Lab 4 North America

Lab_4 North America

This week in Geography we covered North America, including Canada and the United States.  Both countries share distinct and similar physical and cultural characteristics, so they are covered in this chapter.  Mexico, being culturally similar to Guatemala and Honduras will be covered in the next chapter.  The physiographic regions of North America are well defined and commonly recognized by its residents. Climatically, North America is very diverse with ranges from the arid deserts of the southwestern US to the tundra of northern Canada and Alaska.  Most of Canada is covered in boreal forest, which consist of coniferous trees such as spruce and pine. Most of North America sits on the North America plate and is relatively stable, one exception is the Juan De Fuca Place off the Pacific coast.  Having lived in northern California and Washington, the threat of that plate shifting is very real.  The area is overdue for a massive tectonic shift, and researchers believe that when it finally happens the tsunami it generates could wipe out much of the Pacific Northwest coast.  

In our lab this week, we looked at the amusement parks of North America and how they are affected by or effect the local population.  We had the opportunity to adjust layers and add icons to the map.  We discussed the census program allows the government to know where people are located, how many are there, and who they are.  This can help with the distribution of government aid/funding and drawing of political lines in each state.  We were able to look at detail of the parks, such as annual visitation.  Knotts' Berry Farm had 4.1mil, Disney's Animal Kingdon had 10.4 million, and Bush Gardens Tampa had 5.5 million.  We also discussed the distribution of the parks with concentration being in Southern California, Central Florida, and a few in the Midwest and Northeast.  We also had the opportunity to choose a location for our own park. I would open a western/cowboy/Texas themed park in Dallas, TX.  It is in close proximity to other major population centers such as Houstin, Austin, San Antonio and Oklahoma City.  There is access to an international airport, and major highway and interstates.