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Canada Section 1 Physical Features • Canada is immediately north of and borders the United States. • Canada is the second largest country in the world • Canada has many different regions defined by climate and geography Canadian Regions • • • • • • The Arctic Region Canadian Shield Atlantic Provinces St. Lawrence River Valley Interior Plains Canadian Cordillera Most people live in the Southern and Coastal Areas. These areas have fertile soil, and moderate climates Arctic Region • Contains a chain of ice covered islands called the Arctic Archipelago • One of the least populated regions in the world • Glaciers still cover the land Canadian Shield • Canada’s largest region with the smallest population. It covers most of Canada. • The Canadian Shield is extremely rocky, has many swamps, and has thousands of lakes • Forms a horseshoe around the Hudson Bay • Contains some of the oldest rocks in the world • Excellent for mining- contains iron, zinc, diamonds, and many more Atlantic Provinces • Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland make up the Atlantic Provinces. • Include the northern part of the Appalachian Mountains St. Lawrence River Valley • Most popular region in Canada • Many people live in this area because it’s rich in resources. • The St. Lawrence River is Canada’s major river used for shipping and transportation. Interior Plains • Very similar to the Great Plains • Experience extreme weather because it is not by water. • Land heats up and cools down more quickly than areas by the water. This creates greater extremes between summer and winter temperatures • Contains very fertile soil Canadian Cordillera • Contains the northern section of the Rocky Mountains and the Pacific Coast • It is one of the most beautiful regions in Canada. It contains glacial lakes, hot springs, and snow capped mountains • Contains British Columbia and the Yukon Climate • Canada’s climate varies from region to region • The interiors plains have more extreme weather than the coastal plains. Temperatures on the coast do not vary because those areas are close to water. • Southern Canada has a continental, cool summer climate. Summers are hot and humid while winters are extremely cold and snowy • The western coast is the maritime region. This region experiences more rain than snow • Northern Canada has subarctic and tundra climates with long cold winters. – In the subarctic regions summers only reach about 50 degrees – The tundra regions experience freezing temperatures winter and summer Land and Resources • The Canadian Shield produces many minerals used throughout the world. – Copper, iron, nickel, lead, gold and silver • Glaciers that melted southward in the Canadian Shield form the Great Lakes, the largest group of lakes in the world – One of the most famous attraction of the Great Lakes is Niagara Falls. • Canada’s lakes, rivers and bays are used for hydroelectricity. – Dams hold large amounts of water, and then channel it through turbines which create electricity. • The land in the Arctic Archipelago contain many islands that are covered by snow and ice most of the year. – While the ice thaws in the summer, the soil remains permanently frozen which is called permafrost. • The land on the interior planes are great sources for natural gas and coal. • The St. Lawrence River is the most important River in Canada because it is used for transportation to the Atlantic Ocean. – The river connects a series of canals and locks which connect the great lakes to the Atlantic Ocean. http://images.marinas.com/med_res_id/21669 • The Atlantic Provinces (much like New England states) are known for their fishing, forestry, agriculture, and tourism. • The Grand Banks is a well known fishing area between the coast of Newfoundland and Labrador. – In this mixing zone, warm waters from the gulf stream meet the cold water from the Labrador Current Environmental Concerns • Canada’s rich resources and environment have been threatened throughout the years by – Overdeveloped hydroelectric plants – Extracting too many minerals – Cutting down forests • The Canada-Unites States Air Quality Agreement has helped reduce acid rain • The Border Air Quality Strategy has helped reduce smog near the border of the 2 countries. • The Climate Change Plan is a legislation that provides guidelines to reduce global warming. – Global warming is a major concern for the fragile Arctic Region.
