Canada’s Landform Regions

 

Landform Regions of Canada

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Canadian Landforms

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Canada has three distinct types of landforms

1. Shield- Canadian Shield

2. Highlands- Western Cordillera- Appalachian Mountains- Innuitian Mountains

3. Lowlands- Interior Plains- Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Lowlands- Hudson Bay-Arctic Lowlands

Highlands

Mountainous areas that occur east, north and west of the shield and lowland areas

Lowlands

The bedrock under these lowlands is formed mainly of sediments eroded from the Shield.

the sediments were laid down in the ancient seas that existed at various times millions of years ago.

As the rock particles collected, the weight of the upper layers compressed the lower layers into sedimentary rocks.

Landform Regions of Canada

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1. Western Cordillera

2. Interior Plains

3. Canadian Shield

4. Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Lowlands

5. Appalachian

6. Arctic and Hudson Bay Lowlands

7. Innuitian Mountains

1. Western Cordillera

Location•Western coastline of Canada•Mainly BC and Yukon, but also in western Alberta•About 680km wide

Physical Characteristics•Western edge of Canada like a great wall. Mountains separated by plateaus and valleys•Rugged appearance; yet, geologically young •Stand as tall as 4000m above sea level

Three Divisions1. Rockies and Columbia Mountains make up

the eastern mountains2. Interior plateaus to the west3. Coast Mountains on the Pacific coast

Rocks and Minerals• Mostly folded and faulted sedimentary rock• some metamorphic and igneous rocks due to

past volcanic activity

Transportation / Population• Mountains are an obstacle for transportation,

and the primary travel routes must run East-West. As well, there are only a few passes, or gaps in the ranges of the cordillera which are low enough to allow highways and railways to cross over

• Area is sparsely populated with most people living along the river valleys

2. Interior Plains

LocationPart of the Great Plains of North America that stretch from the Arctic Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico. In Canada, it extends from the 49th parallel north to the Arctic Ocean, a distance of 2700 km. They taper from south to north. They are about 1300 km wide in the south, but only 275 km wide in the north.

Physical Characteristics•Sediments from the Shield and the Rocky Mountains were deposited in these seas over millions of years. Erosion has shaped this landscape, and the land slopes gently from west to east.•Glaciation has marked the landscape, and the land is very flat

Vegetation• Soil is deep and fertile• Area is known as Canada’s “breadbasket”

Rocks and Minerals• Mineral deposits lay close to the surface from the plants

that were once growing in the seas. Via processes of weathering, compacting and erosion, these areas are rich in natural resources such as oil and gas, potash and coal

3. Canadian Shield

Location•More than 50% of Canada is covered by the Shield (about 4,800,000 km2). The Shield occurs in most of Québec, Ontario, Manitoba, Nunavut, some of Saskatchewan and NWT

Physical Characteristics•The Shield is mainly rocky terrain that is primarily flat with rounded hills of rock•It contains numerous rivers, waterfalls, lakes, forests, rock outcrops

Vegetation•The soil is very thin and poor quality. Most of the Shied is not suited for farming

Rocks and Minerals:• Some of the world’s oldest rocks are

located in the Shield (3.96 billion years old)

• Two types of rock make up most of the Shield: Metamorphic and Igneous

• Shield is rich in valuable minerals including lead, gold, nickel, copper and zinc

4. Great Lakes - St. Lawrence Lowlands

Location•South of the Canadian Shield•Most southerly region in Canada•Canada’s smallest landform region

Physical Characteristics:•Landscape is characterized by flat plains with glacial hills, and deep river valleys. Relatively flat land

Vegetation•Excellent growing conditions (e.g., warm climate, excellent soil, longish growing season, adequate heat and rain)

Population / Transportation• Ideal for transportation routes and

the development of cities.• Region is the most densely populated

region in Canada with 50% of Canada’s population lives in this region (…yet, as area of land, this landform makes up only 14% of the total area)

Rocks and Minerals• Bedrock formed of sedimentary rock

5. Appalachians

Location•Stretches from Georgia in the southern USA through the Maritimes to Newfoundland in the north•It is the oldest highland region in Canada

Physical Characteristics• It formed about 300 million years ago•Once jagged peaks turned to rolling mountains with large valleys between mountains•During the last ice age, the weight of the ice compressed the mountains down. The imprints created small lakes when the ice melted

Rocks and Minerals- Sedimentary rocks are rich

in non-metallic minerals such as coal

Volcanic activity and faulting created igneous and metamorphic rocks in certain areas

Rocks here are similar to the ones found in Wales and Scotland

6. Arctic and Hudson Bay Lowlands

Hudson Bay Lowlands•Northern Ontario and Northern QuébecArctic Lowlands•Mid-northern islands

Physical Characteristics•Flat, low area•Series of islands in the far north•Gently rolling landscape, with swampy forestsVegetation•Harsh climate which does not permit farming•Ground stays frozen most of the year

Rocks and Minerals• Land contains coal, oil and

natural gas deposits• Has a layer of sedimentary

rock which rests on top of the ancient Shield rock

7. Innuitians

Mountain range in the most northern part of Canada. Stands like icy watch towers in the north

Physical Characteristics•Some peaks are over 2500 m high•Present form shaped in the middle of the Mesozoic era when the North American Plate moved northward•Younger than Appalachians with less rounded hills

Vegetation•Barren because trees cannot survive the extremely cold winters nor grow during the extremely short summer•Vast areas are covered by ice, and permanent snowRocks and Minerals•Contains metamorphic and igneous rock, but mostly sedimentary•Resembles the Appalachians in composition and minerals