REGIONS IN CANADAStudent Task

CORDILLERA PRAIRIES CANADIAN SHIELD ARCTIC ST LAWERENCE LOWLANDS ATLANTIC

Student Task 1. Location- Where is this region located and what provinces are in this region?

2. Land -identify the main characteristics in each region(forests, bodies of water, rivers, land forms, vegetation )

3. Climate• -make a graph of the amount of precipitation using a graph • -what is the weather like in the winter and summer?

4. Natural Resources - -minerals, fossil fuels, trees, water, fertile land, animals, fish

5. Industries-mining, petroleum industry, forestry, agriculture, hunting, tourism, fishing

6. Environmental identify one issue for their region and report the pros and cons of each side of the question

BACK

Characteristics of Land Natural Resources/ Industries Location

-Cordillera means mountains; the mountain ranges include, Rockies, and coast mountains -Hills, plateaus, valleys

Major Industries are forestry, paper mills, hydropower

Provinces include British Columbia, and parts of Yukon Territory and Alberta

-- Fraser River is the largest river-Great Bear Lake is the largest body of water

Natural Resources – Minerals such as gold, copper, silver and zinc, lead, sand, gravel , coal

Next to Pacific Ocean

There are permanent pastures and crops Okanogan Valley for growing fruit On the West Coast of Canada

Vegetation includes coniferous forests which have the largest trees in Canada

Fishing industry- fishing for salmon, halibut, and herring

There are plants shrubs and trees, although there is none on top of the mountains

Gas- Petroleum Iron Ore

Mountain ranges were formed millions of years ago from rocks that were bent and crushed against each other. NEXT PAGE

Cordillera Region

Wild life Climate Environmental Issues

-North – Polar Bears and Caribou

North part of region- cold winters and cool summers

water quality ( contamination of water due to pollution )

Birds- eagles , ravens and owls

Mammals- deer, elk, lynx and grizzly bear

Southern part of region- mild winters, warm summers and lots of rain - Ocean helps keep areas on coast cooler in summer and warmer in winter

pesticide used in orchards and vineyards and from over-fertilization of crops under irrigation.

Ocean animals- whales, sea lions, seals

Natural Hazards: permafrost, cyclonic storms, tornadoes and forest fires

- Rise in population is affecting farmland available

Fish- Salmon, trout, halibut, northern pike

Cordillera Region Cordilera page 2

Characteristics of Land Natural Resources/ Industries Location

-Flat and rolling hills- Thousands of years ago glaciers covered the land. The weight of the glaciers caused the land to become flat with rolling hils.

Major Industries are farming and agriculture.

Provinces include large parts of Alberta , Sask, MB and parts of NWT.

- Lowlands with sedimentary rock

Natural Resources – Minerals such as potash, coal, oil and gas,

Central part of Canada

Lakes and rivers are Great Bear, Slave Lake and Manitoba Lake. Red river, Saskatchewan River

Fertile soil for the farm land

Largest area of farmland in Canada-has very fertile soil for growing wheat, barley, rye , and oats.

Vegetation includes deciduous trees, grasslands, shrubs, small plants, mosses,

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Prairies/Plains Region

Prairies/Plains

Continued Wild life Climate Environmental Issues

-North – bears, buffalo, wolves

Most of region- cold winters and hot summers

Air /waterpollution

Birds-ducks, geese, swans, loons

-Least amount of precipitation in Canada-Droughts in some parts -Irrigation is sometimes necessary to grow crops

– warmer winters and hotter summers cause the following to happen : plant maturation slowed, drying conditions were poor, and access to fields was restricted because of saturated soil conditions.

Herbivores- deer, moose, elk and caribou

Natural Hazards:Wind storms, tornadoes ,

Livestock production- Swine Flu is a result of bacteria found in pigs.

Carnivores- coyotes, eagles hawks

Characteristics of Land Natural Resources/ Industries Location

-made of ancient rock, and is covered with a thin layer of soil- Landforms include flat, areas and rocky hills and lots of trees

-the biggest industry is forestry. -Other industries found in the Canadian Shield are farming and mining.

Provinces include parts of Alberta, SK, MB, Ontario and Quebec, NWt, Nunavut, and Labrador

-Some of the trees are coniferous and deciduous trees -mixed forests are beautiful in the fall when the leaves of the deciduous trees change color. -

- Natural Resouces- soft wood and hard wood, gold, silver, iron, copper, uranium,

- Is the largest region in Canada

-¼ of the Canadian Shield is covered with water - boggy wetlands

Hydroelectricity - Covers about half of Canada

- It has lakes, rivers, streams and marshes. Some rivers flow into the Hudson bay, while others flow into the great lakes and St. Lawrence River

The largest bodies of water in this region are Great Slave Lake, Lake Athabasca, Reindeer Lake and part of Lake Superior. NEXT PAGE

Canadian Shield Region

Canadian Shield Continued Wild life Climate Environmental Issues

Mammals such as moose, caribou and deer , wood buffalo , wolverines

Northern part of Region -long, cold winters and short, warm summers. - less than 300 mm of rain and snow each year.

Water quality and soil quality-

Air Pollution -

Global Warming Issues

-birds such as ravens, loons, and sparrows

- Fish such as trout, bass, and pickerel

Southern part of Region cold, snowy winters and warm summers-has between 300 mm and 1600 mm of rain and snow each year.

-growth and concentration in the livestock industry- affects water and soil quality -Also takes up more land and wild life habitats are being lost.-- problems of odor and air pollution

- Mosquitoes and black flies

Arctic Region Characteristics of Land Natural Resources/ Industries Location

-Land used to be covered by glaciers long time ago called the Ice Age.- Huge flat areas of rock and boggy plains

Major Industry: Hunting and Fishing Region includes lots of islands in Arctic Ocean

Permafrost- ground remains frozen all year long. Only the surface of the ground thaws.

Natural resources: lead, zinc, coal, oil and natural gas, soapstone

- Parts of Yukon Territory, NWT, and Nunavut

Pingos- are a land form found in the Arctic. They are rounded hills with a core of solid ice. They slowly grow larger

- Region is found North of Arctic Circle

Vegetation: large areas of tundra-Small flowering plants, shrubs, and mosses-No trees -- very few plants

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Arctic Region Continued Wild life Climate Environmental Issues

-Whales, Seals and Walrus -Short sunny summers with clear skies -Sun does not set in the summer-Does not rain in summer

Permafrost -

-Wolves, polar bears and arctic foxes

-Long winters, very very cold. Middle of winter, the sun does not rise, so it stays dark for 24 hours. – -Snows very little in winter

Global warming- Polar Bears cannot survive, because the ice is melting too quickly and they are not able to hunt for food for their survival

Birds- loons, snow geese, and snowy owls

Aurora Borealis- Northern Lights, is colorful lights in the sky . This happens when gases react to particles in the sky.

St. Lawrence Lowlands Characteristics of Land Natural Resources/ Industries Location

-Has flat land and some hills-- The rivers drain into the the St. Lawrence river and the five great lakes: Erie, Superior, Michigan, Huron, Ontario.

Major Industries: Hydroelectricity Provinces include Southern Quebec and Ontario

-The land has very deep and fertile soil -landscape of the St. Lawrence Lowlands region can be described as very fertile with many waterways.

Natural Resources: iron, silver, coal, lead, and copper

Includes part of the Ottawa River Valley

Niagara Escarpment is located near the Great Lakes. ( This is a long rocky cliff that marks the boundary of a flat or sloping upland area) - The Niagara River flows over the escarpment at Niagara Falls

-Fresh water and sugar maple trees-Fertile soil for growing fruit and vegetables -- Has the best growing areas in Canada

Vegetation: mixed forests of coniferous and deciduous trees

-Has the longest growing season in Canada

St. Lawrence Lowlands Continued Wild life Climate Environmental Issues

-Mammals- white tailed deer, squirrels, moose, and lynx

- Hot and humid summers Air pollution and resulting acid rain severely affects lakes and damages forests.

Fish- perch, northern pike - Winters are cool and snowy and can drop to - 30 degrees Celsius.

ocean waters are becoming contaminated from agricultural, industrial, mining, and forestry activities.

Birds: bluebirds, blackbirds, loons, and woodpeckers

- an alternative transport route to the Panama Canal through the Northwest Passage.

These animals make this region their home because the water's fresh and the St. Lawrence Lowlands is a great area to make a home.

Atlantic Region Characteristics of Land Natural Resources/ Industries Location

-Has small mountains that have been worn down by erosion over millions of years-- waves, tides, swift currents have eroded cliffs and formed islands, beaches, bays and harbors.

Major industry is fishing and potato farming.

Includes NBW, NS, PEI and NFL and parts of Quebec. THESE ARE CALLED THE MARITIME PROVINCES

Bay of Fundy- has highest tides in the world

Natural Resources – oil, lead, potash, salt, copper and gold

- Is on the East Coast and is by the Atlantic Ocean

- Continental Shelf: where the ocean floor gradually slopes downward for many KM and then drops off into a deep trench. The shallower portion is called a continental shelf.

- Fertile Soils are found in the plains and valleys of this region.

- Grand Banks is world famous for fishing grounds

Vegetation: Coniferous trees, fir and spuce-Trees grow very slowly due to rocky soil-- hardwood forests of beech and sugar maple, birch have been completely logged

Atlantic Region Continued Wild life Climate Environmental Issues

-Marine life: Grey seals, and harbor seals and some whales

Summers can be cool or warm and rainy

Air Pollution: Smog which affects human health

Mammals-fox, deer, coyote, mink, hares, caribou and beaver

Winters are long and have lots of rain.

Oil spills on ocean – oil pollution from ships travelling on the ocean causes death of many birds

Fish such as cod, salmon, and scallops

There are strong windstorms called GALES and these happen often

Clean air and water needed

Birds-puffins, gulls , blue herons, and razorbills