Glencoe World GeographyChapter 7:
The United States and Canada TodayChapter Overviews
Like many other developed nations, the United States and Canada are moving towards
a post-industrial economy, one that places less emphasis on manufacturing and
agricultural production and more emphasis on service or high-tech businesses.
Even so, in an increasingly interdependent and high-tech global economy, manufacturing
and farming are still important.
Living in the United States and Canada The United States and Canada
rank among the world's top producers of beef, wheat, corn, and dairy products.
Technological advances in both manufacturing and farming have enabled both countries
to produce more with fewer workers. Physical geography has influenced developments
in transportation. Automobile ownership is commonplace in both countries, and
elaborate systems of highways stretch across both Canada and the United States.
Mass transit, including subways, elevated trains, and monorails, can be found
in several major cities. High-tech companies and communications are becoming
more widespread in both countries. In 1988 Canada and the United States recognized
their interdependent economies by signing the North American Free Trade Agreement
(NAFTA). In 1994 this agreement, which removed trade restrictions between the
two countries, was extended to Mexico. The September 11, 2001, attack on the
World Trade Center and the Pentagon brought international terrorism to the United
States. People and Their Environment Through controlled efforts of natural resource
management, both Canada and the United States have tried to preserve old-growth
forests, endangered wildlife, and lands that were subject to food or erosion.
Both countries also began efforts to prevent or curb pollution to the environment.
The countries have started cooperating to fight acid rain and water pollution.
Concerns for the future include the impact of NAFTA on the environment in Mexico
and global warming. |