290389 VO The Deep South of the USA - Regional and Socioeconomic Development Problems (2008S)

The Southern United States stretch from Washington, DC in the north to the State of Florida in the south and from the Atlantic Coast in the east to the Mississippi River in the west. Its core region is referred to as the "Old" or "Deep South" and comprises of the following states: South and North Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, Mississippi, Louisiana and the northern part of Florida. This course introduces students to the physical and cultural landscapes of "The Deep South". Its focus is on human interactions with the physical environment that people occupy. Major points of discussion are (1) the importance of the Mississippi River in the development of the physical and cultural landscapes; (2) the natural environment, identifying the processes that have created the landforms, soils, vegetation and climate and their interrelationships; (3) the human element - Native American and European settlement patterns and the wide variety of cultural landscapes they created; (4) the relationship between natural resources and human activities, dealing with the economic geography and the petroleum industry; and (5) population patterns - the trends and issues that confront rural and urban regions. In addition, some lectures will focus on the impacts hurricanes Katrina and Rita had on the "Geography" of "The Deep South".