canada physical geography. land canada is located on the continent of north america in the northern...
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CanadaPhysical Geography
LAND• Canada is located
on the continent of North America in the northern & western hemispheres
• Second largest country in the world in land size• Wide variety of
physical features
Land
• Mountains: • Rocky Mountains:
extend 3000 miles in North America (U.S. & Canada)
• Smaller mountain chains along both coasts
Land
• Prairie: • Interior Plains:
located east of the Rockies; northern extension of Great Plains in US
• Flat land used mostly for farming
Land
• Other landforms:• Canadian Shield:
circles Hudson Bay in eastern Canada; area of ancient rock; very rugged
• Many of Canada’s natural resources are found on the Canadian Shield
Water
• Oceans: Canada is bordered by three oceans, Atlantic to the east, Pacific to the west, and Arctic to the north
Water• Lakes: Great Lakes
• 5 freshwater lakes; largest in the world• Formed by glaciers during the last Ice Age• Connected to the Atlantic Ocean by the St. Lawrence
Seaway• 4 of 5 lakes shared by both US and Canada
• Only Lake Michigan is entirely within the US• Important waterways for both countries
Water
• Rivers: St. Lawrence River• “Mother of Canada”• Connects the Great Lakes to the Atlantic
Ocean
Water
• One of North America’s most important transportation routes
• Locks are used to allow ships to navigate through elevation changes (like Panama Canal)
Climate
• In spite of its size, Canada doesn’t have many climate zones. WHY?
• Most of Canada is very cold…why?
• Areas along the coasts enjoy milder climates…why?
• Inland areas have more extreme climates (very cold winters & very warm summers)…why?
Vegetation• Because of its latitude,
Canada only has several types of natural vegetation• Tundra: found in the far
north; cold, dry, & contains permafrost, a layer of permanently frozen ground
• Prairie: grasslands located in central Canada
• Forests: cover almost half of Canada; located east and west
Natural Resources• Farmland:
• 12% of Canada’s land is used for farming
• Most farmland located in the interior plains
• Most important agricultural product produced is wheat
• Minerals/Energy Resources: • Iron, gold, silver, zinc, copper,
uranium, diamonds, oil, natural gas
• Fishing: • Mostly along the Pacific coast
• Timber: • One of the world’s leading
producers of timber products, such as lumber, paper, plywood, and maple syrup
• Pacific Coast mostly
Environmental Concerns• Water Pollution:
• Mostly found in the Great Lakes and rivers feeding into it; problem is caused by both the US and Canada, and both countries have to deal with it
• Acid rain: • Caused by air pollution in from factories located along the Great
Lakes in eastern Canada and the U.S. • Deforestation:
• Many trees are being cut down in western Canada• Diamond Mining:
• Mining industry has hurt the environment and caused water pollution on the Canadian Shield
• The government has started regulating this industry more• Overfishing:
• Too many fish being caught has led to a reduction in fish populations off both Atlantic & Pacific coasts
• Canada’s government has banned fishing in some areas to allow the fish to repopulate
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