Canadian Landforms

1
Canadian Landforms
2
Types of Landforms

• Canada is made up of three distinct types of
  landforms
• The Canadian Shield
• Lowlands
• Highlands

3
The Highlands

• Canadas three highland areas lie to the east,
  north, and west of the Shield and lowlands areas
• The three mountainous areas are
• The Appalachians
• The Innuitians
• The Western Cordillera

4
The Appalachian Mountains

• Stretch from Georgian through the Maritimes to
  Newfoundland
• They are the oldest highland region in Canada
• Formed 300 million years ago

5
The Appalachian Mountains

• The layers of sedimentary rock are rich in
  deposits of non-metallic minerals such as coal
• Plateaus of this rock contain metallic minerals
  of iron and zinc
• Erosion reduced the Appalachians jagged peaks to
  rolling
• mountains and hills

6
The Appalachian Mountains

• Other than mountains, the region has fertile
  plateaus and river valleys. These parts are good
  for settlement, as crops can be grown and it is
  near water. The rivers, other than providing
  water, also serve as an excellent way for
  transportation.

7
The Appalachian Mountains

• Their present form was shaped in the middle of
  the Mesozoic era when the North American plate
  moved northward

8
The Innuitian Mountains

• The Innuitian Mountains are a mountain range in
  Canadas Arctic territories of Nunavut and the
  Northwest Territories.
• They are part of the Arctic Cordillera and are
  largely unexplored, due to the hostile climate.
• They are named after the northern indigenous
  people, who live in the region.

9
The Innuitian Mountains

• There are no trees or wildlife in the Innuitian
  Mountains due to the harsh cold climate as well
  as being located north of the Arctic tree line
• This region is mostly barren and vast areas
  mainly have permafrost.
• there are metallic minerals including iron and
  zinc and non-metallic minerals such as coal.

10
The Innuitian Mountains

• The summers are not too hot and the winters are
  not too cold.
• The Appalachian has a lot of important resources.
  They include deposits of coal, oil, and gas.

11
The Western Cordillera

• The Western Cordillera stands along the western
  edge of Canada like a great wall mountains
  separated by plateaus and valleys
• The collision of the North American and the
  Pacific plates is responsible for uplifting this
  region into several mountain ranges

12
The Western Cordillera

• The great height and rugged appearance of these
  ranges tell us that they are geologically young
• Since it is so mountainous, it is lightly
  populated
• Most people live in the farming and mining towns
  located in the river valleys

13
The Western Cordillera

• Vancouver and Victoria, the largest cities in the
  Western Cordillera, are build on flat land in
  coastal locations
• Banff and Jasper thrive because of the beautiful
  landscape

14
The Western Cordillera

• The glaciers in the mountains of the Western
  Cordillera are the only remaining glaciers in
  Canada, apart from those in the Arctic
• The region is a major source of lead, zinc,
  copper, and gold. Therefore, the economies in the
  Western Cordillera are based on logging, mining,
  and tourism.

15
The Western Cordillera

• Many people tend to use the name Rocky
  Mountains and Western Cordillera
  interchangeably, but there are three major
  divisions in the western Cordillera (The Eastern
  Mountains, The Interior Plateaus and The Coast
  Mountains)

16
The Eastern Mountains

• Consists of two main mountain ranges The Rocky
  Mountains and the Columbia Mountains
• The Rocky Mountains are Canadas youngest and
  most famous mountains
• They were formed about 65 million years ago

17
The Eastern Mountains

• The Rocky Mountains were formed of sedimentary
  rock that contains many fossils and deposits
• The Rockies stand about 4000 m above sea level

18
The Columbia Mountains

• Not as high as the Rockies - 3000 m
• They are older than the Rockies
• Made of sedimentary rock, but have metamorphic
  intrusions containing a wide variety of metallic
  minerals
• As a result, more mining takes place here than in
  the Rockies

19
Interior Plateaus

• Located in the center of the Cordillera
• Rugged plateaus between 1300 m and 2000 m in
  height
• Composed of metamorphic and igneous rock
• Contains many valuable metallic minerals such as
  copper, gold and zinc

20
Interior Plateaus

• Very dry here, therefore there is little
  agriculture, except in the valleys, where
  farmland is popular (Okanagan Valley)

21
Coast Mountains

• Divided into two ranges separated by a deep
  trough
• The Coast Mountain Range is on the mainland,
  while the Island Mountain Range is located on the
  offshore islands

22
Coast Mountains

• During the Ice Age, glaciers occupied many
  coastal valleys
• These glaciers eroded the valleys below sea level
• When the ice melted, these valleys were flooded
  by the sea, and became long narrow inlets called
  fiords

23
Coast Mountains

• Deep natural harbours encourages the development
  of the fishing and shipping industry
• The exception to this rugged coastline is the
  flat area of the Frazer Valley
• This area is good for agriculture, especially
  lettuce, tomatoes and onions
• It contains Canadas largest city, Vancouver