Download Landform Connections Canada is a land of great physical diversity

Landform Connections
Canada is a land of great physical diversity. We can look at Canada’s topography by focusing on
landforms. Canada is made up of three distinct types of landforms—shield, highlands, and lowlands.
Using the information from Chapter 12, complete the following landform region summaries by filling in
the missing words or phrases.
Shield
The Canadian Shield
The Canadian Shield is the geographic foundation of Canada. Some of the world’s oldest rocks
(__________________________ years old) are located in the Shield near _____________________.
Because of its age, the Canadian Shield is also referred to as the ____________________ Shield. Today,
most of the Shield is relatively flat with rounded hills of rock that are actually the roots of ancient
________________________. Most of the Shield is formed from _________________ and
_______________ rock. These types of rocks contain valuable minerals like lead, ________________,
nickel, copper, and zinc. Sometimes these minerals are separated into layers according to their density of
the magma cools _________________, making them easier to mine. The Shield is ill-suited to farming
because it has very thin soils. However, because of its scenic rivers and forests it is ideal for recreation,
________________________ power generation, and forestry. Hundreds of thousands of lakes, formed in
depressions left by glacial scouring of the impervious bedrock, dot the Shield. Glacial deposits of sand,
gravel, and clay have helped to create a ____________________ drainage pattern of winding rivers,
lakes, and swamps.
Lowlands
Interior Plains
The Interior Plains of Canada are part of the Great Plains of North America that stretch from the
______________________ to the _______________________. Sediments from the Shield and the
Rocky Mountains were deposited in shallow inland seas over millions of years, eventually forming
_______________________ rock. Oil, gas, mineral deposits (like ______________, which is used as a
fertilizer), and coal are found in the layers of sedimentary rock. Different rates of erosion have caused
_____________ different levels of elevation on the Prairies, separated by ______________________.
Much of Canada’s __________________ is grown here on the fertile soils, and _________________ are
raised where it is too dry for crops.
Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Lowlands
To the south of the Canadian Shield is the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Lowlands. Like the Interior Plains,
these lowlands are underlain by _____________________ rock. The two parts of this region are
separated by a thin wedge of the Canadian Shield with _____________________ rock (the Frontenac
Axis) that juts across the St. Lawrence River near Kingston, Ontario. The Great Lakes are located in
basins that were gouged out by ________________. The St. Lawrence Lowland was created when land
between two __________________ collapsed, creating a ___________________ valley. This region
comprises only 1.4% of Canada’s land area, yet its excellent soils for agriculture, warm climate, and
relatively flat land have attracted about __________% of Canada’s population. Canada’s two largest
cities, Toronto and ________________, are located here along with ______% of the country’s
manufacturing industries.
Hudson Bay-Arctic Lowlands
Around the southwestern shore of Hudson Bay and James Bay is a very flat, low area covered by
__________________________. At the end of the last Ice Age, the waters of Hudson Bay covered much
of the Hudson Bay Lowlands and deposited the sand, _________, and clay that became the layers of
sedimentary rock. The Arctic Lowlands are a series of islands located in Canada’s far north that have a
________________________ landscape. The climate is harsh, and the ground remains
_________________ most of the year. Paleozoic ______________________ rock underlying the
lowlands contains __________________, oil, and natural gas deposits.
Highlands
Appalachian Mountains
The Appalachian Mountains, formed by uplifting of __________________ rock when North America
collided with Europe and North Africa during the formation of ___________________ 300 million years
ago, are the oldest highland region in North America. The layers of sedimentary rock are rich in
______________________ minerals such as coal; volcanic activity and faulting also created igneous and
___________________ rock in certain areas of the Appalachians. Millions of years of erosion and recent
_____________________ have worn down the mountains. Deep, irregular inlets along the east coast
form a ___________________ coastline where former river valleys were drowned by rising sea levels.
Innuitian Mountains
The Innuitian Mountains were formed in the ____________________ era when the North American plate
moved northward. These mountains can measure over _______________ metres in height. They are
mostly ____________________ rock, but they do contain some igneous and metamorphic rocks. Vast
areas are covered by ice and permanent snow, and the harsh climate restricts the growth of
___________________. The Innuitian Mountains resemble, in both shape and composition, the
Appalachians when they were younger. Mineral resources have not been greatly exploited because of the
region’s ________________ location.
Western Cordillera
The geologically young ranges of mountains along the western edge of Canada were formed by the
collision of the North American and _______________________ tectonic plates. East-west transportation
across the Western Cordillera is difficult because the mountains and valleys run in a
_____________________ direction with only a few passes or gaps. Most people live in farming and
mining towns located in the _________________________. There are three major divisions in the
Western Cordillera: the Rocky Mountains and the _________________ Mountains of the Eastern
Mountains, the _________________ Plateau, and the ____________________ Mountains along the
western edge. Flooding of glacial valleys after the last ice age ended has created long narrow inlets called
___________________.