Chapter 10. The Coastal South

The Coastal South of the United States, much like the California coast is a hot spot destination for people across America looking for fun in the sun. According to studies, The Geography of North America states the following, "...Tourism is another major contributor to the Coastal South’s economy. The region contains numerous resort communities, many of which draw millions of tourists into the area every year. The largest of its tourist attractions is Walt Disney World near Orlando, Florida. In barely three decades, the area around Walt Disney World has grown from a sleepy, backwoods community in hot, humid central Florida to the world’s largest tourist destination.

(Disnyeworld.go.com)

In the spring of 2007, I personally had the opportunity to visit the Coastal South and venture into Miami, Florida for a series of performances. I was awestruck at the similarities I found between the coast of Miami and the coast of Los Angeles. I remember thinking to myself that Miami was a bigger and wider version of Santa Monica and Venice put together.
I found that much of the topography between the two areas were similar, the only real differences between the two were location and climate.

Chapter 9. The Inland South

In the previous chapter, I stated that the Great Lakes and Corn Belt Region of the United States were the Heart of America. Well the Inland South is the epitome of the American soul. Here can be found some of the most passionate and "patriotic" people in the country.

(usanews.com)

The Inland South has a rich history of culture. Much of the history of the south can be linked to the Civil War of the 1800s in which Southern States(The Confederacy) went to war with the Northern States(The Union) over the desire to abolish slavery by the north and the Federal government's interference with State's Rights.

Since that time the Inland South has witnessed much more racial and social change. Most notably, the Civil Rights movement. Many public figures are natives of the Inland South including former President Bill Clinton, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Pittsburgh Steelers Quarterback Terry Bradshaw, and Rock Band Lynyrd Skynyrd.

The Inland south has had a great impact on the city of Los Angeles as many migrants from the Southern States brought with them traditions and southern cuisine.

Chapter 8. The Great Lakes and Corn Belt

The Great Lakes and Corn Belt are what most of us Americans consider to be the Heart of America.

The Great Lakes Region is comprised of states Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and upstate New York.
The Corn Belt is comprised of Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, eastern Nebraska, and eastern Kansas.

The  area is rooted in Grounded in traditional "American Values. According to The Geography of North America, "Historically, the highly profitable and productive agriculture of the Great Lakes and Corn Belt has been complemented by an equally profitable industrial sector. Much of the food produced on the farms of the Corn Belt has traditionally been consumed by industrial workers in the cities of the Great Lakes.


Much of the economy within the Corn Belt and Great Lakes area of the country is solely related to the Primary and Secondary sectors of the economy. This is due in part to the natural resources available to the region including iron deposits used for steel manufacturing, much flat and fertile land used for the farming of cattle, wheat, corn, and other grains. "Soils are deep, fertile, and rich in organic material and nitrogen, and the land is relatively level. The warm nights, hot days, and well-distributed rainfall of the region during the growing season are ideal conditions for raising corn. Most farms in the area are family operated and average more than 300 acres..."(Encyclopedia Britannica).

The economy of the Corn Belt and Great Lakes are dependent on manufacturing industries housed in the region. So when the industries suffer economic loss, so does the region.

(farmflavor.com)

Unlike the Corn Belt and Great Lakes Region, the city of Los Angeles has an economy that contains jobs mostly within the Secondary, Tertiary, and Quaternary sectors. Since Los Angeles has jobs and industries in all of those sectors, the economy of the city is less dependent on one industry for economic support. The biggest industry of Los Angeles is the film industry. This has been the case since the mid-1930s and it is an industry that keeps on growing.

Chapter 7. Megalopoplis

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines MEGALOPOLIS as a thickly populated region centering in a metropolis or embracing several metropolises.

This area of the United States was a prime location for the Colonists during the 15th and 16th centuries due its access to the Ocean, fertile land, and access to natural resources. What is noteworthy about all the cities that make up what we call Megalopolis is that each of these cities is established near a an important river in the region. 

One may ask, Why is establishing a city near a river so important? Well, many of the colonies established near such rivers as the Hudson, Connecticut  and Potomac, would allow for easy access to natural resources. This allowed cities such as New York, Boston, Philadelphia and Baltimore to establish themselves as port cities. The Geography of North America textbook states that, " The British and other  European colonial powers established colonies in order to extract resources for transformation into finished product. These resources, along with products made from processing them, were shipped to Europe through these port cities. These port cities were developed along the major rivers of the region." 

LOS ANGELES as a MEGALOPOLIS

The city of LA is apart of the Southern California megalopolis system. However given its size and other characteristics such as diversity, proximity to a large body of water, and its proximity to natural resources, the city very well could be considered to be a megalopolis on its own. 

Just as the Northeast megalopolis cities are port cities, Los Angeles is home to some of the busiest ports in the world. Not only that, but Los Angeles has been called home by many various ethnic groups.

(portstrategy.com)

I have been fortunate enough to grow up in one of the most culturally rich parts of Los Angeles. Leimert Park is a community which is steeped in African American tradition and History. During the 1930s and 1940s, the Leimert area of Los Angeles was predominantly inhabited by Jewish and Japanese immigrants. 

(leimertparkbeat.com)                 During the 1950s, there was a great surge of African American settlers who migrated from the Southern states into the Northeast cities like New York, Lake cities like Chicago and Pacific cities like Los Angeles. Many of the migrants descended on cities like Los Angeles in search of better opportunities for education and work. Others sought refuge from the harsh racism and bigotry that plagued the Inland South states. 

Today areas like Leimert Park make up the rich culture of L.A.'s megalopolis. I am glad to have grown up in a community rich with the history of my ancestors.

Chapter 5. The Atlantic Periphery

One might ask, what does the Atlantic Periphery have to do with the Los Angeles Metropolitan Area? The answer, nothing. Yet, the differences and similarities between the two regions are worth exploring. Let's start with the Atlantic Periphery.

The Atlantic Periphery is made up of a combination of various States and Canadian provinces along the Atlantic coast. A great deal of the Atlantic Periphery is located along the Appalachian Mountain range. Due to the process of glaciation and other natural erosion processes, much of the land located within the Atlantic periphery is unable to be cultivated as a result of weak soil since a majority of the coast within the Atlantic Periphery is laden with Thin and Rocky soil. Also affected by the location of the region is its access to natural resources and marginalized agriculture. Given its geographical location, the Atlantic Periphery is contains a Maritime climate and is generally accustomed to experiencing Maritime Polar air masses. The authors of The Geography of North America, had this to say, "The climate of the Atlantic Periphery reflects the region’s northern location and rugged topography. The region has cool to mild summers and cold, snowy winters. Precipitation levels are quite consistent from month to month throughout the year, and snow covers the ground for several months each winter in many locations."(94).

In comparison to The Atlantic Periphery, the Los Angeles Metropolitan region is located in an area that is beneficial to the inhabitants of that region. The Los Angeles region is located in an area that was once used for farming and there is proof that the land is good. The climate of Los Angeles area also allows for more successful land cultivation due to the mostly sunny weather year-round and the rainy and cool winters as a result of having a mild Mediterranean climate.

Chapter 4. The North American Political Economy

"The economic base of a community is that set of economic activities the community relies on in order to generate income from elsewhere."(The Geography of North America:Environment, Culture and Economy). 

The United States' economy is divided into four sectors which make up the economic production. 

• The Primary Sector - The forms of production that as farming, mining, fishing, or forestry dependent on natural resources.
• The Secondary Sector - That part of an economic system focused in manufacturing and distribution of goods.
• The Tertiary Sector - The sector within the American economy devoted to trade, services, government, or education. Thematic geography 
• The Quaternary Sector -   A part of the global economy focused on information technology.

(examiner.com

During the first big economic boom that America experienced, many of the jobs prior to 1900 could be found within the primary and secondary sectors. From the 1930s to the 1950s many of the jobs began to move away from the Primary sector and into more of the Secondary and Tertiary sectors. Today, There has been a major shift from the Primary and Secondary sectors as a result of many of the manufacturing and natural resource jobs being outsourced and to more jobs within the Tertiary and Quaternary sectors.

The Economy and Economic Sectors of the City of Angels

According to the website, www.city-data.com, "...The city is the largest manufacturing center in the West, one of the world's busiest ports, a major financial and banking center, and the largest retail market in the United States.

Los Angeles is the largest major manufacturing center in the United States, with 500,000 workers in manufacturing activities in 2003. The largest components are apparel (68,300 jobs), computer and electronic products (60,000 jobs), transportation products (54,600 jobs), fabricated metal products (49,900 jobs), food products (44,800 jobs), and furniture (27,400 jobs). The last few years have witnessed major economic expansion. The three-tiered, traditional economy (aerospace, entertainment, and tourism) has evolved into a well balanced, multi-tiered economic engine driven by unparalleled access to world markets."

(patternmaking.com)

From the look of things, it is quite obvious that Los Angeles has a bustling economy and a substantial presence within the Secondary economic sector of the United States. Industries within L.A.'s Secondary sector include the manufacturing of agricultural and seafood products, aircraft and aircraft parts, furniture fixtures, ordnance missiles, electrical and electronic equipment, stone, clay, glass, apparel, textiles, toys, and fabricated metals.

L.A. also has a great presence within the Tertiary sector as there are more than one hundred foreign and domestic banks that operate branches in the city of Los Angeles. Other industries within the Los Angeles Tertiary Sector include health services, education, and the largest entertainment industry in the world.

Chapter 3. the Historical Settlement of North America

Contrary to popular belief, Christopher Columbus did not discover America. Also contrary to popular belief, is the idea that says that European settlers escaping the grips of British control, called pilgrims founded the land of which we so proudly sing.

What is true, is the proof that long before the Columbus or the European Settlers who came to America, there were the aboriginal Native American peoples. Unlike many of the fictional or religious writings that tell us that these people were uneducated and technologically disadvantaged, The Authors of The Geography of North America: Environment, Culture, and Economy, had the following to say...

"By the time European explorers arrived on the scene in the 15th century, explorers’ journals and travel ac-counts reported that indigenous people lived in many different parts of the continent. They spoke hundreds of mutually unintelligible languages and developed a large number of complex cultures whose economies and cultural landscapes were often connected closely to the environments in which each culture lived. Fun-damental to the worldview of most Native American cultures, however, was their melding of environmen-tal and social aspects of life. This belief had important implications for their lack of interest in owning land as property (a strongly held European belief). Although the use of fire, hunting, agriculture, and construction had left noticeable imprints on the cultural landscape at least 10,000 years ago..."

Much like the settlement of the United States of America, the settlement of Los Angeles, California was no different. According to the Los Angeles Historical Society, the Chumash Native Americans were the first to inhabit the Los Angeles area circa 8000 BC. By 500 BC the Tongva Indians settled and established the Yang-Na village which is currently the site of the present day Los Angeles City Hall. 

Juan Cabrillo

It wouldn't be until the 14th century that Spanish explorer Juan Cabrillo would venture onto the shores of California. In 1771 Father Junipero Serra would come to establish the first Catholic mission in Southern California. After gaining independence from Spain, Mexico would seize control over the California territory. 1850 would see the date when California would become a State naming Los Angeles as municipality. In the years following California and the Los Angeles area would see a surge in immigration by Jewish, African American, Chinese, Japanese, and Mexican settlers. By 1924 the now city of Los Angeles, would reach 1 million residents.

Chapter 2. North America's Environmental Setting

According to the book, The Geography of North America: Environment, Culture, and Economy, "About one-third of the topography of North America is mountainous." 

Much of the United States' environmental characteristics such as the Great Lakes in the Midwest, The Grand Canyon of the Colorado River were formed by way of natural occurrences such as down-cutting, a form of erosion, and glaciation.

The climate of the Unite States' climate consists of a number Climate zones which are made up of different sub-climates depending on the region in which you are in. 

(www.learnnc.org) 

OVERVIEW

Southwest Climate: Arid climate with low amounts of precipitation.

Southeast Climate: A warm to hot climate, humid, with a substantial amount of precipitation.

Northeast/Midwest: Mid-Latitudinal Climates

East Coast: Temperate climates with a great amount of humidity

Pacific Northwest: Maritime polar climate, with plenty of precipitation.

Los Angeles sits within the Pacific Southwest region of the United States. Unlike the desert cities in Southern California, Los Angeles is positioned right on the coast which allows for the Mild Mediterranean climate. Throughout the year, Los Angeles basin's weather remains sunny and in the winters and early spring, the region of Los Angeles experiences precipitation. 

I have grown up looking at many of the various plants, land forms, and other natural charachteristics of Los Angeles as mere features, but these features are what help to furthure characteeize Los Angeles.The city of Los Angeles can also be characterized by distinct land forms such as the Santa Monica Mountains, The San Gabriel Mountains, the San Fernando Valley and the Pacific coast. 

Chapter 1. Introduction

THE CITY OF ANGELS

(www.city-data.com)



Los Angeles, California also known as The City of Angels is the second largest city in the United States and to me, The Greatest city in the world. 

Why cover Los Angeles? Los Angeles has a rich history that dates back many years and is considered to be the beacon for economic prosperity and cultural diversity in the Western United States. According to the 2011 US census, Los Angeles is home to more than 9,000,000 residents and counting. Many people from all over the country and the world call Los Angeles home.

  

(www.nba.com)

Whether its a Lakers Game in the heart of Downtown Los Angeles,

(paramountstudios.com)

A Trip down the Miracle Mile to Paramount Pictures to see films being made,

(pachd.com)

a trip to the beach to surf in the Pacific Ocean,

Trijean Wilkins

Or even a celebrity sighting on the streets of Hollywood.

As an indigenous inhabitant of Los Angeles, I have seen every bit that this city has to offer and everyday I have been able to discover something new. From Manhattan Beach to The Inland Empire, Hollywood to Compton, Beverly Hills to Leimert Park, Los Angeles is one of the greatest places to live.

We will be exploring all that makes LA great through the study of Geography!