area• today – big and small farms – grow
cash crops
Guadalajara
Gulf Lowlands & Southern Mexico
• Gulf Lowlands• tropical rainforest • savanna grassland • commercial farming in this region today• Vera Cruz is the main seaport and communications
center • oil and natural gas is VERY important
• Southern Mexico is the poorest region of Mexico• includes Yucatan and mountains of the south• greatly influenced by he Indian culture• subsistence farming, crafts, language• some people want independence from Mexico
Acapulco Nights!
The La Quebrada Cliff Divers are a group of professional high divers, based in Acapulco, Mexico. They perform daily shows for the public, which involve diving 45 metres (~147' 8") from the cliffs of La Quebrada into the sea below. Acupulco cliff diving was regularly featured on weekend sports television programming in the United States during the 1970s.
Modern Mexico• 75% now live in towns or cities• Increasing population• NAFTA was signed in 1992
• eliminated tariffs (border still an issue)
• tourism • important on the east coast – cities include Cancun,
Veracruz• on the west coast – Mazatlan, Acapulco
• their daily are changing – they want what you have• families are getting small – more women have jobs
Mexican Culture• The way of life in Mexico includes
many features from the nation's long Amerindian past and the Spanish colonial period.
• The people of Mexico take great pride of their country, culture, ethnicity, lifestyle and economic independence.
• Mexican culture also exhibits strong family ties, respect, hard working and socializing together in the community.
Religion• 95% are Roman Catholic• Others practice indigenous religions• Much combination of the two
Indigenous Peoples• Mexico is ethnically diverse, and the
constitution defines the country to be a "pluricultural nation“
• Most indigenous people live in southern Mexico and relate their heritage to Aztecs or Mayas
Maya• About 6 million
people fall under the umbrella of the Maya culture today
• These people live primarily in southern Mexico, Guatemala, and Belize
• There traditions of the past still exist in language, religion, art, and literature
Totonac
Huastec Peoples (Teenek)
Day of the Dead
Challenges for the Future
• trying to become more democratic• middle class is growing• but there are problems:
• big variance between rich and poor – most are poor
• drugs are coming to the US through Mexico• poverty• crime • poor infrastructure/ water/ health care
Central America• Guatemala• Belize• El Salvador• Nicaragua• Honduras• Costa Rica• Panama
Natural Environments: Landforms
• Central America is an isthmus (especially Panama)
• This links North America and South America
Landforms: Central America
• Central America – 7 countries• Narrow coastal plain, mountains in the
interior• Makes travel and communication
difficult
People Language and Religion: Central America
• wealth is still in the hands of a few people
• Religion: Roman Catholic, indigenous
• Language: Spanish• Belize: only English speaking• Indigenous languages present (ex. Maya)
• most people are mestizos – white and Native American
• some are mulattoes – black and Native American
Economic, Political, and Social Development
• economy depends on coffee, sugar, cotton, bananas, cacao (chocolate)
• Biggest problem = land reform• Guatemala has a violent history –
it has tried land reform• most natives live here • half of the people lived and farmed in
small isolated villages• using slash and burn agriculture
Guatemala
Antigua, Guatemala’s old colonial capital Lake Atitlan,
Guatemala is generally regarded as
one of the most beautiful places in the
world.
Belize
Belize• Colonization, slavery, and immigration
have brought numerous cultures, languages, and ethnic groups
• Only English-speaking country of CA (formerly called British Honduras)
Economic, Political, and Social Development
• Honduras – Central America’s least developed country due to rugged terrain• this has made transportation and large
scale farming difficult
Nicaragua• Long and violent history• Fighting over land reform after
independence from Spanish• Military dictatorships• Threats of communism and relations
with Cuba• Much intervention from US
• Known as the land of volcanoes
Wildlife• Lake Nicaragua is the largest
freshwater lake in Central America (20th largest in the world), and is home to the world's only freshwater sharks (Nicaraguan shark or bull shark)
Traditional Dress
Costa Rica
Costa Rica
• Most developed/highest standard of living• mostly Spanish • democratic, educated, politically stable• tourism is very important
• Ecotourism – travel through natural areas (very profitable, people pay to go see nature)
Panama• population - 3,242,173• 70% - mestizo• 14% - Amerindian and mixed
West Indian• Indigenous tribes - Emberá,
Guaymí, Kuna, Naso and Bribri.
• More than half live in Panama City
Kuna woman sewing
The Panama Canal• Panama Canal was built in the early
1900s WHY??????????• http://youtube.com/watch?v=-vi19z4LE
i0
Panama Canal
The Bahá'í House of Worship
• Panama City is home to one of the world’s eight Bahá'í Houses of Worship
The Bahá'í House of Worship
• Bahá'í literature describes that a House of Worship should be built in each city and town, and emphasizes that its doors be open to all regardless of religion, or any other distinction.
• all religions may worship God without denominational restrictions.
• only the holy scriptures of the Bahá'í Faith and other religions can be read or chanted inside in any language;
• readings and prayers can be set to music by choirs, no musical instruments can be played inside.
• Furthermore no sermons can be delivered, and there can be no ritualistic ceremonies practiced
1st house of worship: Ishqábád, Turkmenistan (1908)
Wilmette, Illinois (1912) Kampala,
Uganda (1961)
Sydney, Australia
(1961)
The Mother temple of…
Langenhain, Germany (1964)
Tiapapata, Samoa (1984)
New Dehli, India (1986)Also called the Lotus temple
Planned Construction
Tehran, Iran
Santiago, Chile Haifa, Israel
Landforms: The Caribbean
• Islands in the Caribbean are called the West Indies (thanks to Columbus)• Greater Antilles – largest islands (Cuba,
Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Hispaniola)• Bahamas – northeast of Cuba
• A coral archipelago• Lesser Antilles – smaller islands (U.S.
Virgin Islands, British Virgin Islands, Martinique, Aruba, Trinidad and Tobago, etc.)
Cuba• Government:
Communist• Official Language:
Spanish• Independence:
from Spain 1868
The Bahamas• Government:
Commonwealth (Elizabeth II, Governor General and Prime Minister)
• Official language: English
• Independence: from Britain in 1973
The Lesser Antilles
Natural Hazards and Natural Resources
• Tourism is an important economic activity (affected by climate)
• Farming • fishing• Cuba, Dominican Republic = nickel• Trinidad = oil
• environmental hazards: earthquakes, volcanoes, hurricanes
People, Language, and Religion
• descendents of Europeans and Africans• language depends on the colonial power• Haiti = Creole and French
• Creole is a blend of European, African and Indian
• Roman Catholic• Voodoo – blends African and Christianity (Haiti)• Santiera – also blends African and Christianity
(Cuba)
Santeria
Obatala, the creator god
Orishas, Spirit of Illness and
disease
Santería, also known as Lukumí or Regla de Ocha, is a set of related religious systems that fuse Catholic/Christian beliefs with traditional Yoruba beliefs. In the Yoruba language, Lukumí means "friends" and also applies to descendants of Yorùbá slaves in Cuba, their music and dance, and the cubanized dialect of the Yorùbá language.
Haitian Voodoo Ceremony
Settlement and Land Use
• 70% of the people in the region live in Cuba, Haiti and Dominican Republic
• population is a problem – many migrate to Mexico, US and Canada
Economic Development
• most are market economies (except Cuba)• Heavily reliant on tourism (#1 industry)• region is largely agricultural (sugar, rice,
tobacco, cotton)• economic union = “CARICOM”
• Caribbean Community and Common Market• Haiti – poorest country in the western
hemisphere