Transcript united states and canada ch 7

Human Geography of Canada
Chapter 7
Developing a Vast Wilderness
Early Peoples
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Vast size & cold
climate affected
development
 1st settlers came
from Asia across the
land bridge
 Ancestors of the Inuit
& Native American
Indians
Early Peoples
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About A.D. 1000,
Leif Erikson landed
in what is now
Newfoundland
Called it Vinland,
after the wild
grapes there
Vikings built a
settlement & later
abandoned it
Early Peoples
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In 1497, Giovanni
Caboto (John Cabot
in English) an Italian
navigator, landed in
Newfoundland &
claimed the region
for England
 European
exploration &
colonization followed
France & Britain
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In the 16th & 17th century,
French explorers claimed
much of Canada
Settlements were called
New France
British colonized the
Atlantic coast
Fisheries & inland fur
trade were important to
both
French & British Challenged Claims
British defeated the French in the French
& Indian War (1754-1763)
 Forced France to surrender its territory,
but French settlers remained
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Steps Toward Unity
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In the 18th century, there
were 2 distinct cultures
Roman Catholic French &
Protestant English
Conflict erupted
In 1791, the British
government split Canada
into 2 provinces
Upper Canada (Ontario) –
English speaking majority
Lower Canada (Quebec) –
French speaking majority
Dominion of Canada
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In 1867, created the
Dominion of Canada
 Loose confederation of
Ontario, Quebec, 2
British colonies (Nova
Scotia & New
Brunswick)
 Remained part of the
British Empire, but had
self-government
 Ottawa, Ontario
became the capital
Canada’s Government Today
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Recognized by the British as an independent nation in 1931
 Parliamentary government, system in which legislative &
executive functions are combined in the legislature called a
parliament
 Parliament consists of an appointed Senate & an elected
House of Commons
 The majority party’s leader in Parliament becomes Prime
Minister
Parliament
Economy
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Industries:
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Farming
Logging
Mining
Fishing
Automobiles
Steel
Household appliances
Electronics
High-tech and mining equipment
Economy
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60% of the GDP comes
from service industries
Tourism, communications,
finance, utilities, etc.
NAFTA – North American
Free Trade Agreement
Made trade between
Mexico, U.S., & Canada
easier
Language
Officially a
bilingual country
 English-speaking
majority
 French-speaking
minority
 Native languages
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Religion
Protestant (English)
 Roman Catholic (French)
 Muslims
 Jews
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Population
33 million
 80% of Canadians
live on 10% of the
land
 Most live along a
100 mile strip of
land just north of
the U.S. border
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Life in Canada Today
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Leisure time
 Skating, ice hockey, fishing, skiing, golf, & hunting
 Professional sports teams (own football league and
ice hockey, baseball, basketball teams compete in
U.S. leagues)
Subregions of Canada
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Atlantic Provinces
 Prince Edward Island, New
Brunswick, Nova Scotia, &
Newfoundland
 8% of the population
 Most live on coastal cities
 Small population due to
rugged terrain & severe
weather
Nova Scotia
Subregions of Canada
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The Core Provinces
Quebec & Ontario
 Canada’s heartland
 3 out of 5 Canadians
live there
 Settlement along the
Great Lakes and St.
Lawrence Seaway
 Political & economic
life
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Ottawa
Subregions of Canada
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The Prairie Provinces
Manitoba,
Saskatchewan, &
Alberta
 Canada’s breadbasket
 50% of Canada’s
agricultural production
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Subregions of Canada
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British Columbia & the
Territories
 Yukon Territory,
Northwest Territories,
& Nunavut
 Vancouver, BC is
Canada’s largest port
 Territories make up
41% of the land mass
Vancouver