Physical geography of Canada and its culture, population, and economics

INTRODUCTION

I will look at each of the regions to see how the physical features affect the people and how they live there. For example, I will look at how they live and what cultures they have. I will also look at how their economy is affected by the physical features of the area.

The Canadian shield region

Physical features Largest region in

Canada It covers half of Canada It has

Thousands of lakes Rocks Forest

Rocks on side of roads in Shield

ECONOMIC ACTIVITY

Mining Rocks are rich in

minerals lead, gold, copper, zinc

and uranium

Logging The trees are very

important Logging is the Shield’s

major industry Pulp and paper Shipped to markets

overseas

Hydro-electricity They harness the water

from their lakes and rivers to produce electricity

Hydro-electricity has a major impact on the environment

Tourism People who love the

outdoors come to hunt, fish, and explore.

Population

Thinly populated Average one

person per square kilometer

Most of the people live in towns or cities in the southern part of the shield which has most of the major transportation routes.

culture

Main industries are lumber and mining so many mining towns are in the Shield.

The type of people we expect from these industries are Lumberjacks Miners

I would not expect the people who live in the Shield to drive fancy cars because they don’t have as much money as other areas. Many of the roads go through the rocks and are narrow.

Great lakes-St. Lawrence Lowlands regions

Physical features Largely the result of

glaciations Has two lowland areas

that are separated by the shield.

Border the Great Lakes St. Lawrence River

runs into it Rich soils

Great Lakes

ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES

Manufacturing the lowland region has

most of Canada’s manufacturing industries

Variety of products Iron and steel Automobiles Clothing

Well-developed transportation routes take products to other markets both in Canada and overseas

Agriculture Good soils are naturally

suited to agriculture Long growing season for

fruits and vegetables Dairy products and meat

are also produced Most products are used to

supply food to the huge local population

population Very densely

populated Half of Canada’s

population live there Industries have lots

of workers from the local population

Make use of the well-developed transportations systems

The canals in St. Lawrence Seaway

culture

Manufacturing brings in more money so people have more money to spend

The people would drive more fancy cars

The people would likely shop more

They would go to theatres and movies

They would spend more on entertainment.

Cordillera region

Physical features Includes most of BC,

the Yukon and parts of Alberta

Mountains Includes:

Coastal Mountains, Columbia Mountains and Canadian Rockies

Forested

ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES

Mining Rich in metallic

minerals Copper Gold Silver Lead Zinc

Non-metallic minerals Asbestos Sand Gravel

Agriculture Orchards Wineries

Lumbering Large trees, good quality

Made into plywood rather than pulp and paper

Fishing Salmon

They get a good price in markets in United States, western Europe and Japan

Tourism Ski resorts and coastal

attractions bring in thousands of tourists each year

Population

Most of the people live along the south end of the Cordillera Region

About half of the total population of the Cordillera Region lives in Vancouver and Victoria. Many of the rest live in the Okanagan Valley and the Fraser Plateau

culture

People living in the cities have more money

The people would drive bigger and more fancy cars

The people would likely shop more

They would go to theatres and movies

They would go out to eat more

They would spend more on entertainment

They people who don’t live in the cities would likely not have as much money and not likely live as fancy

Atlantic region

Physical features Mostly highlands and

very hilly Mountains

Mountain Range is Appalachians

Mostly part of the mountains

Worn down and made smaller by erosion

Jagged coastlines

Peggy’s Cove, NS

ECONOMIC ACTIVITY

Most people work in manufacturing and service industries

Agriculture In low lying areas

Valleys have very rich, fertile soil

Crops include: Potatoes Apple orchards

Mining Lead, zinc and coal

Fishing Off Grand Banks

Cod Lobster

Forestry Pulp and paper Tourism

Anne of Green Gables PEI

population

10% of the total population of Canada

Highest population density of all the provinces in Canada

Majority of the people live in cities.

Potato fields, PEI

culture

The region has miners, fishermen, local farmers and lumberjacks so they are not very rich

They do not spend as much on entertainment as other areas

They do not own as many or drive as big of cars

Their tourism is based on local people’s heritage so old traditions are kept such as dance, music and games

Charlottetown, PEI

The Plains region Physical features

Includes Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, part of BC and into Northwest Territories

Known for its “endless fields” Rolling hills with deep wide

river valleys Excellent soil

Three levels Manitoba is lowest and flattest

with excellent soil for crops Western Manitoba,

Saskatchewan and northern Alberta is higher than Manitoba and is more rolling better for ranching

Western Saskatchewan and Alberta is highest and includes flat plains, plateaus, and gentle hills.Canola and elevator , Manitoba

Industry

Ranching Beef production is

very important Alberta has about

40% of Canada’s beef herd

Farming Wheat is the main

crop Barley, canola, oats,

corn and sunflower

Mining Alberta has about 50% of

mineral production Coal Potash Oil

Population

Very sparse but the population map in Pearson School Atlas shows it is spread out quite evenly distributed across the region

The population is spread out because the main industry is farming and ranching so people don’t live in cities as much like other regions. The textbook says two-thirds of the population lives in towns and cities.

Population shown across Canada

culture

The Plains is known for its farmers and ranchers and cowboys.

Lots of country songs are written about the cowboys and pick-up trucks

People on the Prairies drive pick-up trucks

Cowboys are known for wearing cowboy hats

People on the Prairies are known for their homestyle meals

They are more family people

The North region

Physical features Includes lowlands and

highlands Border the Arctic and

Hudson Bay Located above the line

of permafrost Lowlands are around

Hudson Bay Flat and swampy

Arctic Lowlands Rolling

The North landscape

ECONOMIC ACTIVITY

Trapping and hunting Trading Art work Fishing

Arctic char

Snow Fox

population

Very thinly populated Most settlements are

very small Less than 1000

people Include Inuit and non-

Native people Non-Native people

don’t stay

Culture

Inuit people are very proud of their cultures

Artwork shows their culture Beading tapestries Carvings show dog sleds,

fishermen, Inuit children Pictures show local

legends or stories

They are also known for their hunting and trapping

They are very family oriented

They are known for their story telling

Because there are few transportation routes they don’t travel a lot like other regions

They don’t own cars and snowmobiles are just starting to become popular but many still travel by dogsledInuit art

CONCLUSION

After doing the research for this project, I found out that the physical features affected the people a lot. The physical features of the regions affected the kinds of jobs the people do to make a living. I found out that the population is heaviest in the lower part of Canada and that is where the cities are as well as the transportation routes. I also learned that the people of the regions are known for the kinds of jobs that the regions have which is what their cultures are made up of.