North America Agriculture. Major "belts" of the United States Transport system of Canada

Agriculture - industry Agriculture, the process of soil cultivation, in which a crop of certain crops is obtained. Agriculture in North America is very developed, especially in such developed countries as Canada and the United States of America. The territory of North America is usually divided into agricultural poles.

Corn belt

The so-called "corn belt" is located in the United States and occupies the states of Iowa, Illinois, Missouri and other states in the Midwest of the United States. The name of the belt speaks for itself: fertile soils rich in nitrogen are favorable for growing corn. The volumes of corn grown are enormous. Most of it is intended for livestock feed, part is exported, and part remains on the domestic market.

Rice. 1. Corn fields of North America.

Wheat Belt

The wheat belt covers the territories of Canada and the United States. In Canada, wheat is grown in the provinces of Manitoba and Albert; in the United States, this crop occupies Kansas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, North and South Dakota. The soils here are black earth, just suitable for a good harvest of cereals. Spring wheat is sown in the north of the belt, winter wheat - in the south. In addition to wheat, other grain crops are also grown here: rice, barley, sorghum. Cereals are a major contributor to US exports.

Cotton Belt

This belt was formed in the south of the United States of America, namely in Georgia, Alabama, Louisiana. This culture has been cultivated here since the 17th century. In the 18th and 19th centuries, the volume of cotton production was at a very high level. This was due to fertile soil and slave labor. Gradually, the soil exhausted all its resources and production began to fall. Part of the cotton grown is processed at local enterprises, and part is exported to other countries.

Rice. 2. Cotton fields of North America.

In recent decades, tobacco and peanuts have been cultivated in this area. It is the United States that accounts for most of the tobacco export market. Tobacco is grown in Kentucky, North Carolina and Virginia.

Many territories are gradually changing their focus. Where previously they were exclusively engaged in the cultivation of some crops, others now dominate. This is a natural process that cannot be stopped.

Milk belt

The milk belt occupies the southeastern territory of Canada and the northeastern territory of the United States of America. There are farms that specialize in dairy products. Vast meadows and fields are used for grazing and growing forage crops for them.

Not only the agriculture of the USA and Canada are developed. Other North American countries have their own successes as well. For example, Mexico is the world leader in the collection of avocados, Guatemala - in the collection of nutmeg, Costa Rica has succeeded in growing pineapples.

The United States is characterized by an exceptional variety of forms of agriculture. It can be argued that all its main types are presented here, which are found in economically developed countries West. It is not surprising that the agricultural regions of the United States began to form as early as the late 19th century. Over time, extreme diversity natural conditions, ever higher marketability, the development of transport that ensures the transportation of bulk cargo, created the preconditions for the narrow specialization of not only individual farms, but also entire regions, which in the United States are usually called belts. The number of such belts - depending on the degree of detail in the study - can vary quite significantly. But in the most generalized form, they are usually distinguished by 9 (Fig. 191). It should be borne in mind that in recent decades, some of these belts, for example, cotton, have undergone a significant transformation, while others have changed much less.

Milk belt The United States was formed in the Lake District and in the Northeast under conditions of a relatively short growing season and marginal soils. The main part of agricultural land is occupied by improved pastures and hayfields, and many field crops are cultivated for green fodder. Milk, butter, cheese are sold in big cities and agglomerations. Here are the enterprises of the dairy and cheese-making industries. Dairy farming is most typical for the southeastern part of Minnesota, for Wisconsin, and northern Illinois. The cow population is particularly high here, and dairy farms with tall silos form the bulk of the countryside. The state of Wisconsin takes the first place in the production of milk, butter and cheese (more than 100 varieties).

Rice. 191. Agricultural areas (belts) in the USA

Corn belt The USA was formed in the southern part of the Central Plains, where the soil and climatic conditions are extremely favorable for the cultivation of this crop. First of all, this applies to the chernozem-like soils of the plains, which have a very high natural productivity. In the corn crop rotation, soybeans are usually grown, the crops of which have grown especially after the Second World War, so this belt would now be correctly called corn-soybean. Both crops are used primarily for the production of compound feed and concentrates necessary for fattening large cattle and pigs, which also has a long history in the corn belt, giving its agriculture a mixed farming-livestock focus. The corresponding profile has and food industry belts.

At the center of the corn belt is Iowa, the country's second largest corn and soybean producer. In some counties of the state, this crop occupies more than 70% of the cultivated area. Iowa takes the first place in the United States in terms of the number of pigs, which reaches 16 million (with a population of 3 million people). The neighboring state of Illinois can be considered a kind of "twin" of Iowa, giving 1/5 of the corn harvest and 1/6 of the soybean harvest in the country, and second only to Iowa in terms of pig population. In addition, the corn belt in the west includes part of the territory of the states of Kansas and Nebraska, in the north - part of Wisconsin, and in the east - parts of Indiana and Ohio.

The settlement of the vast territory of the corn belt, starting from its eastern outskirts, the Ohio Plains, expanded widely after the adoption in 1862 (during the Civil War) of the famous Homestead Act. This act, which granted every American citizen the right to a parcel of land (homestead) west of the Appalachian Mountains, marked the victory of farming. The entire perfectly flat area of the plains was divided into so-called townships - squares 6 miles long and 6 miles wide, that is, an area of 36 square meters. miles (93.2 km 2). In turn, each square mile in such a township was subdivided into four parts of 64.5 hectares. One such part was provided for the possession family farm... Usually from 16 to 36 townships were united in one county or county - county.

All this clear system of "chess" squares has survived to this day (Fig. 192). In most counties in Illinois and western Indiana, farms account for more than 90% of the land area, and even 95% in Iowa and the surrounding areas of Kansas and Nebraska. Each town has its own economic center - a small town with all the necessary services (market, church, school, post office, bank, hotel, restaurant, gas station). So it is not at all accidental that, using the example of the state of Illinois, who worked here in the 1930s. the famous German scientist August Lösch substantiated his concept of central places.

Rice. 192. Scheme of cutting townships and individual farms in the United States: 1) dividing the territory into townships; dividing the township into squares; 3) dividing the square into farms

To the west of the corn plant is located an equally famous wheat belt USA. Geographically, it coincides with the Great Plains, which began to be widely used for agriculture only in the late 19th - early 20th centuries. - after the extermination of huge herds of bison, as well as the extermination and displacement of local Indian tribes. The prairies of the Great Plains, which had very fertile soils but a drier climate, proved to be the most suitable for wheat crops. Tens of thousands of immigrants from Europe poured into these places, and in short time the prairies were also plowed up. The further history of the region abounded in both ups and downs, but recently the level of its development has been relatively stable. The wheat belt gives 20-25 million tons of this crop per year. True, the main flour mills have already developed beyond its borders - in Minneapolis, Kansas City and other cities.

Rice. 193. Plan wheat farm in kansas

As it is easy to see (Fig. 191), the wheat belt of the United States consists of two separate parts - northern and southern, which differ greatly in both agroclimatic and cultural-ethnic conditions.

In the northern part (North and South Dakota), winters are too frosty and windy, so that only spring wheat ripens here. This part is commonly referred to as the spring wheat belt. The population here is sparse, almost entirely farming, there are practically no big cities. Most of the farms have such narrow specialization on wheat, which can be called a kind of monoculture of this belt.

In the southern part (Nebraska and Kansas), where summers are much hotter and drier, they cultivate winter wheat, which has time to mature before the onset of summer droughts. This is a winter wheat belt. But the profile of agriculture here is broader - primarily due to the fact that in recent decades it has also specialized in fattening cattle and other livestock; therefore, the crops grown on local farms are usually more diverse (Fig. 193). Large meat-packing plants also appeared in the cities.

The discrepancy between the timing of harvesting in the spring and winter wheat belts, and in other areas adjacent to them from the south, leads here to the use of such a rational method as the transfer of harvesting equipment (combines) from south to north as the wheat ripens. Moreover, its cleaning is usually done not by the farmers themselves, but by special companies that send both equipment and labor force, which begin the harvest in the spring in Texas and end it in early autumn in North Dakota and Montana (Fig. 195). During the harvest season, the harvesters usually work 16 hours a day. But the operator's work is made easier by the pressurized cabin with air conditioning that protects it from the heat and the thorny heads of the threshing grain.

The entire history of the American South is associated with the monoculture of the "cotton king" and the formation of cotton belt. Cotton has been cultivated in the United States for over two centuries. The main areas of cotton growing first became the southeastern states, where cotton was grown without irrigation, using the labor of blacks - first slaves, and then tenant-sharecroppers (croppers). Then the cotton belt moved further to the west - to Alabama, Mississippi, Texas, stretching for 2,500 km and becoming the largest cotton growing region in the world.

But after World War II, the situation changed dramatically. Traditional cropping has virtually disappeared, and former Negro tenants have moved to cities in the North and South. By the 1980s. the old cotton belt was washed out. Large cotton plantations survived only in the lower Mississippi, while much of production shifted to Texas and the southern Highlands, where highly productive "cotton factories" emerged on irrigated land (with gravity and drip irrigation).

Rice. 194. Route and schedule of movement of mechanized columns for harvesting wheat

As for the rest of the South and the adjacent regions of the North, a vast area has formed here, which we, with a large degree of convention, called the area of diversified agriculture. In general, it is most typical for the cultivation of grain crops such as wheat and corn, industrial crops such as peanuts, tobacco, cotton, and beef cattle and poultry farming (broilers).

In the western part of the United States, in recent decades, the most extensive territory has been formed. pasture beef cattle belt with separate centers of rainfed and irrigated agriculture, the largest of which is located in the North-West. This belt covers all of the Mountain States and the adjacent parts of the Great Plains and Pacific States.

The main specialization of this belt is the rearing of young animals. meat breeds cattle. Until relatively recently, it took place mainly on natural pastures, on large cattle ranches with thousands and even tens of thousands of cattle and hundreds of cowboys. However, now on such ranches, shepherd grazing has become widespread, in which the pasture is divided into separate corrals, and livestock is periodically driven from one corral to another. This eliminates the need for shepherds (cowboys) and increases the utilization of feed. Young animals from such ranches are sent to grow in the states of the winter wheat belt, and then to fatten and slaughter in the states of the corn belt.

But recently, in the meat cattle-breeding belt, their own "meat factories" have emerged. These are huge fattening farms, where up to 100 thousand head of livestock can be kept, but not on pastures, but in stalls. For this purpose, corrals for 200-250 heads each are built right under the open sky, in which the feeding and watering of animals is carried out using automatic equipment, and the dosage is determined using computers. These "meat factories" typically serve large cities such as Los Angeles.

The rest of the areas are located in the coastal areas of the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of the United States. They specialize in horticulture and horticulture both in the temperate zone and in the subtropical and tropical zones (Florida, California, and Hawaii). Rice and sugarcane are the main crops for the area along the Gulf Coast. And more than half of the total potato harvest in the country comes from two states located in the extreme Northwest - Idaho and Washington.

In terms of the total production of commercial agricultural products, the corn belt is in the lead.

Belts - are called regions of the country, which are united by the similarity of one or another characteristic.

As a rule, the names of the belts are unofficial, but their name is very popular and widespread among the population.

Today in the United States of America there is a large number of belts, below we will describe only the most popular of them.

"Bible Belt"

"Bible Belt" - refers to a region in the United States in which people live mainly, bearers of the Evangelical religion, so to speak, Protestants.

This belt includes the following states of Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, and Florida.

As you can see, this is mainly the South of the United States of America. Historically, the position of Protestant organizations is very strong here, the largest of which is the Southern Baptist Convention. Among the population there is a very large percentage of believers among the population.

In the state of Tennessee, the city of Nashville is located, which is also called the "Bible Belt Buckle".

"Black belt"

In the south-east of the United States of America there is a "Black Belt", as the name implies, mainly black Americans live here.

Previously, the term used to describe the dark soil of this region, which is very good for farming. But later, thanks to the fertile soil, a lot of black slaves were brought here and the modern name changed its meaning.

The Black Belt region includes the following states of Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia and Delaware.

"Mormon Corridor"

The so-called "Jelly Belt" refers to the western region of the United States. It is usually home to a large number of followers of The Church of Jesus Christ of Saints. last days, who are better known in the world as Mormons.

Since the second half of the 19th century, the first Mormon settlements began to form here. The belt includes the following states of Utah, Wyoming, Idaho, Nevada, Arizona, and California.

The comic name "Jelly Belt" comes from the belief that Mormons have one of their favorite dishes, which is prepared on the basis of jelly. Also the state of Utah, where the majority of Mormons live, ranked first in the consumption of this product.

"Corn Belt"

The "Corn Belt" of the United States, or as it is also called "Grain", is an area located in the Midwest of the country.

Here, for a long time, traditionally, starting from the middle of the 19th century, corn was the main agricultural crop.

The "grain belt" of the United States is the real breadbasket of the country. Grain crops are grown here, in the first place is the cultivation of corn. Namely, this belt feeds the whole country and from this it is so important.

The "Grain Belt" includes the following US states Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Nebraska, Kansas, Minnesota and Missouri.

"Rusty Belt"

"Rusty Belt" or as it is also called "Factory, Industrial", a region located in the North-East and Midwest of the country.

Here are the main industrial enterprises countries such as steel, engineering, automotive.

The belt got its name due to the decline of industry in the country in the early 70s of the last century. During that period, many US enterprises were closed and from them, "rusty iron" remained.

Later, when production in the region resumed, the belt began to be called "factory", but the old name is often used too.

The Rust Belt includes the following states of the country: Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland and West Virginia.

"Sun Belt"

As the name implies, this includes the states located in the South and Southwest of the United States. A warm climate and long hot summers prevail here. All major resorts of the country are located in this region.

The Sun Belt includes the following US states Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, California, Nevada and Virginia.

Here is a brief summary of what we wanted to tell you about the belts of residence in the United States of America.

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The settlement of the vast territory of the corn belt, starting from its eastern outskirts, the Ohio Plains, expanded widely after the adoption in 1862 (during the Civil War) of the famous Homestead Act. This act, which granted every American citizen the right to a parcel of land (homestead) west of the Appalachian Mountains, marked the victory of farming. The entire perfectly flat area of the plains was divided into so-called townships - squares 6 miles long and 6 miles wide, that is, an area of 36 square meters. miles (93.2 km2). In turn, each square mile in such a township was subdivided into four parts of 64.5 hectares. One such portion was provided for the ownership of the family farm. Usually from 16 to 36 townships were united in one county or county - county.

To the west of the corn belt is the no less famous wheat belt of the United States. Geographically, it coincides with the Great Plains, which began to be widely used for agriculture only in the late 19th - early 20th centuries. - after the extermination of huge herds of bison, as well as the extermination and displacement of local Indian tribes. The prairies of the Great Plains, which had very fertile soils but a drier climate, proved to be the most suitable for wheat crops. Tens of thousands of immigrants from Europe poured into these places, and in a short time the prairies were also plowed up. The further history of the region abounded in both ups and downs, but recently the level of its development has been relatively stable. The wheat belt gives 20-25 million tons of this crop per year. True, the main flour mills have already developed beyond its borders - in Minneapolis, Kansas City and other cities.

Rice. 2. Plan of a wheat farm in Kansas

The wheat belt of the United States consists of two separate parts - northern and southern, which differ greatly in both agro-climatic and cultural-ethnic conditions.

In the northern part (North and South Dakota), winters are too frosty and windy, so that only spring wheat ripens here. This part is commonly referred to as the spring wheat belt. The population here is sparse, almost entirely farming, there are practically no big cities. Most of the farms are so narrowly specialized in wheat that they can be called a kind of monoculture of this belt.

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