NA - Human Geography, continued Lesson

Human Geography, continued

 

Modern Populations

The population of people living on a continent is never uniformly spread over the continent. This is because many areas, such as deserts and high mountains are inhospitable and people gather and form cities around the seaports and fresh water sources of regions. This is particularly true of those with warmer climates.

Most Canadians live near the U.S. border. Ever since the invention of the air conditioner, the U.S. population has been moving south and westward. The states experiencing the most population growth include those located on the southern portion of the eastern seaboard, Texas, Nevada, Utah, California, Oregon, and Washington. Still, the Northeast is the most densely populated area of the country thanks, in large part, to the megalopolis that forms the corridor and encompasses the cities from Washington, DC, north to Boston. Urbanization has been a trend since about 1950. Prior to then, most Americans lived in small towns or more rural settings. The population density of the cities, and especially the suburban areas, has grown steadily in recent years.

With increasing urbanization, has come a few challenges. These include traffic congestion, overcrowded schools, racial tensions, and a widening economic gap between the wealthy and impoverished. Since the population shifts have occurred faster than the development of houses or other resources, the new demands in these urban areas have forced prices upward and caused the cost of living to increase faster than many of the lower socioeconomic citizens' abilities to pay. This has contributed to an increase in urban poverty and homelessness. Environmental issues including smog, waste management, and adequate clean water supplies have also been a growing concern in these metropolitan areas.

Methods of Calculating National Income

When one considers the global economy, the reasons people move from rural to urban areas become more apparent. The economic conditions or health of countries are connected to how they gain national income, opportunities, and advantages over other countries. Throughout human history, countries regularly acquired resources and opportunities through warfare. Since this tactic is now viewed unfavorably by most modern nations, countries attempt to structure their economies in ways that will sustain their growth. These economic activities are grouped by the value they will add to the country's economy. For a country to gain national wealth, income must be brought in from outside the country or be generated from within it. Primary and secondary economic activities include agriculture, extraction/mining, and manufacturing.

Agriculture is the method of growing crops or trees. It also includes the raising of livestock for food and some raw materials. The excess or amount that the home country does not need is usually sold for a profit to other countries. This is a renewable method of gaining wealth, if the natural conditions are favorable. As global competition increases in various markets, the profits for some agricultural products may be low. This forces the agricultural producers to make decisions based on their home and global markets.

Countries with minerals, oil, or other natural resources can earn income from the extraction and sale of those items. Since these resources are not renewable, once the minerals or oil resources run out, the country must turn to other activities to gain national income. Manufacturing has offered the industrialized world the opportunity for the greatest value-added profits. From the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, solid profits have been made by turning raw materials into useable products that can be mass-produced and sold in high quantities. The core areas of the world have all made enormous wealth from manufacturing profits. Today, high-tech manufactured products generate substantial wealth.

Other than the big-three methods of agriculture, extraction/mining, and manufacturing, there are additional ways a country can gain wealth, such as through tourism and services. Postindustrial economic activities (the service sector) contribute to a large percentage of employment opportunities in industrialized countries and generate a large percentage of their national economies. However, the service sector does not have the high value-added profits traditionally provided by the manufacturing sector.

 

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