UNIT ONE: THE PHYSICAL PATTERN Canada as a Whole

Canada spreads over km2 of land and fresh water. Canada is the second-largest country in the world. Canada’s greatest east-west distance is 5514 km, and its greatest north-south extent is 4634 km.

There are four major clusters of population in Canada:  Southern Ontario and Quebec, where many of the nation’s largest cities are located  The southern part of the Prairies provinces  The southern coastlands of British Columbia  The Atlantic provinces, especially their southern coastlines

Population is scattered within these areas, through many cities and towns. Outside these four areas there are far fewer people, and they are even more widely scattered. This wide dispersion of people throughout millions of square kilometres of territory has made Canada more than normally difficult to develop.

Learning about location Relative Location:  An object’s location in relation to another object.  Example: Where is OHS located? Behind District 17 Office On Mackenzie Avenue Absolute Location:  The geographical coordinates of an object.  Example: Where is OHS located? 45.89°N, 66.48°W

Learning about Location: Latitude Latitude measures distance north or south from the equator. Lines of latitude are all parallel. The equator marks 0° latitude. The equator is the only line of latitude that is a Great Circle. Latitude is measured in degrees. Latitude is measured from 0° to 90° north or south of the equator. The North Pole is 90°N latitude. The South Pole is 90°S latitude.

Learning about Location: Longitude The Prime Meridian:  Selected point from which longitude is measured.  Is 0° longitude.  Is an imaginary line that runs from the North Pole to the South Pole.  Runs through Greenwich, England.  Is the dividing line for the Eastern and Western Hemisphere.  Everything from the Prime Meridian east to 180° is the Eastern Hemisphere.  Everything from the Prime Meridian west to 180° is the Western Hemisphere.

Learning about Location: Longitude All lines of longitude meet at the North and South Poles. Lines of longitude measure distance east and west of the Prime Meridian.

Latitude and Longitude & Northern and Southern Hemispheres

Where to begin? Our study of Canada’s geography will begin with a look at its location. Start at page 9 in the text and find the following definitions:  Relative location  Circumpolar map  Arctic archipelago  Hemisphere  Absolute location  Latitude lines/parallels  Longitude lines/meridians  Equator  Prime Meridian/Greenwich Meridian Pg. 14 Questions 1,2,3&4 Practice your latitude and longitude skills with the provided worksheet:  Latitude and Longitude Practice Exercise 2

Find the following Geographic Locations by Indicating the Absolute Location: 1. Fredericton 2. Ottawa 3. Happy Valley, Goose Bay (Labrador) 4. Quebec City 5. Belcher Islands (Hudson Bay) 6. Iqaluit 7. Vancouver 8. Whitehorse 9. Prince Albert 10. Toronto 11. Calgary 12. Halifax 13. Oshawa 14. Regina 15. Summerside 16. Moose Jaw 17. Yellowknife 18. Drummondville 19. Thunder Bay 20. Kamloops