The Relevancy of the Heartland :: essays research papers fc

The Relevancy of the Heartland - Hinterland Distinction in Canadas EconomicgeographicsUntil the early 20th century, Canada was primarily an agricultural nation.Since then it has become one of the most exceedingly industrialized countries in theworld as a channel result of the development of the heartland. To a largeextent the manufacturing industries present in the heartland argon supplied withraw materials produced by the agricultural, mining, forestry, and fishingsectors of the Canadian economy, a region cognize as the hinterland. The heartland-hinterland concept in Canada describes patterns of economic power,namely, where economic power and control resides within the nation. Thus, theheartland-hinterland concept distinguishes raw-material and staple-producinghinterlands from the capital service industrial heartland and reveals themetropolis or reign city of the system. At a national scale, the Canadianmetropolis is Toronto, and the region with the most influence is the GreatL akes-St. Lawrence Lowlands. But while immense influence radiates outward fromthe metropolis located in the heartland, the relationship between hinterland andheartland is one of intimate mutual dependency. In modern Canadian economics,neither region tin exist without each other, and the well-being of one directlyaffects the other. These two regions show remarkable contrasts, yet they are toa large extent interdependent on each other, clearly suggesting that theheartland-hinterland distinction is quite relevant in terms of Canadas economicgeography.Upon discussing the importance of the heartland-hinterland in Canada, it isnecessary to discuss what each term refers to. concord to McCann theheartland is an area " which possesses favourable physical qualities and grantfood accessibility to markets they display a diversified profile of secondary,tertiary, and quaternary industries they are characterized by a highlyurbanized and concentrated population which participates in a well-i ntegratedurban system they are well advanced along the development path and possess the energy for innovative change." Literally, hinterland means the land behind,the area from which a heartland draws its raw materials and which, in turn,serves as a market for the heartlands manufactured goods.The demographic and economic characteristics of Canadas heartland are that itcontains over 50% of the nations population and 70% of its manufacturingindustries in only 14% of the nations area. Canadas heartland is southernOntario and Quebec stretching from Quebec City to Windsor. This heartland,occupying the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Lowlands, coincides with severalfavourable physical characteristics such as fertile Class 1 and 2 soils inaddition to humid continental climate for optimal agricultural conditions.However, the "hinterland regions display harsher or more limiting physicalcharacteristics. The Cordillera, Interior Plains, Canadian Shield, andAppalachian regions yield tremendo us resource wealth, but their soils,