1. Canada’s Landform Regions

3. Landform Regions of Canada

4. Canadian Landforms Canada has three distinct types of landforms
1. Shield
- Canadian Shield
2. Highlands
Western Cordillera
Appalachian Mountains
Innuitian Mountains
3. Lowlands
Interior Plains
Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Lowlands
Hudson Bay-Arctic Lowlands

5. Highlands
Mountainous areas that occur east, north and west of the shield and lowland areas

6. Lowlands
The bedrock under these lowlands is formed mainly of sediments eroded from the Shield.
the sediments were laid down in the ancient seas that existed at various times millions of years ago.
As the rock particles collected, the weight of the upper layers compressed the lower layers into sedimentary rocks.

7. Landform Regions of Canada
Western Cordillera
Interior Plains
Canadian Shield
Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Lowlands
Appalachian
Arctic and Hudson Bay Lowlands
Innuitian Mountains

8. 1. Western Cordillera Location Western coastline of Canada
Mainly BC and Yukon, but also in western Alberta
About 680km wide
Physical Characteristics
Western edge of Canada like a great wall. Mountains separated by plateaus and valleys
Rugged appearance; yet, geologically young
Stand as tall as 4000m above sea level

9. Three Divisions
1. Rockies and Columbia Mountains make up the eastern mountains
2. Interior plateaus to the west
3. Coast Mountains on the Pacific coast
Rocks and Minerals
Mostly folded and faulted sedimentary rock
some metamorphic and igneous rocks due to past volcanic activity
Transportation / Population
Mountains are an obstacle for transportation, and the primary travel routes must run East-West. As well, there are only a few passes, or gaps in the ranges of the cordillera which are low enough to allow highways and railways to cross over
Area is sparsely populated with most people living along the river valleys

10. 2. Interior Plains Location
Part of the Great Plains of North America that stretch from the Arctic Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico. In Canada, it extends from the 49th parallel north to the Arctic Ocean, a distance of 2700 km. They taper from south to north. They are about 1300 km wide in the south, but only 275 km wide in the north.
Physical Characteristics
Sediments from the Shield and the Rocky Mountains were deposited in these seas over millions of years. Erosion has shaped this landscape, and the land slopes gently from west to east.
Glaciation has marked the landscape, and the land is very flat

11. Vegetation
Soil is deep and fertile
Area is known as Canada’s “breadbasket”
Rocks and Minerals
Mineral deposits lay close to the surface from the plants that were once growing in the seas. Via processes of weathering, compacting and erosion, these areas are rich in natural resources such as oil and gas, potash and coal

12. 3. Canadian Shield Location
More than 50% of Canada is covered by the Shield (about 4,800,000 km2). The Shield occurs in most of Québec, Ontario, Manitoba, Nunavut, some of Saskatchewan and NWT
Physical Characteristics
The Shield is mainly rocky terrain that is primarily flat with rounded hills of rock
It contains numerous rivers, waterfalls, lakes, forests, rock outcrops
Vegetation
The soil is very thin and poor quality. Most of the Shied is not suited for farming

13. Rocks and Minerals:
Some of the world’s oldest rocks are located in the Shield (3.96 billion years old)
Two types of rock make up most of the Shield: Metamorphic and Igneous
Shield is rich in valuable minerals including lead, gold, nickel, copper and zinc

14. 4. Great Lakes - St. Lawrence Lowlands
Location
South of the Canadian Shield
Most southerly region in Canada
Canada’s smallest landform region
Physical Characteristics:
Landscape is characterized by flat plains with glacial hills, and deep river valleys. Relatively flat land
Vegetation
Excellent growing conditions (e.g., warm climate, excellent soil, longish growing season, adequate heat and rain)

15. Population / Transportation
Ideal for transportation routes and the development of cities.
Region is the most densely populated region in Canada with 50% of Canada’s population lives in this region (…yet, as area of land, this landform makes up only 14% of the total area)
Rocks and Minerals
Bedrock formed of sedimentary rock

16. 5. Appalachians Location
Stretches from Georgia in the southern USA through the Maritimes to Newfoundland in the north
It is the oldest highland region in Canada
Physical Characteristics
It formed about 300 million years ago
Once jagged peaks turned to rolling mountains with large valleys between mountains
During the last ice age, the weight of the ice compressed the mountains down. The imprints created small lakes when the ice melted

17. Rocks and Minerals
- Sedimentary rocks are rich in non-metallic minerals such as coal
Volcanic activity and faulting created igneous and metamorphic rocks in certain areas
Rocks here are similar to the ones found in Wales and Scotland

18. 6. Arctic and Hudson Bay Lowlands
Northern Ontario and Northern Québec
Arctic Lowlands
Mid-northern islands
Physical Characteristics
Flat, low area
Series of islands in the far north
Gently rolling landscape, with swampy forests
Vegetation
Harsh climate which does not permit farming
Ground stays frozen most of the year

19. Rocks and Minerals
Land contains coal, oil and natural gas deposits
Has a layer of sedimentary rock which rests on top of the ancient Shield rock

20. 7. Innuitians
Mountain range in the most northern part of Canada. Stands like icy watch towers in the north
Physical Characteristics
Some peaks are over 2500 m high
Present form shaped in the middle of the Mesozoic era when the North American Plate moved northward
Younger than Appalachians with less rounded hills

21. Vegetation
Barren because trees cannot survive the extremely cold winters nor grow during the extremely short summer
Vast areas are covered by ice, and permanent snow
Rocks and Minerals
Contains metamorphic and igneous rock, but mostly sedimentary
Resembles the Appalachians in composition and minerals