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NORTH AMERICA 
RAILROADS 
SCALE OF MILES 
Modern Business Geography 
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Fig. 128. This map shows all the railroads in North America. Notice the closeness of the net- 
work in the eastern half of the United States. Notice also the knot formed at Montreal, at 
Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore. Find Winnipeg, Minneapolis, Chicago, St. Louis, 
Kansas City, Omaha, Dallas, Galveston, New Orleans, Birmingham. Farther to the west, locate 
Denver, Salt Lake City; then Vancouver, Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles. Find the City of 
Mexico and Vera Cruz. Account for two comparatively open areas in the northeast; two in the 
south-central part of the eastern half of the continent. Compare this map with Figure 134 
(page 186) and with Figures 164, 165 (pages 248, 249). What is the cause of the sharp contrast 
in the density of the railway net in the east and in the west? Is it due to relief (Fig. 134)? tem- 
perature (Figs. 3, 4)? rainfall (Fig. 6)? Trace the eastern base of the Rocky Mountains. What 
differences do you note between the railroads directlv east and those west of this line? Can 
vou explain the differences ?