CanadaPhysical 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