THE SOUTHERN COASTLANDS: ON THE SUBTROPICAL MARGIN (CHAPTER 10)

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THE SOUTHERN COASTLANDSON THE SUBTROPICAL
MARGIN(CHAPTER 10)
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INTRODUCTION

• One can divide the entire southern margin of the
  U.S. in half based on human geography.
• Rio Grande east to North Carolina
• U.S-Mexico border area.
• The southern coastlands are distinct
• Humid subtropical climate
• Location on the continental margin
• The Southern Coastlands may appear to be a region
  of the Changing South, but it does not "fit,
  economically nor environmentally.

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SOUTHERN COASTLANDS

• Map page 187

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SUBTROPICAL ENVIRONMENT

• Humid subtropical climate
• warm, humid summers
• mild winters
• long growing seasons
• Almost the entire region experiences 9 months or
  more of potential growing time - map on pg 220

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SUBTROPICAL ENVIRONMENT

• Average growing season is greater than 10 months,
  with southern Florida having nearly 12 months.
• Average rainfall is greater than 50 inches, and
  almost all of it occurs in the summer
  (April-October), which makes for ideal growing
  conditions.

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Length of the Growing Season

• Map page 188.

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AGRICULTURE

• Two key agricultural advantages
• Can host specialty crops which cannot be grown
  elsewhere
• Double cropping is possible in some areas
• Key specialty crops
• citrus
• sugarcane
• rice

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AGRICULTURE

• Citrus was introduced to Florida in the 16th
  Century.
• Most of the industry is concentrated south of 29?
  North latitude.
• Half the production occurs between Tampa and
  Orlando.
• Since 1945 there has been a continuous increase
  in local processing rather than simple export.

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AGRICULTURE

• Today, more than 80 of the total harvest is
  frozen into concentrate.
• The industry is labor intensive and pays out 1/3
  of its production costs to migrant workers.

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Acres of Oranges

• Map on page 384.

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Acres of Grapefruit

• Map source not known

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AGRICULTURE(continued)

• Sugarcane production is exclusive to the southern
  coastlands.
• Cane is the tropical source of sugar and is the
  primary source of the world's supply.

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AGRICULTURE(continued)

• In the U.S. and Canada, sugar beets provide a
  basic source of sugar.
• Sugarcane is a perennial crop, requiring a full
  year to mature, while being very sensitive to
  frost.
• The crop is grown in Louisiana using the natural
  water supply, and is made possible by irrigation
  in Florida.

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Sugarcane for Sugar

• Map source not known

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AGRICULTURE(continued)

• Rice is irrigated and grown in Louisiana and
  Texas (near Houston) along the coast.
• An additional source area includes the area to
  the north (in Arkansas) along the Mississippi
  Valley.

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Rice

• Map page 381.

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AMENITIES

• Climate and coastal location
• Tremendous growth in the retired population.
• In Florida for example
• in 1950,12 of the population was older than 60
• by 1980, however, people over 60 comprised 23 of
  the population.

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AMENITIES

• Tourism
• Traditional focus has been on Florida-beaches,
  Disneyland, baseball training camps, Cape
  Canaveral
• Recent boom-coastal area extending from New
  Orleans to Mobile, centered on coastal
  Mississippi (known locally as the "Mississippi
  Riviera")

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NEW ORLEANS
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HAZARDS

• Frosts
• Mid-winter frosts can be devastating since most
  agriculturalists expect the first frost not to
  occur before December 15th.
• Too little frost enables insects to thrive
  throughout the year.

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HAZARDS

• Hurricanes
• Destructive and common throughout the entire
  region.
• Hurricanes Camile, Hugo, Andrew, Floyd, etc.
• Water Supply
• Particularly a problem in central Florida
• Groundwater overdraftgtgtsubsidence and the
  creation of sinkholes (craters formed when the
  roof of a cavern collapses)

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Hurricane Activity

• Map source not known

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Landfalling Hurricanes

• Map source not known

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ON THE MARGINS OF THE CONTINENT

• Trade
• The coastal location includes several major ports
  that are located at the mouths of major rivers.
• Pensacola, Mobile, Galveston, and Corpus Christi
  all benefit from sheltered bays.

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ON THE MARGINS OF THE CONTINENT

• Jacksonville, Brownsville, New Orleans, and
  Houston (made possible via construction back in
  1873) are all significant port cities that
  enhance trade with Latin America and Europe.
• All of the ports have vast hinterlands that
  extend into the interior.

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ON THE MARGINS OF THE CONTINENT

• Resources
• The continental shelf that is adjacent to the
  region, extends 750 miles out into the ocean in
  some areas and hosts a variety of resources.
• Texas and Louisiana are number one and two in
  U.S. oil production, with much of the supply
  coming from off shore drilling.
• Natural gas is also available in large
  quantities.

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Oil Natural Gas Production

• Map page 196.

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INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT

• Petrochemical industry
• Natural gas and petroleum products
• Used as chemical components for a variety of
  everyday use items - plastics, paints,
  antifreeze, and fertilizer

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INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT

• "Texas Triangle
• Spatial arrangement of Houston, Dallas - Fort
  Worth, and San Antonio).
• The cities are linked together by transportation
  and communications networks and economic activity.

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MAJOR CITIES

• Miami-tremendous growth
• recreation
• travel
• Latin American commercial connection

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MAJOR CITIES

• New Orleans
• Industrial and recreational importance
• Constrained site restricts growth
• Houston-rapid growth
• Manufacturing and trade
• Tremendous reliance on the petrochemical
  industry- a blessing or vulnerability?