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.