Canada’s Landform Regions

The Canadian ShieldSize: covers almost ½

of Canada

Formation:-Formed by volcanic eruptions over 3 billion years ago- erosion and glaciers caused mountains to flatten and lose most of its soil

Landscape:- Large, smooth rock

formations, thousands of lakes and swamps

Main Type of Rock: Igneous

The Great Lakes- St. Lawrence Lowlands

Click icon to add clip artSize: small

Formation:- Sediments from the

eroded Canadian Shield built up in ancient seas and formed new land

Landscape- Low, fairly flat with some

hills- Covered with a rich layer

of soil

Rock type: majority is Sedimentary

The AppalachiansSize: majority of Eastern

CanadaFormation- Plate movement caused

Sedimentary Rock on ocean floor to fold upwards to form mountains

- Erosion lowered mountains and flattened some areas

Landscape- Mountainous in some

areas with some flatter plains (rock)

Rock Type: mostly Sedimentary

Interior PlainsSize: Covers large area in

the interior of Canada

Formation-sediments settled at the

bottom of inland seas- When sea

disappeared, it left a very flat area with thick, nutrient rich soil

Landscape- Very flat plains

Type of Rock: Sedimentary

Western CordilleraLandscape:- Sets of tall mountains

with a flat plateaus in between

Rock Type: all 3 types- igneous, sedimentary, metamorphic

Size: entire West Coast

Formation: 3 areas- Rocky Mountains-

plate movements folded the earth

- Coast Mountains- Volcanic eruptions

- Interior Plateau- formed from lava that flowed from the volcanoes

Hudson Bay and Arctic LowlandsSize- large section of

Northern Canada (territories)

Formation:- Sedimentary rock left

from erosion and glacier scraping

Landscape:- Bare rock with stony areas

Type of Rock: Sedimentary

InnuitionsSize: Northern Canada,

most of Nunavut’s northern islands

Formation:- Folded sedimentary rock

from the ocean floor

Landscape-ice and snow covered

mountains

Rock Type: Sedimentary