Physiographical and Cultural Factors That Resulted in the North American Manufacturing Belt Continental Core

Geography

The site of the North American Manufacturing Belt (hereafter, the "rustbelt,") is a geographical area that is generally bordered by the area south of the Great Lakes and north of the Ohio River; and usually east of the Mississippi River and west of the Atlantic Seaboard. The rustbelt includes the states of Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania, southern New York, and New Jersey. The Ohio River provides interior navigation to the Mississippi River, and through the Mississippi River to the Gulf of Mexico. The northern boundary is the Great Lakes, which provide navigation (through the Eerie Canal) to the Atlantic Ocean. Both the Mississippi River and the Great Lakes allow for the importation and transportation of industrial raw materials such as iron ore; and both waterways allow for the shipping and export of finished industrial products such as steel. The Ohio River Valley is in the North American Central Lowlands, and the eastern part of the rustbelt is bisected by the Appalachian Mountains.

The area is abundantly fertile and supports a thriving farming and dairy industry -- especially in Pennsylvania and southern New York. The Appalachian Mountains are surrounded by lush, verdant forests and offer numerous national and state parks, as well hiking and camping trails to support a flourishing out-door tourism industry. The rust belt's climate is characterized by potentially harsh winters, hot summers, and mild spring and autumns; and the geography is characterized by abundant iron ore and coal deposits -- resources that have fueled the area's late 19th century through mid 20th century heavy industrialization. There is occasional major flooding in the Mississippi River plain and in the Ohio River Valley. In sum, the region's natural resources and waterways fostered the Continental Core's industrial development.

Major cities such as Detroit, New York, and Pittsburgh; and minor cities such as Allentown, Cleveland, Flint, Eerie, etc. provided the backbone that supported the heavy industrialization of the region, from steel production in Pennsylvania to the auto industry in Michigan, the region was the economic engine that fueled U.S. industrialization in the 20th century. With the automation of steel and automobile factories, and the rise of the industrial south, the industrial capacity of the rust belt over the last half of the 20th century became greatly diminished. Demographic flows show that many Americans have left the rust belt for the American South and West. This has had a deleterious effect on major cities such as Detroit and Flint Michigan and Allentown Pennsylvania, cities who've seen their citizens leave in droves for other areas of the United States. These cities are currently suffering industrial decline, and cities such as Flint are having formerly thriving housing areas razed to the ground. Cities in decline and urban decay are currently the norm for much of the Continental Core, but it seems that the inner city revitalization movement of the late 20th century and the development of modern technological industries such as nanotechnology and biotechnology may turn the tide of immigration flight and reinvigorate the region's economic base. For example, Cleveland Ohio has a burgeoning biomedical industry and Buffalo New York's growing health care and educational industries. Cities such as Pittsburgh are witnessing the redevelopment of former industrial areas into prosperous entertainment and restaurant districts and many localities (with the exception of Illinois) offer low tax incentives for business development. In fact, Indiana is witnessing growth for its low tax business environment.