Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
American way of life
: refers to the postwar lifestyle and prosperity of the
consumer society in the United States at that time. In geographical terms, the
expression refers to a typical American household living in a suburban home and
driving two or more cars purchased on credit.
B
Bayou
: A Cajun word for a section of still water cut off from the main river
channel in the Mississippi delta.
Big Easy
: A nickname given to New Orleans in reference to its party atmosphere
and reputation for nonchalance and permissiveness.
Big One
: The severe earthquake expected to hit California some day and destroy
Los Angeles or San Francisco.
Belt
: Specialized agricultural region which, by extension, has come to mean any
large geographic area with a common feature, such as the Sunbelt
or the
Manufacturing Belt.
Blackout
: A general electrical power failure. The latest major blackout was the
Northeast Blackout on August14, 2003 that affected Ontario (Canada), Ohio and the
Eastern Seaboard Megalopolis in the USA.
Block group
: It is the smallest geographical unit for which the United States
Census Bureau publishes sample data. Census block groups usually consist of 600 to
3,000 inhabitants, with an optimal size group of around 1,500 people.
BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics)
: The
BLS
is the agency that develops statistics
and indicators for monitoring the labor market for the Federal Government.
BNOBC
: The Bring New Orleans Back Commission was established in October
2005 by Mayor Ray L. Nagin of New Orleans, as a commission of experts mandated
to produce recommendations for the reconstruction of the city after the flooding
caused by Hurricane Katrina. A report from the Urban Land Institute, a
Philadelphia-based industry association and member of the Congress for New
Urbanism, was presented on November 18, 2005. The report called for greater urban
concentration in keeping with Smart Growth principles in order to reduce New
Orleans' structural vulnerability to flooding. The final report, delivered on March
14, 2006, was presented to the public on March 20 in the controversial context of the
