REGIONS OF CANADA 8-1

I. CANADA A. Canada is a vast land that covers most of the northern half of North America B. Divided into 10 provinces (political divisions)

II. THE ATLANTIC PROVINCES A. 4 Atlantic Provinces: 1. Newfoundland and Labrador 2. Prince Edward Island 3. Nova Scotia 4. New Brunswick B. Links to the Sea 1. since they have close ties to the sea, they are often called the Maritimes (bordering on or related to the sea) 2. the coastlines are marked by hundreds of bays, inlets, and harbors 3. smallest of Canada’s regions (5% land and 8% population)

C. Economic Activities 1. Fishing a. The Grand Banks off the coast of Newfoundland and Nova Scotia were at one time the world’s richest fishing areas b. Years of overfishing depleted the supply so much that Canada suspended cod fishing there in 1992…leading to many people becoming unemployed c. Now many people began catching shrimp and crab instead 2. Forestry and Farming a. fruit, vegetable, and dairy farming take place where climates permit (specifically in Prince Edward Island) 3. Tourism

III. THE GREAT LAKES & ST. LAWRENCE PROVINCES A. 2 Great Lake Provinces 1. Quebec 2. Ontario B. Core of Canada’s population (60%) and economic activity

C. Characteristics of Ontario 1. most important feature is its system of waterways 2. St. Lawrence Seaway (connects the Great Lakes to the St. Lawrence River) is known as “Canada’s Highway to the Sea” because of the volume of goods that travel this way 3. Ontario has rich soil and abundant mineral resources 4. much of the land is used for farming and many goods are manufactured and distributed here 5. Toronto (Ontario’s capital) is the largest metropolitan area in Canada 6. Ottawa (the national capital of Canada) is located in Ontario

D. Characteristics of Quebec 1. largest province in size 2. most of Quebec’s population is located around the St. Lawrence River Valley 3. the northern 4/5 of the province is called the Canadian Shield, which is an area of exposed bedrock (solid rock that is covered by soil, gravel, and sand) 4. Appalachian Mountains are located on the southeastern border 5. mining, forestry, farming, and manufacturing are among the important economic activities in Quebec 6. Montreal is Quebec’s largest city 7. Quebec’s capital is also called Quebec (oldest city in Canada) and was founded in 1608 by Samuel de Champlain

IV. THE PRAIRIE PROVINCES A. 3 Prairie Provinces: 1. Alberta 2. Manitoba 3. Saskatchewan B. Southwestern Canada between the Rocky Mountains and the Canadian Shield

C. Patterns of Settlement 1. half or more of the population in these provinces live in cities 2. largest cities lie along the old railroad lines from the 1800s (Winnipeg, Edmonton, Calgary, Saskatoon, and Regina) 3. described as a region where “grains and trains dominate life” D. Economic Activities 1. provide most of Canada’s grain and cattle (wheat is the major crop) 2. tourism is also very important 3. the discovery of oil and natural gas also provided good economic backing

V. BRITISH COLUMBIA A. Canada’s westernmost province B. Inside Passage – waterway between the long string of islands and the Coast Mountains in BC C. Since most of BC is covered by mountain ranges, more than 4/5 of the population live in or near Vancouver D. Natural resources include salmon, forests, and minerals (all have helped BC become one of Canada’s wealthiest provinces

E. Victoria (province’s capital) F. Vancouver (province’s largest city) has an excellent harbor, which helps Canada increase its trade with Asia G. Many people from Canada move to Vancouver after retirement

VI. THE NORTHERN TERRITORIES A. 3 Territories: 1. Yukon Territory 2. Northwest Territories 3. Nunavut B. Cold, largely treeless lands are sparsely settled C. The population in these 3 areas are less than 1% of Canada’s total population

E. A Difficult Environment D. A Changing Culture 1. many who live here are native people called Inuit (“the people”) 2. the Inuit live north of the forests 3. contact with people of European ancestry has changed the way they live (ex. Many use snowmobiles instead of dog sleds to cross frozen lands, and many children take classes transmitted over radio or television systems) E. A Difficult Environment 1. northern territories contain rich mineral deposits including gold, silver, copper, zinc, lead, iron ore, and uranium 2. much of these minerals are still buried underground because it is often times too difficult to reach them due to the environment and climate