Physiographic Regions of Canada

Physiographic Regions of Canada

OBJECTIVES
Section Objectives:
 Be familiar with the names, distributions and features of
the physiographic regions of Canada (arctic, cordillera,
interior plains, Canadian shield, St Lawrence lowlands,
Appalachian)
 Compare the physiographic distribution with other forms
of Regions (cultural, political, etc)
 Assess the impact of the land on historical and
contemporary settlement (European and First Nations)
Physiographic Regions of Canada
REGIONS OVERVIEW
Need to Know…
Name
Arctic, Appalachians…
Characteristics (Place)
Human, Physical
Location
Absolute, Relative, Major
Provinces/Cities
Jobs, Quality of Life, Safety,
Access, Requirements
Challenges/Opportunities (HEI)
Patterns and Change
Development, Population…

Physiographic Regions of Canada

APPALACHIAN REGION
Location:
Eastern Canada
Atlantic Canada
Eastern US
Newfoundland, Nova Scotia,
New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island
Physiographic Regions of Canada
APPALACHIAN REGION

Physiographic Regions of Canada
APPALACHIAN REGION
Characteristics:
 Low, rounded mountains (eroded from
previous folded rock formations)
 Valleys and lowland areas (very fertile)
 Three broad highland areas (Southern
Quebec, New Brunswick/Nova Scotia,
Newfoundland)
 Maritime presence

Physiographic Regions of Canada
APPALACHIAN REGION
Characteristics:
 Natural Resources
 Coal**
 Iron
 Lead
 Zinc
 Timber/Lumber
 Fish- cod
 Oil- offshore
 Water- hydro
 Climate
 Cool, wet winters/most of the year
 Maritime influence-

Physiographic Regions of Canada
APPALACHIAN REGION
Characteristics:
 Population
 Approx 3-4 million
 Major centres and most
people along the
coastline
 Majority of British
ethnic origin

Physiographic Regions of Canada
APPALACHIAN REGION
Challenges:
- Low population- fewer stores,
goods/services may be difficult to acquire.
- Weather is a challenge
- Many communities are isolated
- Isolation from the rest of Canada (ROC)
Opportunities:
• High number of natural resources to be
harvest—jobs
• Low population- less competition for jobs,
status, resources
• Location- transport goods into
Canada….US
• Scenery…. Tourism, quality of life
• Susatinability (food)

Physiographic Regions of Canada
APPALACHIAN REGION
Relationship to Canada:
- Not close…. Especially far
West to far East…
unfamiliarity… distant
relatives
- Isolated- cultural, language,
beliefs, physical
- Political differences- parties,
laws
- Labour/type of
jobs/business- more blue
collar than the ROC
- Historically- dependent
economically

Physiographic Regions of Canada

GREAT LAKES/ST LAWRENCE LOWLANDS REGION
Location:
Covers 46 000 km2
South Eastern Ontario
South Western Quebec
Toronto, Ottawa, Quebec City
Lake Erie, Lake Superior, Lake Ontario,
Lake Huron
Physiographic Regions of Canada
GREAT LAKES/ST LAWRENCE LOWLANDS REGION

Physiographic Regions of Canada
GREAT LAKES/ST LAWRENCE LOWLANDS REGION
Characteristics:
• St Lawrence River which opens to
Atlantic Ocean
• 5 Great Lakes (Canada/US border,
21% of world’s fresh water)
• Altitude rangers from 0m to 150m
(Grouse is 1200m)
• Features a result of last ice age, river
erosion and deposition, wind erosion
• Clay base of soil

Physiographic Regions of Canada

GREAT LAKES/ST LAWRENCE LOWLANDS REGION
Characteristics:
 Natural Resources
 Fresh water
 Agriculture (fertile soil)
 Minerals- iron, zinc, silver, copper,
lead
 Climate
 Maritime effect/moderation
 875mm precipitation/year
 80cm of snow
 -30 degrees (January) +28 degrees
 Winds from Arctic/Mexico
 Pressure systems
Source: http://www.nrcan.gc.ca/statistics-facts/home/887
Physiographic Regions of Canada
GREAT LAKES/ST LAWRENCE LOWLANDS REGION
Characteristics:
 Population
 Most densely populated area
in Canada
 14 million
 50% of people who immigrate
to Canada go to Ontario
 Traditionally Algonquian first
nation territory
 Most of ethnic population
(39%) is ‘other’ and 50% is
British/British & other

Physiographic Regions of Canada

GREAT LAKES/ST LAWRENCE LOWLANDS REGION
Challenges:
 Lifestyle: traffic/commute,
big city problems
 Highest population density in
Canada
 High levels of industry
Opportunities:
 Centres of commerce
(Toronto), government
(Ottawa), culture (Montreal)
 Connections to US
 Economies of scale
Physiographic Regions of Canada

GREAT LAKES/ST LAWRENCE LOWLANDS REGION
Relationship to Canada:
 Location of many “heartlands”
 Close proximity to many major
historical events
Sources: http://www.eclectecon.net/media/
Physiographic Regions of Canada

CANADIAN SHIELD
Location:
Covers almost half of Canada (8 million
km2). Does not extend far into US.
Borders the Arctic, Plains, St Lawrence
Lowlands and Appalachian regions
Thunder Bay & Sudbury(ON), Churchill
(MB), Labrador, Quebec, Ontario,
Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Nunavut,
North West Territories
Hudson Bay, Great Lakes
Physiographic Regions of Canada
CANADIAN SHIELD

Physiographic Regions of Canada

CANADIAN SHIELD
Characteristics:
• Geographical Features
• Exposed precambrian rock
“The region, as a whole, is composed of ancient crystalline rocks whose complex structure
attests to a long history of uplift and depression, mountain building, and erosion. Some of the
ancient mountain ranges can still be recognized as a ridge or belt of hills, but the present
appearance of the physical landscape of the Canadian Shield is not so much a result of the
folding and faulting and compression of the rocks millions of years ago as it is the work of ice
in relatively recent geologic time. During the Pleistocene Epoch (2.6 million to 11,700 years
ago), the vast continental glaciers that covered northern North America had this region as a
centre. The ice, in moving to the south, scraped the land bare of its overlying mantle of
weathered rock. Some of this material was deposited on the shield when the ice melted, but
the bulk of it was carried southward to be deposited south and southwest of the Canadian
Shield.” (Britannica Online)
Source: http://www.maggiesale.ca
Physiographic Regions of Canada
CANADIAN SHIELD
Characteristics:
 Natural Resources
 Copper, zinc, gold, iron,
silver, nickel, cobalt,
tungsten.
 Climate
 Temperature: -39 degrees
(January) to +32 (degrees)
 250 days of sun
 Precipitation: 3001600mm of rain/snow
Sudbury, ON 2005
Sudbury, ON 1888

Physiographic Regions of Canada

CANADIAN SHIELD
Characteristics:
 Population
 Numbers: 3-4 million
 Where they live: southern
part of region, scattered
pockets (resource-towns)
 Demographic breakdown:
German, Aboriginal, Dutch,
Pilipino= 50%,
Source:
http://atlas.nrcan.gc.ca/auth/english/maps/archives/poster/population?maxwidth=1600&maxheight=1400&mode=navigator&upperleftx=0&upperlefty=0&l
Physiographic Regions of Canada
CANADIAN SHIELD
Challenges:
- Isolation of cities (self-sustaining)
- Huge range of climate (people,
infrastructure)
- Movement of people/goods
between centres
Opportunities:
- Resources to be mined (jobs,
economy)
- Tight knit communities
- Strong community leadership,
arts, community support

Physiographic Regions of Canada

CANADIAN SHIELD
Relationship to Canada:
 Source material for
stereotypes?
 The most diverse region?
 A sense of cultural unity?
Source: http://www/faculty.marianopolis.edu
Physiographic Regions of Canada

INTERIOR PLAINS
Location:
Central Canada
Prairies
East of the Cordillera, West of the Shield
Stretches into US
Strong North/South stretch
Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan
Physiographic Regions of Canada
INTERIOR PLAINS

Physiographic Regions of Canada
INTERIOR PLAINS
Characteristics:
- Flat, rolling hills
- Bordered by the Rocky Mountain range
- Strong agricultural presence

Physiographic Regions of Canada
INTERIOR PLAINS
Characteristics:
 Natural Resources
 Agriculture
 Oil (AB, SK)
 Potash (SK)
 Coal, iron (minimal)
 Climate
 Temperatures: Harsh cold winters (30) “real hot” summers (+30)
 Precipitation: 200-400mm, most
precipitation comes in the form of
snow, dry summers

Physiographic Regions of Canada
INTERIOR PLAINS
Characteristics:
 Population
 Distribution wide, some pockets but otherwise thinly
populated
 Approx 5 million in the region, mostly in cities
 41-47% Majority is “other”…. European (German,
Ukranian), Aboriginal
 Approx 1/3 are still British origin
 English dominant mother tongue

Physiographic Regions of Canada
INTERIOR PLAINS
Challenges:
 Environmental: flat (recreation, variety of landforms), climate
 Economic: isolation (variety of jobs, getting to/from, cost of living)
 Social: isolation (less interaction)
Opportunities:
 Economic: farming (opportunity), building factories/industries
 Political: ease of election (less competition, face to face communication)
 Social: strength of communities,

Physiographic Regions of Canada
INTERIOR PLAINS
Relationship to Canada:
• Machine, a goods-producer
• Hinterland relationship, colonial
• Stereotype of Canada (hot summers, cold
winters, farm, rural)
• Boring…. Rural… one horse town
• Marmish Aunt
• Little bro/sister
• Breadbasket of Canada

Physiographic Regions of Canada

WESTERN CORDILLERA
Location:
BC, Yukon (absolute)
West Coast of Canada (relative)
Between the pacific ocean and the
interior plains (relative)
Bordered by the Pacific Ocean and the
Rocky Mountain range
Extends into the US (down into South
America)
Physiographic Regions of Canada
WESTERN CORDILLERA

Physiographic Regions of Canada
WESTERN CORDILLERA
Characteristics:
 Mountainous (jagged), heavily treed
 Variety in elevation and topography
 Elevation: -50m to 3954m (Mt. Robson), 4400m (Mt. Elbert), 5900m (Mt. Logan)
 Maritime/Coastal influence

Physiographic Regions of Canada
WESTERN CORDILLERA
Characteristics:
 Natural Resources
 Fish
 Coal
 Lumber/forestry
 Gold
 Fresh water
 Other: wine, blueberries, cranberries
 Agriculture
 Climate
 Mild/wet/humid
 Varied between southern and northern reaches, mountain/non-mountain
 Maritime influence
 Temperatures 2-20 degrees (Vancouver)
 Precipitation 1113 mm annually (falls mostly as rain)

Physiographic Regions of Canada
WESTERN CORDILLERA
Characteristics:
 Population
 4.5 million (BC), 35 000 (YT)
 4.7 people/km2
 Pockets: Vancouver + , Victoria
 Setteled area: coast, interior (Kelowna, Kamloops)
 33%- Other (high Asian percentage)
 50% +- British/British+Other

Physiographic Regions of Canada
WESTERN CORDILLERA
Challenges:
• Environmental: earthquakes, natural disasters, natural elements
• Social: big city problems (gangs, organised crime, drugs)
Opportunities:
• Economic: high quality job opportunities (resources: mining), service industry,
trading with US and Asian Gateway
• Social: more people (economies of scale), diversity in a way unique from other
population centres

Physiographic Regions of Canada
WESTERN CORDILLERA
Relationship to Canada:
• Favourite child (beautiful, everyone wants to visit), some envy
• Connected: Vancouver has important role in the import/export portion of
the Canadian Economy
• Separateness: on the coast, separated by a significant mountain range,
outlook is more West (Asia) and South (US) than East (Toronto, etc),
diverse culture, West Coast Lifestyle

Physiographic Regions of Canada

ARCTIC
Location:
North of the treeline
North West Territories, Nunavut
North of Canadian Shield, Interior Plains
Connected to Russia, US, Finland,
Denmark
Physiographic Regions of Canada
ARCTIC

Physiographic Regions of Canada
ARCTIC
Characteristics:
• Barren
• Cold
• Icy
• Specific flora and fauna that are highly
adapted to survive in the region

Physiographic Regions of Canada
ARCTIC
Characteristics:
 Natural Resources
 Oil/Natural Gas
 Diamonds
 Nickel
 Animals: seals
 Climate
 Cold
 Temperatures: -50 to 10 degrees
 Precipitation: 20-50mm, mostly as snow

Physiographic Regions of Canada
ARCTIC
Characteristics:
 Population

Physiographic Regions of Canada
ARCTIC
Challenges:
Opportunities:

Physiographic Regions of Canada
ARCTIC
Relationship to Canada:

Sources

http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=A1ARTA00
07093
http://www.oneexchangecorp.com/facts.html