Chapter 5 Study Guide
Fall Line
the place where the higher land of the Piedmont drops to the lower Atlantic Coastal Plain
Eutrophication
the process by which a body of water becomes rich in dissolved nutrients, encouraging the overgrowth of small plants, especially algae
Clear-cutting
the removal of whole forests when harvesting timber
Which two U.S. states have the largest petroleum reserves?
Alaska and Texas
How did the level of available natural mineral resources affect industrialization in the United States?
It speeded industrialization because the country had abundant and easy access to mineral resources.
From what region did the largest group of foreign-born residents living in the United States today immigrate?
Latin America
Since the 1960s, the population of the Manufacturing Belt has declined while the number of businesses moving to the ________ has increased.
Sunbelt
Which of the following statements accurately describes changes in the U.S. economy since the 1950s?
The number of jobs in manufacturing has declined
Why were the first factories in the United States located along the fall line in the Northeast?
The waterfalls provided power for factories.
Why is it important to protect wetlands and swamps such as Florida's Everglades?
They provide habitats for a great variety of vegetation and wildlife.
Aqueduct
a channel or pipeline for moving large quantities of water
Suburb
a community lying on the fringes of a metropolitan area
Ashcan School
a group of American artists who painted the grim realities of urban America in the early 1900s
Dry Farming
a method used in which crops are grown that rely only on natural precipitation
Sunbelt
a mild climate region in the southern and southwestern portions of the United States
Divide
a physical feature that determines the direction of river flow
Hot Spot
a place on the ocean floor through which magma vents to create an underwater volcano that may grown into an island
Hurricane
a powerful tropical storm that forms over warm ocean waters
Foreclosure
a procedure in which a borrower gives up rights to a property due to the inability to repay the loan
What is a foreclosure?
a procedure in which a borrower gives up rights to a property due to the inability to repay the loan
Manufacturing Belt
a region in the northeastern and midwestern United States characterized by its heavy industrial concentration
Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway
a series of canals, rivers, and waterways that link the Great Lakes with the Atlantic Ocean
Tributary
a smaller river or stream that feeds into a larger river
Which of the following is an economic activity characteristic of a postindustrial economy?
biotechnology
How do aqueducts help support California's large population?
by bringing freshwater from far away
NAFTA has created environmental issues along the Rio Grande by _______________________________.
encouraging rapid industrial growth in the region
Smog
haze caused by the interaction of ultraviolet solar radiation with chemical fumes from pollution sources
California's Silicon Valley; Seattle, Washington; and Austin, Texas are urban areas that have become leaders in the _________________.
high-tech industry.
What type of music developed in the United States during the early 1900s that combined African rhythms with European harmonies?
jazz
It is important to conserve fossil fuels because they are __________________.
nonrenewable energy sources.
Where do the largest concentrations of Asians and Pacific Islanders live in the United States?
the Atlantic coast states and Pacific coast states
What is the area between the Pacific Ranges and the Rocky Mountains that often experiences the rain shadow effect?
the Columbia Plateau
What joint United States-Canadian project reduced pollution in the Nashua River and encouraged the construction of wastewater treatment plants?
the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement
What was the series of safe houses that helped thousands of African Americans escape slavery before the Civil War?
the Underground Railroad
Columbia Plateau
the dry area between the Pacific Ranges and the Rocky Mountains
Fall Line
the eastern United States boundary where the elevated Piedmont area drops to the lower Atlantic Coastal Plain
What are the Great Plains of the United States?
the flat landscape east of the Rocky Mountains
Great Plains
the flat landscape that stretches hundreds of miles east of the Rocky Mountains
Headwaters
the source of a stream or a river
Why did the thirteen colonies fight a war for independence from Britain?
to escape Britain's taxes and limits on colonists' freedoms
