Transcript File
Physical Regions of Canada 1 Western Cordillera ► ► ► ► ► ► ► ► ► ► Mountain chain that runs along the West Coast of Canada and USA Plateaus to glaciers to fjords to rain forests to old volcanoes Some large cities are: (i) Vancouver (ii) Victoria Some resources include: Timber, Fish (river and ocean), mining Vancouver Island has the most moderate climate of Canada's regions Vancouver Island's west coast receives an exceptional amount of rain, giving it a temperate rain forest climate. Has the wettest forest in Canada but also has the driest forest in Canada 2 3 Western Cordillera The Rockies 4 Western Cordillera Interior Plateau 5 Great Plains ► ► ► ► ► ► ► Usually divided into 3 sub-regions using elevation: (i) The foot hills (AB) (ii) Mid prairie (SK) (iii) Prairie lowlands(MB) The economy: Agriculture and Mining, Oil. Among the richest grainproducing regions in the world Terrain is flat in the east, and hilly in the west A lot of deposition from ancient lakes and oceans that were inland at one point in history Continental climate (in the interior of the country/continent) ► Summers are hot and winters are cold ► 6 7 Great Plains 8 The Canadian Shield ► ► ► ► ► ► ► ► The biggest region in Canada (55% of C’s land), also the oldest region (4 Billion years) Surrounds Hudson’s Bay Made from Igneous and Metamorphic rocks (solid) It is a great plateau made from many years of erosion Many natural resources including minerals (a lot of mining occurs) The highest elevation in the Shield is only about 500m above sea level. The reason is that this land has been around for so long that erosion has weathered the rocks down to low elevations. The climate varies because of the size of the region. Hydro Electric Power is another large industry of this region 9 Candian Shield Ontario Region (Thunder Bay) 10 Canadian Shield 11 St. Lawrence Lowlands and the Great Lakes ► ► ► ► ► ► ► ► ► A whole lot of water! Some of the largest lakes in the World. Very Multicultural cities (T.O. Is one of the most multicultural cities in the World, Montreal is 2nd largest french speaking city in the World) Very important for transportation of goods by boat to interior of Canada from east coast Smallest region of Canada, but the most populated (GAT=8 million people!) Milk region of Canada This region is the second largest farming area in Canada, but apples, corn, nuts, other fruit Manufacturing is a big industry in this region. Easy access to waterways helps to send it all away! Canada’s biggest ports lie here. Closest region to the equator, so receives mild weather Niagara Falls is the second largest falls on the globe after Victoria Falls in southern Africa……Show Jumping Stories! 12 St. Lawrence Lowlands and the Great Lakes ► The GTA (Greater Toronto Area) is the 7th largest population in North America and contains about 25% of Canada’s total population 13 St. Lawrence Lowlands and the Great Lakes 14 St. Lawrence Lowlands and Great Lakes 15 Atlantic Region ► ► ► ► ► ► ► ► ► 2% of Canada’s land mass Very old mtn Chain that are eroded severely Appalachian Mtn Chain (older than the Rockies) 900m is the maximum elevation Mtn range extends down the east coast of USA 8,8% population of Canada (2.3 Million) Diverse Industries (fish, timber, mining, agriculture) Oldest settlement in Canada Offshore Oil is becoming a large, important industry 16 Atlantic Region 17 Atlantic Region Appalachians Nova Scotia 18 Arctic ► ► ► ► ► ► ► ► ► ► Alert : weather station (most northen settlement in Canada) Abundant permafrost (permanent frozen soil) Very low population 1% of Canada, very few industries NWT, Yukon, Nunavut make up about 40% of Canada’s land mass Includes the lowlands of Hudson Bay Inuit people of Canada There are also mountains in the North Very little resources, however, some important ones: Gold, Diamonds, Oil A lot of the population struggles to find enough food to eat (hunting is a way of life) and many communities share Above the tree line (nothing really grows....) 19 Arctic 20