Geography Chapter 5

What is the Great Lakes Water Quality agreement signed by the U.S. and Canada?

It led to the end of asbestos dumping in the Nashua River and spurred the construction of wastewater treatment plants.

What was the major cause of the 2008 economic downturn in the U.S.?

It was caused by an excessive number of ill-advised home mortgage loans.

What is the California State Water Project?

A project built to meet California's water needs, built of aqueducts used to carry water all throughout California.

Name the 5 states that have a shoreline on the Pacific Ocean

Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon, and Washington.

What U.S. state includes areas that have a subartic climate that supports a variety of wildlife?

Alaska.

Which mountain range is the oldest?

Appalachian Mountains

Why is the United States one of the most ethnically diverse countries in the world?

Because of its long history of immigration.

Describe where the three megalopolises are located in the U.S.

Between Boston and Washington D.C. Between Los Angeles and San Francisco Along the Great Lakes

Why do biofuel cars cause less environmental damage than traditional cars?

Biofuel cars use fuel from organic sources such as plant oils, instead of using gases and having exhaust that are harmful.

List 3 groups of people that settled in the U.S.

British, Spanish, and the French.

List 3 significant ways human activity is helping the environment.

Clean air practices, people are choosing to drive less, and recycling.

List three reasons for population growth in the south and southwest.

Climate, jobs, and cheaper land.

Why is the environmental condition of the Gulf of Mexico important to the U.S. economy?

Commercial fishing in the gulf is important because it provides employment and food for domestic consumption and export.j

What two physical processes shaped many of the landforms in the United States?

Glacial activity and tectonic plate movement

What natural resources does the U.S. have in abundance?

Gold silver copper iron mercury

What effect did the 2008 economic downturn in the U.S. have on the global economy?

Homes went into foreclosure, the stock market was unstable and unemployment rose, and bad loans led to failure of large banks and required large government investments to save banks.

What kinds of severe weather does the U.S. experience?

Hurricanes, tornadoes, and blizzards.

Latinos

Immigrated to U.S.

List the five states that border Illinois

Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri, Wisconsin

What are some important natural resources in the Great Lakes region?

Iron ore and coal.

What are negative effects of clear-cutting?

It destroys the country's old growth forests and wildlife is becoming endangered. Forest ecosystems are less diverse.

Why was geography important to the colonial New England economy?

It had rocky soil and a short growing season, but the are's harbors and an abundant supply of timber and fish made shipbuilding and fishing important industries.

Name the great lake that has a shoreline in Illinois

Lake Michigan.

List the Great Lakes.

Lake Superior, Huron, Erie, Ontario, and Michigan.

Five themes of Geopgraphy

Location Place Human Environment Interaction Movement Region

What states touch the Great Lakes?

Minnesota, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan.

In what city did the building of levees damage the natural landscape that once protected it from flooding?

New Orleans, Louisiana.

What states touch the Atlantic Ocean?

North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, and maine

List 3 significant ways human activity is hurting the environment.

Pollution, clear-cutting forests, use of freshwater causes water shortages.

What are the main climate regions of the United States?

Subtropical, semiarid, arid, Mediterranean, and subartic.

Name five states that have a shoreline on the Gulf of Mexico

Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia.

What major mountain ranges were shaped by tectonic plate activity?

The Appalachians, Rocky Mountains, and the Pacific Ranges.

Why are wetlands important to ecological areas?

They hold valuable water supplies and fisheries and buffer coastal areas from storms and floods.

What region in Florida provide rich habitats for a variety of animals and plant species is threatened by environmental degradation?

Wetlands and swamps such as Florida's Everglades.

Manufacturing Belt

a concentrated region of manufacturing industries in the northeastern and midwestern United States.

Sunbelt

a mild climate region in the southern and southwestern portions of the United States.

Smog

haze caused by the interaction of ultraviolet solar radiation with chemical fumes from car exhaust and other pollution sources.

Examples of renewable energy

hydroelectric, solar, and wind

Chinese

immigrated to U.S.

Native Americans

occupied North America until the mid 1500s

Acid rain

precipitation carrying large amounts of dissolved acids, which kills wildlife and damages buildings, forests, and crops.

Eutrophication

when a body of water becomes too rich in dissolved nutrients, leading to plant growth that depletes oxygen in the water.