Many visitors to New York are very surprised
by its variety - large urban areas, small towns, farmland,
and even wilderness. That is to say, it is a geographer's playground!
As a geography teacher, I am interested in New
York's landscape, people, history, climate, and economy. When
I travel throughout the state, I try to zero in all the geographic
aspects. The purpose of this website is to share my thoughts about
the geography of the Empire State with you. Hopefully, you will learn
a lot just by reading these web pages. To get the full impact, however,
you need to get outside. Get out on the road! And, better yet, get
out and
walk!
Geography
is not an indoor sport.
This is very much a work in progress. The format
of the pages is all new, which hopefully will make it easier for browsing.
Another new section is the
Freedom Trails North
page (on the Underground Railroad in New York). And for those of you who
are looking for good travel ideas in the Empire State, may we suggest our
Bonus Section with ideas of
road trips, scenic views, short walks, historic places, and cultural institutions.
There are several main components of
Geography of New York State.
First, it is suggested that you read over the
pages on
Physical Geography,
Human Geography, and
Economic
Geography.
Then you might want to visit the ten different regions of New York State.
Most of them are completed, but I am still working on Downstate New York
regions (Long Island, Hudson Valley, and New York City). To see the Regions
Map,
click on the
Regions of New York
link. There is also a new section on the
Erie Canal,
with suggested places to visit to see both the modern waterway and historic
canals.
For educators, there is a special section with
Lessons on North America. They are interdisciplinary,
and can be used in most grade levels, with some modification.
And now there is a new section titled
Lessons
on the Geography of the Underground Railroad in New York State.
If you have any thoughts or photographs to share,
please feel free to contact me. Thank you for visiting!
- Tim McDonnell
