1. LANDFORM REGIONS OF CANADA
Canada is divided into seven landform regions:
Western Cordillera
Interior Plains
Canadian Shield
Great Lakes - St.Lawrence Lowlands
Appalachians
Arctic and Hudson Bay Lowlands
Innuitian Mountains

2. The Western Cordillera
From West to East, the Western Cordillera is composed of three sub-regions, each one running from north to south
The West Coast Mountains on the Pacific coast
The Interior Plateaux in the middle
The Rockies, bordering and crossing into Alberta

3. The West Coast Mountains
Very tall peaks
Volcanic
Many fiords
In some areas the ocean is the best way to get around
Communities are in deep valleys on the shoreline

4. WEST COAST MOUNTAINS Subduction zone
Oceanic plate sliding under continental plate
Prone to earthquakes

5. WEST COAST MOUNTAINS
Industries take advantage of the resources and landforms in the area
Whistler attracts a significant number of tourists

6. THE INTERIOR PLATEAUX A flat highland area between mountain ranges
There are a number of well known communities located here
The Okanagan Valley is an important fruit farming region

7. THE ROCKIES Canada’s largest mountain range
Unlike flat regions, mountains are known for fast-flowing rivers which gouge steep valleys in the landscape

8. The Rockies are home to many alpine glaciers
A narrow channel of ice which slides down a mountain.
Snow accumulates at the top of the glacier/ melts at the bottom

9. Interior Plains

10. The Interior Plains (Prairies)
Once the bed of a huge sea between the Canadian Shield and the Rockies
Mostly flat
Composed of sedimentary rocks
Highly suitable for farming where climate offers the right conditions

11. The Interior Plains Economy
Agriculture is one of the most important activities in the Interior Plains
Mining, for both fossil fuels and potash, is also very important

12. Canadian Shield

13. The Canadian Shield Largest region in Canada
Among the oldest known rocks on the planet
Formed by volcanic activity, therefore mostly igneous rock
Cold winters, warm summers, precipitation all year give it a distinctive type of vegetation

14. CANADIAN SHIELD
Stretches from Arctic to Great Lakes, from Mackenzie delta to Atlantic
Soils are thin - a poor choice for agriculture in most places

15. Great Lakes - St. Lawrence Lowlands
Most southerly and smallest landform region of Canada
Newest landform region
Formed by the action of glaciers scraping away and re-depositing material on the landscape
Consists of lakes, valleys and rolling hills

16. The Appalachians The oldest mountains in Canada, worn down by erosion
Rich in various minerals
Good farmland in some interior areas

17. ARCTIC AND HUDSON BAY LOWLANDS
Northernmost inhabited region in Canada
Most activity centers around hunting or fishing
Resource extraction is becoming very important to the regions economy

18. Innuitian Mountains

19. Innuitian Mountains
This region is located along the islands of northern Canada and features some spectacular fiords
Vegetation in this region is low and sparse, mainly grasses and flowers or lichen and moss
Glaciers are still common in the highest parts of this region and they cover parts of several northern islands