Nature’s Gift and Challenges of Northern America
Nature has blessed Northern
America. Its abundant resources and environmental diversity is unsurpassed.
Landform features are varied and often spectacular. Vast rolling plains with
rich soils are homes to the world’s largest area of productive agricultural
land.
Cultural ecology—the study of
relationships between humans and the natural environments that they occupy—is
one of geography’s most fundamental and time-honored traditions. Some
geographers once believed that nature strongly influenced or even determined
the way in which people lived. They spoke of groups such as “rain-forest
people” or “desert people” as if they were mere pawns of nature. Within each of
Earth’s ecosystems, however, great cultural diversity—different ways of living,
thinking, and doing—exists. Within Northern America, for example, culture is
similar from place to place, yet the region is home to all of Earth’s landform
types, climates, and ecosystems. If nature played the deciding role, each
different region would be home to a distinct way of life. This simply is not the
case. Whether you are reading this book in Fairbanks, Alaska; Phoenix, Arizona;
or Hilo, Hawaii—or anyplace in between— your culture is nearly the same.
Today, when considering the
culture-environment relationship, most geographers identify three key elements.
First, they want to know how different cultures adapt to environmental conditions.
Second, they study how various elements of the natural environment and its
resources are used. Finally, they are interested in knowing how human activity
has changed the environment and the human consequences of such changes. Each of
these themes is considered, as appropriate, in the following discussion of the
natural environment.
Northern America’s major
landforms are shared by the United States and Canada. On a map of the region’s
terrain, three major patterns appear: coastal lowlands backed by highlands in
the east and Gulf Coast; vast low-lying plains in the interior, stretching from
the Gulf of Mexico to Hudson Bay and the Arctic Ocean; and of rugged mountains,
plateaus, and basins in the west.
Northern America is unique in
that it is the world’s only culture realm that includes each of the world’s
climates and ecosystems somewhere within its territory. This unmatched variety
of environmental conditions is important for several reasons. First, climate is
the primary influence on ecosystems. The great variety of conditions
contributes to a tremendous diversity of flora and fauna (plants and animals),
soil types, and moisture conditions. Second, all human activities, including the
growing of any type of agricultural crop, can find a suitable environmental
“home” someplace within the region. Finally, “variety,” it has been said, “is
the spice of life.” Geographically, people enjoy and seem to thrive in
environments that offer a variety of conditions and opportunities.
Direction: read the passage 2 above and complete the
statements as below.
17. Northern America’s abundant resources and environmental
diversity is .
18. refers to the study of relationship
between humans and natural environments that they occupy.
19. In order to consider the culture-environment
relationship,
are
identified by most geographers, today.
20. and the
United States share Northern America’s major landforms.
21. Northern America is unique in that it is the world’s
only culture realm that includes each of the world’s and climates
somewhere within its territory.
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