LANDFORM REGIONS IN CANADA Classroom Notes and Descriptions.
LANDFORM REGIONS OF CANADA Canada is divided into seven landform regions: Western Cordillera...
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Transcript of LANDFORM REGIONS OF CANADA Canada is divided into seven landform regions: Western Cordillera...
LANDFORM REGIONS OF CANADA
• Canada is divided into seven landform regions:
• Western Cordillera
• Interior Plains
• Canadian Shield
• Great Lakes - St.Lawrence Lowlands
• Appalachians
• Arctic and Hudson Bay Lowlands
• Innuitian Mountains
The Western Cordillera• From West to East, the Western Cordillera is
composed of three sub-regions, each one running from north to south
• The West Coast Mountains on the Pacific coast• The Interior Plateaux in the middle• The Rockies, bordering and crossing into Alberta
The West Coast Mountains• Very tall peaks
• Volcanic
• Many fiords
• In some areas the ocean is the best way to get around
• Communities are in deep valleys on the shoreline
WEST COAST MOUNTAINS
• Subduction zone
• Oceanic plate sliding under continental plate
• Prone to earthquakes
WEST COAST MOUNTAINS
• Industries take advantage of the resources and landforms in the area
• Whistler attracts a significant number of tourists
THE INTERIOR PLATEAUX
• A flat highland area between mountain ranges
• There are a number of well known communities located here
• The Okanagan Valley is an important fruit farming region
THE ROCKIES
• Canada’s largest mountain range
• Unlike flat regions, mountains are known for fast-flowing rivers which gouge steep valleys in the landscape
The Rockies are home to many alpine glaciers
• A narrow channel of ice which slides down a mountain.
• Snow accumulates at the top of the glacier/ melts at the bottom
Interior Plains
The Interior Plains (Prairies)• Once the bed of a huge sea between the Canadian Shield and the
Rockies
• Mostly flat
• Composed of sedimentary rocks
• Highly suitable for farming where climate offers the right conditions
The Interior Plains Economy
• Agriculture is one of the most important activities in the Interior Plains
• Mining, for both fossil fuels and potash, is also very important
Canadian Shield
The Canadian Shield
• Largest region in Canada• Among the oldest known rocks on the planet• Formed by volcanic activity, therefore mostly
igneous rock• Cold winters, warm summers, precipitation all
year give it a distinctive type of vegetation
CANADIAN SHIELD
• Stretches from Arctic to Great Lakes, from Mackenzie delta to Atlantic
• Soils are thin - a poor choice for agriculture in most places
Great Lakes - St. Lawrence Lowlands
• Most southerly and smallest landform region of Canada
• Newest landform region
• Formed by the action of glaciers scraping away and re-depositing material on the landscape
• Consists of lakes, valleys and rolling hills
The Appalachians
• The oldest mountains in Canada, worn down by erosion
• Rich in various minerals
• Good farmland in some interior areas
ARCTIC AND HUDSON BAY LOWLANDS
• Northernmost inhabited region in Canada
• Most activity centers around hunting or fishing
• Resource extraction is becoming very important to the regions economy
Innuitian Mountains
Innuitian Mountains• This region is located along the islands of northern Canada and features some spectacular fiords•Vegetation in this region is low and sparse, mainly grasses and flowers or lichen and moss•Glaciers are still common in the highest parts of this region and they cover parts of several northern islands