Chapter 19 The Future of North America

Through the ups and downs of North America, the past has benefited and created struggles in the present. During the 19^th century, however, many North Americans began to realize that the natural resources of their vast continent were limited. In the 20^th century, several crises furthered North Americans’ awareness of environmental limitations and other related issues” (Shelley 359-360). It is only now that North America is making adjustments to create a better future for the continent. It is through this continent that it will play a critical role in the development of a sustain future for the entire world.

 Guam, being a United States territory, depends on North America for protection, resources, political economy and so much more. It is through this continent that Guam has their ties to other countries around the world such as Japan, Korea, Philippines and Hawaii. “Geographers have also developed tools and techniques that have been applied to questions of environmental sustainability in North America and throughout the world” (Shelley 374). It is because of North America that we are able to have the tools we have now and know techniques that will help us throughout our lives. North America decisions about the environment, technology, culture and economy will affect the entire world because they are a part of things that do not only involve them but the lives of other people all over the world.

Chapter 17 Hawaii and the Pacific Islands

Hawaii is a part of an archipelago which is a chain of islands. It has submerged volcanoes that are extended to about 3600 miles west. The Hawaiian archipelago consists of eight inhabited islands that extend southeast to northwest. Over several years, “Hawaii has created a unique biogeography. Prior to the arrival of human beings, more than 95 percent of all plant and animal species on the islands were endemic- that is, found nowhere else on earth. Among the best-known endemic species is the Hawaiian or nene goose” (Shelley 327). The nene goose can sometimes be mistaken as the Canadian goose but it is much smaller and adaptive to the rugged volcano areas.

Nene Goose

Just like Hawaii, Guam is a part of an archipelago. The archipelago is known as the Marianas Island and also like Hawaii; Guam has a couple of endemic species as well. Such as the Guam Rail, the Guam Broadbill, the Guam fly catcher, the yellow-crowned Butterfly fish, katydid, raspy cricket, a flat bark beetle, a plant bug and so much more.

Guam Fly Catcher

Guam being isolated much like Hawaii has to go through adaptive radiation where both islands have to adapt to a “mechanism of evolution in isolated areas that occurs in response to otherwise unfilled ecological niches” (Shelley 327). This adaptive radiation occurs mainly with the species as they adjust to those ecological niches that are far more different than plants and animals from other places in the world.

Chapter 16 The Pacific Northwest

The Pacific Northwest like other regions has had explorers come to their region and discover a huge amount of natural resources. “In many places, abundant fertile and well-watered agricultural land was also available. Activities associated with resource extraction such as agriculture, fishing, forestry and the fur trade soon came to dominate the Pacific Northwest economy” (Shelley 311). These abundant resources have helped the residence throughout the years and have increased into businesses.

Guam has several resources as well but one important resource that has played a role on the island is Guam’s Historic Resources Division. Its mission is to preservative historic programs and to promote the use, preservation, conservation and the presentation of historic properties. Since the military build-up on Guam, the locals have tried to preserve their historic properties because they want to keep their cultural ties. With the military going to Guam, they had to reserve land to build more places for field practices which was not a problem at all. The biggest debate when the military build-up occurred was the conservation of Guam’s coral reefs because the coral reefs are home to a lot of sea life and is one of their tourist attractions. The U.S. had to compromise since they were relocating thousands of military personnels to the island and the people have to adjust to the build-up.

Today, the coral reef is still there and the military personnels, their families and the locals are living harmoniously on Guam. Since their arrival they have grown to see the importance of the coral reefs and have grown fond of this tourist attraction as well.

Chapter 15 California

California is one of the places to be for some people because they think about surfing, Hollywood and beaches. Well geographically speaking, “California’s location is at the boundaries of the North American and Pacific plates which are responsible for its dramatic mountains and valleys, as well as earthquakes, volcanoes and landslides” (Shelley 283). Since people do not usually think about the natural disasters they think about the fun in the sun. California is one of the nation's most population destinations for immigrants making California’s population grow more than 36.9 million by the year 2010.

Los Angeles, California

Back on Guam, it’s almost about the same not in population but in attraction. It attracts immigrants from several places through its island style, scenery and island food. When tourists go to visit Guam, most of them do not want to go back home instead they want to remain on the island. It is because of the consistent visits and people wanting to stay, the population of Guam has increased as well. Based from the Guam census the population has increased from 159, 358 in the year 2010 to 159, 914 of July 2012. 

Chapter 14 MexAmerica

The climate of MexAmerica is usually hot and dry. According to the textbook, “to the west of MexAmerica, the mountains of California and northwestern Mexico block much of the moisture coming onshore from the Pacific Ocean. Thus areas east of these mountains are very dry” (Shelley 267). It is because of this hot and dry weather that the people of MexAmerica are sensitive to the water shortage in the region. Despite the weather, the residence has to be cautious about flash flooding and hurricanes because it causes a number of fatalities and property damage.

Flash Flood

Unlike MexAmerica, Guam has a more tropical climate and they do not have to worry about water shortage. Speaking from experience there are times that people love the weather and there are times where people hate it. In a nutshell, Guam’s climate is hot and humid but it’s bearable. Going to the beach when it becomes too hot is the usual escape plan for everyone. There it is cool and relaxing, making it feel like paradise. Guam may have its ups and downs like the recent Valley weather and people care about how hot or cold their current location may be more than a natural disaster but everyone has to be prepared for they can occur at any time. On Guam the usual natural disasters are typhoons, tsunamis and earthquakes. Since it is such a small island and they are far from other countries, they have to knowledgeable on the situation. This does not put the island in panic because they know what to do at a time of crisis which is what the people of MexAmerica and other regions should do as well.

Guam Typhoon (residential pictures)

Chapter 12 The Rocky Mountain Region & Chapter 13 The Intermontane West 

The formation of the Rocky Mountains is created through a mixture of geographic changes. Long before our time, the tectonic force of the North American Plate was moved westward and collided with the Pacific Plate. This collision was known as the Columbia Orogeny. It was then moved east over North America which cracked a great mass of rock creating sedimentary layers over the land. It is through this geographic change that it created the western and central Rocky Mountains. This collision was then followed up by the Laramide Orogeny which created the front ranges and foothills of the Rocky Mountains.

The Rocky Mountains

The Intermontane region on the other hand contains blocky mountains that create the basin and range province of the area. This basin and range province is known as the Great Basin. Even though the Intermontane West does not contain beautiful mountains that create great scenery, the Intermontane has the Columbia Plateau, the Great Columbia Plain, and the Grand Canyon.

The Grand Canyon

Guam being a small island does not have a mountain that can compare to the Rocky Mountains or the Grand Canyon but they have other places that are just as breathtaking. On Guam, they have Mt. LamLam where climbers, bikers and hikers go for a good work out. It is the highest peak on Guam and it is absolutely breathtaking. For a small island, this mountain of an elevation of 1,334 feet is one of the places people have to go. It’s a great workout and just like the Grand Canyon or the Rocky Mountains, it’s worth the visit. 

Mount LamLam

Chapter 11 The Great Plains

The Great Plains was once described as the “Prairie Province” but it is far more diverse and complex than it seems. The Great Plains is said to be “a region in transition. Declining energy and water reserves, changing climate, an influx of new Latino and Asian-American settlers, and new transportation technologies are pushing the Great Plains toward a future that is very different than its past” (Shelley 205).

With that said, most of the employment in the Great Plains deals with the tertiary and quaternary sectors of the economy. Teachers, social workers, county agents and other local government employers are at higher amounts than farmers among many of the Great Plain communities. The Great Plains have also tried to approve their technology and created high-tech businesses in the region. However, this requires more knowledge on technology making the employees get a higher education.

On the island of Guam, the locals are the same as everyone in the world. They want to be successful and be able to make it out there in the real world. They have to be educated on the subject they want to pursue and support themselves in the future. From kindergarten to elementary to middle school to high school and lastly to college, they try to figure out what they want to be when they grow up. Once they reach college like everyone in the world, they declare their major and go in depth on that specific profession.

The people of Guam have to choose between two colleges which are the University of Guam or Guam Community College. Most high school graduates would pursue their dreams and go to a university that holds a high standard in the island or in the states. Even a small island like Guam cares about education because it gives everyone the tools they need to be successful.