Canada Physical Geography

LAND Canada is located on the continent of North America in the northern & western hemispheres Second largest country in the world in land size Wide variety of physical features

Land Mountains: Rocky Mountains: extend 3000 miles in North America (U.S. & Canada) Smaller mountain chains along both coasts

Land Prairie: Interior Plains: located east of the Rockies; northern extension of Great Plains in US Flat land used mostly for farming

Land Other landforms: Canadian Shield: circles Hudson Bay in eastern Canada; area of ancient rock; very rugged Many of Canada’s natural resources are found on the Canadian Shield

Water Oceans: Canada is bordered by three oceans, Atlantic to the east, Pacific to the west, and Arctic to the north

Water Lakes: Great Lakes 5 freshwater lakes; largest in the world Formed by glaciers during the last Ice Age Connected to the Atlantic Ocean by the St. Lawrence Seaway 4 of 5 lakes shared by both US and Canada Only Lake Michigan is entirely within the US Important waterways for both countries

Water Rivers: St. Lawrence River “Mother of Canada” Connects the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean

Water One of North America’s most important transportation routes Locks are used to allow ships to navigate through elevation changes (like Panama Canal)

Climate In spite of its size, Canada doesn’t have many climate zones. WHY? Most of Canada is very cold…why? Areas along the coasts enjoy milder climates…why? Inland areas have more extreme climates (very cold winters & very warm summers)…why?

Vegetation Because of its latitude, Canada only has several types of natural vegetation Tundra: found in the far north; cold, dry, & contains permafrost, a layer of permanently frozen ground Prairie: grasslands located in central Canada Forests: cover almost half of Canada; located east and west

Natural Resources Farmland: 12% of Canada’s land is used for farming Most farmland located in the interior plains Most important agricultural product produced is wheat Minerals/Energy Resources: Iron, gold, silver, zinc, copper, uranium, diamonds, oil, natural gas Fishing: Mostly along the Pacific coast Timber: One of the world’s leading producers of timber products, such as lumber, paper, plywood, and maple syrup Pacific Coast mostly

Environmental Concerns Water Pollution: Mostly found in the Great Lakes and rivers feeding into it; problem is caused by both the US and Canada, and both countries have to deal with it Acid rain: Caused by air pollution in from factories located along the Great Lakes in eastern Canada and the U.S. Deforestation: Many trees are being cut down in western Canada Diamond Mining: Mining industry has hurt the environment and caused water pollution on the Canadian Shield The government has started regulating this industry more Overfishing: Too many fish being caught has led to a reduction in fish populations off both Atlantic & Pacific coasts Canada’s government has banned fishing in some areas to allow the fish to repopulate