Geog #11

Joy Prior
March 30, 2011
Otterstorm, Samuel M
Geography 120H
Section 005

#11: OPEN
Select an article dealing with any problem or challenge in the world you choose to study and discuss it using the geographic tools you have gained over the course of the semester such as site/situation, relative location, tyranny of geography, accidents or history, etc. In looking at this particular problem, can you make any comparisons between MDCs (More Developed Countries) and LDCs (Less Developed Countries)? What kind of attention is being given to this particular problem on a world scale and why?

Area: North America
Canada, the invisible, likeable beaver. The Globe and Mail: Editorials. 14 March 2011. Web. March 2011.
This article discussed the influence of globalization on geography has greatly impacted the meaning of borders, neighbors, and investments. It focused on the border between Canada and the United States, because it is the longest physical boarder in the world. The two countries share a continent, history, cultural similarities, language; they have similar geographical formations such as the Rocky Mountains, fertile mid-section, east and west coasts, and neither is landlocked.
International development is affected by the close state boarders. Although most Americans view Canada as a friendly neighbor according to a recent pool only about 39 percent of Americans consider what happens in Canada to be of “vital importance”, most respondents gave China, India, and Mexico higher scores. Two of those countries are on the other side of the world. It might shock most Americans but Canadians’ view Australia, Britain, and Germany more favorably than the United States. All of these countries are on a separate continent.
If all of the “neighboring” countries that the US and Canada have are really not “neighbors” at all what advantages can a physical boarder have on a country? I began to think how the boarders are almost a natural byproduct of geography. If the United States was like the pacific islands and a fragmented state or if the country had an elongated state similar to Chile that connected to multiple countries not only would the physical geography be different but the movement and political connections would also be different.
Canada and the United States share a special relationship along their border. Their exchange of knowledge and ideas though could be increased. A quote from the article stated that, “Canada cannot articulate its defining traits and ensure its relevance to its larger and more powerful neighbor.” It was difficult for me to imagine the United State and Canada in a war, and I realized that if the U.S. was constantly worried about attacks from the Canadian border there would be less time, resource, or money to develop innovative ideas.