CanadaGeography

Provinces and Territories Canada has 10 provinces and 3

territories• Province = political division

We will divide Canada into 5 regions These regions are more distinct than

the regions we studied in the U.S. Why?

• Canada’s population is small• Structure of government gives a lot of power

to provinces

The Atlantic Provinces Formed by:

• Newfoundland and Labrador• Prince Edward Island• Nova Scotia• New Brunswick

Border the Atlantic Ocean Part of the Appalachian Mountains Deciduous forests Rugged mountaintops Thousands of lakes and small ponds Thin soil, lots of rocks and boulders

The Atlantic Provinces Called “Maritimes” due to close ties with

the sea Most residents live along the coast Smallest region – land and population Fishing industry

• Once one of the world’s richest fishing areas, before overfishing depleted the supply

Forestry and farming• Occurs where soil permits, like Prince Edward

Island Tourism Oil discovered off shore

The Great Lakes & St. Lawrence Provinces

Quebec and Ontario Core of Canada’s population and

economic activity• Canadian Shield – poor soil, cold climate,

rich mineral deposits• Hudson Bay Lowlands – flat, sparsely

populated, swampy• St. Lawrence Lowlands – rich soil, mild

climate 60% of Canada’s population lives

here

Ontario Great Lakes, lots of waterways Rich soil, lots of resources Manufacturing and distribution in

cities• Cars, food, clothing, building materials

Toronto, Ontario = largest metropolitan area in Canada• Banking and financial center of Canada• Canadian version of Wall St. is here

Ottawa, Canada’s national capital

Quebec Mostly a wilderness of forests, rivers,

lakes, and streams Northern part of Quebec is tundra Mining and forestry Montreal = largest city City of Quebec (capital) is oldest city

in Canada• Founded by Samuel de Champlain, sent by

France to establish a colony• Tourist attraction• Center of Canada’s French-Canadian

population

The Prairie Provinces Contains:

• Alberta• Manitoba• Saskathewan

Wheat, flatland, lakes, rivers, “badlands” with strange rock formations, sand dunes

The Prairie Provinces Most of settlement here is due to

railroads Provide most of Canada’s grain and

cattle Tourism – Rocky Mountains Oil and natural gas in Alberta

provided a new source of wealth in this region

British Columbia Rocky Mountains and the Coast Mountains 4/5s of province’s residents live in

Vancouver (capital) One of Canada’s wealthiest provinces

thanks to natural resources• Salmon• Forests• Minerals

Wet, marine climate• People move here to retire

Trade with Asia from Vancouver’s harbor• Grown city rapidly• Increased population with Asian immigrants

The Northern Territories Consists of:

• Yukon Territory• Northwest territories• Nunavut

Cold, almost no trees, not many people Mostly native peoples, like the Inuit (aka

Eskimos), live here Contact with white people has changed

Inuit culture• Hunters use snowmobiles instead of dog sleds for

seal hunting• Some children go to school at home taking classes

transmitted by satellite over radio or television

The Northern Territories Minerals found here:

• Gold, silver, copper, zinc, lead, iron ore, uranium

Petroleum and natural gas Most of these natural resources are

still buried in the earth Harsh climate and rugged terrain

make it difficult to mine and transport materials

Questions1. What economic activities are important

in the Atlantic provinces?2. How have location and resources

influenced economic activities in a) The Prairie Provinces, and b) British Columbia?

3. Choose two of Canada’s regions and compare their physical features, economic activities, and population distribution.