Transcript Canada physical economy government

Canada’s Physical, Government, and
Economy
Chapter 9
Physical Features
Canada is world’s 2nd largest landmass
1. Great Lakes – St. Lawrence River
2. Hudson Bay Lowlands
3. Canadian Shield
4. Rocky Mountains
5. Pacific Ocean
6. Atlantic Ocean
1. Great Lakes with St. Lawrence River
• Created by glacial movement
• Great Lakes & St. Lawrence River form one of
world’s most important shipping routes
• HOMES – (Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, & Superior)
• St. Lawrence- connects Great Lakes with
Atlantic Ocean
2. Hudson Bay Lowlands
• 3rd largest wetland in world
• Flat, low area covered by swampy forests
• Difficult for agriculture because it’s frozen
most of year
Hudson Bay Lowlands
3. Canadian Shield
• Foundation of Canada’s landmass
• The Shield is an extremely old region,
formed during the Precambrian era
• Region of mostly thin soil lying on top
of bedrock
– many bare rocks & thousands of lakes
• Natural Resources – timber, minerals, & water
• Sparsely populated
4. Rocky Mountains
• Located in Western Canada & US
• Stretch a distance of 2,000 miles
• Mining is #1 industry, followed by
logging
• Minerals: iron ore, copper, coal,
gold
• Sparsely populated with few cities
5 & 6: Pacific & Atlantic Ocean
• Important links to other countries
for trade & travel
• Provides fishing opportunities
Canada’s Government
Recognize British
monarchy
Federal government
-3 branches of govt.
Canada’s Government continued
1. Governor General
– Crown’s representative in Canada
– Ceremonial office
2. Parliament
– Legislative Branch
• House of Commons (elected)
• Senate (appointed)
– Makes laws
– Bills must pass BOTH houses
3. Prime Minister
– chosen from House of Commons majority
party
– Head of Executive Branch
– Highest office in Canada
Economics – Market Economy
• Focus mainly on manufacturing &
service industries
• After looking at image to the left,
what country is Canada’s most
important trading partner?
• The United States
– Both have
• Good transportation
• Similar business practices
Canada’s Regions#1- Atlantic Provinces
• Although fishing used to be a major industry, overfishing has
weakened the job market
• Today many people have jobs in manufacturing, mining, &
tourism
Canada Region #2Central & Eastern
• Ontario (Central):
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Largest population
Greatest wealth in Canada
Center for business – manufacturing
Canada’s heartland
• Quebec (Eastern):
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Paper Industry
Montreal – industrial & financial center
Hydroelectric power
Many French-speaking people in Quebec want to secede from Canada &
become their own country
Canada Region #3The West
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Farming & ranching- produces large amounts of wheat
Contains some of world’s largest reserves of oil & natural gas
British Columbia province has deep, rich forests
World’s largest producer of newsprint ( type of paper)
Canada Region #4The North
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Canada’s north covers about 1/3 of the country
Area includes Yukon Territory, Northwest Territory, & Nunavut
Many people who live here are indigenous
The main resources are minerals like gold & diamonds
World’s largest exporter of minerals!