3. Location and Landscape- The Canadian
Artic region is located in northern Canada.
The Artic region is primarily located within
the Artic circle. The landscape within the
Artic region of Canada includes features
such as jagged mountains on many of the
eastern artic islands and flat, low lying, snow
covered terrain located on several of the
main western islands of the artic. Other
features include the frequent plateaus
scattered throughout the region and
permafrost, which is a layer of organic
materials that remains permanently frozen
on the ground for over a period of 2 years.
Glaciers formed much of the artic by eroding
and scraping large portions of land. Glaciers
eroded land and carried rocks and soil far
from their original places, which resulted in
some interesting glacial formations.
The Canadian Arctic
Jagged, snow peaked artic mountains
Location and Landscape
4. Weather and Climate
Weather and Climate- The Canadian
Arctic climate is harsh at times, but
adaptable. The Artic climate temperatures
averages below freezing during winter and
can increase to an average of 13 °C
through the course of summer. Life in the
Arctic is affected from climate by the cost
that people must spend on certain foods
and the availability of those foods an
example is that the winter darkness make it
harder to grow vegetables, hunt and ship
foods, the cost to provide heating to homes
increases and how water is brought as well
as found for people to use. An interesting
weather fact in the arctic is that during the
period of summer the sun shines for 24
hours each day in the winter the northern
region of the arctic is angled so away from
the sun resulting in 24 hours of darkness
everyday.
A result of the cold arctic air
creates a dry atmosphere in which
there is barely any humidity as well
as precipitation (rain, snow and
hail)
5. Flora and Fauna
Flora and Fauna- In the arctic organism
must adapt to their environment. In the
ecosystem of the arctic tundra (a tundra
is a open, flat artic region in North
America in which tress are uncommon
and a top layer of soil allows only small
shrubs to grow) the most commonly
found plants are wildflowers, mosses that
grow on rocks and shrubs that have
developed to trap heat inside themselves.
The animals of the arctic adapted to
their environments through developing
the ability to hold their breath for long
periods of time under water, and by
growing fat called blubber that provides
them with warmth. Common arctic sea
creatures would include seals, walruses
and whales. Common land mammals in
the arctic are musk oxen that travel in
large herds caribou and the migration of
millions of different species of birds.
A result of shrinking artic ice has caused polar bear to
lose their homes and obtain more difficulty in hunting,
they are at the risk of extinction.
Arctic Wild grasses
6. Natural Resources and Food
Natural resources and food- In the
Canadian Arctic gas, fish and oil
are the main natural resources
than can be found. The Arctic
region consists of two main
categories for resources renewable
and non-renewable. The renewable
resources include animal that
provide local with a source of food
and clothing. The animals are
hunted but remain in a sizable
population, so that they may
repopulate. Non-renewable
resources often are materials such
as fossil fuels (gas, oil and coal)
and metals/minerals that cannot
be produced after they have been
consumed.
The foods from the arctic are often obtained
through old hunting techniques to collect
meats from seals, whales, caribou and clams.
Considering that the arctic is covered by
permafrost few naturally grown plants that
grow are edible, those that can be eaten are
crowberries and arctic blueberries. Fresh
fruits in the artic are mostly obtained and
grown in community greenhouses and food
shipments.
Iqaluit Community greenhouseArtic off-shore oil rig
7. Urban Development and Cities
Urban development and cities- A
common observation in pattern
in cities, town and village arctic
settlements is that almost all
settlements are costal, along the
water. People live most
commonly on the small islands
throughout the Canadian Arctic
peninsula in small communities.
It is estimated that the Canadian
Arctic represents less than 1% of
Canada’s total population
resulting in the approximation
that 15,000 people make up the
total population for the
Canadian arctic region. In the
Arctic the population density in
most communities is fewer than
100 people with 0.03 inhabitants
per square kilometer.
The largest settlement in the
Canadian arctic is Iqaluit.
9. Location and Landscape
Location and Landscape- The Interior
planes is located in the west central area
of Canada, extending from the western
cordillera mountains to the Eastern
Canadian Shield and covers 19% of
Canada’s land area. Landscape in the
interior plains includes hills, low
mountains, forests and even wide river
valleys. Other features include lowlands,
low hills in areas to the west near the
Rocky Mountains and common plateau’s
dispersed throughout the interior planes.
The Interior plains formed millions of years
ago as a region of land bellow the ancient
sea. As sediments eroded from the Canadian
Shield as well as the rocky mountain, these
sediments were deposited into the ancient sea
covering the interiors plains. Over time the
ancient sea began to dry out and in the end
resulted as a vast land mass formation
formed from compressed sediments over the
years resulting as layers of sedimentary rock.
How did the Interior plains form?
10. Weather and Climate
Climate and Weather- The interior plains
endures short, cold winters that average
below freezing and hot summers that can
undergo high temperatures of 10°C-
30°C. Temperatures in the interior plains
is humid and can alter all year long. The
life in the interior plains is affected by
weather through field crops for example:
humid weather and summer rainstorm
help crops grow on the other hand a
drought of dry weather could destroy an
entire farmers crop if he is not prepared
with irrigation systems. Climate in the
Interior plains is taken advantage of by
winter sports of skiing or hockey.
Severe, rare weather in the Interior Plains
includes tornadoes, flood and droughts
which are long periods of time in which
there is no rain or snow.
11. Flora and Fauna
Flora and Fauna- Over many
years’ animals have adapted to the
hot dry climate of the interior
plains. Plants can survive long
droughts and endure wildfires
because of their deep root
systems. Native vegetation of the
Interior plains consists of mainly
grasses (porcupine, bluestem and
june), trees such as fir, pine and
spruce. Ecosystems in the interior
plains would consist primarily of
wetlands/lowlands, rivers and
streams, boreal forest and
tundra’s.
Over 85 percent of wetlands have been
destroyed for the expansion of agriculture
Wetlands have been endangered as of
recently although they are not an animal
wetlands are home to many animals. Some
of the many different types of animals in the
interior plains would include rattlesnakes,
duck/birds, bear, prairie dog and buffalo;
both buffalo and prairie dogs are at risk to
extinction
12. Natural resources and Food
Natural resources and Food- In the
region of the Interior Plains the most
the primary non-renewable natural
resources are potash (salt) and fossil
fuels that consist of coal, oil, and
natural gas. The essential renewable
resources are fertile soil, forest and
rivers, lakes and streams; these
resources can be re-assemble or
reproduce.
Food is the major product from farms
in Interior Plain region. Common
foods in this region are wheat, corn,
peas and beef. Essential farming done
in the region of the interior plains is
cattle ranching and wheat
farming/harvesting.
Fossil fuels are extracted from below
the ground and provide power home
essentials and other machines requiring
power.
13. Urban Development and Cities
Urban Development and cities-
In the Interior Plains residence
live dispersed all through out the
region occasionally on massive
farms where there is access to
irrigation. An approximation of
the population of Canada’s
interior plains region is 7.4
million that is an estimated
17.44% of Canada’s total
populations. The population
density increases significantly
the further south you travel in
this region. Major city in the
Interior are Edmonton, Regina,
Yellow knife, White horse and
Winnipeg.
Grain Elevators
15. Location and Landscape
Location and Landscape- The
Appalachian highlands are located
in northeast Canada. The
Appalachian highlands are on the
most easterly point in the Canadian
country. Landscape in the highlands
tends to be old mountains rounded
from year of erosion, plains of rich
soil, rocky coastal areas and large
islands. The Appalachian highlands
formed roughly 300 million year ago
when two large plates collided
together, the force of the collision
caused the Earth crust to bend
upward forming the mountains.
16. Weather and Climate
Weather and Climate- Temperature
in the Appalachian highlands tends
to alter depending on your location.
Climates is cold during winter at
around -5 °C to -13°C and summers
are moderate at temperatures of 15°C
to 18°C.. The Labrador Current on
the Atlantic coast brings cold air
from the Artic as warm air from the
tropics is brought up the coast, when
the northern cold air merges with
southern warm air, interesting
weather patterns can arise (snow and
often high winds can be created.
The Appalachian highlands receive a yearly
average of 1000mm per year or 3ft
17. Flora and Fauna
Flora and Fauna- The
Appalachian highlands are home
to many plants and animals.
Inland areas incorporate dense
forest of coniferous and
deciduous trees consisting of
much variety, but commonly
know species of tree in this area
are spruce, cedar and oak. Costal
areas contain mosses and shrub
vegetation; because the soil and
air are damp and poor in
nutrients vegetation tends to have
difficulty in growing. Lastly
swamp are found in low lying
areas often contain fern.
The flying squirrel is an endangered specie
due to coal mining in the Appalachian
highlands.
Animals inhabiting the Appalachian
highland consist of many different species of
mammals; dear, bear, rabbits. Marine life for
instance fish off the coast in the Atlantic
Ocean, crabs and birds that thrive on the
abundance of food {mollusk (animals with
shells)}.
18. Natural resources and Food
Natural resources and food- The main
resources found in the highlands are
the fossil fuels within the region as
well as of the coast. Scarce non-
renewable materials in the
Appalachian highlands are fossil fuels
and minerals specifically gold, cooper,
gypsum and salt. Renewable reusable
substances are forest, farmland, fish
that repopulate by spawning and
water commonly used for hydro
electricity.
The foods of the Highlands were most
commonly obtained through hunting fish
and caribou as well as gathering nuts and
wild berries. As of the last hundred years
new foods have been introduced to the
region of the Appalachian highlands
through farming and harvesting crops of
corn, bean and a new range of different
fruit and vegetable varieties.
19. Urban Development and Cities
Urban development- People live
all through out the islands of the
Appalachian highlands. The
islands are dispersed throughout
the region and settlements tend
to be on costal areas of the
island where there is access to
water or small mining
communities.
St. Johns and Halifax are the two
largest cities in this region.
The Highlands are estimated to
obtain 6.6% of Canada’s total
population and an approximation
that 2,313,102 people occupy the
region of the Appalachian
highlands. On average the
population density for the
highlands is 13.5 inhabitants per
square kilometer.
21. Location and Landscape
Location and Landscape- The St.
Lawrence Lowlands are located in
southern Ontario among the Great lakes
of Huron, Ontario and Erie and further
continue along the riverbanks of the St.
Lawrence. Landscape in the St.
Lawrence Lowlands is essentially plains,
rolling hills and rivers dispersed
throughout this region. Another feature
would include the Niagara Falls cliff.
The St. Lawrence Lowlands Great lake
areas were originally created by the sheer
weight of the glaciers that engraved
enormous cavities into the earth. These
cavities in the earth were engulfed by
water as the glaciers melted and retreated
to the Atlantic. As the glacier retreated
it’s immense weigh forced down the
earth surface resulting in he St. Lawrence
River in between the Canadian Shield
and Appalachians.
22. Weather and Climate
Weather and Climate- The St.
Lawrence Lowlands
encounters hot, humid
summers with moderate rain
and cold, snowy winters. The
climate affects life throughout
the region by providing rain
during summertime for crops
and allowing crops extra
harvests, weather is ideal for
year long seasonal recreations
such as winter sledding and
summer swimming. Summer
time weather can be extreme in
the St. Lawrence Lowlands
when storms hit the region
tornados and hailstorms can
ravage and fracture buildings.
23. Flora and Fauna
Flora and Fauna- Vegetation in the St.
Lawrence Lowlands region consists of
mixed forest of coniferous pine and
leafy deciduous trees and wetland
plants; two common wetland plants
are cattails as well as water lilies.
Alongside the St. Lawrence
River, banks of fertile soil provide
agricultural crops of grain, fruit and
vegetables.
Animals’ species that inhabit the area
of The St. Lawrence Lowlands are land
and marine mammals, fish and shelled
creatures distributed in the St.
Lawrence River along with reptilians.
Unique animal native to this region are
the quilled porcupine, flying squirrel
and painted turtles. As a result of
previous logging and human activity
animals have been forced to change
habits and habitats by moving new
locations; the beluga whales are an
example of the few endangered animals
in the region today.
24. Natural Resources and Food
Natural resources and food-
Naturals resources in the St.
Lawrence Lowlands would
include both renewable and
non-renewable resources. The
non-renewable resources of this
region are salt, gypsum and
quarry rock minerals; oil wells
were drilled and emptied as far
as in 1857. The renewable
resources of this region include
water, fish agricultural soil and
trees for harvest (only in certain
areas because much forest has
already been cut for agriculture
and buildings. The glaciers
along the banks of the St.
Lawrence River deposited a
rich layer of soil in which
apples, grape and vegetables
can be farmed.
The St. Lawrence region is the largest dairy
farming producer of Canada. This region is
most famous for it’s maple syrup production.
25. Urban Development and Cities
Urban and cities- Houses and
residence tend to be along the
banks of the St. Lawrence
lowlands and within the Great
Lakes lowland area. Towns are
most commonly found along
rivers where agricultural crops
can absorb water. The St.
Lawrence Lowlands have an
estimate of 40% of Canada
entire population and a total
population within this region
of 14,000,000 people; this
region has a dense population.
Toronto and Montreal a the
two most populated cities in
the St. Lawrence Lowlands.
27. Location and Landscape
Location and Landscape- The cordillera
is a vast sequence of mountains that line
the western edge of Canada’s province.
The Cordillera consists of the majority of
British Columbia and Yukon along with
small parts of Alberta and the NW
territories. Partial areas of the Cordillera
are within the ring of fire, a zone of
volcanic and earthquake activity located
along the pacific coast of North
America. The landscape features that
make up the Cordillera are islands
located to the southwest coast and three
primary chain sequences of mountains.
Common land formations in this region
are long stretched rivers, wide green
valleys, plateaus, broad bays and
infrequent plains. The Western Cordillera
was created by the North American and
Pacific Plates colliding, which caused
folding mountains, faulting, and volcanic
activity. The cordillera makes up 16 percent of
the Canada’s total land area.
28. Weather and Climate
Weather and climate- The cordillera has
various climate patterns, this region has two
main climates, one for the Pacific Coast,
and one for the mountain ranges and
valleys further inland. Along the Pacific
Coast the weather is very wet during the fall
and winter, with no extreme cold and it
rarely snowing. Summers are cool, and the
winters, being short. In the mountains and
interior plains the climate is cold in the
winter and cool summers.
The climate has an effect on lives in the
cordillera region by the place that people will
live for example Population is greater were
the weather can be enjoyed. What activity’s
the weather offers for people to do
recreationally and where people can work.
For example farming would most likely be
located to the south where weather is warm
and cool.
29. Flora and Fauna
Flora and Fauna- In the cordillera there
are three main areas of vegetation.
There is a rainforest on the coastal
areas, which consist of cedar hemlock
and fur. Northern areas of the
Cordillera region include spruce, pine,
birch and aspen. The central interior
area comprises of an assortment of
different plants being grasslands, berry
bushes and various sized forests of fir,
aspen and pine located on the slope of
the interior mountains.
The three areas in the cordillera in which
many of the animals of this region
commonly live are the costal area which
includes well know animals such as bald
eagle, goats roaming the mountains as well
as many off-shore marine life, further to the
cold north animals consist of wolves, herds
of caribou and in the central interior area
grizzly bears and mountain lions can be
commonly found wandering in the
backwoods. One endangered animal in the
cordillera region is the Vancouver Island
marmot.
30. Natural Resources and Food
Natural resources and food- in the western
Cordillera minerals and water are the main
natural resources that can be found. The
cordillera incorporates two categories of
resources renewable and non-renewable.
The renewable resources of the Cordillera
are water that is used in hydro electricity
and recreation activities, soil, fish and
forest for tree harvesting. The non-
renewable resource would generally
include substances such as coal and
minerals of copper, zinc and gold those are
uncommonly found up north.
Native aboriginals introduced common foods
in the Cordillera region. These foods would
include trout, salmon, and shellfish along
with species of wild onion, wild berries and
herbs. A result of the mountains makes
farming complex but in the area of the Fraser
valley cranberries, fruit and ranch farms have
been develop to provide this region with local
fruits and meats.
31. Urban Development and Cities
Urban developments and
cities- A common observation
in the location of cities and
towns in the cordillera is that a
majority of them are alongside
lake or river and based in the
south of this region. It is
estimated that the Cordillera
region represents 13.04% of
Canada’s total population
concluding in the
approximation that 4,433,900
people inhabit the region of
the Canadian cordillera.
The largest, most dense settlement in the
Canadian cordillera is Vancouver city.
33. Location and Landscape
Location and Landscape- The Canadian
Shield is the largest region in Canada and is
located in the some northern and central part
of Canada surrounding Hudson and James
Bay. The Canadian Shield represents nearly
half of Canada’s entire land area. Landscape
within the Canadian Shield combines open
areas of rock formed into the core of North
America with vast forest, wetlands around
the eastern Hudson bay area, tundra’s and
rolling hills. The Canadian Shield was the
first know region of the North American to
be permanently raised over sea level. The
Canadian Shield began as a mountainous
area; however over time water, wind and
physical forces eroded the mountains
reducing to a hard, even land. As the ice age
came forth glacier created depressions in the
land of Hudson’s bay and carved lakes out
from the land.
34. Weather and Climate
Weather and Climate- Since the
Canadian Shield is very large the
climate varies. In the southern areas of
the Canadian Shield follows a
seasonal patter; winters are cold and
snowstorms can be extreme winter
temperature averages bellow freezing
and summers climate tends to be
warm ordinarily at 25 Degrees
Celsius. The Canadian Shield is
affected by weather through both
communities and agriculture for
example if an ice storm (a storm of
freezing rain) is to develop, the thick
glossy ice rain could easily snap
telephone and electrical wires as well
as freeze crops to the point of death.
Weather and climate is often affected
by how far north or south an area is;
the further north the colder climate the
further south the warmer the
temperature will rise.
35. Flora and Fauna
Flora and Fauna- The Canadian
Shield has a variety ecosystems
of plants and animals that have
each learned and developed
ways of adapting to the freezing
cold Canadian shield winters.
The vegetation in this area is
limited because most of the
areas only contain a thin layer
of soil. Some vegetation would
include coniferous forest
growing in the north and
deciduous trees developing
further down south in the
Canadian Shield region; there
are however areas of mixed
forest as well. Wildlife in the
Shield includes grizzly bears,
wood buffalo, an assortment of
reptilian species and fish.
36. Natural Resources and Food
Natural Resources and Food- In
the Canadian shield rich deposits
of minerals, lakes and streams full
of waters and vast forest are the
main resources in this region.
Non-renewable materials are often
and essentially the large
accumulated areas of minerals
such as gold, nickel, silver and
zinc. The renewable resources in
the Shield include water provides
residence with hydro electricity,
apples orchards and trees. All of
these resources must be harvested
carefully to be given time to
reproduce. Canadian shield foods
are often obtained through dairy
and potato farming. Considering
the thin layers of rocky soil few
area are habitable for certain
plants and agricultural farming.
37. Urban Development and Cities
Urban development and Cities-
Only few people are currently
living in the northern
communities in the Canadian
Shield because of swampy
bogs, rocky land and cold
wetland terrain. A majority of
the people live in the south
central area of this region. It is
estimated that the Shield
consists of 63% of Canada
entire population; over half of
Canadians are currently living
in that region. A result of the
wide spread land of the
Canadian Shield creates a
rough approximation that there
is over 3.5 inhabitants per
square Kilometer.
