The Appalachians in North America - Essay Example

? The Appalachians in North America The Appalachian Mountains are undoubtedly amongst the oldest mountain range in North America sweeping from New founded to Alabama. The Appalachian Mountains include mountains such as the Great Smoky Mountains running from Tennessee to North Carolina and The Blue Ridge Mountains extending from Georgia to Pennsylvania as well as Mt. Mitchell., Additionally, the Appalachian mountain ranges also include ridges and valleys1. Appalachian is a name that is believed to have been derived from the Apalachee Indians who were believed to be the pioneers of the place and were mostly woodsmen. Early Appalachian was full of valleys and huge gaps that were not easily navigable thus hindering transportation and various activities. This writing analyses some of the significance of the Appalachian Mountains both in geographical perspective and in the society. The Appalachian Mountains re of great importance as far as recreational matters are concerned since it has numerous parks and also the Appalachian Trail which is mostly used by stout hikers globally. The mountain ranges remain one of the most significant geographical and historical features in the world especially due to its uniqueness and size as well as its old age. Perhaps if the Appalachians could have been located in a different place it could still maintain its geographical influence but different cultural and economic influence2. The mountains could not affect the natives or the first settlers equally because there must have been different cultural background of the settlers. Suppose the Appalachians could have been located in Africa or Asia, initially the name and the culture of people around it would have been traced back to the original African or Asian culture. Even economic and social activities would have either slightly or greatly changed. Some of the features of the mountains especially the ice cover and vegetation cover may have also been altered depending on the climate and activities taking place in that particular region3. This is one of the pictures of some of the National Parks found within the Appalachian region which is known as Shenandoah National Park in the Blue Ridge Mountains in western Virginia4. Culture of the people living around the Appalachian Mountains was a mixture of different cultures from England, Scotland and Germany settlers who were seeking land, freedom and new opportunities thus making the region multi-cultural region especially at the modern age when most people around the world have gone to seek for employment. Some Americans also think that the Appalachians are not well educated and all these could be attributed to the fact that the regions’ topography could not favor infrastructural development. The Appalachians are not as civilized as other parts of America and are sometimes referred to as hicks, rednecks and hillbillies. The Appalachians greatly consider family values and togetherness5. European settlers greatly influenced the social disruption that also brought about environmental disruption especially due to introduction of plants and animals from Europe. The indigenous however initially depended on the valuable resources provided by the Appalachia region such as wildlife to be hunted, fish from the sparkling rivers as well as logs that helped them in building houses6. There were also some unique cultures such as casual mountain dances practiced by the Appalachians. It is also worth noting that most of the Appalachians could not fully dwell on farming because the mountains were rocky and hilly thus hindering their ability to make a living out of farming. This led to some disheartening conditions such as widespread of poverty that eventually led to widespread disease infections and malnutrition amongst the population specifically the children7. Economic activities within the Appalachian regions varied from fishing, farming, manufacturing and commerce. There are also notable coals as well as natural gas in the Appalachian plateau as well as valuable iron ore deposits. Nonetheless there are elements of chronic poverty experienced in Appalachian region particularly in the southern regions. This is really appalling because the region is endowed with extensive natural resources. It is indeed devastating to experience extreme poverty and severe economic hardship and even the effect of globalization which seems to do more harm than good. Chief export for Appalachian has been coal and life of people in this region tends to revolve around coal industry8. Unfortunate leaning towards sustainable coal energy has made the region become even poor in terms of technological advancement. Coal is no longer considered important in the region. It is undeniable that globalization has led to Appalachian region’s economic decline and uncertainty because there has been deterioration of opportunities in many areas specifically the core sector and other natural resources being overused but greatly undervalued. Appalachian region also gradually changes and has greatly changed simply because of overutilization of resources and global warming9. Generally, the Appalachian Mountains are a beautiful and unique place that should be taken care of. I think the local and federal government need to come up with policies that may sustain the mountain ranges because of their significance not only to the human life but also to plants and animals as well as other natural resources such as rainfall10. Unless great care is taken, this wonderful phenomenon may lose its meaning and that would be really unfortunate. In fact, humans living around the forest should be warned or even displaced since they have altered the whole geological feature of the region11. Some of the devastating human activities that have negatively influenced Appalachian Mountains include construction of dams, mines and deforestation. Bibliographies Benhart, John E. Appalachian Aspirations: The Geography of Urbanization and Development in the Upper Tennessee River Valley, 1865-1900. Knoxville: University of Tennessee Press, 2007. Fisher, Stephen L., and Barbara Ellen Smith. Transforming Places: Lessons from Appalachia. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 2012. Flaccavento, Anthtony. “The Transition of Appalachia” The Solutions Journal 1, no. 4 (2010): 34-44. Maynard, Charles. The Appalachians. New York: PowerKids Press, 2004. Read More