Chapter 11

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Chapter 11 The United States
Section Notes
Video
Impact of Immigration
Physical Geography History and Culture The United
States Today
Maps
The United States Political The United States
Physical The United States Climate Natural
Hazards in the United States Western Expansion
Regions of the United States Land Use and
Resources The United States Assessment Map
World Almanac
Population of Major U.S. Cities
Quick Facts
Images
Chapter 11 Visual Summary
Grand Canyon Tornado Diagram Diverse America
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Physical Geography

• The Big Idea
• The United States is a large country with diverse
  physical features, climates, and resources.
• Main Ideas
• Major physical features of the United States
  include mountains, rivers, and plains.
• The climate of the United States is wetter in the
  East and South and drier in the West.
• The United States is rich in natural resources
  such as farmland, oil, forests, and minerals.

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Main Idea 1Major physical features of the
United States include mountains, rivers, and
plains.
The United States is the third largest country.
Physical features from east to west include

• Flat, close to sea level
• Rises to a higher level called the Piedmont

Atlantic Coastal Plain

• Main mountain range in the East
• Millions of years of erosion so that highest peak
  is about 6,700 feet

Appalachian Mountains
Interior Plains

• Filled with hills, lakes, and rivers

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Physical Features, continued

• The largest group of freshwater lakes in the
  world
• Important for trade between the United States and
  Canada

Great Lakes

• North Americas longest and most important river
• Has many tributaries, or smaller streams or
  rivers that flow into a larger stream or river
• E.g., the Missouri and Ohio rivers which help
  drain the entire Interior Plains.
• These rivers deposit rich silt that creates the
  fertile farmlands of the Interior Plains.

Mississippi River

• At higher elevation has vast areas of grasslands

Great Plains
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Physical Features West of the Rockies
Rocky Mountains

• Enormous rugged mountain ranges that rise above
  14,000 feet

• A line of high peaks in the Rocky Mountains
• A continental divide is an area of high ground
  that divides the flow of rivers towards opposite
  ends of a continent. Rivers to the east empty
  into the Mississippi River and to the west into
  the Pacific Ocean.

Continental Divide

• At 20,320 feet, Alaskas Mount McKinley is the
  highest mountain in North America.
• Hawaii formed by volcanoes millions of years ago.

Alaska and Hawaii
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Main Idea 2The climate of the United States is
wetter in the East and South and drier in the
West.

• East and South
• Northeast Humid continental climate with snowy
  winters and warm, humid summers
• South Humid subtropical climate with milder
  winters and warm, humid summers
• Florida Warm all year

• Interior Plains
• Most of the region A humid continental climate
• Great Plains Hot and dry summers

• West
• West Mostly dry
• Pacific Northwest coast A wet, mild coastal
  climate
• Alaska Sub-arctic and tundra climates
• Hawaii A warm, tropical climate

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Main Idea 3The United States is rich in natural
resources such as farmland, oil, forests, and
minerals.

• Alaska, California, or Louisiana oil
• The U.S. is a major oil producer but uses more
  oil than it produces.
• Appalachians and Rockies minerals including coal
  
• Coal supplies the energy for more than half of
  the electricity produced in the U.S.
• The U.S. has about 25 percent of the worlds coal
  reserves.
• Forests lumber
• Farmlands wheat, corn, soybeans, cotton, fruits,
  and vegetables

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History and Culture

• The Big Idea
• Democratic ideas and immigration have shaped the
  history and culture of the United States.
• Main Ideas
• The United States is the worlds first modern
  democracy.
• The people and culture of the United States are
  very diverse.

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Main Idea 1The United States is the worlds
first modern democracy.

• 1500s Europeans settlers established colonies,
  or territories inhabited and controlled by people
  from a foreign land.

• Mid-1700s The British Empire included more than
  a dozen colonies along the Atlantic coast.

• Boston and New York became major seaports.

• Plantations, or large farms that grow mainly one
  crop, harvested tobacco, rice, or cotton using
  enslaved Africans.

• July 1776 The colonial representatives adopted
  the Declaration of Independence, which did not
  give rights to everyone, but was a great step
  toward equality and justice.

• 1781 General George Washington's army defeated
  the British in the Revolutionary War, which had
  started in Massachusetts and spread west and
  south.

• Britain recognized the independence of the U.S.
  and granted the U.S. all its land east of the
  Mississippi River.

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Expansion and Industrial Growth

• These first settlers who traveled west for land
  and plentiful resources were called pioneers.
• Groups of families undertook the harsh trip along
  the 2,000-mile Oregon Trail.
• Late 1840s Discovery of gold brought tens of
  thousands of people to California.
• 1850 More than 23 million people
• Late 1880s Major steel, oil, and textile
  production
• Most industrial cities in Northeast and Midwest.
• The development of waterways and railroads helped
  industry and expansion into interior.
• Late 1800s/early 1900s Immigration from Europe
  creates a culturally diverse nation.

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Wars and Peace

• The United States fought in several wars during
  the 1900s.
• Many Americans died in World Wars I and II.
• The United States and the Soviet Union became
  rivals in the Cold War.
• 1950s War in Korea
• 1960s and 1970s War in Vietnam
• Early 1990s The collapse of the Soviet Union
  marked the end of the Cold War.
• 1991 The United States fought Iraq in the
  Persian Gulf War.
• 2003 United States invaded Iraq and is helping
  Iraqis rebuild their country today.
• Today the United States is one of the most
  powerful members of the United Nations.

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U.S. Government and Citizenship

• A limited, democratic government with an elected
  president and Congress
• The Constitution defines the powers of the
  federal government.
• The federal government handles issues affecting
  the whole country.
• States, counties, and cities have their own
  governments that provide state and local
  services, such as trash collection, road
  building, electricity, and public transportation.

Government

• U.S. citizens have the right to vote from age 18.
• Citizens are encouraged to participate in their
  government.
• Participation is essential to democratic
  government.

Rights And Responsibilities
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Main Idea 2The people and culture of the United
States are very diverse.

• Hispanic Americans
• Many came from Mexico, Cuba, and other Latin
  American countries.
• Most live in the southwestern states that border
  Mexico.

• Native Americans
• For thousands of years, Native Americans were the
  only people in the Americas.
• Today most live in the west, particularly in
  Arizona and New Mexico.

• African Americans
• African Americans live in every region, but
  southern states and many large cities have a
  higher percentage.

• European Descendents
• About 7 out of every 10 people

• Asian Americans
• Live mostly in California

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Language and Religion

• After English, Spanish is the most widely spoken
  language.
• About 17 million Americans speak Spanish.
• Over 50 million are bilingual, or speak two
  languages.

Language

• Most people are Christians. Some are Jewish or
  Muslim. A small percentage is Hindu or Buddhist.
• Many religious holidays Christmas, Easter,
  Hanukkah, Yom Kippur, Rosh Hashanah, Ramadan and
  the feast called Id al-Fitr
• African Americans also celebrate Kwanzaa, a
  holiday that is based on a traditional African
  festival.

Religion
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Food, Music, and Popular Culture

• Diverse ethnic foods like Mexican tacos, Italian
  pasta, or Japanese sushi are now part of the
  American diet.
• Music from around the world have also influenced
  American culture.
• American musical styles include blues, jazz,
  rock, and hip hop.

Food And Music

• American culture, such as movies, television
  programs, and sports, are popular abroad.
• E.g., Star Wars seen by millions, baseball in
  Japan, Starbucks in almost every major city, and
  an MTV channel in Asia

Popular Culture
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The United States Today

• The Big Idea
• The United States has four main regions and faces
  opportunities and challenges.
• Main Ideas
• The United States has four regionsthe Northeast,
  South, Midwest, and West.
• The United States has a strong economy and a
  powerful military but is facing the challenge of
  world terrorism.

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Main Idea 1The United States has four
regionsthe Northeast, South, Midwest, and West.

• The Northeast
• Industrial and financial centers
• Economy banks, investment firms, insurance
  companies, respected universities
• Rich farmland, coal, steel production, and
  fishing
• Most densely populated region in the U.S. with 40
  million people
• Cities from Boston to Washington, D.C. form a
  megalopolis, or a string of large cities that
  have grown together.
• Cities founded in colonial era became important
  seaports.

• The South
• Rich farmlands grow cotton, tobacco, and citrus
  fruit.
• This region is becoming more urban and
  industrialized.
• Atlanta metropolis has grown from 1 million in
  1960 to 4 million today.
• Research Triangle in North Carolina is growing
  high-tech area.
• Texas Gulf Coast and lower Mississippi Rover
  areas have huge oil refineries and petrochemical
  plants.
• Important trade centers with Mexico and Central
  and South American countries. E.g., Miami

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The Midwest and the West

• The Midwest
• One of the most productive farming regions in the
  world
• Crops corn, wheat, and soybeans
• Dairy farms in Wisconsin, Michigan, and Minnesota
• Major cities are located near the Mississippi and
  Ohio Rivers and the Great Lakes because products
  are easily shipped to and from these centers.
• Detroit, Michigan, is the countrys leading
  automobile producer.
• Chicago, Illinois, is the third largest city in
  the nation.

• The West
• Large open spaces with major cities on the
  Pacific Coast
• More than 10 percent of the nation lives in
  California, where farming, technology, and
  entertainment are important industries.
• Economy of other states ranching and growing
  wheat
• Mineral resources coal, oil, gold, silver,
  copper, and others
• Oregon and Washington forestry and fishing
• Seattle Washingtons largest city with many
  industries.
• Alaska oil, forests, and fish
• Hawaii pineapple, sugarcane, and tourism

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Main Idea 3The United States has a strong
economy and a powerful military but is facing the
challenge of world terrorism.

• Largest economy in the world
• Many natural resources, modern technologies, and
  jobs
• Beneficial trade with Canada, Mexico, China,
  Japan, and Europe
• 1992 The North American Free Trade Agreement,
  NAFTA, has made trade easier with Mexico and
  Canada.

Economy

• A powerful military to protect the U.S.
• Helps other countries defend themselves

Military
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Terrorism

• September 11, 2001 Terrorists hijacked four
  American jets and crashed them into the World
  Trade Center and the Pentagon.

• The hijackers wanted to disrupt the U.S. economy
  with terrorism, or violent attacks that cause
  fear.

• President George W. Bush declared war on
  terrorism and established the Department of
  Homeland Security.

• The U.S. sent forces to Afghanistan to kill or
  capture members of al Qaeda, a terrorist group,
  and established a new democratic government in
  the country.

• 2003 Bush believed Iraq was another threat and
  ordered an invasion of Iraq.

• World leaders are working with the U.S. to combat
  terrorism.

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