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CLIMATES
In 20 years, Canada will have a negative population growth. The country will also have large numbers of older people because Canada has a good health care system.
The US has a stable growth which makes it easy to plan. In 20 years the US will have a population pyramid that looks very much like the example of a stationary pyramid (stage 3)
Issues:• Trade deficit (buy more than you sell)
– Canada $885 Million– US $43.5 Billion
• Urban Sprawl (spreading out of the city including suburbs)– Los Angeles– Houston– Toronto
• Terrorism – War on terror
Urban Societies
Canada
US
Standard of Living
• US and Canada are both in the very high HDI category. • Canada has been ranked in the top 5 for HDI for past
decade.• $47,200 US average per capita income• $39,400 Canada average per capita income
Language• Predominant language – English.
–Quebec, Canada – French (bilingual province)
–New Mexico, USA – Spanish (bilingual state)
Ethnicity
US
Canada
• Predominant religion – Christianity–Both nations have religious freedom–Separation of church and state (no
official religion)
Religion
US
Canada
•Governments – democracies–US – three branches – legislature (Congress),
executive (President), and judicial (Courts)–Canada – three branches – legislature (parliament),
executive (crown – Queen Elizabeth II), and Judicial (courts)
Government
•Economics – free enterprise–Usually classified as free-enterprise / capitalist
because individuals can own property and make profits.
–Government does set minimum wages, environmental protections, worker’s rights, quotas, tariffs, etc.
Economic System
Economic Activity
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
• Predominant economic activities – tertiary–Small amount of workers in farming, but with
technology have large yields. –Growth is in service (tertiary) industry (largest
sector).–Secondary (manufacturing) production is being
outsourced to other nations where salaries are lower.
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80agriculture: 1.2% industry: 22.2% services: 76.6%
agriculture: 2.2% industry: 26.3% services: 71.5%
Canada
US
Education
USCanada
Literacy Rate 99% Literacy Rate 99%
Abundance of natural resources & good geographic location•natural resources: iron ore, gold, lead, diamonds, silver, fish, timber, wildlife, coal, petroleum, natural gas, hydropower, uranium (and more)
Transportation systems
• Horse drawn wagon gave way to railroad – cities located at rail head.
• Automobile and abundance of cheap fuel made mobility easy.
• Less reliance on water and transportation for post-industrial economy
• Cities located along rivers at fall line - Piedmont
Dams• TVA – Tennessee Valley Authority - 1933 to provide flood
control, electricity, and economic development. Makes around $12 billion dollars annually.
• Hoover Dam – finished in 1936. On the Colorado River – supplies water to thirsty Nevada and California.
Canals• Used extensively in both the US and Canada to
connect river systems or to provide river transportation for larger ships.
• Erie Canal – opened 1825 • Houston Ship Channel – 1914• St. Lawrence Seaway – opened 1959
Railroads
• Baltimore and Ohio in 1830 was first in US• First transcontinental RR
– US met at Promontory Point, Utah in 1869– Canada met at Craigellachie, British Columbia in 1885
• Extensive rail system still in use in both US and Canada today.
• Cheaper than air freight to ship large objects.
Communication• Advanced telecommunications. • Satellites• Cell phones• Internet usage – very high
Nationalism• Some people in Quebec would like to be
independent of Canada, but that has not passed.
Sports – US: American football, baseball, hockey & basketballCanada: Hockey and other winter sports
Art – US is one of the fashion capitals of the world.Hollywood – major film industrymajor art museums and world renowned artists.
Culture – Breakdown of the nuclear family. High divorce ratesWest & East coast of both countries generally are more liberal than the south
and central regions.Architecture – skyscrapers, urban landscapes, suburbs, Capital cities are influenced from Greek and Roman architecture. Areas controlled by Spain have influence from Spanish culture.
IN Arts – both the US & Canada have very famous artists in all fields of art.
Governments
• The majority of Latin American countries are democracies.– Rule of very strong leaders – caudillos – is not
uncommon.– Castro in Cuba is a dictatorship (Communist)– Chavez in Venezuela just died. Government
transition has been shaky.
Standard of Living
• Increased social freedoms and civil rights• Strong political leaders.• A switch from agricultural to industrial economies,
especially in the manufacturing sector.• An increasingly open-market economy, allowing free trade
with other nations in the world• Large national corporations operating in several continents.• Strong capital investment from foreign countries.• Political leadership in their area of influence.• Rapid growth of urban centers and population.
The other countries in Lain America are in the medium to high HDI category (right in the middle between low and VERY high). Bolivia and Paraguay are more poor because they are landlocked. Haiti is the poorest country in the Americas because of political and natural disasters.
Economics
• The majority of the countries in Latin America are somewhere between Socialism and Free-market. – Cuba is communist– Venezuela is between socialist and communist.– Economically this region is improving with
foreign investment, but much of the wealth leaves the region.
Mestizo – mix Euorpean and indigenous peopleMulatto – mix European and Black peopleMiddle America – most people are Mestizo.Caribbean – Mulatto & BlackAndes – more Native AmericansEast & South – more whiteNorth - more East Asian
Nationalism
• Many small nationalist movements, but nothing that has made international news.
• French Guiana vote for independence from France was defeated.
Poverty Gap• 30% of people lack land, adequate food, shelter, and basic
education. The elite have affluence and wealth.• In some countries up to 85% of the land and wealth belongs
to only 1% of the citizens.• What Latin America needs for success:
– Free enterprise – everyone has the ability to make a living.– Democracy – outlet for protest and opposition– Education – the best way to improve the lives of citizens.
1994 – NAFTA – North American Free Trade Agreement. Allows goods and services to cross borders without paying tariffs. Includes Canada, US, and Mexico.
Debt for Nature swap
• Many Latin American nations are burdened by tremendous international debt. They borrowed money to improve living conditions (infrastructure).
• Environmental agencies and organizations are paying off some of the debts in return the governments must set aside rainforest land.
Latin American countries rely on cash crops – need more skilled labor, money, and natural resources.
Urbanization is occurring in Latin America very rapidly. People are moving to urban areas to find jobs, but not always available.
Many Latin American industries are owned by foreign companies.
Deforestation of the rainforest is of international concern. Some US companies have begun buying parcels of land for reforestation and conservation projects.
Primate City• Very large city that dominates the country.
Governments favor the large city where most of the citizens are located.
• Shantytown – squatter settlement (slum) illegal or unauthorized housing area on the outskirts of large cities. No proper sanitation, electricity, or telephone – very poor areas. 20% of Latin American population live in slums.
Transportation
• Railroad and roads difficult because of cost to build – rugged terrain (rainforest, desert, and mountains)
• Pan-American Highway stretches from Northern Mexico to Southern Chile connecting more than a dozen capitals.
Communications• Main forms – radio, TV, and newspaper• Cell phones and internet are having a huge
impact because the infrastructure not as expensive.
• Mountains and rainforest make communication more difficult.
Languages
• Majority of countries speak a form of Spanish because they were colonized by Spain. – Exceptions are Brazil – Portuguese, Belize –
English, Jamaica – English, and Haiti – French. These areas were colonized by the respective countries.
Religion
• Major religion is Roman Catholic except British areas of Belize and Jamaica
• Church championed concerns of poor and oppressed
• Syncretism – blend of beliefs from more than one faith into one faith (Roman Catholic and West African beliefs)– Brazil – Condomble– Cuba – Santeria– Haiti & Dominican Republic - Voodoo
Art
• Murals – wall paintings• Mosaics – small bits of colored stone, tile,
or shell into mortar to make pictures• Some famous painters –
– Diego Rivera - murals– Frida Kahlo – self portraits– Fernando Botero – satire about rich and
aristocrats
Music
• Native American, African and European mixed rhythms – Calypso– Reggae– Samba– Salsa– Mariachi
Lifestyles
• Extended family is very important– Uncles, aunts, cousins, parents, grandparents
all watch out for the children and often live together in the one household
• Compadres – God Parents watch out for children. Guide them in future.
• Machismo – male dominated society
Sports and Recreation
• Futbol is the number one sport (soccer)• Jai alai – like handball - played with a
basket attached to the wrist (Native Americans invented it)
• Carnival – Celebration the week before Lent (40 days of fasting and dedication to God) in the Roman Catholic Church. Largest in the world is in Rio de Janeiro.
Architecture• Heavily influenced by the
Spanish & Portuguese.• Modern cities • Courtyard and arches
brought from Spain (influenced by Arabs)
EUROPE & RUSSIA
CLIMATES
European Economic Crisis
A world wide recession has left countries struggling. Greece bailed out by EU. Germany and other
countries in the EU that are doing better do not want to bail out more nations such as Spain and Italy that
are on the verge of economic collapse.
Countries in trouble (PIIGS):
Portugal
Ireland
Italy
Greece
Spain
Acid rain – high levels of sulfur dioxide and carbon dioxide eats away at buildings and trees. Does not stop at borders of
countries.
Russian steel mill
Air pollution is a serious problem. The former Soviet Republics and Eastern European nations do not have the environmental controls that we have in the US
1964
1997
Effects of shrinking ARAL SEA:- 30 years of irrigation for cotton and rice forced by USST- 60% loss of water since 1964- Once 4th largest lake in world- Salinity increased: 10% to 23%- Destroyed fishing industry- Changed local climate increased continentality)- Dust storms spread 75K
tons of saline/pesticide soil annually
- Soviet germ warfare and nuclear waste facility on Rebirth Island now accessible by land.
Quality of Life• Most Western European nations – tertiary is
largest economic sector. Very high HDI - MDCs• Eastern and Southern Europe and Russia –
secondary and tertiary are about equal. Focus on heavy industry not light industry. Medium and High HDI. Economies similar to NICs.– Communism for 70 years– Warfare and ethnic fighting– Harsher living conditions
Literacy Rate
• Education is important in Europe. With the exception of the Balkans (Former Yugoslavia) the literacy rate is 90% or above.
• Yugoslavia low due to ethnic warfare and destruction of trade
Welfare States
• Majority of European nations have social welfare programs paid for by the state– UK, France, Sweden, Norway, and Russia
(and more)– Tax-supported
• Higher education (college and university)• Health care• Social security
– Budget cuts have forced governments to reduce programs which has led to unrest and strikes.
Transportation• Extensive rail system across Europe since the invention
of Rail. • Trans-Siberian Railroad makes freight transport possible
across Russia.• TGVs – high speed rail invented in France• Autobahn – highways across Germany with no speed
limit• Seaports – London, Antwerp, Amsterdam and hundreds
of others due to geographical proximity to water.• Chunnel – Rail tunnel below the English Channel that
connects UK to France.
Sports
• Soccer is #1 in Europe• Colder climates – hockey, bobsledding,
and downhill skiing• Rugby• Tennis – Wimbledon • Golf and curling invented in Scotland
Religion• Primarily Christian, but number of practicing religion is declining.
• Shaped values, societies, and cultures including colonies.
• South & West – Roman Catholic
• Scandinavia, Britain, and Germany – Protestant
• Southeast and East – Orthodox
• Judaism large populations in major cities
• Islam – growing throughout Europe and predominant in parts of Balkans and Turkey.
Languages• About 50 different
languages and 100 dialects.
• Almost all belong to Indo-European language family.– Southeast & Eastern – Slavic– North & Scandinavia –
Germanic– West and Southwest –
Romance (Latin)– Not Indo-European:
• Finnish, Estonian, & Hungarian – Uralic language
• Basque – not related to any other language
Artistic Movements• Renaissance – (1400-1500) rebirth
of classical art after Dark Ages. Religious themes were common (Da Vinci, Michelangelo, & Donatello)
• Romanticism (1750 – 1850) – emotions and feelings (Beethoven, Mozart, & Byron)
• Realism – 1850 – 1890) accurately depicts details of everyday life (Courbet & Manet)
• Impressionism – 1870 – 1880) natural world (Monet, Renoir, & Degas)
• Surrealism (1920 – 1960) unexpected, surprise, or not natural (Dali, Clair, and Freud)
Painters &
Sculptors• Michelangelo• Da Vinci• Picasso• Donatello• Degas• Dali• Manet• Monet• Renoir• Rodin
Architecture• Parthenon (Athens)• Pantheon (Rome)• Coliseum (Rome)• Notre Dame Cathedral (Paris)• Venice, Italy• St. Basil’s Cathedral (Moscow)• St. Paul’s Cathedral (London)• St. Peter’s Basilica (Vatican City)• Eiffel Tower (Paris)• Blue Mosque (Istanbul)
• Literature – Shakespeare, Montesquieu, Chaucer, Locke, Shelley, Byron, Dickens, Voltaire, Rousseau, Freud, Tolstoy, Tolkien, Rowling, Hugo and……
• Music – Beethoven, Mozart, Tchaikovsky, Beatles, Pink Floyd, Rolling Stones, U2, and…..
Science• CERN - The European Organization for Nuclear Research, is the birthplace
of the World Wide Web and home of the world's largest machine : the Large Hadron Collider. It is the world's largest particle physics laboratory. In November 2010, the collisions obtained were able to generate the highest temperatures and densities ever produced in an experiment, creating a "mini-Big Bang" a million times hotter than the centre of the Sun
• ESA : The European Space Agency's space flight program includes human spaceflight, mainly through the participation in the International Space Station program
• Albert Einstein – theory of relativity• Johannes Gutenberg – movable type – led to the Reformation• Isaac Newton – gravity• Charles Darwin – natural selection• Alexander Graham Bell – telephone• Louis Pasteur – treatment of disease, vaccines• Marie Curie – radioactivity• Guglielmo Marconi – radio transmission• Nicolaus Copernicus – Earth revolves around sun• Ian Wilmut & Keith Campbell - Dolly (sheep) – First cloned animal
Ethnic Groups
There are more than 80 distinct cultural ethnic groups in Europe. Some desire sovereignty within the countries they reside.
Nationalism is the desire of a group with a similar culture to have their own country to govern. This is a growing trend in Europe and Russia. This is just part of the list of areas that want to be independent:
UK – Scotland, Wales, Cornwall, Isle of Man, Northern Ireland, Gibraltar, Jersey
France – Basque, Brittany, Corsica, Savoy, Alsace, Normandy
Spain – Basque, Catalonia, Valencia, Aragon, Galacia, Castile
Belgium – Flanders, Wallonia
Italy – Sicily, Lombardy, Veneto, Southern Italy
Russia – Dagestan, Chechnya, North Ossetia, Tartarstan
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus
Denmark – Greenland, Faroe Islands
Sami (Norway, Sweden, Finland)
resources
Desire to find more natural resources was one factor in European colonization. North Sea – Petroleum. Ruhr Valley – industrial areas. Availability of coal, iron, and water made it possible for the Industrial Revolution to take place in Britain.
Communications
• European countries have high literacy rates (90% or higher) except for the former Yugoslav countries which are slightly lower due to conflict in this region.
• Advanced communications – cell phones, satellites, and internet uses
Governments
• The members of the European Union vote on members of the European parliament that sets rules and regulations (laws) for member states.
• The countries are all democracies.– 20 republics– 7 constitutional monarchies
