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=Civil Engineering | Location | Place | HEI | Movement | Region=

Adaptations to Their Environment
Toronto from the Huron language meaning “trees in the water,” this city has early beginnings dating back to 1615. When this area was simply known as the Toronto Passage, which was well known by French fur traders, where later the first settlement Fort Rouille was built. By 1834, it was the fastest growing town with over 9,000 inhabitants, and had its first mayor William Lyon MacKenzie. As the city continued to grow businesses began to thrive in the post war era. In electronics, aircraft and precision-machine industries boomed. In result, the population multiplied to over a million in Greater Toronto by 1951. With not only Toronto’s adaption to its immediate environment, but its role on the global market having major businesses in the metropolitan area causing this “megacity.” Today Toronto is the fifth largest city in North America at 2.4 million people.

Dependence on Natural Resources
The early development of Toronto had Niagara Falls play a key role in early development. Hydroelectric power commission of Ontario generated power from Niagara Falls beginning in 1911. This gave cheap electricity for not only homeowners but also business and factories. This promoted growth that made the city in what it is today. The organs of this hydropower came from a man who dug a canal to power his waterwheel to operate an early sawmill, his name was Daniel Joncairs. The Ontario Power Commission became the first publicly owned power authority. At the urging Adam Beck, Mayor of London Ontario, the Provincial Conservative Party ran on an election platform of "water power of Niagara should be free". Now this is a crazy and unheard of slogan these days, the only comparable thing would be tax breaks, or “stimulus packages.” Construction of an 110,000-volt transmission line from Niagara Falls to Toronto, work began November of 1908. The project was completed October of 1910, in result the first public power was switched on. In 1917, Ontario Hydro Power Commission purchased the Ontario Power Company and its hydroelectric generating plant located below the Horseshoe Falls. By March 1954, The Sir Adam Beck - Niagara Generating Station began hydroelectric power generation. When opened, it was the world’s largest but only for a short time. Hydropower is huge for the region of the east coast including Toronto. Today plans are made for another hydropower plant, but Negotiations of a new Niagara River Water Diversion International Treaty have been putting this on hold.

Adaptations to Their Environment
The Leaning Tower of Pisa was not always the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Work began 1173 when architects began building the marvelous tower. Work stopped and just five years after construction began there was already a noticeable shift towards a northern lean. This is because of the unstable ground that the tower had been constructed upon. If the tower would have been immediately finished it would have likely collapsed. This is because of settling. Architects attempted to fix this immense problem by adding more steps to the bell tower on the south side, creating a relatively small banana shape with a slight S shape curve. For many centuries engineers tried to fix the leaning tower. The first solution was to put 200 tons of cement at base to reverse the tilt, this only worked for a period of time. Engineers had a new idea to boar out dirt from under the Leaning Tower of Pisa. The removal of the of dirt began to bring back the tower to its correct position. However, Engineers decided not to completely fix the tower, because they felt it would lose its nostalgia and not keep the name “Leaning” Tower of Pisa. It just would not be the same!

Dependence on Natural Resources
Pisa, Italy what can be said about it, well as far as dependence on natural recourses there are little to be found. The very true natural resource is one that no one would truly view as a natural resources. However, the people of Pisa depend on this natural and renewable resources. It provides a great amount of income for many and provides the money flow that businesses need to survive. The thing that I am speaking of is Tourism. Tourism is renewable and the people keep coming back. Things you learn as children are wonders of the world, and some people have the need to see these wonders, these people are tourist. Tourists come to see places like the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Infact everyone that travels anywhere becomes a tourist. Pisa has created its own natural resources because of its rich history and culture. Because of this, people want to immerse themselves into the wonders of new and different things around the world.