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DESCRIPTION OF PHYSICAL LANDFORM REGIONS
Text pages 130-142
Read the appropriate pages in the textbook, and fill in the blanks to make the sentences complete .
A) CANADIAN SHIELD pages 130-133
The Shield is under most of Canada and parts of the ___________________. More than
______ of Canada is covered by the Shield. It contains some of the world’s oldest rocks
(______ billion years old). Two types of rock _____________ and ________________
form most of the Shield. These rocks contain minerals such as ________________ and
__________________ in great quantities. Because of this, the Canadian Shield is often
called the “storehouse of _________________________”. Many cities and towns, such as
______________ in Ontario and ___________________ in NWT, rely on the mining
industry for jobs. The Shield is well suited for mining but ill-suited for _____________
because it has very thin soils.
The Shield’s plentiful water flows have made it an excellent source of _________________
energy. Since the center of the Shield is much lower than its outer portion (similar to a
____________ ), most of the rivers flow toward its center and into Hudson Bay.
B) THE LOWLANDS pages 134-138
There are three lowland regions surrounding the Shield:
a)
b)
c)
The sediments that formed the bedrock under these lowlands were ____________ from the Shield.
The weight of the upper layers of sediments compressed the lower layers into rocks.
Interior Plains:
The Interior Plains are part of the Great Plains of North America that stretch from the
____________ ocean to the ________________________ . During their formation, the Interior
Plains were often covered by shallow ____________ seas. During the ___________________ era,
coral reefs formed close to the surface of these seas. These reefs are now thousands of meters
below the surface of the land and they contain much of the ________ and ______ found in Alberta
and Saskatchewan. Other mineral deposits also lie below the surface. ________ is a mineral and is
used as fertilizer in Canada and overseas.
The landscape of the Interior Plains is composed of _________________ and deep, wide
___________ valleys. The soil in the Interior Plains is ________ and ________, and as a result,
grain such as wheat, _________ and _________ is grown in many locations. This area is known as
Canada’s “_________________” because so much wheat is grown. Where the climate is too dry for
crops, ranchers raise ___________.
Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Lowlands:
The Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Lowlands consists of two parts separated by a thin piece of the
____________________________ near Kingston, Ontario. These lowlands have bedrock formed
of ___________________ rock from the Paleozoic era. Many escarpments can be seen in this
region; the best known is the ____________________________ which extends from
__________________________ to ____________________________ . Glaciers helped create a
rolling landscape in the ___________________ portion of this region. The Great Lakes-St.
Lawrence region is the most southerly landform region and it is well suited to agriculture because of
its excellent ___________ and warm _________________ . The flat land also makes this region
ideal for _____________________ routes and the development of _________ .
Hudson Bay-Arctic Lowlands
The area around Hudson Bay and James Bay is very _________ and covered by ____________
forests. This region has a layer of ___________________ rock on top of the ancient rock of the
Shield. The Arctic Lowlands are in Canada’s far north and have a gently ______________ landscape.
This region contains coal, _________ and _________________ deposits.
B) THE HIGHLANDS pages 139-142
Canada’s highlands are made up of three mountainous areas:
a)
b)
c)
Appalachian Mountains:
The Appalachian Mountains are the _________ highland region and were formed about _______
million years ago. The layers of sedimentary rock are rich in deposits of _____ - ____________
minerals such as coal. Millions of years of ____________ have reduced the Appalachians’ jagged
peaks to rolling mountains and hills and wide valleys.
Innuitian Mountains:
The Innuitian Mountains are found in Canada’s _______ __________. They are very tall
mountains (over _______ metres in height). This region contains igneous and _______________
rocks but mostly ____________________ rock. Since these mountains are ___________ than
the Appalachians, ____________ has not had time to reduce them to rounded hills.
Western Cordillera:
The Western Cordillera stands along the _____________ edge of Canada. The mountains are
very high and rugged which means they are geologically __________ . The collision of the _____
_____________ and ___________ plates resulted in the formation of several mountain ranges
within this region. The many mountains and valleys run in a _______________ direction, but
transportation routes must run in a _________________ direction. There are very few
_________ or gaps, which allow highways and railways to cross over. Most people make their
living by ___________ or ____________ . This area is famous for its scenery because this
region has Canada’s only remaining ___________ (apart from those in the Arctic). Glaciers
eroded the river valleys below sea level and when the ice melted, the valleys were flooded and
formed long narrow inlets called _________ . Many people mistakenly use the name “Rocky
Mountains” and “Western Cordillera” interchangeably. There are ______ major divisions in the
Western Cordillera. The three major divisions are:
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________.
••• Fig. 12-19 A profile of the Western
Cordillera, from Vancouver Island to
Calgary reveals three major divisions:
Coast Mountains. Interior Plateaus, and
Eastern Mountains (composed of the
Columbia Mountains, Rocky Mountains).