Ch. 6 Vocabulary
representative democracy
A system of government in which citizens elect representatives, or leaders, to make decisions about the laws for all the people.
Dust Bowl
Region of the Great Plains that experienced a drought in 1930 lasting for a decade, leaving many farmers without work or substantial wages.
free enterprise
economic system in which individuals and businesses are allowed to compete for profit with a minimum of government interference
Colombian Exchange
The exchange of plants, animals, diseases, and technologies between the Americas and the rest of the world following Columbus's voyages
Sunbelt
The southern and southwestern states, from Florida to California, characterized by warm climate and recently, rapid population growth
New World
name given to the americas during the time of european exploration and colonization
urban
referring to the city
rural
referring to the country
West
region of the U.S. consisting of 13 states that stretches from the Great Plains to the Pacific Ocean and includes Alaska and Hawaii
Rust Belt
term for some of the states in the Midwest and Middle Atlantic around the Great Lakes because of their declining and abandoned traditional industries
Louisiana Purchase
territory in western United States purchased from France in 1803 for $15 million
Frontier
the free, open land in the American West that was available for settlement
migration
the movement of persons from one country or locality to another
Midwest
the north central region of the United States (sometimes called the heartland or the breadbasket of America)
urbanization
the process of becoming more like a city
South
the region in the U.S. that covers about 1/4 of the U.S. and contains more than 1/3 of its population
American Dream
the widespread belief that the United States is a land of opportunity and that individual initiative and hard work can bring economic success
BOSWASH
unofficial name given to the megalopolis of cities running south from Boston, Massachusetts, to Washington, D.C.
multinational
a corporation that has manufacturing or service operations in a number of different countries
metropolitan area
a functional area including a city and its surrounding suburbs and exurbs, linked economically
breadbasket
a geographic region serving as the principal source for growing grain crops; in the U.S., the Midwest
suburb
a political unit or community touching the borders of the central city or touching other such areas that touch the city
import
a product or good that is brought into a country from another country to be sold
megalopolis
a region in which several large cities and surrounding areas grow together
New England
a region of northeastern United States comprising Maine and New Hampshire and Vermont and Massachusetts and Rhode Island and Connecticut
postindustrial economy
an economic phase in which manufacturing no longer plays a dominant role but service jobs do instead
export
commodities (goods or services) sold to a foreign country
Cold War
A conflict that was between the US and the Soviet Union. The nations never directly confronted each other on the battlefield but deadly threats lasted from after WWII (1945) to 1991 whent he Soviet Union fell apart
Service Industry
business that provides services to people instead of producing goods