Human geography of North America

Interpretation of the name of the continent: It is the full name of Amelia Asia together with South America, where the Italian explorer Amelia once explored.

Country: There are 23 independent countries and more than a dozen regions.

Population: 462 million.

Ethnic composition: Most of the residents are descendants of European immigrants, among which Anglo-Saxons are the most.

Language: Common English and Spanish, followed by French, Dutch and Hindi.

Religion: The main beliefs are Christianity and Catholicism.

Location: Located in the northern part of the western hemisphere. It faces the Atlantic Ocean in the east, the Pacific Ocean in the west, the Arctic Ocean in the north, the Panama Canal in the south and South America in the south. (19 14 year division)

Scope: Cape St. Charles (55 40 ′ W, 5213 ′ N) in the east of the mainland, Cape Mariato (8105 ′ W, 712 ′ N) in the south, and Cape Prince of Wales (/kloc-0) in the west. North America includes not only America to the north of Panama Canal, but also the West Indies in the Caribbean.

Area: 24.228 million square kilometers (including nearby islands), accounting for about 16.2% of the world's total land area, making it the fourth continent in the world.

The geographical region is divided into nine regions: the eastern region (the region east of the Appalachian Mountains in Labrador Plateau), the central region (between the Appalachian Mountains and the Rocky Mountains in Labrador Plateau), the western region (the northern Cordillera Mountains in America, with the Rocky Mountains as the skeleton of this region), Alaska, the Canadian Arctic Islands, Greenland, Mexico, Central America and the West Indies.

North America includes countries: Bahamas Belize USA Barbados Canada Costa Rica Cuba El Salvador Grenada Guatemala Honduras Haiti Jamaica Saint Lucia Mexico Nicaragua Panama Dominica Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Trinidad and Tobago Antigua and Barbuda Saint Kitts and Nevis (the continent with the largest number of island countries in the world).

[Edit this paragraph] Residents

The population is 462 million, accounting for 8% of the world's total population. The population distribution of the whole continent is very uneven, and the vast majority of the population is distributed in the southeast, with the highest population density near new york and around Lake Erie, with more than 200 people per square kilometer; The vast northern and inland areas of the western United States are sparsely populated, with less than 1 person per square kilometer.

Ethnic composition: most of the residents are descendants of European immigrants, of which Anglo-Saxons are the most; Followed by Indians, blacks and hybrids. In addition, there are Inuit, Puerto Ricans, Jews, Japanese and China people. The languages are English and Spanish, followed by French, Dutch and Hindi.

Religion: The residents mainly believe in Christianity and Catholicism.

[Edit this paragraph] Natural environment

The coastline of the mainland is about 60 thousand kilometers long. In the northwest section, the northern and eastern coasts are tortuous, and there are many islands and fjords; The southern half of the coast is relatively flat.

The peninsula and island peninsula have a total area of about 265,438+10,000 square kilometers. The total area of the island is about 4 million square kilometers, ranking first in all continents. Greenland is the largest island in the world.

Terrain below 200 meters above sea level accounts for about 20%, plains and hills above 200-500 meters above sea level account for about 22%, plateaus and mountains above 500 meters above sea level account for about 58%, and the average elevation of the whole continent is 700 meters. The basic feature of continental topography is that the north-south mountains are distributed on the east and west sides parallel to the coast, and the great plains are distributed in the middle. The terrain is clearly divided into three areas. Mountains and plateaus in the east: Labrador Plateau in the north of the St. Lawrence River and Appalachian Mountains in the south. The terrain is high in the south and low in the north, and the altitude is generally 300-500 meters. There is a long and narrow coastal plain along the Atlantic Ocean on the east side of the Appalachian Mountains, and the west side gradually descends to meet the central plain. Central Plain: Located between Labrador Plateau, Appalachian Mountains and Rocky Mountains, it starts from Hudson Bay in the north and reaches the Gulf of Mexico in the south, and runs through the central part of the mainland. There are many lakes and rapids in the northern half of the plain, and the Mississippi River plain in the southern half. The western plain is a world-famous great plain. Western mountains and plateaus: It belongs to the northern section of Cordillera Mountains, extending from Alaska to southern Mexico, and mainly includes three parallel mountains. The Rocky Mountains in the east are more than 2,000-3,000 meters above sea level and extend 5,000 kilometers from north to south, which is an important dividing line of North America's climate. The western belt starts from the American coastal mountains in the south and flows into the sea in the north, forming a coastal island in western Canada, with an altitude of1000-500m. The central zone includes alaska range in the north, Canadian coastal mountains, Sierra Nevada and Cascade Mountains in the United States. Mount McKinley in Alaska is 6 194 meters above sea level, which is the highest peak in North America. There are plateaus and basins between the eastern belt and the central belt. The elevation of the bottom of great basin is 1 300-800 meters, and the elevation of the dead valley in the south of the basin is 86 meters, which is the lowest land point in the western hemisphere.

Volcanoes and Earthquakes The west coast of North America is part of the volcanic belt along the Pacific coast. There are more than 90 active volcanoes in North America, including 28 in Aleutian Islands, 20 in Alaska and more than 40 in Central America. The western part of North America is also a region with frequent and strong earthquakes in the world.

The drainage area of North America accounts for about 88% of the whole continent, of which 48% belongs to the Atlantic basin and 20% belongs to the Pacific basin. Except the St. Lawrence River, all major rivers originate in the Rocky Mountains. Rivers to the east of the Rocky Mountains flow into the Atlantic Ocean and the Arctic Ocean respectively, and rivers to the west flow into the Pacific Ocean. Inflow areas (including non-inflow areas) account for about 12% of the whole continent, mainly distributed in great basin and Greenland in the western United States. Mississippi River is the largest river in North America and the fourth largest river in the world. Followed by Mackenzie River, yukon river River, St Lawrence River and Rio Grande. There are many waterfalls on rivers in North America. The waterfall with the biggest drop is the yosemite falls in Yosemite National Park in the western United States, with a drop of 700 meters. Niagara Falls, with a drop of 5 1m and a width of1.240m.. North America is a continent with many lakes, and the total area of freshwater lakes is about 400,000 square kilometers, ranking first among all continents. Lakes are mainly distributed in the northern half of the mainland. The Great Lakes in the Central Plateau: Lake Superior, Lake Huron, Lake Michigan, Lake Erie and Lake Ontario, with a total area of 245,273 square kilometers, are the largest freshwater lakes in the world and are known as the "Mediterranean of North America". Among them, Lake Superior is the largest freshwater lake in the world.

Climate North America spans tropical, temperate and frigid zones, and the climate is complex and diverse. The north is in the Arctic Circle, which is a world of ice and snow. The southern Caribbean benefited from the equatorial warm current, but was hit by tropical hurricanes. The vast area in the middle of the mainland is located in the north temperate zone. Because all the mountains are north-south or close to north-south, the humid air from the Pacific Ocean only reaches the western coastal areas; Cold air from the Arctic Ocean can cross the central plain to the south; The humid air blown from the tropical Atlantic can also penetrate deep into the north through the central plain, so the climate in North America is very unstable, sometimes cold and sometimes thawed in winter, while in the subtropical areas along the Gulf of Mexico, it will be cold and snowy in winter. The average temperature in Leng Yue (65438+ 10) in North America is below 0℃, accounting for about 3/4 of the whole continent. The whole Arctic Islands (collectively referred to as many islands north of North America and west of Greenland) and most parts of Greenland are below -32℃, and the central part of Greenland is as low as -50℃, which is a cold polar region in the western hemisphere. In summer, the whole continent is generally warming, and the average temperature in the hottest month (July, mostly August along the coast) is 0~3℃, which is the coolest area in the northern hemisphere in summer. The rest of the vast areas are between 0 and 32℃, of which the area above 20℃ accounts for more than half of the whole continent, and the area above 30℃ is small. Death Valley in the southwestern United States, with an extreme maximum temperature of 56.7℃, is the hottest area in the whole continent. There is more precipitation in eastern North America. The annual precipitation in the Pacific coast of Canada and Greenland, the eastern United States, Canada and Alaska is about 500~300 mm; The Pacific coast of Canada and Alaska is more than 2000 mm high, which is the most rainy area in North America. The annual precipitation in the Florida Peninsula, the eastern foothills of the Rocky Mountains, the Great Plains and the Yukon Plateau is 250~ 100 mm; The Caribbean belongs to the tropical rainforest climate, with high temperature and rainy all year round. The areas with the least precipitation are the southwest of great basin, the lower reaches of the Colorado River and the northern parts of the Arctic Islands and Greenland. The average annual precipitation is less than 65,438+000 mm. Every May, southeast North America is often hit by hurricanes, which often causes serious disasters. Cold, strong storms and tornadoes often blow in winter in central and northern North America. After crossing the Rocky Mountains, the westerly wind forms Chinnock Foehn at the eastern foot.

[Edit this paragraph] Natural resources

Most parts of North America have been investigated. The main minerals are oil, natural gas, coal, iron, copper, nickel, uranium, lead and zinc. The forest area in North America accounts for about 30% of the whole continent and 18% of the total forest area in the world. Mainly distributed in the western mountainous areas, rich in Douglas fir, giant cypress, Nutt cobber, sugar maple, pine, sequoia, hemlock and other trees. Grassland area accounts for 14.5% of the whole mainland and 1 1% of the world grassland area. The exploitable water resources in North America are about 248 million kilowatts, accounting for 8.9% of the world's water resources, and the developed water resources are 53.6 million kilowatts, accounting for 34.7% of the world's water resources.

The coastal fishing grounds in North America account for about 20% of the total coastal fishing grounds in the world. The marginal waters in western and eastern Canada are the main fishing grounds, which are rich in salmon, sole, cod, mackerel, eel, herring, sardines, flounder and mensa, and whales are also produced in the marginal waters in eastern Canada. There are walruses, seals and polar bears on the northern coast.

[Edit this paragraph] Economic overview

Industry The United States and Canada are economically developed countries with strong industrial base, huge production capacity and advanced technology. Agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry and fishery are also extremely developed. Most of the other countries in North America are single-economy countries except Mexico, which has some industrial bases. The mining industry in North America is huge, mainly mining coal, crude oil, natural gas, iron, copper, lead, zinc, nickel and sulfur. Almost all or most of the important strategic raw materials such as tin, manganese, chromium, cobalt, bauxite, diamonds, saltpeter, antimony, tantalum, niobium and natural rubber are imported. The proportion of main industrial products in the world total output is: pig iron, steel, copper, zinc and so on. It accounts for about 20%, aluminum accounts for more than 40%, and automobiles account for about 37%.

Agriculture: Agricultural production in North America is highly specialized, commercialized and mechanized. The Central Plains is one of the world-famous agricultural areas, and the main crops are corn, wheat, rice, cotton, soybeans and tobacco. The output of soybeans, corn and wheat plays an important role in world agriculture. Countries and regions in Central America and the West Indies mainly produce tropical crops such as sugarcane, bananas, coffee and cocoa.

Transportation: The total length of the North American railway is over 420,000 kilometers. Inland navigation mileage is about 55,000 kilometers. Roads extend in all directions. The northeastern United States is the most developed region, followed by the central, southeastern and western coastal areas of the United States; Southeast Canada; Eastern Mexico is mainly transported by road and rail. Cuba's special railway lines for sugar factories are relatively developed. River transportation in summer and sled transportation in winter in central Canada are also important. The northern coastal areas are mainly transported by sledges.

American architectural style

American neoclassicism

The earliest origin of neoclassicism is the Renaissance and its reflection and continuation in the architectural world. Neoclassicism in this sense advocates that architecture should revive the architectural art decoration of ancient Greece and Rome, which is similar to classical style in format and pursues regular composition and classical traditional architectural symbols. The lower layer generally uses heavy stones or painted stone lines, which is steady and majestic; The middle part uses five columns of ancient Greece and Rome; The eaves and ceiling are decorated with western feet, and triangular mountain flowers are often decorated on the front eaves or doorposts, echoing the heavy stones at the bottom. Some even added a dome pavilion on the roof along the street or around the corner.

Louis? Louis Mumford pointed out in his book "Rooted in Contemporary American Architecture": "Even those cabins that seem to have primitive American style are actually a form of architecture that spread from Sweden to Delaware in the18th century." Solid stone buildings have long appeared on the east coast of the United States. Many buildings like Boston and Philadelphia are variations of this Georgian style, but this architectural form was initiated by Britain. Especially before the end of19th century, the external influence of American architecture was very obvious. However, with the continuous expansion of Americans, the change of lifestyle brought by moving to the New World, and the emergence of more relaxed and diverse architectural forms, American architecture began to gradually get rid of the influence of the European model and develop its own style.

First, "American" style

It is very wrong to say that American architecture is only an imitation of Europe. Multiculturalism is the real soil for cultivating American architecture. On the positive side, there are basically two clues to the development of contemporary American architecture: one is to try to break away from convention and conquer the field of renewal; Second, ask for well-built and solid things, and don't think too much about architectural style.

This kind of American architecture has experienced a challenge and movement, which is similar in nature to the western development. This generation of architects plays an important role in American architecture. They freely use forms and materials, and often deliberately create a messy impression or a purely temporary form. Among them, Frank? Frank Gehry often takes materials conveniently, for example, mixing wrinkled iron sheets or chain fences into a certain structure. Although critics think they are not durable enough, his architecture has attracted a movement, which is "typical American style".

The skyscrapers in Chicago symbolize another bold innovation of "good architecture" in the United States. Although American skyscrapers do not have the lofty and pure spiritual connotation of European architecture, the high spires gathered over Manhattan show the unprecedented achievements and potential of the European continent.

This change in architectural form has a great influence on the other side of the Atlantic. It shows that many architectural theories in the 20th century did come from Europe, but it was the United States that absorbed and systematized them. Although Walter? Gropius and Miss? Where is it? Ludwig Mies van der Rohe once taught in American universities, but their socialist theory never took root in the United States. The architectural form they created shows American characteristics under the special needs of the United States.

Second, the internationalist style

This style was introduced to America by two Austrian architects in the late 1920s. Are they Richard? Richard neutra and Rudolph? Rodulph Schindler's representative buildings are Rovere House (1929) and Rovere Beach House (1925-26), which have typical German modernist style developed by Mies and Gropius. As early as 193 1, architects Howe and Lescaze conducted an internationalist experiment in Philadelphia-"Philadelphia Social Assistance Fund Building".

However, it is said that the internationalist style did not completely occupy the American construction market in the 1950s, and architect Wright is an example. He is seldom influenced by the outside world. For example, his Guggenheim Museum (1943-59) looks like an inverted Babylonian pagoda.

Third, new modernity and postmodernism.

Since 1970s, there have been two trends in American architecture: neo-modernism and post-modernism. The first is to continue the unfinished journey of modernism. Representative architects are I.M. Pei and Sasha. Cesar Perry, Paul? Paul rudolph and Edward? l？ Edward bell, etc. They explore current modernism instead of going back to the distant past. I.M. Pei's Oriental National Art Museum (1968-78) is a typical example.

Postmodernism is another trend of contemporary American architecture. In fact, some historical forms can be used to stimulate the development of modern architecture. The public service building in Greaves (1980-82) is the first large-scale building with soft color series and various decorative sculptures. Subsequently, his Humana Building 1982-86 consolidated and developed this form.

Building should consider environmental protection, which is the collective appeal of all walks of life in the United States in the early 1990 s. I hope that in the near future, more architects will devote themselves to "green" buildings.

Fourth, deconstruction

In 1990s, with the decline of postmodernism and the continuous development of neo-modernism, another new trend-deconstruction appeared in American architecture. With frank? Deconstructionists, led by Gary, advocate a more complete separation from traditional architectural forms. They not only oppose the linear monotonous form of modernist architecture, but also oppose its variants-the harmonious beauty advocated by post-modernism and new modernity, thinking that they are simple and outdated. Deconstruction architecture is novel and unique in appearance, as if it were divided into many blocks, but they are interrelated and form a whole in separation. Its appearance has brought a brand-new look to the architectural world. Peter. Eissmann advocated repositioning the design and allocation method of architectural space several times. His Crystal Palace model is an attempt of a new design and calculation method with the help of computers. In deconstructive architecture, historical factors, especially the old decoration methods, are completely abandoned. But in form, it is quite similar to Russia's once vigorous constructivism movement (although constructivism is only a dream of real architecture). However, although European countries have vigorously promoted the development of deconstruction, the United States has taken the lead.

Just as people wait and see whether deconstruction can enter the mainstream American architectural style, architect Frank? Gary seems to prove this with his unique architectural style. His Los Angeles Walter? Disney Concert Hall and American Center in Paris are outstanding examples. The latter is located near the right bank of Paris, adjacent to the new French cabinet building. There seems to be nothing special about the use of space on the side facing the street. In fact, this is Gary's unique solution to the use of space in complex structures, and the side facing parks and rivers has the beauty of flowing harmony. Frank. Gary is often humorous and unexpected in the use of architectural forms and materials, and deserves to be one of the most important architects in the United States today.

Compiled by the Drucker Foundation's Leader-to-Leader magazine.