United States Geography

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b

Economy

Megalopolis lies along a busy oceanic route that extends across the North Atlantic to Western Europe. The presence of the sea has played an important role in the region’s economy since the colonial period. Early merchants transported goods via ocean trade routes, while rivers and land routes promoted trade with interior regions of the colonies and promoted economic growth. Trade and commerce were leading generators of wealth until the mid-1800s, when manufacturing became dominant. After World War II (1939-1945), the basis of the region’s economy shifted to service industries.

In the late 1990s, service industries remained the basis of the region’s economy. Megalopolis houses the headquarters of 33 percent of the largest industrial corporations in the nation, 28 percent of the largest retailing companies, 44 percent of the largest life insurance companies, and 60 percent of the largest diversified financial companies.

Tourism is also important throughout this region. New York City is one of the top tourist attractions in the nation for international travelers. Almost continuous beaches attract summer visitors, who support resort towns. Most states in the region have capitalized on their rich historical background to attract tourism.

Agriculture is important to meeting the demand for food from this large urban area. Commercial fishing has declined, though the region still accounts for about one-quarter of the U.S. catch. Chesapeake Bay yields more crabmeat than all other parts of the country combined.

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B1

c

Population

The proximity to the ocean has also had a lasting effect on the population. Megalopolis was the first region of the country to be settled by immigrants during the 17th century. Over succeeding centuries, many immigrants to the United States entered the country through the Megalopolis region, with a large percentage deciding to settle in the area. As a result, the population displays a remarkable ethnic and racial mix. The region’s cities have many distinct ethnic neighborhoods, but at the same time immigrants continuously blend into the mainstream culture of the United States, adapting their customs to U.S. society and contributing aspects of their own heritage to the patchwork of U.S. culture.

The population of Megalopolis is highly urbanized. About 1,000 locations in the region are classified as urban by the U.S. Census Bureau. More than 90 percent of the population lives in urban areas, a percentage that is increasing as suburban development fills the spaces between cities. Several very large metropolitan areas dominate the region, including New York City (1997 estimate, 8.6 million); Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (1997 estimate, 4.9 million); Washington, D.C. (1997 estimate, 4.6 million); and Boston, Massachusetts (1997 estimate, 5.8 million).

The region has a high population density, with more than 350 persons per sq km (900 per sq mi). Density ranges from low in rural Virginia to more than 30,900 persons per sq km (about 80,000 per sq mi) on Manhattan Island in New York City. Megalopolis has a high population growth rate as well, adding continuously to the 45 million people, or one-sixth of the nation’s citizens, who live in this region.

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d

Cities

Megalopolis is a region of extensive urban metropolitan areas, many of which are located a relatively short distance from each other. New York City, the nation’s largest city, is located here, as is Washington, D.C, the seat of government in the United States. Other major urban areas focus around Boston, Philadelphia, and Baltimore, Maryland.

B

2

The Atlantic Northeast

In great contrast to the highly urbanized character of Megalopolis, the Atlantic Northeast is mainly rural in character. It includes the less-populated, less-developed parts of northern New England and upper New York state. The southern boundary of this region skirts the northern edge of Megalopolis just north of the urbanized areas of Portland, Maine, the Merrimack Valley in New Hampshire, the small cities of western Massachusetts, and the Mohawk Valley of New York. On the west and north, the region is bounded by Canada. The Atlantic Ocean forms the eastern boundary.

The Atlantic Northeast is a land of bare rock, thin soils, rugged coastlines, swift streams, and slow-growing forests. Because of its location away from the highly populated and economically active urban core, this region developed its own unique way of life characterized by a high degree of self-reliance. Often families live in the same community for generations. Many communities celebrate local holidays that date to colonial times. In addition, unlike more urbanized regions of the nation, the presence of the forest and the sea continue to have a direct influence on people's lives. In rural areas, the house of the nearest neighbor is often beyond sight and sound, while the most dramatic presence is that of undeveloped natural environment.

B2

a

Natural Features

Natural forces have contributed greatly to the present-day geography of this region. For example, mountains and hills consisting of hard crystalline rock were scoured by ice sheets that receded from the region 10,000 years ago. When the ice receded, it left thin soils and an undulating surface favorable for fast-running streams and bright, clear lakes. In Vermont, the rounded summits of the Green Mountains are more pronounced in slope, reaching elevations of nearly 1,900 m (6,300 ft). The Maine coastline is rugged and deeply indented with river channels that are often flooded by the sea.

The landscape is covered with a relatively dense mixed forest of coniferous and deciduous trees. The original trees were cut down for lumber, shipbuilding, and fuel, or were cleared for agriculture. Virtually all of the remaining trees are second-growth. Second-growth trees are usually a less desirable variety because they produce less wood and wood of a lower quality than old-growth trees.