1. Canada Section 1

2. Physical Features Canada is immediately north of and borders the United States. Canada is the second largest country in the world Canada has many different regions defined by climate and geography

3. Canadian Regions The Arctic Region Canadian Shield Atlantic Provinces St. Lawrence River Valley Interior Plains Canadian Cordillera Most people live in the Southern and Coastal Areas. These areas have fertile soil, and moderate climates

4. Arctic Region Contains a chain of ice covered islands called the Arctic Archipelago One of the least populated regions in the world Glaciers still cover the land

5. Canadian Shield Canada’s largest region with the smallest population. It covers most of Canada. The Canadian Shield is extremely rocky, has many swamps, and has thousands of lakes Forms a horseshoe around the Hudson Bay Contains some of the oldest rocks in the world Excellent for mining- contains iron, zinc, diamonds, and many more

6. Atlantic Provinces Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland make up the Atlantic Provinces. Include the northern part of the Appalachian Mountains

7. St. Lawrence River Valley Most popular region in Canada Many people live in this area because it’s rich in resources. The St. Lawrence River is Canada’s major river used for shipping and transportation.

8. Interior Plains Very similar to the Great Plains Experience extreme weather because it is not by water. Land heats up and cools down more quickly than areas by the water. This creates greater extremes between summer and winter temperatures Contains very fertile soil

9. Canadian Cordillera Contains the northern section of the Rocky Mountains and the Pacific Coast It is one of the most beautiful regions in Canada. It contains glacial lakes, hot springs, and snow capped mountains Contains British Columbia and the Yukon

10. Climate Canada’s climate varies from region to region The interiors plains have more extreme weather than the coastal plains. Temperatures on the coast do not vary because those areas are close to water. Southern Canada has a continental, cool summer climate. Summers are hot and humid while winters are extremely cold and snowy The western coast is the maritime region. This region experiences more rain than snow Northern Canada has subarctic and tundra climates with long cold winters. – In the subarctic regions summers only reach about 50 degrees – The tundra regions experience freezing temperatures winter and summer