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Canadian
Landforms
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Types of Landforms
• Canada is made up of three distinct
types of landforms:
The Canadian Shield
Lowlands
• Highlands
The Highlands
• Canada’s three highland areas lie to the
east, north, and west of the Shield and
lowlands areas
• The three mountainous areas are:
• The Appalachians
• The Innuitians
• The Western Cordillera
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The
Appalachian
Mountains
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• Stretch from Georgian through the
Maritimes to Newfoundland
• They are the oldest highland region in
Canada
• Formed 300 million years ago
The Appalachian Mountains
• The layers of sedimentary rock are rich
in deposits of non-metallic minerals
such as coal
• Plateaus of this rock contain metallic
minerals of iron and zinc
• Erosion reduced the Appalachian’s
jagged peaks to rolling
• mountains and hills
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The Appalachian Mountains
• Other than mountains, the region has fertile
plateaus and river valleys. These parts are
good for settlement, as crops can be grown
and it is near water. The rivers, other than
providing water, also serve as an excellent
way for transportation.
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The Appalachian Mountains
• Their present form was shaped in the
middle of the Mesozoic era when the
North American plate moved northward
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The Innuitian
Mountains
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• The Innuitian Mountains are a mountain
range in Canada’s Arctic territories of
Nunavut and the Northwest Territories.
• They are part of the Arctic Cordillera and are
largely unexplored, due to the hostile climate.
•
• They are named after the northern
indigenous people, who live in the region.
The Innuitian Mountains
• There are no trees or wildlife in the Innuitian
Mountains due to the harsh cold climate as
well as being located north of the Arctic tree
line
• This region is mostly barren and vast areas
mainly have permafrost.
• there are metallic minerals including iron and
zinc and non-metallic minerals such as coal.
The Innuitian Mountains
• The summers are not too hot and the
winters are not too cold.
• The Appalachian has a lot of important
resources. They include deposits of
coal, oil, and gas.
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The Western Cordillera
• The Western Cordillera stands along
the western edge of Canada like a great
wall: mountains separated by plateaus
and valleys
• The collision of the North American and
the Pacific plates is responsible for
uplifting this region into several
mountain ranges
The Western Cordillera
• The great height and rugged
appearance of these ranges tell us that
they are geologically young
• Since it is so mountainous, it is lightly
populated
• Most people live in the farming and
mining towns located in the river valleys
The Western Cordillera
• Vancouver and Victoria, the largest
cities in the Western Cordillera, are
build on flat land in coastal locations
• Banff and Jasper thrive because of the
beautiful landscape
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The Western Cordillera
• The glaciers in the mountains of the Western
Cordillera are the only remaining glaciers in
Canada, apart from those in the Arctic
• The region is a major source of lead, zinc,
copper, and gold. Therefore, the economies
in the Western Cordillera are based on
logging, mining, and tourism.
The Western Cordillera
• Many people tend to use the name
“Rocky Mountains” and “Western
Cordillera” interchangeably, but there
are three major divisions in the western
Cordillera (The Eastern Mountains, The
Interior Plateaus and The Coast
Mountains)
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The Eastern Mountains
• Consists of two main mountain ranges:
The Rocky Mountains and the Columbia
Mountains
• The Rocky Mountains are Canada’s
youngest and most famous mountains
• They were formed about 65 million
years ago
The Eastern Mountains
• The Rocky Mountains were formed of
sedimentary rock that contains many
fossils and deposits
• The Rockies stand about 4000 m above
sea level
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The Columbia Mountains
• Not as high as the Rockies - 3000 m
• They are older than the Rockies
• Made of sedimentary rock, but have
metamorphic intrusions containing a
wide variety of metallic minerals
• As a result, more mining takes place
here than in the Rockies
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Interior Plateaus
• Located in the center of the Cordillera
• Rugged plateaus between 1300 m and
2000 m in height
• Composed of metamorphic and igneous
rock
• Contains many valuable metallic
minerals such as copper, gold and zinc
Interior Plateaus
• Very dry here, therefore there is little
agriculture, except in the valleys, where
farmland is popular (Okanagan Valley)
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Coast Mountains
• Divided into two ranges separated by a
deep trough
• The Coast Mountain Range is on the
mainland, while the Island Mountain
Range is located on the offshore islands
Coast Mountains
• During the Ice Age, glaciers occupied
many coastal valleys
• These glaciers eroded the valleys below
sea level
• When the ice melted, these valleys
were flooded by the sea, and became
long narrow inlets called fiords
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Coast Mountains
• Deep natural harbours encourages the
development of the fishing and shipping
industry
• The exception to this rugged coastline is the
flat area of the Frazer Valley
• This area is good for agriculture, especially
lettuce, tomatoes and onions
• It contains Canada’s largest city, Vancouver