5. REGIONS

Regions of Canada•Maritime Atlantic Provinces- Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edwards Island,

and Newfoundland.

•Core - Quebec and Ontario (Includes French Canada

•Prairie Provinces - Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta

•Western Province - British Columbia

•Northern Territories - Nunavut, Northwest Territory, Yukon

©2010, TESCCC

•Atlantic Canada - Easternmost provinces of Newfoundland, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island

•Cod fishing - mainstay of region’s economy

•The Grand Banks – Shallow waters in the Atlantic, rich source of fish.

Maritime or

Atlantic Provinces

Core Provinces•Ontario and Quebec

•Two-thirds of Canada's population lives in this region.

•Settled along the St. Lawrence River and the Great Lakes

•Ontario - strongly British•Quebec - 80% of the population of

French origin.

•Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta.

• Wheat, petroleum, and coal

• Newly discovered “shale oil”reserves may be larger than theMiddle East.

Prairie Provinces

• Centered in Vancouver, British Columbia, at the mouth of the Fraser River.

•Home to more than ½ of the province's population

•the region's main industrial, administrative, financial, and cultural center.

•Shares many of the same characteristics as the Pacific Northwest of the U.S.

Western Provinces

Northern Territories•Sparsely populated

–Nickel, copper, and uranium mined and exported from the area.

–Forestry and pulp manufacture

Perceptual Regions of the United States: NFL

Major Regions of the United States

● Northeast

● Midwest/Rust Belt

● South

● Great Plains

● Western Interior

● Pacific West

● Alaska

● Hawaii

Northeast StatesMaine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey,

Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, and the District of Columbia

History•Longest history of European settlement•Gateway to immigrants•Hub of industrial revolution

Economics• Rural areas are agricultural (primary sector)•Urban areas are major world economic centers

(tertiary, quaternary sectors)

Cultural•Very diverse, large population – many ethnic groups & languages

Midwest /Rust Belt StatesMichigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Iowa

History•Once the “Western Frontier”, hence the name.•Known as a manufacturing, blue-collar hub of the U.S.•Why “rust belt”?

Economics• Formerly mining and manufacturing center

(primary and secondary sector)

•Recent decline in industry and depressed economy•Dairy in Wisconsin

Cultural • Large cities, declining urban population

Southern StatesNorth Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, Arkansas, Virginia, W.

Virginia, Kentucky, and Louisiana

History•Settled as an agricultural region, with slavery and cash crops •Significant in US Civil War (1861-65) and Civil Rights Movement (1960’s)

Economics•Agriculture, industry, tourism•Moving from primary to secondary and tertiary economic sectors

Cultural •Large African-American population•Strongly Christian•Culture still tied to Civil War

Great PlainsKansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota, Oklahoma

Historical•Staging point of war between the Native Americans and

the American settlers.•Also used for cattle grazing and cattle drives •Cities founded as railroad hubs for cattle.

Economics• Agriculture – farming and cattle (Primary sector)• Region makes enough food to feed whole world

Cultural• Mainly rural – lots of small towns, fewer cities

Western Interior StatesNew Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, Utah, Nevada, Arizona, Texas

History•Mining towns, Outlaws (Wild West)•Cattle/Sheep Grazing, Reservation Lands•Las Vegas and Reno- Gambling towns

Cultural•Low population density•Large Hispanic population, as well as Native

Americans

Pacific West StatesCalifornia, Oregon, Washington

History• Population grew during the 1840’s “Gold Rush”.• Grew again when irrigation and canals brought

water to dry areas for farming.

Economics• Mining and ranching, primary sector • Tourism, tertiary sector• High-tech centers in San Francisco and Seattle

areas, quaternary sector• Entertainment and media in Southern California

Culture• Presently, about one-seventh of the United

States population lives in southern California.• Rapidly increasing urban population, due to high

birth rate and immigration• Large Hispanic population• Home of the Hipster

AlaskaHistory• Alaska was purchased from Russian Empire in 1867, for

$7.2 million, became a territory in 1912, and the 49th state of the U.S. in 1959.

Economy• Oil, mining, and forestry

Culture• Large Native American and Asian populations

Native populations in Polar North America

HawaiiHistory

• Hawaii was an independent republic from 1894 until 1898, then annexed by USA.

• Attack on Pearl Harbor by Japan on December 7, 1941. Became a state in 1959.

Economy•Tourism, fishing and agriculture

Culture• Large Native and Asian populations