geog chap 7
3 major physiographic provinces
-Atlantic Coastal Plain -Piedmont -Appalachians entire region=Traversed by numerous rivers, most of which flow from northwest to southeast into the Atlantic. -Much of the Atlantic shore in this region consists of beaches and marshes.
Environmental issues
1)decline in air quality as result of fossil fuel burning caused by its dense transportation networks and industrial sources. 2)the need for a unified and upgraded mass transit system as well as an improved cargo and freight-moving system. 3)implementation of a broad-based environmental and regional land-use planning approach, preferably focusing on new housing, employment, and maintaining the environmental quality of the entire region, would help carry Megalopolis into a successful 21st century.
Washingon DC
40 miles southwest of Baltimore, has emerged as a major world city in the past half century. Washington has become an important economic and cultural center, complementing its long-standing status as the political center of the United States. Washington was the world's first planned capital in modern times, that is, a city designed and located specifically to be the capital of its country
Philidelphia
90 miles (144.8 kilometers) southwest of New York at the confluence of the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. The metropolitan area surrounding Philadelphia encompasses parts of southeastern Pennsylvania, southern New Jersey, and northern Delaware. Like New York, Philadelphia is a major port, handling more than 5000 cargo ships annually. Philadelphia also contains several major oil refineries and chemical plants.
Revitilization of Atlantic City
After the 1850s when the railroad brought thousands of tourists to Atlantic City, numerous hotels and restaurants were opened. Many were located on piers built along the Boardwalk, which was first completed in 1880. Atlantic City fell into decline after World War II. The number of tourists dropped in part because commercial air travel allowed tourists to visit the Caribbean, Florida, and Hawaii more easily and inexpensively. Crime rates increased and many buildings deteriorated. To counteract this decline, the voters of New Jersey legalized casino gambling in Atlantic City in the 1970s in an effort to promote urban redevelopment there. The first casinos were opened two years later, and longtime Atlantic City residents soon noticed an upturn in business activity. By the mid-1980s, the casinos of Atlantic City were the most often visited in North America, exceeding even those of Las Vegas.
5 major cities of megapolis
Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington, along with their suburbs Location:along a nearly straight line from northeast to southwest
Port Cities
Boston, New York, Philadelphia, and Baltimore—were established as port cities. British and other European colonial powers established colonies in order to extract resources for transformation into finished products These resources were shipped to Europe through these port cities. These port cities were developed along the major rivers of the region. Each then soon became the economic center of its surrounding colony. all of the 10 largest cities in the United States in 1790 were port cities.
why estuaries are common features along the eastern edge
Delaware and Chesapeake bays=estuaries/river valleys that became submerged when: - sea levels rose following the melting of glaciers at the end of the most recent ice age. Delaware Bay=estuary of the Delaware River; to the southwest Chesapeake Bay=estuary formed by the Susquehanna and Potomac rivers.
European Settlement
Dutch fur traders est. Fort Nassau in early 17th cent.- site of Albany, NY today Dutch claimed all of the territory between: Connecticut and Delaware River. They called it North and South River 1625: Dutch est. settlement called new Amsterdam, on southern tip of Manhatten Island New Amsterdam: became a walled, feudal-looking, multicultural city of about 800 people over the course of the next 30 years
Hazards cont.
Extreme winter weather -high winds, cold temperatures, and blizzard conditions. Storms can cause extensive property damage, power outages, injuries, and even occasional fatalities, while also causing widespread disruption to aviation and surface transportation Summer -heavy downpours. Heavy rainfall contributes to flooding,
British Proclamation of 1763
Forbade American colonist from settling west of the Appalachian Mountains. Even before the American Revolution colonists ignored the Proclamation. The westward movement accelerated after independence, especially after the Louisiana Purchase secured New Orleans and the Mississippi for American shipping.
Suburbinization
GI Bill of Rights: included provisions that encouraged returning military veterans to purchase houses. Many had young families and wished to raise their children away from the noise, crime, and grime of the central city. 1930s and 1940s, few houses were built in the United States because of the Depression and World War II. Once the war was over, millions of returning veterans and their families now needed low-cost housing. In response to these demands, developers built millions of suburban houses throughout the northeastern corridor and elsewhere in North America. city of Levittown, New York, typifies the suburbanization of the mid-20th century Mass produced homes, inexpensive and unifrom
Quakers
In the Southeast English Quaker leader, William Penn, was given lands along the Delaware River as repayment for a debt. 8 years after Penn received his grant in 1682, the colony of Pennsylvania already had more than 18,000 residents. Penn actively recruited people from different parts of western Europe to move to Pennsylvania by advertising in German-language publications in Europe.
Diversifying suburbs
In the late 1960s, the federal government enacted and began to enforce fair housing laws prohibiting discrimination in housing throughout the United States. These laws, along with increased prosperity among minority homeowners, resulted in the rapid suburbanization of African Americans and other minorities.
Industrialization
Independence and the settlement of the interior of the Megalopolis region coincided with the Industrial Revolution cities of the Northeast took advantage of the opportunity to industrialize. The northeastern cities were ports, facilitating international trade, and at the same time, accessibility to the American interior was reinforced, especially after the railroad came into common use.
Megapolis-Urban Corridor
Jean Gottmann French geographer, created term in 1961 describes densely populated northeastern corridor of US-Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Washington they've become one single large metropolitan area
Maryland
Major settlement area for Catholics
Nonurban places in the urban region
Middle Atlantic colonies were an important agricultural area farms of the region that the area was a major exporter of grain to Europe Post independence, the area industrialized rapidly and the locus of agricultural production shifted to the even more productive and fertile farmlands of the Corn Belt and the Great Plains Agriculture was relegated to a secondary role in the regional economy. Maryland's Eastern Shore, for example, is one of the country's leading producers of poultry, while Massachusetts and New Jersey between them produce about 40 percent of the United States' cranberry crop
Unity and Diversity
New York and Washington, remain magnets for immigrants from all over the world, making New York one of the world's most cosmopolitan and diverse cities Texas and California are extremley diverse
The emergence of New York and Washington D.C.
New York has easy access via the Hudson and Mohawk rivers to the Great Lakes and other interior locations. Recognizing this locational advantage, New York financiers were quick to provide funds to construct the Erie Canal along the Mohawk River Valley. These advantages were reinforced after railroads came into common use 1850, New York had more than twice as many people as Philadelphia and Boston combined, and it had consolidated its position as the country's dominant city—a position it has held ever since.
Hazards
Occasional hurricanes Long Island Express -A major hurricane in 1938, the first to strike New England since 1869.
Planned Cities-Philidelphia
Penn's city of Philadelphia was one of the first planned cities in the United States Map from 1683-large lots, gardens/parks, broad streets, greenbelts Steady pop. growth: England, Ireland, Wales, Scotland, Germany. More from Eastern Europe in the late 19th cent. Ellis Island: Poland, Russia, Scandinavia, and the Austro-Hungarian Empire, along with tens of thousands of others from Italy and Greece
Deindustrialization
Post WWII: industry began to decline. More efficient and technologically advanced production processes reduced the need for industrial labor, and many firms took advantage of the opportunity to hire cheaper labor and relocated to the South and West or to other countries. the deindustrialization of the northeastern states had less of an effect on the population and economies of the Northeast than was the case in cities such as St. Louis, Cleveland, or Detroit.
other cities of the northeastern corridor
Southern New Hampshire is one of the fastest-growing areas of New England Rhode Island remains a significant manufacturing center-the production of silverware and jewelry. The urban centers of Connecticut are located along the Connecticut River Valley. Hartford-insurance center. Connecticut's other major center, New Haven, is on Long Island Sound west of the mouth of the Connecticut River Trenton-manufacturing center as well as New Jersey's state capital. Atlantic City is a major resort whose economy has been revitalized by the establishment of gambling casinos Richmond, the state capital, is situated at the head of navigation of the James River
Megapolis cont.
extends from Maine to Virginia, includes only about 50,000 square miles, an area smaller than the state of Illinois.
Truck Farming
farmers frequently transport their own produce to market in trucks. It normally involves the production of fruits and vegetables for local consumers. Sweet corn, watermelons, tomatoes, cantaloupes, apples, pears, and peaches are grown by local farmers and sold to urban consumers at thousands of roadside stands, grocery stores, and farmers' markets throughout the region
Megapolis cont.
general region blends with Appalachain mountains, Atlantic Periphery, coastal south region each state has own culture characteristics-highly diverse-concentration of power and wealth
Quota Laws after WW1
in 1920 -limited the numbers of new foreign-born immigrants in the United States -After immigration was restricted, millions of African Americans from the South moved to Megalopolis to help fill employment needs, with many working in industrial jobs. -After the United States liberalized its immigration laws in the 1960s, millions of new immigrants and refugees from Latin America, Asia, and Africa also settled in Megalopolis.
Heterocalism
neighborhoods located in the central city where neighborhoods were dominated by members of the same ethnic group. worked, socialize, and participate in social activities in the neighborhood. New York's Little Italy and heavily Irish South Boston suburbanizing members of ethnic groups often maintain close personal ties without living in the same immediate area
Boston
northernmost city 19th cent. much of the land between the peninsula and the mainland was filled in=creating the Back Bay district. highly diversified economy. major industrial center in the 19th century, today=a leader in the transition to a postindustrial economy. major high-technology center: its large concentration of private and public universities and colleges provides a highly skilled workforce. the only one of the five major cities that is the capital of its state.
European Settlement
original inhabitors were killed and driven out by eurpeans names of cities still stand of native american communites: Susquehanna and Potomac rivers, and Narragansett and Chesapeake bays.
Climate
region's climate=temperate, with precipitation occurring throughout the year. -southern portion of Megalopolis=humid subtropical climate, with hot, humid summers and mild winters. -north and further inland=winters are longer and colder and summers are cooler and shorter. -Average winter snowfalls vary from south to north across the region, -ranging from an average of 16 inches (41 centimeters) per year in Washington, D.C., to 86 inches (218 centimeters) per year in Boston.
Land cover
rural land in the Megalopolis region is farmland or forestland millions of gal. of fresh drinking water to New York City's 9 million customers through 19 reservoirs. New York City's Watershed Protection Program --one of the most comprehensive in the world -New York remains one of five large cities in the United States that is not required to filter its drinking water. -Another major watershed protection program in Megalopolis is now underway in the sensitive Chesapeake Bay area
Baltimore
suffered from racial tension, urban decay, and white flight to the suburbs. In the 1980s, Baltimore made a concerted effort to revitalize its downtown area. These efforts resulted in the construction of a waterfront complex of shops and offices known as Harborplace, a large convention facility, the Charles Center, and Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Environmental Settings-landforms (rivers)
These rivers rise in-Appalachians flow across-Piedmont into the coastal plain and eventually into the ocean. Harbors are often found where the rivers enter the ocean.
Suburbinization cont.
bedroom communities: most residents commuted to work in central cities. By the 1970s, more and more people worked, as well as lived, in the suburbs. 1980s, suburbs such as the Route 128 corridor outside Boston and the Rockville Pike corridor northwest of Washington, D.C., were well-known centers of high-tech industry.
Historical Settlement- Pre european settlement
-inhabited by many different Native American groups that belonged to the Eastern Woodland Culture Complex -subsisted through a combination of agriculture, hunting, and gathering. -removed trees in order to clear land for farming and to harvest timber for fuel, constructing houses, and making bows and arrows, tomahawks
Why the northeast survived deindustrilization
-less dependent on heavy industry -contained a much larger variety of lighter and more technologically sophisticated industries. The northeastern corridor also took advantage of opportunities to move from industrial to postindustrial employment. 1980s the Northeast, along with California, emerged as leading centers of high-tech industry: -Medical research and services, entertainment, communications, financial services, insurance, and publishing also remained concentrated in the Northeast. Northeast remains North America's leading financial center and continues to contain a large share of the country's corporate headquarters.
Plymouth Colony
A colony established by the English Pilgrims, or Seperatists, in 1620. -Today it is southeastern Massachusets, inlcuded Cape Cod -1630:larger group of English Puritans moved from southeastern England to Massachusetts The Seperatists were Puritans who abandoned hope that the Anglican Church could be reformed. Plymouth became part of Massachusetts in 1691.
Capital City
Philadelphia, which was the site of the Constitutional Convention of 1787 selected as the temporary capital, 10-year period between 1790 and 1800. However, leaders from outside the Northeast, did not want Philadelphia, New York, or other est. financial center becoming seats of political power. The first Congress in 1789-1790 devoted identifying a capital city that would be separate geographically from these seats of financial power. Eventually, Congress decided to build a new capital city along the Delaware, Susquehanna, or Potomac River. Northern representatives Maryland and Virginia ceded 100 square miles (260 square kilometers) of land to the federal government the capital city of Washington was constructed. In 1843, government decided the Virginia portion of the District of Columbia and returned this land, which contains the present-day city of Arlington, to Virginia.
New York City
largest city in North America for more than two centuries, and it remains one of the major cities of the entire world. profited from its geographical position at the mouth of the Hudson River, enabling it to take advantage of access to both the interior and to foreign markets. Much of the city is built on islands. The world's major financial center. headquarters to many of the leading corporations in North America. Indeed, Manhattan alone has more square feet of office space than does any other entire metropolitan area in North America. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey manages the country's largest port facilities. leading commercial, retail, publishing, and entertainment center of the United States. major manufacturing center, although manufacturing represents a relatively minor portion of the city's source of revenue. metropolitan area contains nearly 20 million people in three states—New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. includes five boroughs—Manhattan, the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island
Homelessness
largest separation of wealth and power in the world 14,000 homeless people on any given day. mental illness and substance abuse, bring many people to shelters seeking help. Others come because of the extreme challenges brought on by joblessness and the high cost of health care and housing. Washington passed one of the strongest and earliest antidisplacement laws aimed at homeless people in the United States. Despite the construction of more than 20,000 new homes in the district in 2007, for example, the average price of this new housing was $438,000 (eight times the median household income in the area). Four years later in 2011, there is still little or no affordable housing in most D.C. neighborhoods that could be converted into low-income housing for homeless families, even while the construction of new condo projects continues to explode.
Barrier islands
located on the Atlantic Coast or along bays and rivers, have become popular resort communities. Beaches and barrier islands along the Atlantic Coast draw millions of visitors each summer.
Environmental Settings-landforms (fall line)
located where the Piedmont meets the Atlantic Coastal Plain. Fall Line: many rivers descend from the Piedmont onto the coastal plain over rapids and waterfalls. These falls were important to settlement -they blocked ocean-going ships from penetrating any further upstream and because they provided water power to run the region's early industries. Trenton, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, and Richmond are all located on or near the Fall Line.