The Physical Regions of Canada

1. The Appalachian Region

• Extension of Appalachian Mountains, which run from southeastern United States to Maritime provinces

• Varied landscape of rolling hills, valleys, small mountains, highlands, and coastal fjords

• The region is very rocky and rich in minerals such as iron, lead, and zinc

• Varied resources: farmlands, coal and minerals, fishing, and forests

2. The Canadian Shield • Makes up nearly half of Canada’s

land surface • Was once a volcanic mountain range

that has been eroded through millions of years to flat, bare rock, lakes, and wetlands

• Thin soil makes it unsuitable for farming

• Shield formations are among the oldest in the world

• The formation of the shield has created vast deposits of minerals such as gold, lead, copper, platinum, and diamonds

3. The Arctic Region • Includes plains, lowlands, and

mountains • The region is rich in minerals, but

they have remained largely untapped because of the thick arctic ice

• As the Arctic ice begins to melt, that is changing

4. The St. Lawrence Lowlands

• Between Lakes Huron, Erie, and Ontario along the banks of the St. Lawrence River to Quebec City

• Rich agricultural land • The smallest region, but home to

almost half of Canada’s population

5. The Interior Plains • Region between the Canadian Shield

to the east and the Cordillera to the west

• The Prairies: mainly flat land, rolling hills, and river valleys

• Ideal for farming, as long as there is not a drought

• Also high concentrations of fossil fuels (oil and natural gas)

6. The Cordillera • Made of parallel mountain ranges

separated by valleys, trenches, and plateaus

• Covers B.C. and the Yukon (actually extends south all the way to Chile)

• The mountains and plateaus of B.C. are the youngest landforms in Canada and were caused by plate tectonics

• B.C.’s landscape is extremely diverse

• From rainforests…

• To deserts…

• To massive boreal forests…

• To rich agricultural lands…

• To amazing mountains