Preview Extract
This Document Contains Chapters 1 to 3 Basic Concepts 1 Thinking Geographically Questions 1. Using geographic tools such as maps and GIS is not simply a mechanical exercise. Nor are decisions confined to scale, projection, and layers. For example, should the European country be labeled Czech Republic or Czechia? Czech authorities and citizens do not agree on the proper translation of the country’s Czech name Česky into English. Answer: Well, I can see how Czech Republic is a sensible solution, as it is a compromise between both parties on the translation of Česky into English. It would also depend on the language used in the rendering of a map – for English maps, Czech Republic may make sense, whereas Czechia or Česky may be better suited for other languages. 2. What criteria should geographers use to label maps? Answer: Geographers must use critical thinking skills to best label features on a map. For example, geographers must consider the origin of place names (toponyms), and examine whether the site of a place played a role in it receiving its name, or if cultural factors impacted its naming. 3. What are elements of the site and situation of your hometown? Answer: A couple elements of site of my hometown, Chicago, IL, are the Chicago River and Lake Michigan. The Chicago River runs through the city and is dyed green every year for St. Patrick’s Day. Chicago is located on the banks of Lake Michigan and significantly influences local weather patterns, producing lake-effect wind and snow. Relative to the rest of Illinois, the situation of my hometown is unique – it is the largest city in the state and is a major hub of economic, political, and cultural activity. 4. Can you name another place to which your hometown has strong connections? Answer: My hometown has strong connections to Northwest Indiana, known affectionately as ‘The Region.’ The South Shore Line runs into another town that I lived in in the area, Chesterton, Indiana, providing public rail access to Chicago. It was also a neat place, as Chesterton was also located on the banks of Lake Michigan, and the skyline of the city was visible from the beach on clear days. 5. What is an example of a feature that connects your town to another? Answer: Site: My hometown is located in the northern and western hemisphere. It is located in the midlatitudes. My hometown is in the Mediterranean climatic zone dominated by chaparral vegetation. My hometown borders the Pacific Ocean. I live on a coastal plain with alfisol soils. Situation: My hometown is about 45 miles from Disneyland and 75 miles from Downtown Los Angeles and Hollywood. Interstate 5 and Pacific Coast Highway run through my hometown and these are very important roads on the West Coast of the United States. My hometown is 5 miles from the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station, which is one of the major sources of electricity in Southern California. The Camp Pendleton Marine Base is located two miles away from my hometown and is one of the largest military bases on the West Coast of the United States. 6. If you could live anyplace on Earth, where would it be? Why? Answer: If I could live any place on Earth, I would live in Talkeetna, Alaska. I first learned of Talkeetna after reading that it was based on Cicely, Alaska, the town featured in the 1990s television drama Northern Exposure. After researching more about the town, I learned that they have a vibrant community, with an excellent public radio affiliate. I worked in a radio station for 6 years; ideally, I would have a job at their affiliate and explore the surrounding outdoors during my free time. 7. How might your choice be altered if you had access to a transportation device (such as available to Harry Potter) that enabled you to travel instantaneously to any place on Earth? Answer: If this transportation device existed, a lot fewer people would live in urban areas. Many people in the developed world live in an urban area because they need to live near their place of employment. Workers don’t want the expense and hassle of very long commutes so they choose to live near their job. If they could instantaneously commute, many workers with families would choose to live in somewhat rural areas. Living in a less congested area is appealing to many people, but rural areas rarely offer many well-paying jobs. More people would live in temperate climates. Imagine if you could work a well-paying job in Fairbanks, Alaska, but not actually have to move to Fairbanks. You could live in Hawaii, but instantaneously commute to Fairbanks every day during the week. Many people live in the severe climates because they have a good job and family and friends in the area, not because they like subzero temperatures. With instantaneous travel, they could still see family and friends and continue to work their job, but not have to shovel snow to get out of their driveway most mornings. 8. What activities in your community appear to promote sustainability? Answer: Southern California has numerous Recycling Centers. Recycling Centers are usually located in the back of large grocery stores. People get money for used plastic and glass bottles at these Recycling Centers. Some of these Recycling Centers will also pay people for their aluminum cans too. There was a tax credit program in California recently that essentially gave money to homeowners who installed solar panels on the roofs of their homes. Wind turbines have recently been built in the nearby desert areas. California promotes sustainability more than a lot of states. Pause and Reflect Questions 1.1.1: What are the principal connections from your hometown to other places? Answer: The principal connections from my hometown, Chicago, IL, to other places is Lake Michigan and the Interstate Highway System. 1.1.2: What is one main difference between the world maps of Ptolemy (Figure 1-7) and of Ortelius (Figure 1-9)? Answer: The shapes of the continents are much more developed in the Ortelius map as compared to those in the Ptolemy map. 1.1.3: State a question you have about the area where you live. Describe a mashup that you could create using GIS that would answer your question. Answer: Where are all of the grocery stores located in my town, within a 5-mile radius of my home address? I could find out latitude/ longitude coordinates of all of the grocery stores in my town, upload the coordinates to ArcGIS Online, and run the geoprocessing tool ‘Near’ to determine the answer. 1.1.4: Compare the sizes of Greenland and South America on the three maps in Figure 1-13. Which of the two landmasses is actually larger? How do you know? Answer: South America is much larger in area than Greenland. I know this, because in Figure 1-13(a) the world is projected in an equal area manner, and area can be accurately examined. 1.1.5: Where in the world, other than Newfoundland, is standard time on the half-hour rather than the hour? Why might that country prefer not to be on the hour? Answer: Iran and the central region of Australia observe standard time on the half-hour. In Australia’s case, they may prefer to observe multiple time zones (with one occurring on the half-hour) because their country encompasses such a large area and the half-hour happens to be when the sun is at its highest point during the day. 1.2.1: What is the origin of the toponym of your hometown? Answer: My hometown, Chicago, IL, is rooted in the French translation of a Native American word, ‘shikaakwa’, referring to a wild onion plant that grows in the area. 1.2.2: What environmental and cultural features might help to define the region of the U.S. Midwest? Answer: The physical region of the U.S. Midwest is noted for its plains landscape, along with the presence of the Great Lakes. The cultural features of the U.S. Midwest can be noted from the National Public Radio program A Prairie Home Companion – the region is known for its Scandinavian immigrant history, prowess in college basketball, and industrial economic history. 1.2.3: Describe differences that you see between U.S. and South Africa suburbs in Figure 1-23. Answer: U.S. suburbs appear to be solidly-built homes with years and access for motor vehicles, while suburbs in South Africa are compact, with homes built right next to one another, with no access for motor vehicles. 1.3.1: Give examples of changes in economy and culture occurring at global and local scales. Answer: One recent change in the global economy is the exit of the United Kingdom from the European Union – this change signaled significant shifts in economic policy and trade relations between states in the E.U. and the U.K. At the local scale, the state government of Alabama is proposing a state lottery so that deficits can be reduced. Culturally, we are seeing a growing dependence on mobile communications – this change is evident in places all over the world where political unrest is present, and mobile communications are used for organizing purposes. At the local scale, the arrival of Latino/ Latina migrants to the U.S. South over the past thirty years is becoming more apparent, with locally-owned businesses geared toward this population growing in number. 1.3.2: How would you describe the density, concentration, and pattern of chairs in your classroom? Answer: In my classroom, the distribution of the chairs is spread throughout the room somewhat evenly – 10 chairs around a central meeting table, and eight office chairs at the perimeter of the room with computers located at each station. 1.3.3: Using your own campus or school as the example, describe how movement across space varies during the day for students and faculty. Answer: Depending on whether you’re an undergraduate student, graduate student, or faculty member, one’s movement across space will vary during a regular day. If you are an undergraduate, movement across wide spaces of campus is regular, as your classes are typically held in multiple buildings. As a graduate student, your classes and office are generally confined to a single building. As a faculty member, you may only split your time between your office and one or two classrooms. 1.3.4: How does region where you live compare in the percentage of children in poverty? Answer: Referring to Figure 1-37, the income compared to national average (age 26) is more than 5% below for my region. 1.3.5: U.S. coins are minted in either Denver or Philadelphia. Take a look at your coins. Do you have more from the mint closer to you? Answer: Actually, I have more coins from Denver than from Philadelphia, and Denver is located farther away from me than Philadelphia. 1.3.6: Is your nearest airport a hub? If not, to what hub do most flights go from you nearest airport? Answer: The nearest airport to me is the Northwest Alabama Regional Airport, which is not a hub. Flights from this airport go to either Nashville, TN or Atlanta, GA – both major hubs. 1.4.1: What do you think might be the reaction of the men in Figure 1-46b to tourists such as those in Figure 1-46c? Answer: As the caption of the photo indicates, the men in Figure 1-46b are watching tourists pass by, so I can imagine based on their reaction in that photo that they are not especially excited when tourists such as those featured in Figure 1-46c pass by. 1.4.2: Why would maps of Earth’s hydrosphere, lithosphere, and biosphere be important in the quest for sustainability? Answer: These types of maps help illustrate the distribution and density of features contained in these maps, allowing for pertinent analysis to be undertaken such that resources are responsibly and sustainably managed. 1.4.3: How might a bird interact with each of the four spheres? Answer: A bird, such as a seagull, may fly through the atmosphere, fish for food in the hydrosphere, search for other sustenance in the biosphere, and nest in the lithosphere. 1.4.4: Which is better positioned to face future threats to sustainability, the Netherlands or California? Why? Answer: It appears as if the Netherlands is better suited to face future threats to sustainability, as they are more committed financially and socially to combat resource depletion and the effects of climate change (despite 16 percent of the country’s land area being reclaimed from the sea as polders!). Explore Use Google Earth to explore the Netherlands coast. Fly to Ouddorp, Netherlands. 1. Using the ruler, what is the distance (in kilometers or miles) from the pin marking Ouddorp to the coast? Answer: The distance from the pin making Ouddorp to the coast is approximately 1.5 miles (I measured 1.64 miles). 2. How many damns do you see in the image? Answer: At eye alt 11.85 mi, I see one dam. 3. Drag to enter street view on the dam to the north of the image. What occupies the top of the dam? Answer: A small wind farm is located at the top of the dam. 4. Which side of the dam is the open sea, and which side is the protected inland waterway? Which side of the dam contains the marinas filled with boats? Why would the boats be on that side? Answer: The open sea is to the northwest, and the protected inland waterway is to the southeast. The marina is on the southeastern-facing side of the dam. These boats would not have to deal with the tide everyday – if they wanted access to the open sea, they could go through the lock in the dam. 5. What is the elevation of Ouddorp? What is the elevation of Visschershoek to the west of Ouddorp right on the coast? What is the elevation of Melissant to the east of Ouddorp further inland? Based on these observations, is the elevation further inland higher or lower than on the coast? Why is that the case? Answer: Ouddorp has an elevation of 5 feet above sea level. Visschershoek has an elevation of 3 feet above sea level. Melissant has an elevation of 2 feet above sea level. The elevation is relatively lower in Visschershoek and Melissant, with Melissant being the lowest elevation. This is the case because this land was reclaimed from the sea (they are polders). GeoVideo Questions 1. Describe the infrastructure that supports GPS devices. Answer: The infrastructure that supports GPS devices is made up of a network of 27 satellites in medium Earth orbit. Four of these satellites transmit information to a device on the Earth, determining the device’s location by triangulation. 2. According to the video, how accurate is the current GPS system? What are the limits of GPS technology? Answer: The current GPS system is accurate, considering that it is operating on technology that is over thirty years old. Accuracy of these systems is dependent on Rubidium atomic clocks that are onboard satellite platforms. These clocks may limit the accuracy of GPS technology; the Galileo project, developed by scientists in the European Union, will send up satellites with clocks that are ten times more accurate than current technology. 3. Based on what you learned in the video, why do you think the U.S. Navy has decided to reinstate celestial navigation? Explain. Answer: The U.S. Navy is reinstating celestial navigation as a means to diversify its navigation techniques for its officers, in the event that GPS systems are compromised by a security threat or a technological failure. This is wise, as technology is always being undermined, whether it be by hackers or obsolescence of technology. Google Earth Questions GOOGLE EARTH 1.1 What are the precise latitude and longitude of the U.S. Capitol building? Answer: 38o 53’ 22.73” N 77o 00’ 31.79” W GOOGLE EARTH 1.2 What characteristics of site and situation are visible in an aerial view of New Orleans? Answer: Site is low-lying area along the Mississippi River. Situation is near the mouth of the river where it flows into the Gulf of Mexico. GOOGLE EARTH 1.3 Fly to Spring Valley, Nevada. Click on the time slider to view historical imagery. How have the properties of distribution of Spring Valley, Nevada, changed over time? Answer: Density: the site was undeveloped desert in the 1950s and 1960s, and density started to increase in the 1970s. Concentration: housing is clustered on the north side of the image. Pattern: subdivisions have rectangular shapes inside curved shapes. GOOGLE EARTH 1.4 How many dams do you see along the southwestern coast of the Netherlands, in the vicinity of the town of Stellen dam? Answer: Three. Resources Zillow (www.zillow.com) Zillow’s mapping interface demonstrates some of the increasingly sophisticated geographic information available over the Internet. Zillow uses data from property records, street addresses, and sales histories to create estimates of property values. This site can be used to demonstrate a number of geographic concepts in addition to the uses of GIS. For example, amenities and/or disamenities are shown to have an influence on property values. Not all locations are available on this service, but a view of the United States as a whole is an immediately engaging demonstration of how geography matters, as median prices on houses in Midwestern states are significantly lower than east or west coast states. Connections between Chapters Chapter 1 does not spend much time introducing the structure and organization of the book, which allows for your own organization. Emphasizing the overarching structure of the book may help your students to approach the subject as holistic rather than just one chapter at a time. The concepts in Chapter 1 lay the foundations for the remainder of the text. Especially important in Chapter 1 is the vocabulary associated with key geographic concepts, as the concepts associated with distribution, spatial association, and regions recur throughout the text. Another fundamental concepts introduced with culture is the division between more and less developed countries. This idea is continued in the first paragraphs of Chapter 2. You can reinforce these concepts by providing previews for future chapters. You can also emphasize these concepts by explicitly referring back to the definition when they occur in subsequent chapters. An overarching theme throughout the text and frequently referenced in the beginning of each chapter is the tension between forces of globalization and attempts to preserve local diversity. Each chapter introduction also references places, regions, where and why questions of geography, and spatial connections. Population and Health 2 Thinking Geographically Questions 2.1: The current method of counting a country’s population by requiring every household to complete a census form once every 10 years has been severely criticized as inaccurate. The undercounting produces a geographic bias because people who are missed are more likely to live in inner cities, remote rural areas, or communities that attract a relatively high number of recent immigrants. Given the availability of reliable statistical tests, should the current method of trying to count 100 percent of the population be replaced by a survey of a carefully drawn sample of the population, as is done with political polling and consumer preferences? Why or why not? Answer: While there are significant disadvantages to attempting to count 100 percent of the population in the census, ultimately the established method would yield a more accurate count of the total population. Despite the growing reliability of statistical sampling techniques, unauthorized immigrants and homeless people would most likely still be left in the shadows. While sampling would allow census enumerators to incorporate data that is readily available to help with estimates, such as eviction rates, waiting lists for public housing, reductions in affordable housing, and contacts with service providers, engagement with community outreach organizations for both unauthorized immigrants and unsheltered populations would be the best option. (Source: Kearns, Brendan, “Down for the Count: Overcoming the Census Bureau's Neglect of the Homeless,” National Coalition for the Homeless, http://nationalhomeless.org/publications/ DownfortheCount_CensusReport.pdf). 2.2: Members of the baby-boom generation—people born between 1946 and 1964—constitute nearly one third of the U.S. population. Baby boomers have received more education than their parents, and women from this generation were more likely to enter the labor force than women before them. The baby boomers have delayed marriage and parenthood and have fewer children compared to their parents. They are more likely to divorce, to bear children while unmarried, and to cohabit. As they grow older, what impacts will baby boomers have on American population in the years ahead? Answer: The baby boomers are the first generation in U.S. history to leave things generally worse for their children than they had it. Up to this point every generation in U.S. history was generally better off than their parents. The baby boomers have awarded themselves large pensions and retirement packages that their children are going to have to somehow figure out how to pay for. They are also using up all the money in the nation’s social security fund. Even though working people today are paying into social security, many experts predict that they won’t get it back when they retire. 2.3: Health-care indicators for the United States do not always match those of other developed countries. What reasons might explain these differences? Answer: In the United States individuals are expected to pay for their own health care. The taxpayers in this country pay for the health care of the poor, disabled, and elderly. In Canada and Europe medical care for all is provided by the government. Health care is essentially free for everyone in Canada and Europe. The CDR in the United States is lower than it is in Europe. This is due to the fact that the population in the United States is generally younger than the population in Europe. 2.4: Given evidence of declining birth rates around the world, what role should family-planning programs play in developing countries? Answer: CBR is still high in developing countries, despite declining world CDRs. Family-planning programs can play an important part in placing downward pressure on still-high CBRs in developing countries, however it must be ensured that these programs are ethical in nature. Looking to the distrust that was sewn by sterilization campaigns set up by the government in India in the 1970s, it is vital that access to birth control and general reproductive education is made available for countries facing this situation. Pause and Reflect Questions 2.1.1: Compare Figures 2-2 and 2-3. Which depicts the shape of countries more accurately? Why? Answer: Figure 2-2 displays the shape of countries more accurately, as Figure 2-3 is a cartogram. A cartogram visualizes countries by the size of their population rather than land area, such that countries with large populations like China and India appear larger than countries with extensive land area, such as Canada or Russia. 2.1.2: Why are some land areas not part of the ecumene? Answer: Areas of the Earth may be unsuitable for permanent human settlement, such as those dominated by a dry landscape, places that receive excessive amounts of precipitation, locations perpetually covered by ice, and some high-altitude mountain regions. However, there exist exceptions to all of the aforementioned landscapes that can support human settlement, such as dry landscapes where animals have adapted to the climate. 2.1.3: Which density measure differs most between Egypt and Ethiopia? What might account for this difference? Answer: Physiological density is greater between Egypt and Ethiopia than arithmetic density or agricultural density. This difference may be explained by the wider availability of arable land in Ethiopia compared to Egypt. 2.2.1: Which region other than sub-Saharan Africa appears to have the highest natural increase rate? Answer: South Asia appears to have the high natural increase rate outside of sub-Saharan Africa. 2.2.2: What region of the world appears to have the lowest CDR? Answer: The Arabian Peninsula appears to be the region with the lowest CDR. 2.2.3: Name a country in Latin America that appears to be in stage 2, according to Figures 2-12, 2-14, and 2-15. Answer: Guatemala appears to be in stage 2 of the demographic transition, taking into consideration its high CBR, relatively low CDR, and high NIR. 2.3.1: What other countries, in addition to China and India, appear to have “missing” females? Answer: Vietnam, Albania, and Azerbaijan all appear to have “missing” females. 2.3.2: If the elderly support ratio is declining, does that mean the percentage of elderly people is increasing or decreasing? Answer: It means that the percentage of elderly people is increasing. 2.3.3: Why might levels of hospital beds and physicians in developed countries of Europe be higher than in North America? Answer: Private individuals are required to pay a higher percentage of health care costs in the United States, whereas in Europe health care is a public service and government expenditures are higher for health care services. 2.3.4: How prevalent are the stage 4 causes of death in your family? Answer: Stage 4 causes of death are very common in my family, with most family members passing away from cancer or dementia. 2.4.1: Calculate the units of population and food that Malthus predicted would exist in 200 years. Answer: Malthus would predict that in 200 years, there would be 256 people for every 10 units of food. 2.4.2: For every 10 baby boys, India has only 9 baby girls. How might population policies be contributing to India having so many more baby boys than girls? Answer: Population policies, such as abortion, may be predominately skewed toward unborn girls than boys due to cultural preferences for sons over daughters. 2.4.3: Which region within the United States has the lowest number of AIDS cases? What geographic factors might explain this low level? Answer: The northern states of the Mountain West, including Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, and the northern Plains states of North Dakota and South Dakota have the lowest cumulative AIDS cases in the United States. These states likely experience little in-migration, explaining this low level. 2.4.4: Why might birth rates have declined in most of the world, but not in North America? Answer: Birth rates may have remained high in North America due to higher total fertility rates and high health care service standards. Explore Use Google Earth to explore Mahāmīd, a town of 45,000 near the banks of the Nile River. Fly to: Mahāmīd, Luxor, Egypt. Zoom in. 1. What color is most of the land immediately in and around the town? Does this indicate that the land is used for agriculture, or is it desert? Zoom out until you see the entire band of green surrounded by tan. Answer: The town of Mahāmīd is surrounded by a tan color, representing a desert landscape. 2. How wide is the green strip? What does the tan color represent? What feature is in the middle of the green strip? Answer: The green strip is approximately 10 miles long and 1 mile wide. The tan color represents the desert landscape surrounding Mahāmīd. Farming activity is present in the green strip, indicated by long, narrow strips of agriculture. GeoVideo Questions 1. In general, would the village farmers prefer to work in a new factory or remain on their land? Explain. Answer: In general, it appears as if the farmers would prefer to remain on their land. It seems to be a complex situation, though. Farmers in the party secretary’s meeting complained of insufficient compensation for the hardships they will endure as a result of the coming changes to the village – if they were properly compensated, would the villagers be willing to make the move? In Xiao Zhang’s case, she would rather move to the city. 2. Do village residents have a choice about whether their land becomes a new industrial city? Explain. Answer: They do not have a choice. Ostensibly, the villagers have ‘rights,’ although they have no choice in the matter whether they are able to keep their farms or not. The party secretary tells the viewer that the key to getting the villagers to acquiesce is a job or “persuasion, persuasion, persuasion.” 3. In the view of China’s economic planners, why is urbanization of the countryside essential? Answer: They believe that the existing cities along China’s eastern coast can no longer sustain the massive flows of people from the hinterlands – thus, new cities must emerge in the hinterlands to support these people and promote economic growth outside of the traditional urban centers. Resources Interactive population pyramids The U.S. Census Bureau’s International Data Base has an interactive population pyramid application at: http://www.census.gov/population/international/data/idb/informationGateway.php In the “Select Report” section of the page, select the “Population Pyramid Graph” option from the dropdown menu. You may select up to 25 years of data for any country, and once the request is submitted (by clicking the “Submit” button), you may use the “Play” button located above the population pyramid to animate the changes that take place over time. Population Reference Bureau The Population Reference Bureau (www.prb.org) has a wealth of demographic data, as well as data on education, employment, health, and environment. It features data on the United States and most countries around the world. One section of the website (“Education,” located in the “Topic/Geography” tab) focuses on using demographic data in teaching. World Health Organization Statistical Information System (WHOSIS) The WHO is the authoritative source of health data for the world, especially valuable as a resource for further investigation into the chapter’s section on epidemiological transition. www.who.int/whosis/en/ Gapminder Gapminder features an easy-to-use interactive chart tool and map. The chart allows users to select variables on each axis and watch trends unfold through time. www.gapminder.org/ U.S. Census The U.S. Census features a wealth of demographic and economic data on the U.S. population. www.census.gov/ Connections between Chapters Back to Chapter 1 The introduction of Chapter 2 underlies the key geographic concepts associated with the study of population, reinforcing the geographic nature of population distribution and change. This introduction also helps students understand the types of questions asked in the Key Issues. Forward to Chapter 3 Chapter 3, Migration, forms a natural step from Chapter 2, as those countries experiencing rapid population growth frequently are source regions for international migration, while countries in stage 4 of the demographic transition often experience net in-migration. Migration 3 Thinking Geographically Questions 3.1: Compare the cartograms of emigration (Figure 3-2) and immigration (Figure 3-3) with the cartogram of world population (Figure 2-3). Which of the five most populous countries (China, India, United States, Indonesia, and Brazil) appear to have especially high levels of emigration and immigration, and which appear to have especially low levels? Answer: India, China, and Indonesia appear to have high levels of emigration, while the United States and Brazil have low rates of emigration. The United States and India appear to have relatively high levels of immigration, while China, Indonesia, and Brazil have low levels of immigration. 3.2: What might explain these relatively high or low rates? Answer: Push and pull factors, whether they be economic, political, or environmental, could explain these rates. It should also be taken into consideration whether emigrants were forced to move, or voluntarily did so. For example, the relatively robust economy of the United States pulls people from India and China, where high paying jobs might be harder to get. In 2004, Indonesia was hit by a massive tsunami, displacing thousands and forcing them to move elsewhere. 3.3: Forced migration is considered here as a subset of international migration. What current and historical examples of forced internal migration have been cited in this chapter? Answer: An example of historical forced internal migration cited in this chapter includes the forced relocation of Native Americans during the event known as the Trail of Tears in the mid-nineteenth century. A more contemporary example of forced internal migration cited in this chapter is the interregional migration of Russian citizens from the European portion of the country to the Asian portion of the country for economic development near natural resources (however, this trend has recently reversed). 3.4: Most people migrate for a combination of economic push and pull factors. As you consider your personal future, do you expect push factors or pull factors to be more important in your location decisions? Why? Answer: Economic pull factors will likely play a major role in my location decisions, as I need to live in a place where I can find gainful employment. However, political push factors, such as codified discriminatory policies at the state level in Alabama aimed at minorities, will likely play a role in my decision to move away as well. 3.5: The U.S. border with Mexico has a fence in most places, whereas the U.S. border with Canada does not. What might account for this difference? Answer: The high rates of immigration to the United States from Mexico and other Central American countries by unauthorized immigrants might account for this difference. Pause and Reflect Questions 3.1.1: Do the developed countries of Europe and North America appear in Figures 3-2 and 3-3 to have net in-migration or net out-migration? Answer: The developed countries of Europe and North America appear to have net in-migration. 3.1.2: If the demographic transition has a stage 5 in the future, what might be key features of a stage 5 of the migration transition? Answer: I believe that the migration transition characteristics of a country in stage 5 might continue to exhibit high international immigration, while shifting to intraregional migration from rural areas and suburbs to cities. 3.1.3: When you or your family last moved, was it voluntary international, forced international, interregional internal, or intraregional internal? Answer: The last time my family moved, it was interregional internal – we moved from the Midwest state of Indiana to the Deep South state of Alabama. 3.1.4: In which stage of the demographic transition were most countries when they sent the most immigrants to the United States? Answer: Most countries were in stage 2 of the demographic transition when they sent the most immigrants to the United States. 3.2.1: How might climate change affect patterns of interregional migration in the United States? Answer: If sea levels rise significantly and populations are not able to mitigate these developments, large-scale interregional migration in the United States from heavily-populated Atlantic Coast states such as Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia to interior regions will have to occur. If drought conditions persist and water resources are improperly managed in areas such as the Plains states (where water is provided by the Ogalala Aquifer) and the southwestern U.S. (where the Colorado River supplies a great deal of water to states dominated by dry conditions), populations will be forced to migrate as well. 3.2.2: Does Russia’s interregional migration pattern more closely resemble that of the United States and Canada or that of Brazil and China? Answer: Interregional migration in Canada and the United States was largely caused by westward expansion of each country’s territory, whereas in China and Brazil interregional migration was spurred by various economic push and pull factors. Russia’s case more closely resembles that of China and Brazil. 3.2.3: Why might rural to urban migration be the most intense in countries in stage 2 of the demographic transition? Answer: As industry (economic advancement opportunities) and health care services grow in stage 2 of the demographic transition, these services are likely to be clustered in urban areas, encouraging rural to urban migration. 3.3.1: What similarities and differences can be seen between the interregional migration patterns of Native Americans and of migrants of European ancestry, as shown in Figure 3-12? Answer: Native Americans had in common the destination of Oklahoma when they were forcibly relocated in the mid-nineteenth century, while European Americans expanded to the wider western reaches of the U.S. by voluntary means. 3.3.2: Why might people choose to build houses in floodplains? Answer: For one, many people are unaware that they may be building a home in a floodplain. Secondly, they may have family ties to a region located in a floodplain, pulling them to the area. Lastly, economic or recreational opportunities present in the area may outweigh the risks of potential damage from a flood. 3.3.3: Before becoming the leading company for transferring remittances from the United States, what was the principal business of Western Union? Answer: The primary business of Western Union prior to becoming the leading company for transferring remittances from the United States was the transmission of telegrams. 3.3.4: Why might elderly people be more likely than average to migrate in developing countries but less likely than average to do so in developed countries? Answer: Elderly people might not have access to entitlement programs such as Social Security and Medicaid in developing countries, encouraging them to migrate due to economic factors. 3.4.1: How are changes in the quota laws reflected in changing U.S. immigration patterns, as shown in Figure 3-10? Answer: As quota laws in the United States have changed to pull immigrants who have highly-valued job skills, immigration from Asia has greatly increased since the middle of the twentieth century. 3.4.2: How are changes in the quota laws reflected in changing U.S. immigration patterns, as shown in Figure 3-10? Answer: As quota laws in the United States have changed to pull immigrants who have highly-valued job skills, immigration from Asia has greatly increased since the middle of the twentieth century. 3.4.3: Why at border crossings is traffic entering the United States backed up further than traffic entering Mexico? Answer: Border security crossing into the United States is heavily secure, while border security entering Mexico is minimal (as seen in Figure 3-42). 3.4.4: How do attitudes toward immigrants differ between Europe and North America? Answer: Attitudes are divided in both Europe and North America regarding immigrants coming to these regions. In Europe, hostility is a central tenet of political parties in many European countries, despite the relatively modest percentage of immigrants. In North America, states such as Arizona and Alabama have enacted stringent immigration restrictions on unauthorized immigrants. In both regions, however, these immigrants (whether they have the necessary documentation for immigration or not) occupy an economic niche, working jobs that citizens otherwise wouldn’t. Despite these hostile attitudes, outreach organizations such as Amnesty in USA, the Federation for American Immigration Reform, and the European Network on Statelessness exist to help these at-risk populations. Explore Use Google Earth to explore the U.S.-Mexico border at Laredo. Fly to: Nuevo Laredo, Mexico. Select Borders and Labels. Zoom in to 5,000 feet. 1. Follow the international border through the built-up area of Nuevo Laredo and Laredo. How many border crossings do you see? Answer: Two border crossings can be seen between Laredo and Nuevo Laredo. 2. What is the means of transport at each of the crossings? Answer: Automobile is the means of transport at each of the crossings. Zoom in to 2,000 feet. 3. The backup of cars is long trying to enter which country? Answer: The backup of cars is long trying to enter the United States. 4. Based on the Google Earth image, if you had to ship goods across the border (such as car parts), which means of transport appears to be the quickest and easiest to use? Answer: The quickest and easiest means of shipping goods across the border to the United States would be by air. If one were to ship goods to Mexico, transporting them by automobile would be the quickest and easiest. GeoVideo Questions 1. What environmental factor has driven the Turkana to migrate? Answer: Drought conditions have driven the traditionally pastoral Turkana to migrate to the shores of Lake Turkana. 2. How do some Turkana gain a livelihood in their new home by the lake? Answer: Some Turkana cling to the land and attempt to adapt their pastoral livelihoods to the Lake area, while others have adopted a livelihood of fishing. 3. Where else have Turkana migrated to escape the drought? Answer: Others have migrated to the cities in order to find jobs that typically pay low wages. 4. What are the advantages and drawbacks of this choice? Answer: The advantages of migrating to Lake Turkana include a somewhat reliable means of survival, mostly by fishing. Communities are also able to be maintained, however, pressures on the Lake due to drought conditions drying up significant portions of the Lake pose an eminent threat to this tenuous situation. Resources United Nations High Commission on Refugees www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/home Map and text-based information about refugees, photos, news, publications, and educational material, including the excellent “Global Trends 2015” ( http://www.unhcr.org/en-us/global-trends-2015.html). Cultural Landscape Report for Ellis Island Stakely, J. T. (2003). Cultural Landscape Report for Ellis Island. Brookline, Mass: National Park Service Olmstead Center for Landscapers Preservation. An app is available for iOS and Android platforms that provides a wealth of information on Ellis Island from the National Park Service (more information at https://www.nps.gov/elis/index.htm). U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis This is the official U.S. government site for immigration policy and applications. U.S. Department of State Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration http://www.state.gov/j/prm/This is a U.S. government site for official news and views on immigration and refugee issues. Connections between Chapters Back to Chapter 2 Students have an extremely difficult time connecting Chapter 2 with Chapter 3. A great number seem to have memorized that migrants came to the United States “to escape religious persecution.” Address this misconception by asking whether students believe that all 40-some-odd million European migrants to the United States were fleeing religious persecution. It is amazing how durable elementary tales of Pilgrims can be. Forward to Chapter 4 A natural connection to Chapter 4 is the observation that migrants frequently bring unique elements of their culture with them in the form of unique foods, dress, and social customs. This observation can be made even more poignant by emphasizing the most common destination of new migrants, large urban areas, are locations which feature cultural diversity. Solution Manual for The Cultural Landscape: An Introduction to Human Geography James M. Rubenstein 9780321831583, 9780321956712, 9780321831576, 9780132435734
