Download Notes Unit 1 - novacentral.ca

Canadian Geography 1202
Unit 1 – Canada, Geography, and You
(show video found here)
Geography: The study of how the Earth works and how people interact
with the Earth.
Landscapes: The natural and human features you can see in an area.
(Read page 4 - Take the Challenge – don’t complete the map)
Canada is the second largest country in the world. It is so big that all
46 countries in Europe would fit inside it. Because of its size Canada has a
variety of different things including huge mountains, large areas of
grasslands and swampy wetlands.
Place
Place: Any spot or area on the Earth’s surface.
A place can be described by giving its location. There are several
ways to give a location.
Relative Location: A location given in relation to another feature. Ex.
Coleman’s is located across the street from Botwood Collegiate.
Absolute Location: Location that is given using Latitude and Longitude.
Latitude: Imaginary lines that run east to west on a map and measure
distances north or south of the Equator.
Longitude: Imaginary lines that run north to south on a map and measure
distances east or west of the Prime Meridian.
Latitude and longitude are measured in degrees. Each degree can be split
into 60 minutes. Each degree of latitude is about 111 km wide. 4726 N
reads 47 degrees 26 minutes North latitude. Longitudinal lines are 111 km
wide at the Equator but narrow as they meet at the North and South Poles.
The Equator is 0 degrees latitude. The Prime Meridian, which runs through
Greenwich, England, is 0 degrees longitude.
(Go here for an interactive lesson on lat and long)
Use the given political map of Canada to locate these places.
Alert – Most northern settlement at 8230 N just 800 km from the North Pole
Middle Island – most southern place at 4140 N
Cape Spear – most easterly at 52376W
US/Yukon Border – most westerly at 14100 N
Canada is 4600 km from north to south and 5500 km from east to west.
The Earth is tilted on its axis giving Canada 4 seasons.
The Summer Solstice (first day) is June 21st, Winter Solstice is December
21st, Fall Equinox is September 23rd, and Spring Equinox is March 21st.
Canada’s Landscapes
(Give map of Canada’s Landscape Regions)
Region: A part of the Earth’s surface with similar characteristics that set it
apart from surrounding areas.
The Canadian Shield is the largest and oldest region in Canada covering
45% of the land. The rock found here is 3 billion years old. Newfoundland
is in the Appalachian Mountains region. The rock here is 400 million years
old. The youngest rock is found in the Rocky Mountains in the Western
Cordillera Region. Rock here is only 65 million years old.
There are 3 main types of rock. They are:
1. Igneous – Formed when magma cools and hardens. This rock
contains minerals like gold and silver.
2. Sedimentary – Formed when sand, soil and small rock particles are
laid down in layers. Fossils are found in this rock as well as the fossil
fuels like oil and gas.
3. Metamorphic – Formed when igneous and sedimentary rock change
into new rock while under intense heat and pressure.
Shaping the Landscape
Landscapes are formed through two types of forces, building up or wearing
down. The wearing down forces are:
A) Weathering: The breaking of rock by wind, water, plant roots and
chemical reactions.
B) Erosion: The moving of broken rock particles to other places.
The building up of mountains occurs through 3 main forces:
A) Folding – 2 plates are squeezed together causing the land in
between to rise up.
B) Faulting – 2 plates separate causing one plate to drop.
C) Volcanic Pressure – Magma pushes the land up from underneath.
Plates: Large pieces of the Earth’s crust.
Magma: Molten rock found inside the Earth.
Plate Tectonics: The movement of the plates resulting in the formation of
mountains.
Another factor in shaping the landscape is the movement of glaciers.
Glaciers have tremendous weight and can gouge out huge chunks of rock,
carry it away and drop it when it begins to melt. The Great Lakes were
formed when glaciers made large gouges in the Earth. As the glacier later
melted water filled these basins creating the lakes. Fiords are also formed
by glaciers.
Fiords: Long narrow inlets to the sea with very steep sides.
Deposition: The laying down of earth materials such as rock, sand, and
soil.
(Go over answers to questions # 3 and 4 on pg. 17)
Interactions
There are 3 main types of interactions, both positive and negative, that
geographers study. They are:
1. Natures impact on people.
2. Peoples impact on nature.
3. Peoples impact on other people.
1 - Natures Impact on People
Nature affects where people decide to settle. Climate, soil, food, water and
safety issues have an impact. In Newfoundland people originally settled on
the coast in sheltered harbours near a good supply of fresh water. The
Rocky Mountains slowed expansion into BC since it was a barrier to
transportation. The densest population in Canada is found in the Great
Lakes Lowland Region of Canada. This area has a large supply of water
from the Great Lakes, the richest soil in Canada deposited there by
glaciers, and the warmest temperatures giving it the longest growing
season in Canada.
Natural Hazards have a negative impact on people. Three natural hazards
that can occur in Canada are:
1. Earthquakes – Occurs when 2 plates move against each other.
2. Tsunami – A gigantic, fast-moving wave caused by an undersea
earthquake.
3. Hurricanes – Formed offshore in by low pressure systems and have
very high winds and heavy rain.
Physical Features: Naturally occurring features like rivers and mountains.
Cultural Features: Man-made features like buildings and roads.
Topographic Maps: Maps that show physical and cultural features.
Topographic maps give a lot of information by using the following:
A) Legend – Tells what the symbols mean on a map.
B) Contour Lines : Lines connecting land with the same elevation. The
closer the lines are together, the steeper the slope.
C) Contour Interval: The difference in height between 2 contour lines.
D) Colour: Used to show land (green) or water (blue).
E) Scale: Gives a ratio of distance on the map to real life distances.
Objects can be found on a topographic map by giving a 4 figure grid
reference for large objects, or 6 figure grid reference for small objects. A 4
figure reference uses the numbered line to the left of the block and the line
under the block. The order is important. The grey block below has a 4
figure grid reference of 4893. Note - 9348 is WRONG, order is important!
A 6 figure grid reference splits a block into 10 sections to find a location
within the block. We give the numbered line below first, then the section
out of 10 from left to right. Next we give the numbered line below followed
by the section out of 10 from top to bottom. The 6 figure grid reference for
the x is 482937.
(Pg. 27 # 1,4)
2 - People’s Impact on Nature
The biggest impact people have on nature is through the use of natural
resources. If used correctly it can be positive but abuse can lead to
problems.
Sustainable Development: Using resources wisely so they are around for
future generations to use.
Canadians uses a huge amount of resources. If the whole world used
resources as much as Canada does it would cause a disaster. The way we
currently live is not sustainable. (Create a list of ways to reduce this
problem)
Bioregion: A small local region with distinct natural features such as
climate, soil, etc.