Conceptual Framework Nature of “regions”

Natural Region Economic, Cultural region

Sense of Place Core/Periphery Model Heartland/Hinterland Dependency and Staples

Theory Modernization Theory GDP

Geography 2109

CHAPTER 1 Regions of CanadaConcepts of “Regional”

Geography Geography & Representation Representation through

Mapping

culture behaviour society

Geog as science Geog research praxis Scientific

content

community

Geographic research Geographers

Geography and Its “Regions”

(Source: from Grano 1981: 19 in Johnston 1991: 277)

TheoryCulturePoliticsEconomy

Environment Atmosphere Hydrology Morphology

The study of Geography should increase one’s awareness of different levels of scale, from the village via regions and countries to entire continents.

• A more “inclusive” Geography,

Stems from an expansion and openness of the concept of region. It has allowed Geography to broaden its scope of examination, analysis and interpretation to not only include measuring temperature, climate and placement of populations, but also the examination and consideration of feminist; post-structuralist; post-Marxist; postmodernist; and postcolonial perspectives and theory (Claval 1998).

Concept of “Regional” Geography

Regional Geography now engages a variety of perspectives and looks at the interaction of place, power and identity at different scales.

Regions are Dynamic, ever changing Contemporary processes of social, economic, and

political change are dramatically transforming how space and time are perceived, organized, and in turn, affect the ways in which people live their lives, constitute their identities, and understand their places in the world. As a result, long-standing notions of time and space are being challenged, reworked, and reconstituted. (1997 Hong Kong returns to mainland – Vancouver experiences expansion in commerce, construction, Asian trade – French no longer second major language)

Concepts of “Regional” Geography

Why is Canada best understood from a regional perspective?

–Unique physical features affect a spatial area in a particular way

–e.g. alpine environments closely resemble arctic and subarctic environments

–Temperature constraints

– Water constraints

on vegetation & dependant species

Chapter Theme

Yet, the regions differ greatly:one peri-urban and low latitude, the other remote and high latitude.

But, Human Geography also investigates geographical themes such as: geopolitics, rural or urban development, socio-cultural issues (includes feminist and indigenous), population dynamics and environmental and economic geography, all of which influence the character of regions. A key concept of region remains, therefore:

Sense of Place: The special and often emotional feelings that people have for the region in which they live. Whether derived from natural factors, such as climate, a river, lake or plain, or cultural factor such as language or religion, it is a powerful psychological bond between people and their region (Bone 2002).

Concepts of “Regional” Geography

Geography & Representation of “regions”-Natural Regions: Areas defined by one or more physical features such as soil type, vegetation, hills or bodies of water.

Representing “Regional” Geography

- Cultural regions: Geographic areas defined by one or more cultural features such as language, religion or a culturally-defined resource.

-Megaregion: extra large geographic unit (e.g. nation)-Mesoregion: medium-size boundaries (e.g. Cordillera)-Microregion: small-scale boundaries (e.g. Cape Breton Is.)

-Transition Zone: main attributes of one region merge into those of neighbouring region (e.g. sub-arctic)

Economic & Political Geographic Perspectives of Regions-Wallerstein’s perspective of dominance and exploitation -Core Region (capitalist realm of dominance higher wage, high-tech, mixed production)-Peripheral Region (low wages, low-tech, low production)

Concepts of “Regional” Geography

-Heartland (nature & tariffs favour the core)-Hinterland (Transfer Payments begun 1967)-Friedmann’s Regional Model

CORE /PERIPHERY MODEL Upward Transitional e.g. Alberta Downward Transitional e.g. Northern Ont. Resource Frontier e.g. Territories in the North

Staple Thesis, a theory asserting that the export of natural resources, or staples, from Canada to more advanced economies has a pervasive impact on the economy as well as on the social and political systems. Furthermore, different staples (fur, fish, timber, grain, oil, etc) have differing impacts on rates of settlement, federal-provincial conflicts, etc. The thesis was formulated in the 1920s by

economic historians Harold A. Innis and W.A. MacKintosh. Agreeing that Canada had been born with a staple economy, they differed insofar as

MacKintosh saw a continuing evolution toward a mature industrialized economy based on staple production, whereas Innis saw a tendency for Canada to become permanently locked into dependency as a resource hinterland. Contemporary proponents of the thesis argue that Innis's version more accurately describes the Canadian situation to the present. While a market economy generates economic growth, its by-products are a spatial imbalance in growth creating have and have-not regions and hidden environmental and social costs necessitating state intervention (Source: McCann & Gunn 1998; Daniels et al 2002; and Bone 2005, p. 24)

Key Definitions

Core - according to Wallerstein, it is an abstract place where economic wealth, population and power are concentrated.(e.g. an industrial core, heartland, or metropolitan centre

Core/Periphery Model - A theoretical concept based on a dual spatial structure of the capitalist world and a mutually beneficial relationship between its two parts which are known as the core and the periphery. While both parts are dependent on each other the core (industrial heartland) dominates the economic relationship. The core/periphery model can be applied at several geographical levels, including international, hinterland, national, and regional. While also determined by physical geography, history and culture are greater determinants of this division (McCann 1982).

Dependency Theory - A neo-Marxist interpretation of the dual spatial structure of the capitalist world that is based on an exploitive relationship between its two parts, known as the core and periphery. As a consequence of this exploitive economic relationship, the periphery is eventually stripped of its natural resources and left in a state of underdevelopment. Neo-Marxist scholars see underdevelopment as resulting from capitalist exploitation.

Source: Bone. 2004.

Key Definitions

Heartland - identified by the British geographer Halford Mackinder (1904) as the zone in East-Central Europe, control of which would be a key to world domination. The term has since been appropriated by American geopolitical thinkers to signify a favored, more prosperous, dominant region.

Periphery according to Wallerstein, refers to those regions of the world capitalist economy characterized by low wages, simple technology and limited production. See Box 2.3.

Semi-periphery according to Wallerstein, refers to those regions of the world capitalist economy which, while exploiting the periphery, are themselves exploited by the core countries. Furthermore, they are characterized by the importance of both core and peripheral processes.

Resource a substance in the physical environment that has value or usefulness to human beings and is economically feasible and socially acceptable to use. Resources are NOT defined by space, then, but by culture.

Source: Daniels et al. 2002.

Canada’s regional disparities (physical, political, economic) lend themselves to a spatial framework and permit the use of the core/periphery model as a conceptual framework Distribution and Disparity in Populations

In 2001, Ontario population was 11.4 million (39%) while the Territorial North pop’n (52% aborig.) was 0.1 M (<0.01%).

Distribution and Disparity in Resources

The physical geography of Canada is widely disparate:Territorial North is an area of 3.91 million km² (33% of Canada)

while Atlantic Canada is 0.54 million km² (<1% area). « even in small settlements, where the indigenous people are in a majority, a

few immigrant entrepreneurs frequently own everything that is economically important (motel, handicrafts workshop, general store, fuel depot, accommodation, construction, and employment). Once these initial structures are established, competition by an indigenous person becomes almost impossible… a minority from the South is controlling them” (Hamelin, 1979).

Gross domestic product (GDP) a broad measure of an economy's performance; it is the value of the final output of goods and services produced by the residents of an economy plus primary income from non-residential sources.Gross national product (GNP) Same as the GDP, but can be interpreted as well to include the value left after removing the profits from overseas investments and those profits from the economy that go to foreign investors.

Geography and Representation of Regions

Concepts of “Regional” Geography

Who protects Canada’s vast northern resource“frontier”- its army or itsaboriginal communitiesthat have existed here formillenia?

North: Sovereignty could be challenged if global warming makes Arctic more accessible

The Ottawa Citizen, Saturday, Aug. 7, 2004

“Over the past 10 to 15 years, the level of training and experience in Arctic operations with the Canadian Forces has waned,”the Canadian Forces Northern Area noted in a 2000 report. “We have moved from a position where virtually every Infantryman and a sizeable portion of the membership of the other combat arms had personal experience in such operations, to a position where few junior personnel across the forces have ever experienced the Arctic in an operational context.” “By conducting undetected transits of areas under dispute, such as the Northwest Passage, which by 2025 could be relatively ice free for significant portions of the year, (they could) then question Canada’s claim to jurisdiction based on inability to monitor or control the disputed waters,” according to a 1999 navy study.

Protecting the Arctic and its peoples from the effects of global warming occupies centre stage in the minds of many northerners and their governments

Northern Perspectives 27(2):7, Spring, 2002. CARC

“Sheila Watt-Cloutier, President of the Inuit Circumpolar Conference (Canada) says, “Inuit will not be powerless victims of climate change, but will lobby actively in international meetings to ensure that their concerns are not ignored.. We must give cc a human face, an Inuk face, and we must show cc negotiators impacts in the Arctic foreshadow impacts around the gobe.”

José Kusugak, ITK Pres.

Atlantic Canada Québec Ontario Western Canada British Columbia Territorial North

Canada’s regional framework defined by:

Distinct physical features Historical evolution Human and social profile Economic profile: resources and their development Present and future potential.

Source: Bone. 2002.

Canada’s Six Regions:

Atlantic Canada Smallest region, 2nd smallest population (10% francoph., 2% aboriginal) rich history of immigrant settlements since 1604, 300k francophones rich fertile soils and climate in NB, PEI & parts of Nova Scotia, vast

continental shelf and richness of marine life Economic collapse of fisheries, coal and steel industries

Québec < 1/5 area of Canada, ¼ population (83% francophone, 1% aboriginal) rich history of immigrant settlements since 1608, but slow until 1770 Climate does not favor agriculture, but forests, water, minerals abound richly diversified economy that includes: mineral extraction and refining, forestry, agriculture, fishing, tourism, manufacturing, hydroelectric power

Ontario > 1/10 area of Canada, >1/3 population (5% francophone, 1%

aboriginal) rich history of immigrant settlements since 1775 (American Revolution) fertile soils and mild climate in southern Ontario, fishing & shipping potential

in the Great Lakes basin, vast forests & mineral wealth Source: Bone. 2002.

Western Canada (the three “prairie” provinces) ~1/5 area of Canada, 1/5 population (2.7% francophone; 7% aboriginal) Immigrant settlements of western Canada esp. after railroad built in 1885. Primary physical features: Interior plains, Canadian Shield, Rocky Mountains Plains soil rich and fertile, but growing season short and dry Economy less diversified: mineral extraction and refining, agriculture, tourism, some manufacturing

British Columbia <1/10 area of Canada, 1/10 population (2% francophone; 4% aboriginal) Immigrant settlements began much later (1860s only) Primary physical features: Cordilleran mountains, Pacific Abundant rainfall, mild climate, rich forests, abundant mineral resources, hydro potential and fisheries, access to Pacific, Asian and U.S. markets.

Territorial North ~2/5 area of Canada, <1% population (3% francophone; 50% aboriginal) Physical features: Cordilleran, Canadian Shield, Taiga, Tundra, Arctic Islands Settlement population growth only since 1800s Remote from markets, high costs resource exploitation, public sector employ’t

Acknowledgements / References Photos- River, mountains, Arctic, Inuit, soldier,

dancers, R. Harris painting, coal miners, Social Credit Party: Multimedia M&S. 1999. The Canadian Encyclopedia Deluxe Edition. CD_ROM Set. Toronto: McClelland & Stewart.

Charts: GDP: Petro-Canada. 2002. The Canadian Encyclopedia 2003 Edition, Historica Foundation.

Map 1995 Referendum results, Darragh, I. & M. Steber. 1997. “Quebec’s Quandry” in National Geographic Magazine, 197(5): 54. Washington, DC: National geographic Society.

Map Emigration from Columbia/Guatemala, National Geographic Magazine, issue to be confirmed.