CHAPTER 8 SECTION 1Regions of Canada

Regions of Canada Canada

- covers most of the northern half of North America

Provinces- political divisions- Canada has ten- government gives a great deal of power to these provinces

The Atlantic Provinces Four Atlantic Provinces

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

*Located in southeastern corner of Canada

*All four border on Atlantic Ocean

The Atlantic Provinces Links to the Sea

- Maritime- bordering on or related to the sea- hundreds of bays and inlets- excellent harbors for fishing- most residents live along coast

*Atlantic Provinces are the smallest- in land and population

The Atlantic Provinces Economic Activities

- Fishing - Forestry - Farming - tourism

The Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Provinces

Two Provinces- Quebec- Ontario

*core of Canada’s population and economic activity

* surrounds the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River

The Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Provinces

Three Landscapes1. - Canadian Shield- covers most of Quebec and Ontario- has poor soil/cold climate but rich in minerals2. – Hudson Bay Lowlands- located between Canadian Shield and Hudson Bay- flat, swampy region3. – St. Lawrence Lowlands- 60% of Canada’s population lives here- rich soil/mild climate

The Great Lakes and St. Lawrence ProvincesPage 183-185

Characteristics of Ontario- St. Lawrence Seaway- Toronto- Ottawa

Characteristics of Quebec- Montreal- Quebec

The Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Provinces

Characteristics of Ontario- St. Lawrence Seaway

- connects the Great Lakes to the St. Lawrence River (aka Canada’s highway to sea)- Lock- an enclosed area on a canal that raises or lowers ships from one water level to another

*refer to the diagram on page 183

The Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Provinces

Characteristics of Ontario- rich soil/minerals- southeastern part of province- most land is used for farming- most people live here

*Toronto- the capital of Ontario- largest metropolitan area

*Ottawa- the national capital of Canada- located on Ottawa River in southeastern Ontario

The Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Provinces

Characteristics of Quebec- Bedrock- solid rock that is usually covered by soil, gravel, and sand- covers much of this province- mining/forestry

*Montreal- largest city*Quebec- capital of province (Quebec)/also oldest

city in Canada- 1608- founded by Samuel de Champlain - sent by France to establish a colony

The Prairie Provinces Three Prairie Provinces

1. Alberta2. Manitoba3. Saskatchewan

*Located in the southwestern part of Canada between the Rocky Mountains and the Canadian Shield.

* Known for its rolling fields of wheat

The Prairie Provinces Patterns of Settlement

- cities located along railroads built in 1800’s- about half of people in these provinces live in these cities (example: Winnipeg)- “grains and trains dominate life” in this region

Economic Activities- agriculture (wheat)- tourism- oil industry

*area provides most of Canada’s grain and cattle

British Columbia Canada’s

westernmost province- Vancouver- largest city in this province- major port on the Pacific Ocean

The Northern Territories Northern part of

Canada:- Yukon Territory- Northwest Territories- Nunavut (established in 1999)

* 1% of Canada’s population live here

The Northern Territories Native people call themselves Inuit – meaning

“the people.”

Rich deposit of minerals- gold, silver, copper, iron ore, etc.- petroleum- natural gas

*Harsh climate and rugged terrain has left much of this wealth still buried within the earth.