Canada’s Landform Regions
The Canadian ShieldSize: covers almost ½
of Canada
Formation:-Formed by volcanic eruptions over 3 billion years ago- erosion and glaciers caused mountains to flatten and lose most of its soil
Landscape:- Large, smooth rock
formations, thousands of lakes and swamps
Main Type of Rock: Igneous
The Great Lakes- St. Lawrence Lowlands
Click icon to add clip artSize: small
Formation:- Sediments from the
eroded Canadian Shield built up in ancient seas and formed new land
Landscape- Low, fairly flat with some
hills- Covered with a rich layer
of soil
Rock type: majority is Sedimentary
The AppalachiansSize: majority of Eastern
CanadaFormation- Plate movement caused
Sedimentary Rock on ocean floor to fold upwards to form mountains
- Erosion lowered mountains and flattened some areas
Landscape- Mountainous in some
areas with some flatter plains (rock)
Rock Type: mostly Sedimentary
Interior PlainsSize: Covers large area in
the interior of Canada
Formation-sediments settled at the
bottom of inland seas- When sea
disappeared, it left a very flat area with thick, nutrient rich soil
Landscape- Very flat plains
Type of Rock: Sedimentary
Western CordilleraLandscape:- Sets of tall mountains
with a flat plateaus in between
Rock Type: all 3 types- igneous, sedimentary, metamorphic
Size: entire West Coast
Formation: 3 areas- Rocky Mountains-
plate movements folded the earth
- Coast Mountains- Volcanic eruptions
- Interior Plateau- formed from lava that flowed from the volcanoes
Hudson Bay and Arctic LowlandsSize- large section of
Northern Canada (territories)
Formation:- Sedimentary rock left
from erosion and glacier scraping
Landscape:- Bare rock with stony areas
Type of Rock: Sedimentary
InnuitionsSize: Northern Canada,
most of Nunavut’s northern islands
Formation:- Folded sedimentary rock
from the ocean floor
Landscape-ice and snow covered
mountains
Rock Type: Sedimentary