Chapter Outline

(See pages 119–121)

Political maps show political boundaries at a particular instant in time.
Political maps of the same area taken from different time periods can show evidence of continuity and change in the region.
Names of places on a political map can often provide clues about a region’s past.

(See pages 122–125)

Maps are a useful tool for seeing and understanding physical changes on Earth.
Physical changes in the environment can have an enormous impact on the people who live in and/or depend on that environment.

(See pages 126 and 127)

(See pages 128–130)

The earliest urbanized areas were in the Middle East and Asia.
Until the Industrial Revolution, the largest cities were mostly in Asia and had populations under 1,000,000.
During the Industrial Revolution, the largest cities were in Europe and North America and reached unprecedented size.
Today, the largest urban centers continue to grow and appear in both developed and third world countries.

(See pages 131–135)

Growth can have both positive and negative effects.
Higher standards of living and longer life spans are some positive results of growth.
Global warming, overconsumption of natural resources, overpopulation, and pollution are some of the unintended negative results of growth.

(See pages 135–139)

Political change has often occurred as the result of violence such as wars and revolutions.
Nonviolent political change has developed partially through the growth of democracies and reliance on voting.
Cultural change can come about as a result of conquest.
Nonviolent cultural change can evolve through trade communication between cultures.
Nonviolent political and cultural change can result from the introduction of new inventions and the spread of agricultural and industrial products and processes.

(See pages 139–152)

Change in the United States has been so rapid that it is possible, when viewing many photographs and pictures of Americans and the places they live, work, and play, to identify the time and place of the images.
Despite enormous physical changes in the United States during its history, its government has been a force for continuity.
The Constitution of the United States is the oldest constitution currently in effect in the world.
While most of the Constitution is still a living document, over the years some sections have fallen into disuse, and others have needed to be updated through the amendment process.
Despite rapid change and innovation, elements of American culture that have been developing over the past few centuries are clearly identifiable.

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