Category Archives: North America

In North America there is a large number of raw materials that cover the entire spectrum from energy sources to specialty ores. This wealth has greatly favored the economic development of the USA. For example, iron and steel production in the northern and southern Appalachian Mountains is due to the proximity to raw material deposits. The iron and steel industry on the Great Lakes was largely created because the required raw materials could be transported very cheaply – for example iron ore from the Mesabi Range on the west side of the Upper Lake or by water over the St. Lawrence River from overseas. The favorable traffic situation has also contributed significantly to the settlement of numerous subsequent industries; The first to be mentioned is vehicle construction in the Detroit area.

On the coast of the Gulf of Mexico, the extraction of oil and natural gas has initiated the settlement of refineries and subsequent industries (chemicals, plastics) on both the US and Mexican sides. There are also some very large conventional deposits of crude oil and natural gas in the interior of the USA, for example in Texas and Kansas. In addition, there are deposits of crude oil and natural gas in the form of oil shale (Utah) or oil sands (Alberta / Canada, see 214.1) as well as diffuse deposits (fracking, see 220.4). There are large deposits of other energy sources such as hard coal in the Appalachian Mountains and the Rocky Mountains; Uranium ore is extracted in the north of Saskatchewan / Canada.

THE INDUSTRIAL REGIONS IN THE NORTH
With regard to the spatial distribution of the industrial locations, several large centers can be distinguished, some of which extend from the USA to Canada.

The most important industrial region in North America was for a long time the Manufacturing Belt, which stretches from Quebec in Canada to the northern Mississippi around St. Louis. Several factors of favor were decisive for his rise. First, the industry developed in the eastern part, the New England states, whereby the location on the main shipping route to Europe and the function of the area as the main gateway for immigrants played an important role. Further advantages of the location were the abundance of wood and the availability of hydropower. The industrial region was later expanded to the west. The agricultural products from the Midwest formed the basis for the food and luxury goods industry, which is still strongly represented there today. For more information about the continent of North America, please check internetsailors.com.