Geography

1. Geography OGT Review

2. Regional Characteristics • A. Physical Regions – areas of common physical features, resources and wildlife (e.g. Sahara Desert, Amazon Rain Forest) See A on next slide • B. Cultural Regions – areas of common cultural characteristics such as language, history, politics, or religion See B on next slide • Middle East – most speak Arabic, follow Muslim religion, wear similar clothing • Latin America – common history, speak related languages • C. Political Regions – a country is a political region define by political characteristics with its own government, borders and sovereign (independent) power. (e.g. United States) • See C on next slide • D. Economic Regions – regions defined by economic characteristics See D on next slide • European Union (EU) – European countries that have eliminated customs duties and workers travel freely between countries; also use same currency – the Euro • NAFTA – North Atlantic Free Trade Agreement between the United States, Canada, and Mexico where custom duties between these countries are lower

3. A B C D

4. Comparing Countries and Regions • Developed countries – countries with advanced economies and high standards of living • Developing countries –countries with less advanced technology and lower standard of living • Demographic Data –population; geographers look at birth rate, death rate, and infant mortality rate to determine development • Developed nations – low birth, death, and infant mortality rate (e.g. United States) • Developing nations – high birth, death, and infant mortality rate (e.g. India) • Educational Data – education; literacy rate – percentage of people who can read. Also based on percentage of people attending college • Developed nations – high literacy rate and percentage of people in college; large number of doctors and hospitals • Developing nations – lower literacy rate and percentage of people in college, low numbers of doctors and hospitals • Economic Data - economy; Gross Domestic Product (GDP) – total value of all goods and services produced by a nation in one year; Per Capita Income – the average earnings by a person in a year • Developed Nation – high per capita income, high standard of living; technology in work force • Developing Nation – low per capita income, low standard of living, primitive working tools

6. The Consequences of Urbanization • Urbanization – the movement of large numbers of people into cities • Improvements in agriculture and the Industrial Revolution led many people to move to cities • Towns and cities developed around factories • Canals, railroads, and roads linked cities together • Population Density – how many people live in a given area; often showed with special maps • Dot population map – uses dots to indicate major towns; the legend indicated how many people are represented by each dot • Population density map – uses patterns or shading to indicate number of people in an area What Factors Have Influenced Human Migration • Migration – the movement of people from one area to another • “Push” factors – conditions that push people out of their old location • “Pull” factors – attractions that lure migrants to a new location • Social Factors • Religious persecution such as the Pilgrams leaving England is an example of a “push” factor • Ethnic persecution such as the Tutsi in Rwanda leaving is another example of a “push” factor

8. Political Factors • Many leave an area when they are persecuted for political beliefs or wish to seek new freedoms elsewhere • Many left East Germany during the Cold War because of the oppression of the Soviet Communist regime • Many Cubans were drawn to the United States since the 1950’s because of freedoms not offered under Fidel Castro’s regime • Economic Factors • Many leave an area when there are no jobs or extreme poverty exists • Many left Southern Europe in the late 1800’s to find work in the United States • Environmental Factors • Many leave when threatened by environmental disasters such as floods, crop failures, droughts, and earthquakes • IN the 1840’s, many people left Ireland when potato famine destroyed a large portion of the nation’s diet

9. The Impact of Forces of Movement on the United States • How the Characteristics of American Regions Have Changed Over Time • The United States was once a vast wilderness until westward movement and immigrantion brought ideas and a new way of life changing the landscape forever • U.S. population also began to shift in the 1970’s from the Northeast and Midwest to the Southeast because of technological advancements (e.g. air conditioning and hydroelectric power plants) Rustbelt • This area has from westward and has become known as the Sunbelt • How Changes in Technology, Transportation and Communication have Affected the Location of American Economic Activities • The U.S economy has become nationwide due to these factors • How Geographic Processes have Led to Changes in American Society • Many Americans have left the inner cities in the 20th century for the suburbs – green, comfortable, rural-like areas on the outskirts of major cities