General Statistics:
Area: 138.7 square miles
Elevation: 581 feet above sea level at Detroit River
Land Type: Flat, City is set on the Detroit River, Very large amounts of empty space.
Coordinates: 42.3314° N, 83.0458° W
Elevation: 581 feet above sea level at Detroit River
Land Type: Flat, City is set on the Detroit River, Very large amounts of empty space.
Coordinates: 42.3314° N, 83.0458° W
Detroit is set on the Detroit River; the metropolitan area includes the St. Clair River, Lake St. Clair, and the west end of Lake Erie. The land is nearly flat, rising gently north-westward from the waterways, then becoming rolling terrain. Much of Detroit is Empty Space, with the most populous areas set around north west Detroit shown by the map here. Apart from the Physical Geography of Detroit, Detroit itself is split into multiple districts dividing races, and Income levels. Districts such as Greek town and Mexican town/village are split race wise, other forms of ethnic boundaries were also visible at the time, Such as Asian Village which was recently shut down after the owner was sent to prison. The remaining Asian population still remains. Dearborn (Arab) Michigan ave. between evergreen and the ford freeway. the population of Arab immigrants are around 3k as of today. they heavily influence the culture of the area and even the home to Islamic center of america with the largest mosque in north america. Hamtramck (Polish) boarded generally bt 1-75, 194 Mr.Elliott and carpenter. first started in between 1910-1920, by polish laborers looking for work. as of now, it includes many different ethnic groups, but it maintains its Polish identity because of its shops, restaurants, and bakeries. a great place to catch a wide variety of live music. Detroit's Oldest Town (Corktown) Was mainly populated by Irish residents and grew from there. The Demographic statistics of Detroit have changed since the dividing of these districts, but they districts themselves still stand. Now, the districts house Tourist Attractions, Casinos, Stadiums, and their own events which are all intertwined in the overall effect of the community of Detroit. |
Advantages of the Geography of Detroit:
In the 1600's, France began establishing forts at strategic locations in North America, in order to try to keep the British from moving west out of New England and to establish a monopoly on trade. Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac felt that the area that had become known as Le Detroit, or the straits, was an obvious location for a major post. The river was narrow enough that a cannon could be fired from one side to the other, but substantial enough to provide a defense. The surrounding Great Lakes and waterways meant very easy travel from most major points. The court in France agreed to allow Antoine to establish a settlement at the Detroit River in 1701. Today, Detroit is in the Center of Major Trade Routes, Especially with Canada. These Small trips to Canada Mean Big money for traders. The Ambassador Bridge (Completed in 1929) allows for Easy Commute from Detroit to Windsor for the workers commuting from Windsor to Detroit.