Physiographic Regions of Canada

1. Physiographic Regions of Canada

2. Physiographic Regions of Canada OBJECTIVES • Section Objectives: • Be familiar with the names, distributions and features of the physiographic regions of Canada (arctic, cordillera, interior plains, Canadian shield, St Lawrence lowlands, Appalachian) • Compare the physiographic distribution with other forms of Regions (cultural, political, etc) • Assess the impact of the land on historical and contemporary settlement (European and First Nations)

3. Physiographic Regions of Canada REGIONS OVERVIEW

4. Physiographic Regions of Canada APPALACHIAN REGION Location: Eastern Canada Atlantic Canada Eastern US Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island

5. Physiographic Regions of Canada APPALACHIAN REGION

6. Physiographic Regions of Canada APPALACHIAN REGION • Characteristics: • Low, rounded mountains (eroded from previous folded rock formations) • Valleys and lowland areas (very fertile) • Three broad highland areas (Southern Quebec, New Brunswick/Nova Scotia, Newfoundland) • Maritime presence

7. Physiographic Regions of Canada APPALACHIAN REGION • Characteristics: • Natural Resources • Coal** • Iron • Lead • Zinc • Timber/Lumber • Fish- cod • Oil- offshore • Water- hydro • Climate • Cool, wet winters/most of the year • Maritime influence-

8. Physiographic Regions of Canada APPALACHIAN REGION • Characteristics: • Population • Approx 3-4 million • Major centres and most people along the coastline • Majority of British ethnic origin

9. Physiographic Regions of Canada APPALACHIAN REGION • Challenges: • Low population- fewer stores, goods/services may be difficult to acquire. • Weather is a challenge • Many communities are isolated • Isolation from the rest of Canada (ROC) • Opportunities: • High number of natural resources to be harvest—jobs • Low population- less competition for jobs, status, resources • Location- transport goods into Canada….US • Scenery…. Tourism, quality of life • Susatinability (food)

10. Physiographic Regions of Canada APPALACHIAN REGION • Relationship to Canada: • Not close…. Especially far West to far East… unfamiliarity… distant relatives • Isolated- cultural, language, beliefs, physical • Political differences- parties, laws • Labour/type of jobs/business- more blue collar than the ROC • Historically- dependent economically

11. Physiographic Regions of Canada GREAT LAKES/ST LAWRENCE LOWLANDS REGION Location: Covers 46 000 km2 South Eastern Ontario South Western Quebec Toronto, Ottawa, Quebec City Lake Erie, Lake Superior, Lake Ontario, Lake Huron

12. Physiographic Regions of Canada GREAT LAKES/ST LAWRENCE LOWLANDS REGION

13. Physiographic Regions of Canada GREAT LAKES/ST LAWRENCE LOWLANDS REGION • Characteristics: • St Lawrence River which opens to Atlantic Ocean • 5 Great Lakes (Canada/US border, 21% of world’s fresh water) • Altitude rangers from 0m to 150m (Grouse is 1200m) • Features a result of last ice age, river erosion and deposition, wind erosion • Clay base of soil

14. Physiographic Regions of Canada GREAT LAKES/ST LAWRENCE LOWLANDS REGION • Characteristics: • Natural Resources • Fresh water • Agriculture (fertile soil) • Minerals- iron, zinc, silver, copper, lead • Climate • Maritime effect/moderation • 875mm precipitation/year • 80cm of snow • -30 degrees (January) +28 degrees • Winds from Arctic/Mexico • Pressure systems Source: http://www.nrcan.gc.ca/statistics-facts/home/887

15. Physiographic Regions of Canada GREAT LAKES/ST LAWRENCE LOWLANDS REGION • Characteristics: • Population • Most densely populated area in Canada • 14 million • 50% of people who immigrate to Canada go to Ontario • Traditionally Algonquian first nation territory • Most of ethnic population (39%) is ‘other’ and 50% is British/British & other

16. Physiographic Regions of Canada GREAT LAKES/ST LAWRENCE LOWLANDS REGION Challenges: Opportunities: • Lifestyle: traffic/commute, big city problems • Highest population density in Canada • High levels of industry • Centres of commerce (Toronto), government (Ottawa), culture (Montreal) • Connections to US • Economies of scale

17. Physiographic Regions of Canada GREAT LAKES/ST LAWRENCE LOWLANDS REGION • Relationship to Canada: • Location of many “heartlands” • Close proximity to many major historical events Sources: http://www.eclectecon.net/media/

18. Physiographic Regions of Canada CANADIAN SHIELD Location: Covers almost half of Canada (8 million km2). Does not extend far into US. Borders the Arctic, Plains, St Lawrence Lowlands and Appalachian regions Thunder Bay & Sudbury(ON), Churchill (MB), Labrador, Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Nunavut, North West Territories Hudson Bay, Great Lakes

19. Physiographic Regions of Canada CANADIAN SHIELD

20. Physiographic Regions of Canada CANADIAN SHIELD • Characteristics: • Geographical Features • Exposed precambrian rock “The region, as a whole, is composed of ancient crystalline rocks whose complex structure attests to a long history of uplift and depression, mountain building, and erosion. Some of the ancient mountain ranges can still be recognized as a ridge or belt of hills, but the present appearance of the physical landscape of the Canadian Shield is not so much a result of the folding and faulting and compression of the rocks millions of years ago as it is the work of ice in relatively recent geologic time. During the Pleistocene Epoch (2.6 million to 11,700 years ago), the vast continental glaciers that covered northern North America had this region as a centre. The ice, in moving to the south, scraped the land bare of its overlying mantle of weathered rock. Some of this material was deposited on the shield when the ice melted, but the bulk of it was carried southward to be deposited south and southwest of the Canadian Shield.” (Britannica Online) Source: http://www.maggiesale.ca

21. Physiographic Regions of Canada CANADIAN SHIELD • Characteristics: • Natural Resources • Copper, zinc, gold, iron, silver, nickel, cobalt, tungsten. • Climate • Temperature: -39 degrees (January) to +32 (degrees) • 250 days of sun • Precipitation: 300-1600mm of rain/snow Sudbury, ON 2005 Sudbury, ON 1888

22. Physiographic Regions of Canada CANADIAN SHIELD • Characteristics: • Population • Numbers: 3-4 million • Where they live: southern part of region, scattered pockets (resource-towns) • Demographic breakdown: German, Aboriginal, Dutch, Pilipino= 50%, Source: http://atlas.nrcan.gc.ca/auth/english/maps/archives/poster/population?maxwidth=1600&maxheight=1400&mode=navigator&upperleftx=0&upperlefty=0&lowerrightx=5104&lowerrighty=3304&mag=0.125

23. Physiographic Regions of Canada CANADIAN SHIELD • Challenges: • Isolation of cities (self-sustaining) • Huge range of climate (people, infrastructure) • Movement of people/goods between centres • Opportunities: • Resources to be mined (jobs, economy) • Tight knit communities • Strong community leadership, arts, community support

24. Physiographic Regions of Canada CANADIAN SHIELD • Relationship to Canada: • Source material for stereotypes? • The most diverse region? • A sense of cultural unity? Source: http://www/faculty.marianopolis.edu

25. Physiographic Regions of Canada INTERIOR PLAINS Location: Central Canada Prairies East of the Cordillera, West of the Shield Stretches into US Strong North/South stretch Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan

26. Physiographic Regions of Canada INTERIOR PLAINS

27. Physiographic Regions of Canada INTERIOR PLAINS • Characteristics: • Flat, rolling hills • Bordered by the Rocky Mountain range • Strong agricultural presence

28. Physiographic Regions of Canada INTERIOR PLAINS • Characteristics: • Natural Resources • Agriculture • Oil (AB, SK) • Potash (SK) • Coal, iron (minimal) • Climate • Temperatures: Harsh cold winters (-30) “real hot” summers (+30) • Precipitation: 200-400mm, most precipitation comes in the form of snow, dry summers

29. Physiographic Regions of Canada INTERIOR PLAINS • Characteristics: • Population • Distribution wide, some pockets but otherwise thinly populated • Approx 5 million in the region, mostly in cities • 41-47% Majority is “other”…. European (German, Ukranian), Aboriginal • Approx 1/3 are still British origin • English dominant mother tongue

30. Physiographic Regions of Canada INTERIOR PLAINS • Challenges: • Environmental: flat (recreation, variety of landforms), climate • Economic: isolation (variety of jobs, getting to/from, cost of living) • Social: isolation (less interaction) • Opportunities: • Economic: farming (opportunity), building factories/industries • Political: ease of election (less competition, face to face communication) • Social: strength of communities,

31. Physiographic Regions of Canada INTERIOR PLAINS • Relationship to Canada: • Machine, a goods-producer • Hinterland relationship, colonial • Stereotype of Canada (hot summers, cold winters, farm, rural) • Boring…. Rural… one horse town • Marmish Aunt • Little bro/sister • Breadbasket of Canada

32. Physiographic Regions of Canada WESTERN CORDILLERA Location: BC, Yukon (absolute) West Coast of Canada (relative) Between the pacific ocean and the interior plains (relative) Bordered by the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountain range Extends into the US (down into South America)

33. Physiographic Regions of Canada WESTERN CORDILLERA

34. Physiographic Regions of Canada WESTERN CORDILLERA • Characteristics: • Mountainous (jagged), heavily treed • Variety in elevation and topography • Elevation: -50m to 3954m (Mt. Robson), 4400m (Mt. Elbert), 5900m (Mt. Logan) • Maritime/Coastal influence

35. Physiographic Regions of Canada WESTERN CORDILLERA • Characteristics: • Natural Resources • Fish • Coal • Lumber/forestry • Gold • Fresh water • Other: wine, blueberries, cranberries • Agriculture • Climate • Mild/wet/humid • Varied between southern and northern reaches, mountain/non-mountain • Maritime influence • Temperatures 2-20 degrees (Vancouver) • Precipitation 1113 mm annually (falls mostly as rain)

36. Physiographic Regions of Canada WESTERN CORDILLERA • Characteristics: • Population • 4.5 million (BC), 35 000 (YT) • 4.7 people/km2 • Pockets: Vancouver + , Victoria • Setteled area: coast, interior (Kelowna, Kamloops) • 33%- Other (high Asian percentage) • 50% +- British/British+Other

37. Physiographic Regions of Canada WESTERN CORDILLERA • Challenges: • Environmental: earthquakes, natural disasters, natural elements • Social: big city problems (gangs, organised crime, drugs) • Opportunities: • Economic: high quality job opportunities (resources: mining), service industry, trading with US and Asian Gateway • Social: more people (economies of scale), diversity in a way unique from other population centres

38. Physiographic Regions of Canada WESTERN CORDILLERA • Relationship to Canada: • Favourite child (beautiful, everyone wants to visit), some envy • Connected: Vancouver has important role in the import/export portion of the Canadian Economy • Separateness: on the coast, separated by a significant mountain range, outlook is more West (Asia) and South (US) than East (Toronto, etc), diverse culture, West Coast Lifestyle

39. Physiographic Regions of Canada ARCTIC Location: North of the treeline North West Territories, Nunavut North of Canadian Shield, Interior Plains Connected to Russia, US, Finland, Denmark

40. Physiographic Regions of Canada ARCTIC

41. Physiographic Regions of Canada ARCTIC • Characteristics: • Barren • Cold • Icy • Specific flora and fauna that are highly adapted to survive in the region

42. Physiographic Regions of Canada ARCTIC • Characteristics: • Natural Resources • Oil/Natural Gas • Diamonds • Nickel • Animals: seals • Climate • Cold • Temperatures: -50 to 10 degrees • Precipitation: 20-50mm, mostly as snow

43. Physiographic Regions of Canada ARCTIC • Characteristics: • Population

44. Physiographic Regions of Canada ARCTIC Challenges: Opportunities:

45. Physiographic Regions of Canada ARCTIC Relationship to Canada:

46. Sources http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=A1ARTA0007093 http://www.oneexchangecorp.com/facts.html