Canada’s Physical GeographyCanada’s Physical Geography

Canada’s physical geography is as Canada’s physical geography is as diverse as any country in the world!diverse as any country in the world!

There are 3 major landform types There are 3 major landform types found in Canada. They are:found in Canada. They are:• The SHIELDThe SHIELD• The LOWLANDSThe LOWLANDS• The HIGHLANDSThe HIGHLANDS

The Canadian ShieldThe Canadian Shield

Lakes, rocks, and forests…Lakes, rocks, and forests…

Where is the Canadian Shield?Where is the Canadian Shield? The Shield is Canada’s largest The Shield is Canada’s largest

landform region… by far.landform region… by far.

The Canadian ShieldThe Canadian Shield Formed 4 billion years Formed 4 billion years

ago by volcanism; ago by volcanism; magma cooled and magma cooled and became IGNEOUS rock became IGNEOUS rock (granite)(granite)

While the magma While the magma cooled, metallic cooled, metallic minerals seeped into minerals seeped into cracks; these metals cracks; these metals are part of Canada’s are part of Canada’s mining industry mining industry (nickel, gold, silver)(nickel, gold, silver)

The Canadian ShieldThe Canadian Shield

The Shield has been The Shield has been eroding for billions of eroding for billions of years by wind, rain, years by wind, rain, rivers, glaciers and rivers, glaciers and other weathering other weathering processesprocesses

Today, the Shield is Today, the Shield is mainly flat and rocky mainly flat and rocky with lakes filling holes with lakes filling holes carved out by glaciers; carved out by glaciers;

The Canadian ShieldThe Canadian Shield glaciers scraped away glaciers scraped away

much of the soil; soils much of the soil; soils are thin and the are thin and the granite is exposed; as granite is exposed; as a result, farming does a result, farming does not occur on the not occur on the Shield.Shield.

The Shield is covered The Shield is covered by coniferous forests by coniferous forests (pine, spruce, cedar) (pine, spruce, cedar) which can survive the which can survive the cold, harsh climate cold, harsh climate and thin soils.and thin soils.

The Canadian ShieldThe Canadian Shield

Major industriesMajor industries::• Mining towns Mining towns

(Sudbury– nickel)(Sudbury– nickel)

• Forestry towns Forestry towns (Kirkland Lake)(Kirkland Lake)

• Pulp and paper Pulp and paper towns towns (Ottawa-Hull) (Ottawa-Hull)

The Canadian ShieldThe Canadian Shield

Due to the wide Due to the wide network of lakes network of lakes and rivers on the and rivers on the Shield, another Shield, another major industry is major industry is the production of the production of hydroelectric hydroelectric power;power;

Rivers are dammed Rivers are dammed to produce 60% of to produce 60% of Canada’s electricityCanada’s electricity

The LowlandsThe Lowlands

Sedimentary rocks, thick soils, and cities…Sedimentary rocks, thick soils, and cities…

The Lowland RegionsThe Lowland Regions

Made up of 2 major Made up of 2 major regions:regions:

• Great Lakes/St. Great Lakes/St. Lawrence lowlandsLawrence lowlands

• Interior plains (the Interior plains (the “prairies”)“prairies”)

• Plus the Hudson Bay/ Plus the Hudson Bay/ Arctic LowlandsArctic Lowlands

Where are the Lowlands?Where are the Lowlands?

Interior

Plains

Great Lakes- St. Lawrence Lowlands

Hudson Bay Lowlands

The Lowland RegionsThe Lowland Regions The erosion of the The erosion of the

Canadian Shield and Canadian Shield and the Highlands created the Highlands created layers of sediment layers of sediment that settled in shallow that settled in shallow tropical seas; over tropical seas; over millions of years, millions of years, sedimentary rock sedimentary rock formed.formed.

Within the layers of Within the layers of sediment, dead sediment, dead organisms (plants and organisms (plants and animals) became animals) became trapped and fossilizedtrapped and fossilized

The Lowlands– The Lowlands– Interior PlainsInterior Plains

Characterized by generally flat Characterized by generally flat but rolling landscape;but rolling landscape;

Thick, fertile soils covered by Thick, fertile soils covered by grassland;grassland;

Fossilized remains of ancient Fossilized remains of ancient coral reefs, trapped in the coral reefs, trapped in the sedimentary rock, transformed sedimentary rock, transformed over millions of years into oil over millions of years into oil and gas deposits;and gas deposits;

The Lowlands– The Lowlands– Interior PlainsInterior Plains

Important to Canada Important to Canada because of:because of:

• AgricultureAgriculture WheatWheat CattleCattle

• Oil and gasOil and gas

The Lowlands– The Lowlands– Interior PlainsInterior Plains

Even though the land Even though the land is relatively flat, there is relatively flat, there are a series of are a series of escarpments created escarpments created by the differential by the differential erosion of glacierserosion of glaciers

Escarpments form Escarpments form when a harder rock when a harder rock layer that overlays a layer that overlays a softer layer resists softer layer resists erosionerosion

The Lowlands– The Lowlands– Great Lakes/St Great Lakes/St Lawrence LowlandsLawrence Lowlands

Gently rolling hills covered with Gently rolling hills covered with mixed forest (deciduous and mixed forest (deciduous and coniferous trees);coniferous trees);

Thick, fertile soils used for Thick, fertile soils used for farming (especially tender fruit farming (especially tender fruit crops on the Niagara crops on the Niagara Escarpment);Escarpment);

Dominated by URBANIZATION;Dominated by URBANIZATION; Location of Great Lakes and St. Location of Great Lakes and St.

Lawrence River Basin;Lawrence River Basin;

The Lowlands– The Lowlands– Great Lakes/St Great Lakes/St Lawrence LowlandsLawrence Lowlands

The Great Lakes The Great Lakes are located in are located in basins that were basins that were gouged out by gouged out by glaciers; when the glaciers; when the glaciers melted, glaciers melted, they left huge they left huge lakes (even bigger lakes (even bigger than they are than they are today!)today!)

The Lowlands– The Lowlands– Great Lakes/St Great Lakes/St Lawrence LowlandsLawrence Lowlands

This region is the This region is the most southerly most southerly region in Canada; region in Canada;

It is well suited to It is well suited to farming because of farming because of its excellent soils its excellent soils and warm climate;and warm climate;

The Lowlands– The Lowlands– Great Lakes/St Great Lakes/St Lawrence LowlandsLawrence Lowlands

The Niagara The Niagara Escarpment:Escarpment:• Formed by differential Formed by differential

erosion;erosion;• World famous for World famous for

grapes that make wine; grapes that make wine; other tender fruit crops other tender fruit crops include peaches and include peaches and cherries;cherries;

• Lake Ontario keeps the Lake Ontario keeps the vineyards cool in the vineyards cool in the summer and warmer in summer and warmer in the winter;the winter;

• Niagara Falls produces Niagara Falls produces a significant amount of a significant amount of hydroelectric power;hydroelectric power;

The Lowlands– The Lowlands– Great Lakes/St Great Lakes/St Lawrence LowlandsLawrence Lowlands

50%50% of Canada’s of Canada’s population lives in the population lives in the Great Lakes/St Lawrence Great Lakes/St Lawrence lowlands even though it’s lowlands even though it’s only only 1.4%1.4% of Canada’s of Canada’s land area;land area;

The region is dominated The region is dominated by by CITIESCITIES– including – including Canada’s 2 largest cities Canada’s 2 largest cities (Toronto & Montreal);(Toronto & Montreal);

The region is Canada’s The region is Canada’s manufacturing centre; manufacturing centre; 70% of Canada’s 70% of Canada’s manufacturing industries manufacturing industries are located here;are located here;

Toronto

Montreal

The Lowlands– The Lowlands– Hudson Bay/ Arctic Hudson Bay/ Arctic LowlandsLowlands

This region is located This region is located around the around the southwestern shore of southwestern shore of Hudson Bay;Hudson Bay;

It is a flat, low area It is a flat, low area covered by swampy covered by swampy forest;forest;

The harsh climate The harsh climate does not permit does not permit farming; a lot of the farming; a lot of the soil is permafrost soil is permafrost (permanently frozen);(permanently frozen);

The HighlandsThe Highlands

Mountains, glaciers, Mountains, glaciers, and more mountains!and more mountains!

The AppalachiansThe Innuitians

The Rockies

Where are the Highlands located?Where are the Highlands located?

EASTEAST of the Shield and of the Shield and Lowlands: Lowlands: AppalachiansAppalachians

WESTWEST of the Shield of the Shield and Lowlands: and Lowlands: Western CordilleraWestern Cordillera

NORTHNORTH of the Shield of the Shield and Lowlands: and Lowlands: InnuitiansInnuitians

The Highlands-- The Highlands-- AppalachiansAppalachians North America’s oldest mountain range– North America’s oldest mountain range–

300 million years old!300 million years old! Sedimentary rock was uplifted and Sedimentary rock was uplifted and

folded when the North American plate folded when the North American plate collided with Europe and northern Africa;collided with Europe and northern Africa;

Millions of years of EROSION have made Millions of years of EROSION have made these mountains more like rounded, these mountains more like rounded, rolling hills;rolling hills;

The Highlands-- The Highlands-- AppalachiansAppalachians SedimentarySedimentary rocks are rocks are

surrounded by surrounded by igneousigneous and and metamorphicmetamorphic rocks rocks (formed by volcanism);(formed by volcanism);

Sedimentary rock layers Sedimentary rock layers are rich in layers of are rich in layers of coalcoal; ; coal mining is a major coal mining is a major industry in the industry in the Appalachians;Appalachians;

The region is home to The region is home to “drowned coastlines”– “drowned coastlines”– excellent harbours for excellent harbours for large cities;large cities;

The Highlands-- The Highlands-- InnuitiansInnuitians

Canada’s huge Canada’s huge mountains in the mountains in the Arctic– formed 150 Arctic– formed 150 million years ago;million years ago;

Contain some Contain some igneousigneous and and metamorphic metamorphic rock, rock, but are mostly but are mostly composed of folded composed of folded SEDIMENTARYSEDIMENTARY rock; rock;

Barren, treeless Barren, treeless mountains covered in mountains covered in snow and icy glaciers;snow and icy glaciers;

Mining doesn’t occur Mining doesn’t occur due to the remote due to the remote location in Canada’s location in Canada’s high Arctic;high Arctic;

The Highlands– The Highlands– Western CordilleraWestern Cordillera Canada’s youngest mountains– Canada’s youngest mountains–

approximately 100 million approximately 100 million years old;years old;

Made up of 3 distinct mountain Made up of 3 distinct mountain ranges: ranges: Coast Mountains, Coast Mountains, Columbia Mountains, and Columbia Mountains, and Rocky MountainsRocky Mountains;;

Formed by the collision of the Formed by the collision of the Pacific plate and the North Pacific plate and the North American plate; American plate;

The folding, faulting, and The folding, faulting, and volcanic activity caused by the volcanic activity caused by the collision resulted in the ranges collision resulted in the ranges of the Western Cordillera;of the Western Cordillera;

The Highlands– The Highlands– Western CordilleraWestern Cordillera The north-south direction of the Western Cordillera The north-south direction of the Western Cordillera

makes transportation from the east to the west makes transportation from the east to the west difficult; only a few mountain passes allow railways difficult; only a few mountain passes allow railways and highways through the range;and highways through the range;

The growth of the major cities in the region The growth of the major cities in the region (Vancouver & Victoria) are limited by the presence (Vancouver & Victoria) are limited by the presence of the mountains; of the mountains;

Most of the Western Cordillera is lightly populated Most of the Western Cordillera is lightly populated because it’s so mountainous;because it’s so mountainous;

The Highlands– The Highlands– Western CordilleraWestern Cordillera

Outside of Vancouver & Outside of Vancouver & Victoria, most people live in Victoria, most people live in farming and mining towns in farming and mining towns in river valleys;river valleys;

Mountain towns like Mountain towns like Banff, Banff, Lake Louise, or JasperLake Louise, or Jasper have have small populations but are small populations but are very important tourist very important tourist destinations;destinations;

Tourists come to see the Tourists come to see the spectacular scenery and the spectacular scenery and the only remaining glaciers only remaining glaciers south of the Arctic.south of the Arctic.

Canada’s PhysiographyCanada’s Physiography

Canada’s diversity Canada’s diversity is found across the is found across the 3 landform types:3 landform types:• Canadian ShieldCanadian Shield• LowlandsLowlands• HighlandsHighlands

• WHAT A COUNTRY!WHAT A COUNTRY!