CH. 1
GEOGRAPHY
OF NORTH AMERICA
AND WESTERN CANADA
POLITICAL CANADA
POLITICAL U.S.A.
FIVE THEMES OF
GEOGRAPHY
1. LOCATION
3.REGIONS
2. PHYSICAL & CULTURAL
LANDSCAPES
Tumbler Ridge
Prince Rupert Chinatown, Van.
4. MOVEMENT OF PEOPLE,
IDEAS, AND OBJECTS
GLOBALIZATION / INFRSTUCTURE
5. HUMAN / ENVIRONMENT
INTERACTION
PHYSIOGRAPHIC MAP
CANADA
PHYSIOGRAPHIC REGIONS
WESTERN CORDILLERAN
Vancouver
Rocky Mountains
PHYSIOGRAPHIC REGIONS
INTERIOR PLAINS
Grasslands/Ranching/Farming
PHYSIOGRAPHIC REGIONS
CANADIAN SHIELD
Boreal Forest - Cone bearing trees
PHYSIOGRAPHIC REGIONS
ST. LAWRENCE LOWLANDS
PHYSIOGRAPHIC REGIONS
APPALACHIANS
PHYSIOGRAPHIC REGIONS
ARCTIC REGION
Tundra - permafrost, moss, lichen, and small shrubs
C
A
N
A
D
A
’
S
C
L
A
I
M
WHO OWNS THE ARCTIC?
GLOBAL WARMING
HAS OPENED UP
MORE ACCESS
TOTAL AREA
IN DISPUTE
OIL
GAS
DIAMONDS
PHYSIOGRAPHIC MAP
NORTH AMERICA
NOTE - The physiographic regions do not just end at the borders
CLIMATE GRAPHS
Vancouver, B.C.
(Maritime Climate)
CLIMATE GRAPHS
WINNIPEG
(Continental Climate)
CLIMATE GRAPHS
VANCOUVER VS. WINNIPEG
Maritime vs. Continental
CANADIAN PRECIPITATION
WHAT INFLUENCES CLIMATE?
(L.O.W.E.R.)
L ATITUDE
O CEANS
W INDS
E LEVATION/ALTITUDE
R ELIEF
CURRENTS & DISTANCE FROM
OCEAN
Mountain Barrier
(1 C / 165m.)
THREE TYPES OF
PRECIPITATION
+
=
PRECIPITATION
Landforms/Orographic
PRECIPITATION
Frontal
PRECIPITATION
Convection
CLIMATE CHANGE
• THE GREENHOUSE EFFECT – Over the past 200 years, the world has been
burning more and more fossil fuels which traps greenhouse gases in the
atmosphere.
•
•
11 of the last 12 years have been among the warmest years since 1850.
1500 year cycle?????
AN INCREASE IN TEMPERATURE HAS CAUSED:
Shrinking Glaciers
Grolars
Salmon Spawming
Pine Beetle
Changing Weather Patterns
Truths???
Rising Oceans
Number of Hurricanes
THE EARTH
4.5 Billion Years Old
THE EARTH
Two billion years ago, all the
continents were joined.
Plate tectonics have moved
the continents to where they
Are today
LAND FORMS
FOLD MOUNTAINS
LAND FORMS
VOLCANIC MOUNTAINS
LAND FORMS
FAULTING
THE BIG ONE???
B.C.’s west coast will experience an earthquake – When????
Port Alberni Tsunami 1964
EROSION
The Water Cycle
Water witching
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6m-q-sRSsx0
EROSION
WATER
EROSION
GLACIERS
THE GREAT ICE AGE
A million years ago Canada’s climate became very cold.
The amount of snow > the amount melted.
Ice sheets moved & reshaped the land of N. America
10,000 yrs ago the climate warmed.
EROSION
WIND
THE WORLD’S MAIN BIOMES
• What is an ecosystem? An ecosystem
is a community of living organisms
(plants and animals) sharing an
environment. The largest ecosystems
are called biomes.
• What is a biome? A biome is a very
large ecosystem. The Map below shows
six of the world's main biomes.
THE WORLD’S MAIN BIOMES
POLAR
TEMPERATE
ARID
TROPICAL
MEDITERRANEAN
MOUNTAINS
QuickTime™ and a
TIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
NATURAL REGIONS OF
CANADA
GROWTH OF CANADA
1873 CANADA
1905 CANADA
CANADA’S POPULATION
2007 - 33.4 MILLION