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Mr. Burton. Bell-Ringer: What do you know about Canada?. What we know:. Things you will need to know:. A huge country, Canada has a wide variety of physical features, including rugged mountains, plains, and swamps. Because of its northerly location, Canada is dominated by cold climates.
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Mr. Burton Bell-Ringer: What do you know about Canada?
Things you will need to know: • A huge country, Canada has a wide variety of physical features, including rugged mountains, plains, and swamps. • Because of its northerly location, Canada is dominated by cold climates. • Canada is rich in natural resources like fish, minerals, fertile soil, and forests.
Physical Features • Canada and the U.S. share many physical features. • The mountains along the Pacific coast and the Rocky Mountains extend north into western Canada. • Broad plains stretch across the interiors of both countries. • Both countries border the St. Lawrence River, which links the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean. • The Niagara Falls, located between Ontario and New York State, plunge an average of 162 feet between Lake Erie and Lake Ontario.
Physical features cont… • Canada is the second-largest country in the world. • Canada has a region of rocky uplands, lakes, and swamps called the Canadian Shield, which covers about half the country. • Canadian land bordering the Arctic Ocean is covered with ice year-round. Very few people live here, but some wildlife have adapted to the harsh environment.
Domination by cold climates • Canada’s location greatly influences the country’s climate. • Located far from the equator • Cool to freezing temperatures year-round • The farther north, the colder the climate. • Much of central and northern Canada has a sub-arctic climate. • The far north has tundra and ice cap climates. • About half of Canada lies in these extremely cold climates. • Central and eastern southern Canada is humid and relatively mild. • The coast of British Columbia is the mildest. The Pacific coast brings rainy winters and mild temperatures. • Inland southern Canada is colder and drier.
Resources • Canada’s Atlantic and Pacific coastal waters are among the world’s richest fishing areas. • Grand Banks • Off the Atlantic coast • Cold waters from the Labrador Sea meet the warm waters of the Gulf Stream. • Ideal for the growth of tiny organisms, or plankton • Large schools of fish gather to eat the plankton. • Recent over-fishing
Minerals • The Canadian Shield has many mineral deposits. • World’s main source of nickel, zinc, and uranium • Other resources: lead, copper, gold, and silver • Saskatchewan: potash, a mineral used to make fertilizer • Alberta: oil and natural gas
Forest • Vast areas of forests from Labrador to the Pacific coast provide lumber and pulp. • Pulp—softened wood fibers—is used to make paper. • The United States, the United Kingdom, and Japan get much of their newsprint from Canada. • Newsprint is cheap paper used mainly for newspapers.