Geography and People

nullA Brief Introduction to American History & Culture 美国历史与文化概况A Brief Introduction to American History & Culture 美国历史与文化概况By Cathy (王颖)A Guide to English-speaking Countries 英语国家概况A Guide to English-speaking Countries 英语国家概况 外语教学与研究出版社 定价：23.9 元Class Discussion Class Discussion 1. Why do you select this course? 2. What do you want to get from this course? Language、History and Culture Language、History and Culture Language -- the carrier of history and culture, the way through which history and culture is widely known by people. History -- without which the language seems pale and meaningless. Culture –- one of the ultimate goal of learning a language. (Globalization) Simply speaking, the above three is closely related with one another, so it is quite necessary for us to learn of the history and culture of the US in order to understand the language further.ContentsContentsThe United States of America The United States of America Unit 8 Geography and People ContentsContentsnullnull Watch the map of U.S.A carefully and find clues to the following items location (bordering neighbors ) States (the smallest & the largest state) Size and LocationSize and Location In the central part of North America (except Alaska and Hawaii); Canada on the north Mexico and the Gulf of Mexico on the south Atlantic Ocean on the east Pacific Ocean on the west total area—9,5 million square kilometers; 50 states and the federal district of Columbia—the seat of the Federal Government. States States original 48 states Alaska and Hawaii, separated from the continent, became the 49th and 50th states in 1959. Alaska borders on northwestern Canada Hawaii lies in the central Pacific Ocean Alaska—the largest Rhode Island—the smallest Texas—the largest on the mainland1. Three Geographic Divisions1. Three Geographic DivisionsThe Eastern PartThe Eastern Part The eastern part—the highlands formed by the Appalachian Range (阿巴拉挈亚山脉). one sixth of American territory relatively low, with an average altitude of 800 meters above sea level The Western PartThe Western Part High plateaus (高原) and mountains—extending from Canada through the western part of the United States to Mexico and further south. One third of the country’s territory Rocky mountains The Great Central PlainThe Great Central Plain Between the Appalachians in the east and the Rocky Mountains in the west. half of America’s landmass on the continent stretch from the Great Lakes in the north to the Gulf of Mexico in the south drained by the Mississippi five great lakes and Niagara FallsnullLake Erie2. Main Geographical Regions 2. Main Geographical Regions *The West New EnglandNew England including six states in the northeastern corner. long history—the Europeans’ first settlement featured with mountains, valleys and rivers, and cities and towns with historic sites top-ranking universities Harvard Yale Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) New ENGLAND New ENGLAND The South Region The South Region including 13 states with plentiful rainfall and a mild to warm climate favorable climate for agriculture fast growing industry and population in recent years great size with few large cities New Orleans Miami Memphis Atlanta BirminghamnullAmerican Southern AreaThe Western RegionThe Western Regionincluding 11 states, like Washington, Oregon , Alaska, California and Hawaii，etc. Oregon （俄勒冈州）-- wealth of beautiful forests and streams California striking natural features -- central valley, high mountains, and hot dry deserts. notable cities San Francisco Los Angeles San Diego 14 percent of American gross domestic product （GDP） predominant agriculture yielding high-tech industry centrenullOregon & CaliforniaAlaskaAlaskanorthwestern part of America Alaska--glaciers, waterfalls and lakes Native population Eskimos--half of all Alaska Natives Indians Aleuts main agriculture output—seafood industrial outputs—crude petroleum, natural gas, precious metals, seafood processing, timber, and tourism, etc. nullAlaskaHawaiiHawaii is composd of eight major islands about 2575 kilometres long southeast to northwest mild temperature chief products—cane sugar, pineapple, and flowers and dairy products. coffee beans, bananas, and macadamia nuts (澳洲坚果）. tourist business—largest source of income.HawaiiHawaiiHawaii Dance3.River and Lakes3.River and Lakes The Mississippi River the longest and the most important river in the system of the Gulf. length—6,262 kilometers drainage area—3,225,000 square kilometers. null Known as the “father of waters” to American Indians As Mark Twain was raised on the river, his most popular and important writings are concerned with this area．The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn （哈克贝里芬历险记）tells the story of how the boy Huckleberry Finn and his black friend Jim, a runaway slave, sailed down the Mississippi on a raft. The Great LakesThe Great Lakes The most important system of inland waterways in the world. Lake Michigan—wholly within the United States part of the national boundary between the United States and Canada runs through this chain of lakes. nullNiagara Falls--located on the U.S.–Canadian border between Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. ClimateClimate Mainly temperate with some mild subtropical zones with only the southern Florida and Hawaii being tropical. 50 centimeter rainfall line in the east—comparatively more rain, so easy agriculture; in the west—much less rain (less than 50 cm. a year) with the exception of the coastal areas along the Pacific. Natural ResourcesNatural Resources rich in mineral resources among the countries with the greatest reserves of coal, iron ore （铁矿石） and oil. abounds in lead （铅）, copper, zinc, aluminum, phosphate rock（磷酸盐岩） , silver, and gold. one fourth of the territory—covered with forests which mainly concentrate upon three areas: null rich in oil—once the largest oil producing country. oil reserve—along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico, Texas, Louisiana, and Oklahoma. Energy crisis Gulf War fought in early 1991 between Iraq and a coalition of 39 countries organized by the U.S., most of which rely on Kuwait and Saudi Arabia as primary source of petroleum. Major Cities Major Cities When talking about America, is there any city that you are familiar with? And why? Tips: New York—commercial and financial center of the United States Washington D.C.—seat of the federal government Los Angles—second largest city Chicago—the windy city Seattle; Philadelphia; San Francisco; etc. New York New York Situated on three islands—Manhattan Island, Long Island and Staten Island at the mouth of Hudson River. Five boroughs—Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Richmond and Queens. the headquarter of the United Nations nullTime Square & Central ParknullThe statue of liberty is a huge sculpture located on Liberty Island in New York Harbor. This monument was a gift to the USA from the people of France in recognition of the French-American alliance during the American Revolution. The formal name of the statue is "Liberty Enlightening the World".nullIt pictures a woman who has escaping the chains of tyranny (the broken chains lie at her feet). Liberty's right hand holds a torch that is a symbol of liberty. Liberty was designed by the French sculptor Frederic Auguste Bartholdi. The statue was re-assembled in the USA and was completed on October 28, 1886. The seven rays of Liberty's crown symbolize the seven seas and seven continents of the world. Liberty holds a tablet in her left hand that reads "July 4, 1776" (in Roman numerals), Independence Day of the United States of America. Washington D.C.Washington D.C.Governed directly by the Federal government. District of Columbia—named after Christopher Columbus city—named after George Washington, the first president of U.S. nullWashington Skyscrapers World War II MemorialSan FranciscoSan FranciscoGolden Gate BridgeCenter of oil-refining, automobiles, chemicals, commerce, finance, and shipping industry. Chinatown— the largest Chinese settlement in America. Los AngelsLos Angels second largest city in the U.S.; four times larger than San Francisco. important electronic center known for the manufacture of tires, automobiles and aircraft. center of atomic research nullHollywood— the heart of world’s motion pictures industryHong Kong Hong Kong nullThe world famous Disneyland attracts millions of tourists every year. Hong Kong Disney Land Hong Kong Disney Land ChicagoChicago the windy city; second most populous city after New York. Founded in the early 1800s—main connection between the east coast cities and the West. the largest industrial city in the country, with highly developed heavy and light industries the center of industry, transportation, commerce and finance in the Midwest area, also a culture center Sears Tower (西尔斯大厦)Sears Tower (西尔斯大厦)Chicago became home to the world's tallest building in 1973 when the 110-story Sears Tower was topped off. The Sears Tower remained the tallest building in the world until February 13, 1996. The Sears Tower continues to be the tallest building in North America. PeoplePeopleThe United States is the third most populous nation in the world, ranking behind China and India. According to the U. S. Census Bureau, the resident population reached a milestone on Oct. 17, 2006, hitting 300 million.PopulationPopulation Uneven distribution The most densely populated region—the northeastern part About one quarter of the total land area, about half of the total population. The Great Plains—a comparatively small population. The South—a population of almost 57.5 million people. The West—not densely populated; 20% of the population except for some metropolitan centers like Los Angels, and San Francisco. Nation of ImmigrantsNation of Immigrants Race and ethnic groups The Indians The White Anglo-Saxons Protestants (WASP) The Black The Hispanics (西班牙裔) The Asian-Americans IndiansIndians About 10 million Indians in North America When Columbus arrived. Westward movement—the destruction of the Indians. Today about 2.4 million Indians About one-third of them live on reservations, land that was set-aside for them. The rest lives in cities. Poverty and unemployment are major problems, especially on the reservations.WASPs （White Anglo-Saxon Protestants ）WASPs （White Anglo-Saxon Protestants ） European descendants Pilgrim Fathers White Anglo-Saxon Protestants who were largely responsible for the winning of America’s independence. English—official language The BlackThe Black About 8 million black people were brought to America from Africa as slaves from 1620 to 1820. work on plantations or large farms of the South. poor and suffer from poverty Today the black account for about 12% of the population Many of them live in the South and in the cities of Northeast and Midwest. Civil Rights MovementCivil Rights Movement Segregation laws (隔离法) in Southern states in the US prevented black and white people from sitting together in movie theatres, eating in the same restaurants, drinking from the same water fountain, etc. Although these are not Amendment (补充法案）to the US Constitution, the US government would not declare the Southern laws unconstitutional until there were cases brought in the federal courts. The civil rights movements began when black people spontaneously protested segregation laws and created organizations to make the protests successful. Martin Luther KingMartin Luther KingMartin Luther King was a black minister, who was a great political and religious leader of the non-violent civil rights movement in 1950s. nullOn August 28, 1963, he led over 250,000 Americans on a march in Washington D. C. to fight for the Civil Rights Law to guarantee equality for all people, and delivered his best-known speech “I Have a Dream” before the Lincoln Memorial . Thus he was awarded the Nobel Prize for peace in 1964. But he was tragically murdered four years later. By vote of Congress in 1968, the third Monday of every January is now a federal holiday in Martin Luther King’s honor. I Have a DreamI Have a Dream I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal. I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood. I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice. I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream today! I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification; one day right down in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers. I have a dream today! I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together.Hispanics —the Spanish-speaking population of the United States Hispanics —the Spanish-speaking population of the United States Three major Hispanic groups:null Puerto Ricans The island of Puerto Rico has been an American possession since the Spanish-American war of 1899 and Puerto Ricans have been American citizens since 1917. Better job opportunities in the U.S. have drawn a large number of Puerto Ricans to the U.S., the majority of whom have settled in the large cities in the eastern seaboard. nullCuban Americans The Cuban-Americans who got away from Cuba after the Cuban Revolution in 1959 and are now gathered in the Miami area. In general, the Cuban-Americans have done the best economically. They left Cuba in the early 60s and, over the past 40 years, they have created a prosperous “little Cuba” in the Miami area. Asian immigrants—Chinese Asian immigrants—Chinese Among the Asian immigrants, the Chinese were the first Asians to come to the United States. Beginning in 1847, when young male peasants came to work in America in mines, on railroads, and in agricultural fields, the Chinese gradually ran into economic and cultural fears of the white majority. Facing this, the Chinese did not try to assimilate but instead gravitated to “ Chinatowns (Audio)”. null Now the Chinese-Americans are about 800,000. They have proved to be industrious and intelligent. Many of them have found high-in-come positions. The employment rate and average income of Chinese-American families are now higher than the national average. They have come to be viewed as a "model minority", clean and hard working. The Nobel Prize Winners of Chinese DescendentThe Nobel Prize Winners of Chinese Descendent李政道： 1926年生于上海，美籍华人，1957年获诺贝尔物理学奖，时年31岁； 杨振宁： 1922年生于安徽，美籍华人，1957年获获诺贝尔物理学奖，时年35岁； 丁肇中： 1936年生于美国，美籍华人，1976年获获诺贝尔物理学奖，时年40岁； 李远哲： 1936年生于台湾，美籍华人，1986年获诺贝尔获化学奖，时年50岁； 朱棣文： 1948年生于美国，美籍华人，1997年获诺贝尔获物理学奖，时年49岁； 崔 琦： 1939年生于河南，美籍华人，1998年获诺贝尔获物理学奖，时年59岁； 高行健： 1948年生于江西，法国国籍，2000年获诺贝尔文学奖，时年52岁。 Waves of Immigration Waves of Immigration AS early as 20,000 years ago, Asian people came across the Bering Strait（白令海峡）Alaska. In 1620 Puritans Came. From 1620 to 1820, about 8 million Blacks brought to America from African countries. In 1830S-1840s, the northern Europeans, esp. Irish craftsmen work as construction labors because of the Great Famine. In 1880s, immirations from southern and eastern europe to the US, which helped the US changed from agricultural to industrialized countries. In the 1980s, almost half of all immigrants were Asians. nullIn 1924, the Immigration Act 《移民法案》 （restrict further immigration，particularly from Europe） In 1965, the Immigration and Nationality Act Amendments 《移民与国籍法修订案》 （limit immigration from Asia） Topic for DiscussionTopic for Discussion What do America—a nation of immigrants and China—a nation of minor-nationalities look like in your eyes? Racial Assimilation Racial Assimilation The Melting Pot The United States is a nation of many ethnic groups, making it a “melting pot”, meaning immigrants from different nations all over the world have combined to make one nation, the American. They speak almost the same kind of English with far less class or regional variety than in Britain. They have similar habits and manner.Audio: Multi-cultural SocietynullThe Salad Bowl Since 1960s, a lot of scholars oppose against the term “melting pot”. They think America is similar to a Salad Bowl, every culture can find its position in American society. Multiculturalism is the symbol of America. null