America’s Two Great Mountains

Appalachian Mountains- 480 million years old, 1,500 miles Rocky Mountains- 80 million years old, 3,000 miles

North American Historical Events

Urban areas grow rapidly

Shift from Agriculture to Industry

Western frontier became filled, and most available land was settledWhy?

What is going on?

The Cities GrowMegalopolis- a region that includes several large cities, their suburbs, and nearby towns.

The Cities GrowUrban Sprawl- an inexpertly planned communities and developments in an area of increasing population.

The Cities GrowInfrastructure- roads, power plants, schools and communication lines.

The Cities GrowSustainable Community- manage growth by creating communities where residents both live and work in the same area.

But Where Do We Live? And Why?

Population Distribution- means the pattern of where people live

A people apart

Government Representative Democracy- The people elect officials to represent them.

Government Federal Republic- Power is divided between the federal government, state and local governments.

Economics Free Enterprise System- the government exerts little control over businesses, resources, and technology operated for profit by private individuals.

Economics Service Industry fields such as information processing, finance, medicine, and education.

What level of economic activity?

Economics Postindustrial Economy manufacturing is no longer the country’s most important industry.

What is the next level of economic activity?

Our Neighbor To The North

Extends 2,340 miles from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great LakesRanked as one of the outstanding engineering feats of the twentieth centuryIncludes 13 Canadian and 2 U.S. locks.One of the World’s most important shipping routes

The Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway System

HistoryFrance comes to the New World

Unlike the British, the French intermarried with the natives

Métis

History

Issues Facing North America

Terrorism

Assimilation

Multiculturalism

Global Network