Lab 10 - Oceania

 

        Oceania is a realm like no other. Nowhere else in the world can one find some of the unique wildlife that is found in this realm, and no other region is as isolated. Oceania is the only world region not connected by land to another area. This is a region of the world at a crossroads where the effects of global changes in climate and pollution could have profound effects One of the most well-known features of Australia’s geography lies just off the coast: the Great Barrier Reef. Unlike its geologically stable neighbor, New Zealand is situated at the intersection of the Pacific Plate and the Australian Plate another key geographic feature of Australia is its vast interior known as the Outback. This remote area of extensive grassland pastures supports one of the world’s largest sheep and cattle industries

     Over 70 percent of the entire surface of the world is covered with water, but who controls it? If the body of water is inland, ownership is quite clear. A lake in the interior of a state belongs to that state. Australia is not just home to cuddly marsupials like koalas, wallabies, and quokkas, though. It is also home to some of the world’s deadliest creatures. There are more deadly snakes in Australia than in any other country in the world. Another key area of biodiversity is New Zealand, particularly in terms of its flora. Its isolation allowed for species of trees that have remained relatively unchanged for the past 190 million years. Although Australia and New Zealand gained independence relatively early compared to many of the other areas of Oceania, these countries have experienced lingering issues related to their indigenous populations. Economically, Australia and the Pacific islands have struggled with what could be called the “tyranny of distance,” the fact that this region remains so far and so isolated from the other world regions. Most of the economies of these countries are based on exports, but these exports must be shipped. 

Lab 4 north America

 map link: 

https://arcg.is/1LHPaP

      the continent of North America extends from the Canadian Arctic through the United States and Mexico to the narrow Isthmus of Panama, The physiographic regions of North America are well-defined and are commonly recognized by its residents. Most of Canada’s land area consists of boreal forest, known as taiga in Russia This boreal forest consists of coniferous trees, such as spruce and pine, and is characterized by a cold climate. This large stretch of woodland has been an important resource for Canada's indigenous communities. The rocky landscape of the Canadian Shield spans not only the Arctic regions and central Canada. Although Christopher Columbus is often credited with “discovering” America, the landmass was inhabited long before Europeans made contact. Most likely, early migrants to the Americas traveled from Asia through the Beringia land bridge that once connected Siberia and Alaska over 10,000 years ago. European colonization completely changed the cultural landscape of North America. The United States was still primarily based on agriculture and natural resource production. Some of the early innovations in industry were thus based on these raw resources

    North America’s urban landscape has been shaped both by colonization and by industrialization. Most of the early settlements in the region were small and were located close to the eastern coast. In historical North American cities, the central city was home to most of the jobs and services and had relatively high-density housing. Because everything was located close to the city center, people could often walk from home to work or take efficient transit systems like streetcars. Canada and the United States have relatively strong economies, but income inequality persists. In the United States in particular, around 12 percent of people live below the poverty line. 

Lab 6 - Middle and South America Part II: Brazil

 link to map: https://arcg.is/HbL98

    Middle and South America cover an area of the world that is fragmented both in terms of its physical connectivity and its history “Middle America” is typically defined as the area between North and South America, with Mexico sometimes categorized as North America and sometimes as Middle or Central America The region lies at the intersection of many tectonic plates making the region vulnerable to earthquakes and volcanoes 

    In the early 19th century, most of the colonies of Middle and South America gained their independence, often led by the Europeans who had settled in the region Although income inequality in Middle and South America has fallen in recent years, this region remains by some measures the most unequal region in the world. The top 10 percent of people in Latin America control around 71 percent of the region’s wealth. Taxation systems have had a relatively minimal effect on bettering the lives of the region’s poor or assisting the region in infrastructure development  Many of the region’s migrants are well-educated and leave in search of better economic opportunities. 

Lab 7 Sub-Saharan Africa

    Africa is the second-largest continent after Asia, The story of Africa’s physical geography begins 300 million years ago with the landmass known as Pangaea, the last supercontinent. Africa’s other major river, the Nile, flows from Lake Victoria in the rift valley north through 11 different countries. It is regarded by most as the longest river in the world. The Nile has, historically and in modern times, been a key way to transport people and goods throughout the region and its floodplain enables farming in an otherwise arid environment. Early humans were primarily gatherers, and there is evidence of people gathering nuts, grasses, and tubers around 16,000 BCE in the highlands of Northern Ethiopia. Around 10,000 years ago,

     In Europe, colonial empires sought to expand their holdings to gain mineral resources and expand agricultural production. As Europeans began exploring the interior of Africa and recognized its resource potential, competition among European empires grew fierce. European colonization of Africa completely reshaped the political and ethnic landscape, with lasting effects even today.

    Today, Sub-Saharan Africa comprises 48 independent countries and is home to 800 million people. While colonialism transformed African politics and economics, the way of life for many Africans has changed relatively little. Sub-Saharan Africa’s population has been climbing rapidly with the highest fertility rates of any region in the world