The Geography of Canada Unit 1 Chapter 1

What is Geography? Explores how people interact with the world around them Involved climate, geology, economics, biology, history, sociology, anthropology . . . How humans interacts with each other and how they affect and are affected by the land

The 5 Themes of Geography Chapter 1 (Geography)Lesson 01

Goal To identify and understand the 5 themes of geography and how they help us study the geography of Canada

5 Themes Location Place : Physical & Cultural Landscapes Regions Movement of People, Ideas & Objects Human/Environmental Interaction The 5 themes will help you develop a way of looking at and understanding the world (geographic perspective)

Location Where are people and places located? Absolute location  latitude and longitude Ex: Abbotsford : Relative location described by time, direction or distance form one to another Ex: Abbotsford is about 1 hour from Vancouver What is the significance of the location? Ex: Vancouver is the cultural central of BC. Serves as a transportation, business hub, cultural hub.

Place: Physical & Cultural Landscapes How do physical characteristics of a place affect how we live? Cultural landscape Visible results of human activity How do we affect the landscape? (Positively/Negatively)

Regions Areas that have common characteristics Formal Regions Government, land forms, climate “The coast”, “The interior”, “Middle East” Formal Regions Functional Regions Perceptual Regions

Movement of People, Ideas & Objects How do we interact today? Globalization Everything today spreads quickly Information, products, people

Human/Environmental Interaction What brings change in the natural landscape? We depend on the environment. We adapt to it. We alter it. How do our actions change the natural environment? Dams? Roads? Industry? Housing development?

The Physical Regions of Canada Chapter 1(Geography) Lesson 02

Goal To identify the 7 physical regions of Canada and to understand the characteristics of each.

Canada It is the second largest land mass of any country We have a variety of landscapes Divided into 6 main physical regions Each region has different geological features, landforms, climate and vegetation. Formed by different geological processes

6 Physical Regions Arctic Region Cordillera Region Interior Plains Region Canadian Shield Region St.Lawrence Region Appalachian Region

Canadian Shield Large masses of rock, known as shields, are the oldest parts of the Earth. Hard , rigid blocks around which the younger areas of the continents have formed Volcanic mountains ranges Originally was made up of igneous rock Now metamorphic rock Storehouse of : minerals such as copper, gold, lead and nickel Unsuitable for agriculture and large-scale settlement

Appalachian Region Rolling hills and river valleys Mineral resources : coal, petroleum, natural gas, zinc and iron

Arctic Region Largest part of Canada Endless permafrost and tundra Agriculture virtually impossible

St.Lawrence Lowlands Rich sedimentary plains Consisted of mixed forests, before urbanization Mostly flat with a couple of mountain ranges Has precious minerals

The Interior Plains From the Canadian shield to the Rocky Mountains Covers almost all of Alberta Were formed as eroded material from the Canadian shield was deposited in layers at its edges Horizontal layers of sedimentary rocks (made up of sediment laid down in layers) Deposits of plants and animals Fossil fuels- old and natural gas Evaporites- potash

The Cordillera Most of BC Large range of mountains Mountains, plateaus, valleys , basins and trenches Formed through plate tectonics Erosions from rivers and glaciers sculpted the rugged landscape Sediments carried off by rivers formed fertile river valleys- Fraser River Valley Rich in minerals- copper, gold, coal

Natural Regions of Canada Lesson 03

Natural Regions are defined as the condition under which plants and animals live in relation to each other and with the non living parts of the environment. Natural environment of Canada is made up of a number of large ecosystems, or biomes. Each has its own characteristic type of vegetation and animal species. Biome = contain a number of smaller ecosystems

Subarctic Scattered coniferous trees Tundra vegetation Arctic wildlife caribou, lemmings, snowy owl

Tundra Permafrost Low shrubs Mosses Lichens Polar bears, seals, walruses, muskox, Arctic foxes

Open Woodland Scattered evergreen trees Shrubs Grass Caribou, martens, bears, geese, beavers, lynx

Coniferous Forest Spruce, fir, pine, aspen Deer, moose, black bears, hawks, eagles, wild ducks Soil is not fertile

Coast and Interior Forest Coniferous forest Wet and mild climate Mountains  above tree line tundra & arctic Short grass and plants Cougars, mountains, sheep, bears, moose

Mixed Forest Softwood trees – hemlock and cedar, maple, birch, oak and ash Deer, moose, black bears, hawks, eagles Soil is fertile

Parkland Transitions between the dry southern prairies and coniferous forest Long grasses and clumps of aspen and cottonwood trees Deer, moose, black bears, antelope, gophers, wild fowl

Grasslands Short grasses Antelope, gophers, wild fowl Bison(over hunted) Soils are fertile

The Climates of Canada Lesson 04

Climates of Canada West Coast Marine Northern Alpine Southern Alpine Northern Interior Prairie Great Lakes Laurentian Boreal Tundra West Tundra East East Coast

The Climates (1)Continental Climate – temperature extremes and low precipitation (the interior) (2)Maritime Climates – mild temperatures and high precipitation. A coastal climate

Factors Affecting Temperature Latitude Altitude Distance from the Sea Wind Direction Ocean Currents Precipitation

Factors Affecting Temperature 1)Latitude The distance of any point north or south of the equator Distance of an area from the equator determines the amount and intensity of sunlight it receives Angle of the sun in the sky determines how intense the sun will heat the land 2)Altitude The higher the altitude, the colder the temperature

Factors Affecting Temperature (3)Distance from the Sea Land heats and cools more quickly Surface of water takes much longer, water is always moving West Coast of Canada, moderated by water- the summer and winter temperature (4)Wind Direction Winds blowing from the Ocean increase the moderating effect of wind Winds blowing off land are much harsher

Factors Affecting Temperature (5)Ocean Currents Currents are either warm or cold Warm or heat the wind blowing over them (6)Precipitation Distance from the sea Wind (1)Orographic (2)Convectional (3)Frontal

The Cultural Landscape Lesson 05

What is ‘cultural landscape’ It is a part of the geographical study It is landscape that has been changed by human societies

How have people shaped the land? The way one thinks about land Impacts of land Uses of land

Settlement & Population 20th century, we saw settlers coming to eastern Canada With the development of the railway, settlement began in the west Due to the Laurier era, large scale settlement began in Canada and this would change the physical and cultural landscape of Canada Newcomers settled in those areas the felt most comfortable Each brought their own cultural background into Canada, trying to recreate it in their new home land

Why people settle where they do Physical environment Climate Economic opportunities Leads to: Urbanization- process of becoming an area with a large, concentrated population Boom or bust – resource is developed and then depleted.

Boundaries Physical, Natural, Economic, Political Aboriginal Peoples Did not have a say in the boundaries First Nations land titled began being recognized in BC after the Constitution Act of 1982