Regional Geography of the United States

University:
High School
Course:
High School Geography
Academic year:

2025
Views:

225

Pages:

52
Author:

Sidney Le

ENVSOCTY 2RU3 Regional Geography of the United States Regions of the United States X: California II Dr. Michael Mercier Lecture Outline  Recall: Last Class  Human Settlement  Contemporary Population  Cities & Urbanization • Cities in Focus  Economic Livelihood  Summary/Conclusion  Readings: Chapter 15 Recall  The Changing Southwest  The Geographical Extent  Character of the Region  Physical Setting Human Settlement  Mild climate and rich soils of parts of California have long made it a suitable place for settlement  American Indian Population • California has been inhabited for longer than elsewhere, i.e., c.15-20,000 years Human Settlement  American Indian Population • California Cultural Complex • Greater density and diversity  Diversity  Cultural variations Human Settlement  American Indian Population • California Cultural Complex o  California: eradicate the American Indian population Policy consistent with federal policy and manifest destiny  Facilitated through state-administered cultural assimilation, boarding schools, etc.  Today Human Settlement  Spanish-Mexican Settlement & Colonization • Colonization: 1770s-1830s, the Spanish set up a network of missions Human Settlement  Spanish-Mexican Settlement & Colonization • Missions: religious and economic functions • Missions also had an overt political role • Californian cities • Mexican independence Human Settlement  Euro-American Settlement • U.S. assumed territorial control over California in 1848 • 1849: gold discovered in the Sierra Nevada  Supplying the gold rush led to the state’s development and success, e.g.  Population growth: Contemporary Population  California:  Population: • 2020: 39.5m  Immigration: • ~11m • Illegal (Undocumented) Immigrants: Contemporary Population  Ethnicity/Race:  Hispanic-American: • Largest cultural group in California • > 80% Mexican  Asian-American: Group Population (%) Ethnic/Racial White (non Hispanic) Hispanic 39.4 % 38.3 % Asian-American 17.0 % African-American 6.4 % (Native) Indian 1.3 % (Native) Hawaiian 0.7 % Cities & Urbanization  Highly urbanized  Two major urban clusters (conurbations):  Both plagued by the consequences of sprawl Cities & UrbanizationVery Strong Positive (>10 %) Strong Positive (5-10 Metropolitan areas of California  Metropolitan Area Populat i on (2020) Los Angeles (CA) 13,200,9 98 San Francisco (CA) 4,749,00 8 San Bernardino (CA) 4,559,83 9 San Diego (CA) 3,690,26 1 Sacramento (CA) Pop Metropolitan Area i on Cha (201 202 San Jose (CA) + 2. + 9. Fresno (CA) Bakersfield (CA) + 8. Oxnard (CA) Populat i2,397,3 8 on 2 (2020) Populati + 11.6 % on Change 2,000,46 8 (2010+ 8.9 % 2020) 1,008,65 909,235 4 + 8.4 % + 8.3 % 843,843 + 2.5 % + 6. Stockton (CA) 779,233 + 13.7 % %) Positive (0-5%) Negative Cities & Urbanization: Cities in Focus  Los Angeles: • Los Angeles Conurbation: • Los Angeles metro area comprised of many semi independent municipalities Los Angeles (Metro) Populatio n 1920 682,000 1940 2,268,000 1960 6,805,000 1980 9,410,000 2000 12,365,000 2020 13,200,998 Cities & Urbanization: Cities in Focus  Los Angeles • Urban geography:  o Extensive auto-centric suburbs Cars • Consequences Cities & Urbanization: Cities in Focus  Los Angeles • Ethnic Diversity  Los Angeles & San Francisco are the major hubs, e.g. Cities & Urbanization: Cities in Focus  San Francisco: • San Francisco Bay Conurbation     San Francisco Oakland & Alameda County San Jose & Santa Clara County San Mateo County Cities & Urbanization: Cities in Focus  Metro San Francisco & Oakland: • Neighbourhoods & Districts     Hispanic/Latino African American Asian American LGBTQ+ Cities & Urbanization: Cities in Focus San Francisco Cities & Urbanization: Cities in Focus  San Jose & Santa Clara: Silicon Valley • San Jose: the Capital of Silicon Valley  Bay Area GDP • Epicentre of the American technology economy    Apple Facebook Google Cities & Urbanization: Cities in Focus San Diego: • U.S.-Mex. Border • Major deepwater port  U.S. Navy • Tourism: Cities & Urbanization: Cities in Focus  Cities of the Central Valley • Regional commercial and/or agricultural processing centres, i.e., • Modesto • Fresno • Bakersfield Cities & Urbanization: Cities in Focus  Cities of the Central Valley (cont’d) • Fastest growing cities • Sacramento:  State capital & a centre of US military aerospace industry • Stockton:  A seaport city for the San Joaquin Valley Economic Livelihood  Economy: ~$2 trillion per year • Among the top-10 economies of  the world Diverse economy: • Primary Activities: e.g., agriculture • Secondary Activities: e.g., high-tech, aerospace, etc. • Service Activities: e.g., health, education, retail trade, insurance and financial services, etc. Economic Livelihood: Primary Activities  Agriculture: Irrigation  Water diversion • Sub regions of agriculture in the state: Economic Livelihood: Primary Activities  Agriculture: Strawberries • Case Study: Top 10 Agricultur al Commoditi es (California ) Billions ($) Dairy 6.4 Grapes 6.3 Almonds 5.5 Cattle (Beef) 3.2 Pistachios 2.6 2.3 Strawberri es Lettuce 1.8 Economic Livelihood: Primary Activities  Agriculture: • Case Study: Grapes & Wine  California Wine Industry Economic Livelihood: Secondary Activities  Manufacturing: • Deindustrialization • Significant manufacturing/secondary activities • Aerospace: • Automotive • Technology Economic Livelihood: Services  Trade & the Pacific Rim  Globalization (c.1970s): trade shifted towards Asia • Inter-continental trade • Trade flows through ports in California • Los Angeles-Long Beach, Oakland-San Francisco Economic Livelihood: Services  Tourism & Entertainment  Entertainment:  National Parks:  Coastal communities, beaches, etc.  Desert retreats  Mountains A Concluding Proposal  Spatially the 3rd state; the most state; the largest => BUT, a state that regionally divided largest populous economy is  Partitioning? Summary/Conclusions  Historical & contemporary ties to Hispanic culture  Most populous and most urbanized region  Economy oriented towards Asia  Diverse regional economy  Next class: