Cultural Regions of the usa

Boston is the centre of New England.

Mid-Atlantic states – Washington, New York. Plains, minor rivers, the northern part of The Appalachian Mountains. The infrastructure is very well developed.

The South-Eastern States – favorable climate, mangrove forests, a lot of agricultural products, mineral production (oil & natural gas). Miami, Atlanta. Very well developed urban areas.

The south of the country

The southwest

The Midwest

The Rocky mountains region

The pacific states

Alaska – fishing industries, oil & gas production. Population – Eskimos’.

Hawaii – tropical climate, in the middle of the pacific ocean.

Climate

• Temperate in most areas

• Tropical in Hawaii & southern Florida

• Polar in Alaska

• Semiarid in the great plains

• Miduterranean in coastal California

• Arid in the Great Basin

The southwest is a hot desert, with temperatures exceeding 38C

Much of California – Meditarranean climate

Extreme points

Northern Alaska – tundra & arctic conditions the temperature as low as -62C

Death Valley once reached 56.7 C

The greatest annual snowfall level – at Mount Rainier in Washington at 17, 580 mm

Significant snowfalls – the Cascade range, the Wasatch Mountains near the Great Salt Lake

The central points of the US – tornadoes

Hurricanes – almost evert year along the Atlantic seaboard & the gulf of Mexico

Natural resources

Coal, copper, lead, molybdenum, phosphates, uranium, bauxite, gold, iron, mercury, nickel, potash, silver, tungsten, zinc, petroleum, natural gas, timber.

Land use:

• Arable land 19%

• Permanent croprs 0 %

• Permanent pastures 25 %

Natural hazards

• Tsunamis, volcanoes, earthquake activity around the Pacific Basin

• Hurricanes along the atlantic & Gulf of Mexico coasts

• Tornadoes in the Midwest & southeast

• Mud slides in California

• forest fires in the west

• flooding

• permafrost in northern Alaska, a major impediment to development

A look at the people. Ethnic, religious & social diversity of the USA

1. general characteristics of the US population

2. diversity & uniformity as opposing characteristics of the US society

3. immigration as a major source of diversity

4. restrictions on immigration

5. racism as another source of diversity

Item 1

• 5 percent of the earth’s inhabitants

• 32 persons per sq km

• 4 million – at the 1^st national census (1790). 76 million (1900), about 300 million people now

• national growth rate – 0.6 percent compared with a 1.25 percent growth rate for the world

• 14.1 births & 8.2 deaths per 1, 000 people (2008)

Item 2

In Canada, 68 per cent of the population speaks only English, 13 percent speaks only French

India has 14 major languages & china 7 major dialects

Reasons for relative linguistic uniformity:

• early Britain dominance

• widespread literacy

• cultural differences are also disappearing because people travel or move to other places more

• they promote the same fashions in dress, entertainment, behavior

• newer suburbs, apartments, offices, shops, factories, highways, hotels, gas stations & schools tend to look much the same

• mass media are uniform & the English language dominates

• e-mail & the internet are spreading American English