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SECTION 1 Physical TEKS 3A, 3B, 3C, 4D, 4E, 4F, 5A, 5B, Geography 5C, 6A, 6B, 21B, 21C, 22D What You Will Learn… If YOU lived there... Main Ideas You live in Winnipeg, Manitoba, in central Canada. Your hiking club 1. A huge country, Canada has is trying to decide where to go on a trip this summer. Since you live a wide variety of physical on the plains, some people want to visit the rugged Rocky Moun- features, including rugged mountains, plains, and tains in the west. Others want to travel north to Hudson Bay to see swamps. polar bears and other wildlife. Others would rather hike in the east 2. Because of its northerly loca- tion, Canada is dominated by near the Great Lakes and Niagara Falls. cold climates. 3. Canada is rich in natural Which place will you choose for this year’s trip? resources like fish, minerals, fertile soil, and forests.

The Big Idea Building Background A long international boundary sepa- Canada is a huge country rates Canada and the United States. With the exception of the St. with a northerly location, cold Lawrence River and the Great Lakes, there is no actual physical climates, and rich resources. boundary between the two countries. Rivers, lakes, prairies, and mountain ranges cross the border. Key Terms and Places Rocky Mountains, p. 170 St. Lawrence River, p. 170 Niagara Falls, p. 170 Physical Features Canadian Shield, p. 171 Did you know that Canada is the second-largest country in the Grand Banks, p. 172 pulp, p. 173 world? Russia is the only country in the world that is larger than newsprint, p. 173 Canada. The United States is the third-largest country in the world and shares many physical features with Canada. Locate Canada on the map on the following page and see if you can find the physical features that the United States and Use the graphic organizer online to Canada share. You may notice that mountains along the Pacific take notes on the physical geogra- coast and the Rocky Mountains extend north into western Can- phy of Canada. ada from the western United States. Broad plains stretch across the interiors of both countries. In the east, the two countries share a natural border formed by the St. Lawrence River. An important international waterway, the St. Lawrence links the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean. The United States and Canada also share a spectacular physi- cal feature called Niagara Falls. The falls are located on the Niag- ara River between the province of Ontario and New York State.

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Created by the waters of the Niagara River, Farther north, Canada stretches all the the falls flow between two of the Great way up to the Arctic Ocean. The land here Lakes—Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. The is covered with ice year-round. Ellesmere falls here plunge an average of 162 feet (50 Island is very rugged with snow-covered m) down a huge ledge. That is higher than mountains and jagged coastlines. Very many 15-story buildings! few people live this far north, but wildlife Canada has a region of rocky uplands, such as the polar bear and the Arctic wolf lakes, and swamps called the Canadian have adapted to the harsh environment. Shield. See on the map how this feature curves around Hudson Bay. The Shield Reading Check Summarizing What are the covers about half the country. major physical features of Canada?

Canada: Physical

ARCTIC OCEAN Ellesmere Island c i t Greenland e c l 160°W r c (DENMARK) r A i Place Canada is located between the C 150°W United States and the Arctic Ocean. MG7FVS canmap003ba 120°W 140°W 1. Locate What mountain range has 130°W HRW-MS GeographyBeaufort Maps Baffin the highest elevation? Canada: PhysicalSea Bay 2. Draw Conclusions How does Locator Baffin Island Canada’s northerly location affect

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M Island its climate? k a 60°W

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k e 50°W 80°W R e n

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O R Slave C 13,120 4,000 A 50°N O S Lake A Newfoundland 6,560 2,000 T C I LABRADOR N N Hudson Island M K 1,640 500 T A Y E O D Bay 656 200 R U M I IO A N (Sea level) 0 0 (Sea level) O R N Grand T James . A P U S Banks Below Below R L I H Bay . N N A Gulf of St. sea level sea level r I IN E R S e L T S D Lawrence s A e 0 500 1,000 Miles c a Lake

r I Vancouver N n F Winnipeg e 0 500 1,000 Kilometers Island S Saskatchewan Laurentian r River w Plateau N a Projection: Lambert PACIFIC Lake L E t. Azimuthal Equal-Area Huron S Bay of OCEAN Lake Ottawa Lake Fundy W Superior S Lake Ontario UNITED STATES Michigan Niagara ATLANTIC OCEAN Falls HRW-MS World Geography Lake Erie Mist rises over Niagara Falls where MG7FVS canmap003ca the Niagara River forms a natural Canada: Physical boundary between the United Legend States and Canada. Final pass –-7/7/05

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Climate Resources

FOCUS ON Canada’s location greatly influences the Canada is incredibly rich in natural READING country’s climate. Canada is located far resources such as fish, minerals, and for- What climates from the equator at much higher latitudes ests. Canada’s Atlantic and Pacific coastal would you include in a list than the United States. This more north- waters are among the world’s richest fish- of the climates erly location gives Canada cool to freezing ing areas. Off the Atlantic coast lies a large of Canada? temperatures year-round. fishing ground near Newfoundland and The farther north you go in Canada, the Labrador called the Grand Banks. Here, colder it gets. The coldest areas of Canada cold waters from the Labrador Sea meet are located close to the Arctic Circle. Much the warm waters of the Gulf Stream. These of central and northern Canada has a sub- conditions are ideal for the growth of tiny arctic climate. The far north has tundra and organisms, or plankton, that fish like to ice cap climates. About half of Canada lies eat. As a result, large schools of fish gather in these extremely cold climates. at the Grand Banks. However, recent over- The central and eastern parts of south- fishing of this region has left many fishers ern Canada have a much different climate. in Canada unemployed. It is humid and relatively mild. However, Minerals are also valuable resources the mildest area of Canada is along the in Canada. The Canadian Shield contains coast of British Columbia. This location on many mineral deposits. Canada is a main the Pacific coast brings rainy winters and source of the world’s nickel, zinc, and mild temperatures. Inland areas of south- uranium. Lead, copper, gold, and silver ern Canada are colder and drier. are also important resources. Saskatchewan has large deposits of potash, a mineral used Reading Check Categorizing What are to make fertilizer. Alberta produces most of Canada’s climates? Canada’s oil and natural gas.

Banff National Park Some of Canada’s most spectacu- lar scenery is found here in the Rockies at Banff National Park.

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The city of Windsor, Ontario, lies across Agriculture in Ontario the Detroit River from In this satellite image, crop fields in different stages of growth Detroit, Michigan. appear scattered throughout the province of Ontario. These rectangular fields of vegetation appear red at their height of growth and white after the crops are harvested. Rich soils and a mild climate in this region, which lies north of Lake Erie, make it one of Canada’s most fertile regions. Crops grown here include wheat, soybeans, corn, and a variety of vegetables. Some of these crops are exported to the United States through the Canadian port of Windsor to Detroit, Michigan, just across the Detroit River. Both cities appear in this image as shades of blue and brown.

Drawing Conclusions What is the economy of southern Ontario based on?

Vast areas of forests stretch across most of Canada from Labrador to the SUmmary and PReview In this sec- Pacific coast. These trees provide lumber tion, you learned that Canada shares and pulp. Pulp —softened wood fibers—is many physical features with the United used to make paper. The United States, the States. However, Canada’s geography is United Kingdom, and Japan get much of also different. Due to its northerly loca- their newsprint from Canada. Newsprint is tion, Canada has a cold climate. Fish, cheap paper used mainly for newspapers. minerals, fertile soil, and forests are all important natural resources. In the next Reading Check Drawing Conclusions How section, you will learn about the history do Canada’s major resources affect its economy? and culture of Canada.

Section 1 Assessment ONLINE QUIZ Reviewing Ideas, Terms, and Places Critical Thinking 1. a. Recall What river links the Great Lakes to the 4. Generalizing Using Resources Location Atlantic Ocean? your notes on Canada’s b. Explain What physical features does Niagara resources, identify the Falls flow between? location of each type c. Geographic Questions Look at the map in this of resource. section. Pose and answer a question about Cana- da’s physical geography. Focus on Speaking 2. a. Describe How is Canada’s climate related to its northerly location? 5. Writing about Physical Geography What infor- b. Draw Conclusions Locate Canada on the map mation about Canada’s physical features, climate, in this section. Where would you expect to find and resources might visitors find appealing? Jot Canada’s coldest climate? Why? down what descriptions you want to include in 3. a. Define What is the Grand Banks? your radio ad. b. Interpret How are Canada’s forests a valuable resource? Canada 173