Modern Life West of the Mississippi

Transcription

1 Modern Life West of the Mississippi

2 Cities Similarities of modern cities: Glass, steel, and concrete skyscrapers. Networks of highways But with distinct regional characteristics: The French flavor of New Orleans The Spanish style of Santa Fe, New Mexico. Denver, near towering mountains Omaha, Nebraska, on the relatively flat Plains. Honolulu very different from Anchorage

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4 Common Characteristics - Western US Cities Most = dependence on the automobile for transportation. Most western cities have limited or no subway or light-rail systems. Most large cities = spread out and the distances between cities are often great.

5 Port Cities Western US = major ports- vital for trade with Asia. Los Angeles and Long Beach in California are essentially one port. ~They handle more than one-half the value of all imports into the United States that come through Pacific ports. Gulf ports are important: Three of the nation s top 10 ports in terms of the annual, or yearly, value of goods they handle are the Texas port cities of Houston, Beaumont, and Corpus Christi.

6 Diversity in Cities Los Angeles the nation s second-largest city = about 90 languages other than English at home. Los Angeles County = more Latinos and Native Americans than any other county in the United States. Los Angeles has more people from South Korea and Nicaragua than any other city outside those nations!!

7 Interior Cities Example: Denver. Interior cities are unusual because they are not seaports or on the navigable part of a river. Many originally grew as mining towns or stops along the Oregon Trail. The in late 1900s, the city attracted people who wanted to enjoy the mountains. Now the economy is based on software, finance, and communications. Other rapidly growing interior cities:austin, Texas; Boise, Idaho; Las Vegas; Phoenix; Provo, Utah; Riverside, California. In Texas, the location of San Antonio, Dallas, and Fort Worth near Mexico makes them important to trade with that country.

8 Life in Rural Areas Very spread out and people rely on the rich resources of the land and sea. For example, farmers of the Plains or fishers in rural Alaska. Drilling for oil in Texas or running a ranch in Montana. Modern technology often makes these jobs easier than they have been in the past. E.g., farmers and ranchers use GPS devices to map regions, manage the land, and track cattle.

9 Challenges Facing the Western US What issues will face the region in the coming years?

10 Population Changes Much of the recent growth in U.S. population has taken place in the west due to the mild climate and growing businesses. But more people = a strain on natural resources such as water, which is already scarce in much of the region. Ethnic and racial diversity are common in the states in this region. For example, in Hawaii, Asian Americans and other distinct ethnic or racial groups form the majority of the population.

11 Religious Diversity in the Western US Lutherans = numerous in the northern Great Plains states. Catholics = prominent in the states from New Mexico to California. Utah and some neighboring states = many Mormons.

12 Senior Citizens in the West The population over age 65 has been growing. Many older people require extensive health care. Increases the costs for Medicare. Social Security system issues. Meeting the costs of Social Security and Medicare will be a challenge in the coming years.

13 Relations with Canada and Mexico Strong relationship Early 1990s, the three nations signed a trade agreement called the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Treaty pledged to remove all barriers to trade among themselves. This created the world s largest free trade area. Today, Canada and Mexico are the largest markets for exports from the United States. Also the second- and third-largest sources of U.S. imports, behind China. States west of the Mississippi form a vital part of this trade. Food products and manufactured goods form a share of the exports to these nations. Much of the trade that takes place flows into and out of the United States through ports in this

14 Borders Open borders help trade, but also make it possible for people to enter the country illegally. In the late 1900s, the problem of illegal immigrants drew a great deal of attention. The U.S. government has taken steps to reduce the flow of illegal immigrants. Changes in Mexico have also helped reduce the flow of illegal immigration. A better economy, smaller families, and better education have meant better chances of landing good jobs in Mexico.

15 The Water Problem Most of the United States west of the Mississippi usually receives little rain. Years of low rainfall can easily lead to drought. Between 1930 and 1940, a severe drought dried the southern Great Plains so thoroughly that crops died. Strong winds carried dry soil away, covering other areas with dust. The area came to be called the Dust Bowl. Many farmers lost their homes and left the area looking for work.

16 More on the Water Problem New practices were intended to reduce the chance of another dust bowl. Still, unusually low rainfall for several years could cause similar difficulties in the future. Population growth adds to the problem. Farmers use lots of water too. Strains the limited amount of water present in the region. Prompted scientists to develop ways to remove salt from seawater to make it usable for drinking and farming. This process, called desalination, is expensive but might provide a long-term solution to the problem in the future.

17 Human Actions to the Environment Oil another precious resource is also a potential cause of environmental damage. In 1989 the oil tanker Exxon Valdez ran aground in Alaska s Prince William Sound. Shattered hull released more than 250,000 barrels of oil into the sea. Killed plants and animals and severely hurt the local economy. Even worse was the Deepwater Horizon disaster of An explosion destroyed an oil drilling platform deep in the Gulf of Mexico. By the time the underwater leak was stopped, 5 million barrels of oil had gushed into the sea.

18 Erosion and the Environment Harvesting trees for lumber has left some mountain slopes bare. With no tree roots to hold the soil in place, soil runs off with the rain. This runoff affects the surface of the mountain. Pieces of the mountain become smaller pieces and go down the side. Erosion of rich topsoil, the fertile soil that crops depend on to grow, is a problem in some farming areas.

19 Natural Disasters The region west of the Mississippi River also experiences a variety of natural disasters. Washington, Alaska, and Hawaii have active volcanoes that can cause damage if they erupt. Wildfires and mud slides. (Mud slides can result from heavy rains or severe shaking from an earthquake.) During a mud slide, the soil moves like a liquid, flowing downhill in a sea of mud that dislodges trees and buries houses in its path. Some parts of the region are prone to earthquakes. The San Andreas Fault, cuts through western California =earthquakes, scientists think more are likely to occur. Los Angeles and San Francisco.

20 The Economy in the West Modern Agriculture: Spring wheat planted in spring and harvested in autumn is grown on the northern Plains. Winter wheat planted in the fall and harvested in the spring grows in the southern Plains. Other important crops in the Plains =cotton, corn, hay, and sorghum, another grain. Cattle and sheep ranching = from Montana to New Mexico. Washington and Oregon = dairy products and fruit. Idaho is famous for potatoes. California, with its warm, year-round Mediterranean climate, provides fruits and vegetables throughout the year. Today, the number of small family farms in the region is declining - replaced by large agribusinesses, firms that rely on machines, advanced technology, and mass-production methods to farm large areas.

21 The Mining Industry Vast resources: Oil and gas fields in the southern Plains, Wyoming, and southern California provide energy. Mines in Montana furnish copper, and those in the Colorado Plateau provide uranium. The Northwest is still a major producer of timber.

22 The Aerospace Industry and Computer Industry In the early 1900s, the airplane industry was born. Decades later, the states of Washington, California, and Texas became important to the aerospace industry. The aerospace industry makes vehicles that travel in the air and in outer space. This industry brought many engineers and other highly skilled workers to the United States west of the Mississippi. The aerospace industry remains important in southern California and around Seattle. Employment in this industry has declined in recent years, however. Taking its place has been the computer industry. The first area to experience rapid growth from this field was California s Silicon Valley. Today, centers of computer research and manufacturing are also found in Texas, Washington, and New Mexico.

23 Service Industries Advanced technologies, such as robotics and computerized automation, have transformed manufacturing in the region. As with farming, the region s factories produce greater quantities of goods with fewer workers than in the past. The growth of computer technology has spawned other industries. Software and information science companies are based in the same areas that are home to computer manufacturing. Utah and Colorado have also become important in these fields. Los Angeles, San Francisco, Denver, Dallas, and Seattle have become major financial centers. Telecommunications telephone and related services is an important industry in Denver and Dallas.

24 Other Industries Over time, new industries have focused on tertiary economic activities such as retail sales, entertainment, and tourism. Visitors flock to the area to see the soaring mountains, stunning rock formations, and dense forests. They enjoy unusual features like Alaska s glaciers and Hawaii s tropical beaches. The western region includes some of the most-visited national parks in the country.