W1 Regional Geography Flashcards
The Study of Regional Geography
- Living in a common space inevitably leads to the formation of a regional identity
- This is the product of a regions physical geography (landscape), historical events and economic situation
- People place their imprint on landscapes just as landscapes influence people’s lives activities
Region:
- is a distinctive area of Earth’s surface
- It has distinguishing human or natural characteristics that set it apart from other areas
- Regions in this course are defined by provincial boundaries
- An approach for studying provincially defined regions involves choosing a province and then
describing the area, analyzing the economy, studying the demographics and understanding the
physical geography
Regionalism:
the division of a large area into different parts with varying characteristics
- Some countries are more prone to regionalism than others
- Canada is very prone to regionalism
- US and Russia are also prone
- Regionalism is very prevalent in Canada because it has:
- A vast geographic size and varied physical geography
- Different patterns of historic settlement
- Different cultures and languages (Quebec)
- Uneven population distribution
- The British North America Act of 1867 gave considerable power to the provinces
- This act allowed some provinces to run their own systems (health care, social services,
transportation etc.)
What are the 3 types of Regions?
UFC
1.Uniform Regions
2. Functional Region
3.Cultural Region
1.Uniform Regions
- Uniform region: a region named after a characteristic where all locations in the region have similarities in that
particular characteristic - Example. Vegetation
- Regions can be separated into grasslands, forests, tundra, deserts, etc.
- Functional Region
- Functional region: there are interactions among different areas within the region
- Example. Transportation network
- Major roads and highways in Manitoba tend to branch out from Winnipeg which is the
largest city in the region
3.Cultural Region
- Cultural region: regions that are based on a sense of belonging
- There is a bond between people and the region
- Arises from shared historical experiences, similar values and common goals
- Example. Francophones in Quebec
Boundaries of regions can be related to ________
- These are not ______ fault lines, but are differences between two different areas (geographical,
cultural, etc.)
- They are metaphorical cracks
- Faultlines are metaphors applied to economic, social, and political ‘cracks’ that ____ regions and threaten to
———– Canada’s integrity as a nation
Boundaries of regions can be related to faultlines
- These are not physical fault lines, but are differences between two different areas (geographical,
cultural, etc.)
- They are metaphorical cracks
- Faultlines are metaphors applied to economic, social, and political ‘cracks’ that divide regions and threaten to
destabilize Canada’s integrity as a nation
Four faultlines have played a role in Canada’s historic evolution and have had profound regional consequences..
List the four:
CEIN
- Centralist vs. Decentralist Visions of Canada
- English speaking and French speaking Canadians
- Indigenous Peoples and the Non-Indigenous Majority
- Newcomers and Old-timers
- Centralist vs. Decentralist Visions of Canada
- Refers to the centralization versus decentralization of government powers and relates to Canada’s
political system - Disputes between provinces or between a province and the federal government are examples
- Equalization payments from the federal government to the provinces are a common source of
feuds - Demography favours Ontario and Quebec because the majority of Canadians reside in these areas
- People in other regions have perceived the federal government as favouring Ontario and
Quebec - No federal political party can form a majority government without strong support from these
two regions - The previous federal government (led by Stephen Harper) saw the growth of the energy sector as being
in the national interest. The current federal government has an opposite position and favours the
carbon tax - This dramatic shift in philosophy toward energy has resulted in great disputes between some
provinces and the federal government
- English speaking and French speaking Canadians
- French is the sole official language in Quebec but there is a political and cultural struggle to maintain
French as a viable language in a principally English-speaking continent - The proportion of French speaking Canadians has declined
- Within Quebec itself, an internal faultline exists between separatists and federalists
- Indigenous Peoples and the Non-Indigenous Majority
- Indigenous peoples of Canada comprise the First Nations, Inuit, and Metis
- Many Indigenous communities remain heavily dependent on the federal government
- Extreme poverty, unemployment, and social issues are common in some of these communities
- Indigenous residential schools of the past were designed to assimilate youth and to discourage
Indigenous language use - Modern land claim agreements have led to Indigenous self-government on reserves
- Nunavut was created in 1999 as a separate territory that is predominantly populated by Inuit
- Newest province/territory
- 80% Inuit people
- Created for the Inuit people to govern themselves
- Newcomers and Old-timers
- Canada is a country of immigrants and this can sometimes lead to cultural friction among different
ethnic groups - Many new immigrants are concentrated in major cities
- This gives them a network of family and friends who speak their language and restaurants that
serve their desired food - BUT, this also creates a sense of isolation from other Canadians
Linking Canada’s Regions
- Due to Canada’s vast size, linking the regions through transportation routes has been a challenge but has always
been a major objective of the federal government
