World Geography Today Chapter 8 and Chapter 26 Reading Checks and Section Reviews

How has America's long history of immigration shaped its culture?

-America is one of the world's most culturally diverse countries. -Immigrants come from all over the world, bringing with them their cultures, beliefs, values, foods, and traditions.

How did American Indians and descendants of Europeans view land ownership differently?

-American Indians viewed land ownership as a shared resource rather than someone's personal property.

How did physical geography affect migration patterns to colonial America?

-Settlers migrated by sea. -People migrated to the South because the climate and soil were ideal for growing cotton and tobacco.

How might this country's history of immigration influence immigration policies today?

-Some people feel that immigration has strengthened the country and is needed to fill the jobs. -But according to others, high levels of immigration keep wages down and make it harder for people to find jobs.

In which Indian Perimeter country is a civil at currently being fought?

-Sri Lanka

How do natural hazards such as hurricanes affect the environment?

-Strong hurricanes cause flooding. They damage buildings, destroy vegetation and reshape barrier islands.

Why do the Maldives and Sri Lanka have warmer climates than Nepal and Bhutan?

-The Maldives and Sri Lanka are low lying and closer to the equator while Nepal and Bhutan are at higher elevations.

How is the character of the Northeast related to its cultural characteristics?

-The Northeast is home to many different cultures. The immigrants bring different culture's and ways of life with them, reshaping the region's cultural geography.

How have new technologies affected the economies of Silicon Valley and the San Francisco Bay Area in recent decades?

-The development of computer technologies brought new industries to the Silicon Valley. -Now many software companies are located in the San Francisco Bay and Seattle areas.

What has attracted new industries to the South in recent years?

-The industries take advantage of the region's lower wages, cheap land, and favorable laws and regulations.

What factor greatly influences the region's climates and weather?

-The monsoon season which brings heavy rain in the region.

Why did East Pakistan and West Pakistan split into modern Pakistan and Bangladesh?

-The new government was centered in West Pakistan and many people in East Pakistan felt they had no real power. -So in a war in 1971, East Pakistan broke away from West Pakistan and became the independent country of Bangladesh.

What are four examples of environmental challenges in the United States? What factors have contribute to these challenges?

-Acid rain -Overuse of fertilizers -Pollution due to consumption of energy -Dams on Columbia and Snake rivers -population growth and economic development as contributed to these challenges.

Why is the topography of Bangladesh subject to frequent change?

-Rivers frequently keep changing their courses. Floods wash away or deposit new silts on the banks.

How did irrigation and better plows change settlers' perception of the Great American Desert between the Mississippi River and the Rocky Mountains?

-As a result of irrigation and better plows farmers could now grow crops and because of that rather than viewing it as a wasteland their perception changed. It became habitable and people settled there.

Which country of the region is the most ethnically and linguistically unified? (Indian perimeter)

-Bangladesh.

How does the U.S. education system make the country a distinctive region?

-Basic education is free and obligatory on all citizens. -The U.S. has one of the worlds best and largest systems of higher education in the world.

How are settlement patterns similar in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka?

-Both are rural and densely populated. -The population is mostly concentrated on the fertile coastal plains.

What are the 3 main religions of the Indian Perimeter?

-Buddhism, Hinduism, and Islam.

How have Southern Californians modified their physical environment to make farming productive?

-By irrigation, aqueducts being water from Northern California to Central and Southern California -Also cut terraces in the mountains to farm

What physical features and environmental conditions influenced early French and Spanish migration patterns and the distribution of European settlers?

-Early Spanish settlers settled in the Southwest and due to its dry climate, settled along rivers such as the Rio Grande -Early French settlers explored the interior of the country, by travelling along rivers such as the Mississippi, St. Lawrence, and the Great Lakes. -Settlements of the French and Spanish are reflected jn the country's many place names.

How did environmental conditions influence past migration and settlement patterns in the West?

-Early pioneers found the region difficult to travel across, inhospitable to live in, and almost impossible to farm.

How did immigration over an Ice-Age land bridge affect the history and culture of the United States?

-Early settlers came from Asia. Many researchers think others reached America earlier, possibly by sea. Overtime many different cultures and languages emerged.

In what ways is periodic flooding in the region beneficial? How can it be a problem?

-Floods deposit new layers of soil which is good for agriculture, as it adds to the fertility of the soil. -It damaged crops, sweeps away villages and kills people.

From which direction do you think Pakistan's moisture-bearing winds come? Why?

-From the South because of the Indian Oceanz

What is the general level of economic development in the region? What are some indicators of this?

-Generally low level of economic development. -Most countries are heavily dependent on agriculture. -Industrial progress is very slow.

How might people worried by the negative effects of gentrification in inner cities influence local public policies? In what ways might gentrification help people in inner-city neighborhoods?

-Gentrification increases property taxes and property values which pushes out low income residents. -It has helped businesses to move to suburbs along with the immigration of people from the cities.

What are some natural hazards that threaten parts of the United States?

-Hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, and flooding.

What are some examples of the ways religion is reflected in the region's customs?

-In Muslim countries, prayers are performed 5 times a day. They celebrate the two Eids. -In Sri Lanka, Buddhist festivals are celebrated.

How have shifts in U.S. government policies affected trade policies?

-In recent years with the introduction of NAFTA, U.S. govt. has moved to lower barriers on free trade.

What role did the switch from coffee to tea play in Sri Lanka's modern ethnic conflicts?

-Indian Tamil tea pickers created a second Tamil group which added to the diversity of the region.

How do you think life for people in Megalopolis might be similar to life in rural parts of the United Stares? How do you think cultural or social attitudes might differ between people who live in such places?

-Life in megalopolis is busy while life in rural areas is peaceful. Both areas have immigrants, although because a Megalopolis is large it make have more cultural diversity. -Some social attitude differences are that rural areas may have that "small town" feel and be more close minded on differences because they tend to have people of similar beliefs in a small area. People in a Megalopolis are constantly exposed to different beliefs and cultures and may be more open minded.

How has the character of major U.S. cities been changing over the last 50 years?

-Many people have been moving from cities to inner countrysides. -As a result the population of some large cities has dropped significantly.

How did the partition of India affect the countries of this region?

-Millions of Hindus moved from Pakistan and Bangladesh to India. -Millions of Muslims moved from India to Pakistan and Bangladesh.

What makes the Midwest such an important agricultural region?

-Most of the region's land is arable. Also some regions specialize in specific crops such as the Corn Belt.

Why did many Americans and immigrants move westward during the 1800s?

-People moved in search of more and better farmland. -After gold was discovered in California people migrated westward. -The government was selling land cheaply and giving it away to encourage people to move west.

What features helped Pittsburg grow as a major steel center?

-Pittsburg is located at the junction of two rivers and is near iron ore and coal deposits.

What demographic trend has affected Pakistan's economic growth?

-Rapid growth of population has affected the economy of Pakistan.

What are the most important natural resources of Bangladesh?

-Rivers and good soil are the most important natural resources of Bangladesh.

How do you think patterns of land use might lead to cultural differences between urban areas and rural farming areas?

-The north has an industry-based economy and cities were forming while the south has an agricultural-based economy. They differ on the values of slaves. -More immigrants lived in the cities to search for work so the cities were more culturally diverse.

How are settlement patterns in Bangladesh related to the way most Bangladeshis make a living?

-The population is highly rural because most of the people are farmers. -The fertility of the soil supports the dense population.

What role have rivers played in creating good farmland in the region. (Indian perimeter)

-The rivers in Pakistan and Bangladesh provide fertile alluvial soil which is deposited on the banks.

How has the use of fertilizers affected the environment along the Louisiana Coast?

-The use of fertilizers has caused a "dead zone" in the waters off the Louisiana coast. The chemicals from fertilizers promote the growth of algae. The bacteria that consumes the algae uses the oxygen needed for marine life to survive.

How did access to resources help the development of cities like Cleveland, Detroit, Milwaukee and Toledo?

-Their locations gave the cities access to coal and iron ore, so they each are major manufacturing centers for those resources.

How have Bangladeshis realty with the effects of variations in monsoon rainfall on farming?

-They've creating irrigation projects to control flooding. -As well as conserve water for dry months.

What people brought Islam to the region? What Muslim empire ruled the region?

-Turkic Muslims from Afghanistan brought Islam to the region. -The Mughal Empire ruled the region.

How has urban grown and industrialization in the Northeast been tied to the region's good transportation connections?

-Urban growth and industrialization of the region's cities was made possible by its good port sites.

How does Urdu differ from Hindi? Where are these languages widely spoken?

-Urdu is Pakistan's official language and Hindi is widely spoken in India. -Urdu uses Persian script and is written from right to left, while Hindi is written from left to right.