warmup take out your notes. why is the united states so great? why are we one of the top 13 places...
TRANSCRIPT
Warmup
• Take out your notes.
• Why is the United States so great?
• Why are we one of the top 13 places to live?
• Is it luck or is it something else?
Are We Lucky?
““We are the only country born of an ideaWe are the only country born of an idea.. We are not here because of geography or We are not here because of geography or
religion or race or even economics.religion or race or even economics. We are here because everybody We are here because everybody
agrees on an idea. agrees on an idea. Freedom.Freedom.
It’s that idea that is imperishable.”It’s that idea that is imperishable.”
Ken BurnsKen Burns
Infant Mortality Rate# of infant deaths for every 1,000 live births
Western Europe
Western & Central Africa
World Average
Life ExpectancyAverage length (in years) a person lives
Western Europe
Western & Central Africa
World Average
Literacy RateAge 15 and older can read and write
Western Europe
Western & Central Africa
World Average
GDP Per CapitaThe value of all goods and services produced within a country in a given year,
divided by total populationWestern Europe
Western & Central Africa
World Average
Arable FarmlandLand that can be used for growing crops (in hectares)1 hectare=2.4 acres
Germany
Burkina Faso
World Total
Intentional Homicide RateThe number of intentional deaths per 100,000 people in a given area
Western Europe
Southern Africa
World Average
Are We Lucky?
• The United States and Canada are unique in the world “geographically speaking”.
Are We Lucky?
• Both are physically large, but not overpopulated.
• Both are affluent (wealthy).
Economics
• Both are productive economically and industrialized in most regions.– Canada = mixed economy– U.S. = capitalist economy
• What economic activities do these countries likely do? P,S,T,Q
All four
Governments
• United States
• Federal republic
• Canada
• Parliamentary democracy
• Both guarantee many individual rights to their people.– Bill of Rights
Government
• Both are democratic countries.
• U.S. = president (Barack Obama)
• Canada = prime minister (Stephen Harper)
• Citizens have a large say in government processes.
U.S. Congress
Canadian Parliament
Political Stability
• Both the U.S. and Canada have a history of peaceful coexistence.
• (though we are 0-2 against them)
• The longest unguarded border in the world is the U.S. / Canada border.
• Why don’t we have an illegal immigration issue with Canada?
Resources
Both countries are blessed with a wide variety of natural resources.
Geographic Advantages
• Good water resources.– Great Lakes– St. Lawrence Seaway– Mississippi and
Colorado River systems
– Etc.
– isolated
Geographic Advantages
• Productive soils. – Especially in the Great
Plains region.
• Top soil – what is needed to grow crops is deep in most areas.
• Glaciation – pushed most of Eastern Canadian top soil down into the U.S.
Geographic Advantages
• A variety of latitudes provides several climatic regions and growing climates.
Disadvantages!
• Distance.
• It is hard to get goods to the markets.
• Canada and the U.S. built trans-continental railroads in the 1800s.
• We later built highways.
We benefit one another
• Who do you think the U.S. exports the most goods to?
• Answer: Canada
• Canada ranks 2nd to Japan in U.S. imports.
We benefit one another
• Canadian firms do more business with U.S. companies than with each other!
We benefit one another
• Culture
• U.S. culture influences Canada and vice-versa.
• Food, clothing, music, film, etc.
Canadian ‘imports’ to the US
We are like brothers (or sisters)
• We may quarrel, but when the fight is on, we stick together.
I Am Canadian
Canada is Really Big
Are We Lucky?