UNIT 2 SECTION 5

MIDWEST

Agricultural Economy

• Most of Midwest is flat

• Humus is a rich soil, great for farming

• Long hot summers, with adequate rainfall

Regional Variations

• Variations contribute to what is grown

• Ohio gets twice as much rainfall as S. Dakota

• Kansas growing season is over 200 days

• Growing season near Canadian border about 120 days

Nations Breadbasket

• Midwest farms are some of most productive in the world

• High wheat output has led to Midwest being called nations bread basket

• This output also allows for sizable amounts of exports

Farms and Change

• Farms started out as modest family enterprises.

• Today farming is big business.

• Machinery has driven these changes.

Technology and Farming

• 1800’s farm crops are getting larger

• 1834 Cyrus McCormick patented a mechanical reaper

• As more technology developed food production improved

Linking Farms and Cities

• Midwest towns grow economically due to farming

• Dairies and grain elevators are center of business activity

• Chicago Mercantile Exchange, world’s busiest commodities market.

Soils of North America

• Tundra Soils-where cold year round• Northern Forest Soils-cool wet climates• Prairie Soils-cool dry climates• Mountain Soils-Topsoil usually thin • Desert Soils-dry areas with few plants• Tropical Soils-wet, tropical climates

Transportation and Industry

• Many cities grew along the rivers or great lakes due to trade

• Cleveland, Chicago, St. Louis, Detroit, and Minneapolis.

• Railroads soon took over from water transportation.

THE WEST

Beautiful landscape

• Snow capped peaks

• Canyons

• Massive glaciers

• Volcanoes

Water

• Availability of water shapes the vegetation in the west

• Much of West is arid or semiarid

• Washington West Coast is very wet

Natural resources

• Minerals: gold, silver, uranium, other metals

• Other resources: Oil and Natural gas

• In the gold rush of 1800’s most did not strike it rich

• Other resources: lumber and commerical fishing

City Growth

• Transcontinental RR contributes to Western City Growth

• 1880’s lower fairs to Los Angeles contributed to more growth

• Huge aqueducts created to supply water to Los Angeles