Transcript Canada

Canada
Section 1
Physical Features
• Canada is immediately north of and borders
the United States.
• Canada is the second largest country in the
world
• Canada has many different regions defined by
climate and geography
Canadian Regions
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The Arctic Region
Canadian Shield
Atlantic Provinces
St. Lawrence River Valley
Interior Plains
Canadian Cordillera
Most people live in the Southern and Coastal
Areas. These areas have fertile soil, and moderate
climates
Arctic Region
• Contains a chain of ice covered islands called
the Arctic Archipelago
• One of the least populated regions in the
world
• Glaciers still cover the land
Canadian Shield
• Canada’s largest region with the smallest
population. It covers most of Canada.
• The Canadian Shield is extremely rocky, has
many swamps, and has thousands of lakes
• Forms a horseshoe around the Hudson Bay
• Contains some of the oldest rocks in the world
• Excellent for mining- contains iron, zinc,
diamonds, and many more
Atlantic Provinces
• Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward
Island, and Newfoundland make up the
Atlantic Provinces.
• Include the northern part of the Appalachian
Mountains
St. Lawrence River Valley
• Most popular region in Canada
• Many people live in this area because it’s rich
in resources.
• The St. Lawrence River is Canada’s major river
used for shipping and transportation.
Interior Plains
• Very similar to the Great Plains
• Experience extreme weather because it is not
by water.
• Land heats up and cools down more quickly
than areas by the water. This creates greater
extremes between summer and winter
temperatures
• Contains very fertile soil
Canadian Cordillera
• Contains the northern section of the Rocky
Mountains and the Pacific Coast
• It is one of the most beautiful regions in
Canada. It contains glacial lakes, hot springs,
and snow capped mountains
• Contains British Columbia and the Yukon
Climate
• Canada’s climate varies from region to region
• The interiors plains have more extreme weather than
the coastal plains. Temperatures on the coast do not
vary because those areas are close to water.
• Southern Canada has a continental, cool summer
climate. Summers are hot and humid while winters are
extremely cold and snowy
• The western coast is the maritime region. This region
experiences more rain than snow
• Northern Canada has subarctic and tundra climates
with long cold winters.
– In the subarctic regions summers only reach about 50
degrees
– The tundra regions experience freezing temperatures
winter and summer
Land and Resources
• The Canadian Shield produces many minerals
used throughout the world.
– Copper, iron, nickel, lead, gold and silver
• Glaciers that melted southward in the Canadian
Shield form the Great Lakes, the largest group of
lakes in the world
– One of the most famous attraction of the Great Lakes
is Niagara Falls.
• Canada’s lakes, rivers and bays are used for
hydroelectricity.
– Dams hold large amounts of water, and then channel
it through turbines which create electricity.
• The land in the Arctic Archipelago contain many
islands that are covered by snow and ice most of
the year.
– While the ice thaws in the summer, the soil remains
permanently frozen which is called permafrost.
• The land on the interior planes are great sources
for natural gas and coal.
• The St. Lawrence River is the most important
River in Canada because it is used for
transportation to the Atlantic Ocean.
– The river connects a series of canals and locks which
connect the great lakes to the Atlantic Ocean.
http://images.marinas.com/med_res_id/21669
• The Atlantic Provinces (much like New England
states) are known for their fishing, forestry,
agriculture, and tourism.
• The Grand Banks is a well known fishing area
between the coast of Newfoundland and
Labrador.
– In this mixing zone, warm waters from the gulf
stream meet the cold water from the Labrador
Current
Environmental Concerns
• Canada’s rich resources and environment have
been threatened throughout the years by
– Overdeveloped hydroelectric plants
– Extracting too many minerals
– Cutting down forests
• The Canada-Unites States Air Quality Agreement
has helped reduce acid rain
• The Border Air Quality Strategy has helped
reduce smog near the border of the 2 countries.
• The Climate Change Plan is a legislation that
provides guidelines to reduce global warming.
– Global warming is a major concern for the fragile
Arctic Region.