GEOGRAPHY OF THE UNITED STATES & CANADA By Brett Lucas
THE SOUTHEASTERN COAST
Setting the Boundaries What states and provinces are part of the region? Southeastern TX, southern LA, southern MS, southern AL, southern GA, all of FL, eastern SC, and eastern NC What regions does it border? Great Plains, Inland South, and Megaopolis
Physical Geography
Physical Setting Probably the flattest region of the 15 regions discussed in this class Poorly drained Components Sandy shallow coastline Barrier Islands Florida Peninsula Mississippi Delta Florida Keys
Coastline Very flat terrain Very shallow ocean Many meandering rivers Swamps common, lack of true coastline
Barrier Islands Shoals as geographic units Slowly migrating outward Intensely developed
Florida Peninsula Limestone Karst Caves Sinkholes Very high water table Lakes and artesian wells Complex drainage system
Florida Peninsula
Everglades
Mississippi River Delta Landscape in transition Bayou
Intra-coastal Waterway The Intra-coastal Waterway is a 4,800-km (3,000-mile) waterway along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the United States. Some lengths consist of natural inlets, salt-water rivers, bays, and sounds; others are man-made canals. Enhances freight transport Extends across much of the region
Climate Summer dominates Mild winter, though frosts occur in most places Heavy rainfall Very humid Hurricane prone
Climograph Wilmington, NC
Climograph Charleston, SC
Climograph Savannah, GA
Climograph Jacksonville, FL
Climograph Miami, FL
Climograph Tampa, FL
Climograph Mobile, AL
Climograph Baton Rouge, LA
Climograph Houston, TX
Climograph Brownsville, TX
Galveston, 1900 Hurricane Worst natural disaster in US History at the time It had estimated winds of 135 mph 6,000 killed in city (20% of the population) Allowed Houston to surpass Galveston in regional supremacy
Hurricane Katrina Hurricane Katrina was the costliest and one of the five deadliest hurricanes in the history of the U.S. It was the sixth-strongest Atlantic hurricane ever recorded and the thirdstrongest hurricane on record that made landfall in the United States
Climate Comparison Spokane WA Houston TX Miami FL Wilmington NC Jan Temp (F) 33 / 21 62 / 41 75 / 59 56 / 35 Jul Temp (F) 82 / 54 93 / 73 89 / 77 89 / 71 Rainfall 16.5 in. 45 in. 58 in. 54 in. Snowfall 49 in. 0 in. 0 in. 2 in.
Soils & Landscape Sandy soils, clay, poorly drained Forest (pines and cypress) on more stable ground and located more to the east Grasslands near coast Everglades is an example with tall sawgrass
Wildlife Wintering ground for many birds Cougar Alligators Snakes Many exotic species flourish here Florida s climate can accommodate many species
Population & Settlement
Early Settlement Extremely varied/complex settlement French settlers came down the Mississippi and gradually spread along the coast British moved along the Atlantic shore (Georgia founded in 1773) Spanish settled Texas from Caribbean/Mexico
Settlement of Florida First permanent European settlement by Spanish (St. Augustine, 1565), evicted French settlers of a year earlier Camped by French on the west and English on north through 1700 s Ceded to Britain, 1763 Returned to Spain, 1781
Settlement of Florida Spanish settlers returned along with many Native Americans, Africans, Americans Ceded to US in 1821 Two Seminole Wars to evict native population, 1818 and 1835-41
Contemporary Migration Cuban immigration to Florida Haitian immigration to Florida Mexican immigration to Texas Retirement immigration to entire region
Contemporary Migration Booming areas Houston Most of Florida peninsula Retirement areas of southern Texas, Carolinas Other areas with less growth New Orleans to Florida panhandle Charleston, Savannah
Population Numbers State/Province 2000 (1,000 s) 1990 (1,000 s) Change Florida 15,982 12,937 +23% Wilmington, NC 233 171 +36% New Orleans 1,337 1,285 +4% Houston 4,670 3,731 +21% Brownsville, TX 335 260 +29% US & Canada 312,600 276,700 +13%
Population Density - NC
Population Density - SC
Population Density - GA
Population Density - FL
Population Density - AL
Population Density - MS
Population Density - LA
Population Density - TX
Human & Economic Geography
Fishisng Louisiana catch second only to Alaska in US Shrimp most places in gulf Many leading fishing port in the region
Forestry Turpentine and resin Half of the worlds output here Distilled from yellow pine Lumber and pulpwood
Forestry Difficult in many regions with poorly drained land Climate suitable for some crops not suitable in other areas Adequate moisture Winter crops grown for rest of US and Canada Most crops grown elsewhere are absent here (grains)
Citrus Florida, more than 75% of national output Also in Rio Grande Valley Danger from frosts has pushed dominant area south
Winter Vegtables Tomatoes Peppers Squash Eggplant
Sugar Important historically Sugar plantations in Louisiana Current growth South Central and Southeast Louisiana Southeast Florida Increased in importance since Cuban sugar is prohibited
Crops & other Livestock Rice Used to extremely important in Carolina s in Georgia Cotton Tobacco Beef Coastal Louisiana, Texas, Florida
Mineral Industries Salt Sulfur Oil and Natural Gas Mouth of the Mississippi to the mouth of the Rio Grande off shore and near shore reserves Expanding industry, with better technology Many cities in the area have large refineries and shipping ports
Oil Drilling in the Gulf Already in western Gulf Proposed ending of moratorium in Eastern Gulf Significant environmental hazard with the BP Spill in 2010
Manufacturing Mostly, due to proximity of natural resources Petrochemicals Plastics Oil refinement Rubber Explosives
Tourism & Recreation Mostly beach or water-related Disney and other amusement parks in Orlando Winter haven Retirement center Cruise ship industry
Service Industry Large boom in retirement population Dramatic increase in employment in services for older population Large employment in tourist trade as well, particularly in Florida
New Orleans Enormous shipping port Only US major city below sea level Most French-cultured city in US Major tourist destination Slow growth Hit hard by Hurricane Katrina in 2004
Houston Fastest growing large city in country Busy port, industrial area Dominated by energy industry Space industry Largest US city without an amusement park close by
Other Florida Cities Large service sectors Tourism centers (especially Orlando) Retirement centers Most cities on peninsula rapidly growing Tampa 2.4 M., Orlando 1.6 M., West Palm Beach 1.1 M. Much of the coastal areas one large area of urban sprawl Jacksonville and other northern cities showing less growth
Other Cities Petroleum-based and Petrochemicals Baton Rouge Beaumont - Port Arthur Historic Industrial Cities Charleston Savannah Other Ports Mobile (steel) Brownsville (agriculture)
Outlook Future growth Petroleum industry and related manufacturing Expansion of port facilities Retirement centers Natural environment very sensitive to growth