Canadas Landform Regions Landform Region Map Western Cordillera

Canada’s Landform Regions

Landform Region Map

Western Cordillera Description • Rugged/young mountains • 2 major ranges: Coastal & Rocky Mts • Fast flowing rivers Rock Type • Sedimentary with some igneous and metamorphic A glacier-fed lake in Jasper National Park in Alberta

Western Cordillera Formation • Folding (Rocky Mts) • Volcanic (Coastal Mts) • Lava flows (interior Plateaus) Mountains of the Yukon. Notice the jagged peaks. If you look carefully, you will also see glaciers.

Western Cordillera Human Activities • Forestry • Transportation • Tourism • Fishing

Interior Plains Description • Flat to rolling plains • 3 levels separated by escarpments • Deep river valleys Rock Type • Sedimentary

Interior Plains Formation • Deposition of sediment into ancient seas • Glaciation • Differential erosion to form escarpments Farmland near the Red River in Southern Manitoba

Interior Plains Human Activities • Agriculture (wheat) • Oil and gas • Potash mining • Cattle ranching

Canadian Shield Description • Oldest rock • Relatively flat with rounded hills • Thousands of lakes • Saucer shaped Rock type • Igneous and Metamorphic A boulder in the Northwest Territories. It was deposited here by a retreating glacier.

Canadian Shield Formation • Volcanic mountains (igneous rock) • Erosion leveled mountains • Glaciers scraped soil and made lakes. Notice the scratches in the rock. They were caused by Glaciers retreating.

Canadian Shield Human Activities • Mining metallic minerals • Tourism & recreation

Hudson Bay Lowlands Description • Flat, low and swampy. Rock Type • Sedimentary A wetland known as a muskeg in Northern Manitoba

Hudson Bay Lowlands Formation • Sediment deposited under glacial melt water Human Activities - None

Great Lakes – St. Lawrence Lowlands Description • Flat plains to rolling hills • Great Lakes • St Lawrence = rift valley Rock Type • Sedimentary (some igneous in St. Lawrence region)

Great Lakes – St. Lawrence Lowlands Formation • Sediment deposited into shallow ancient seas • Glaciation • St Lawrence Rifting Valley A typical farm in Ontario

Great Lakes – St. Lawrence Lowlands Human Activities • Agriculture = Farming • Tourism • Manufacturing • Urbanization

Appalachian Mountains Description • Oldest highland • Rolling mountains and hills • Wide glacial valleys • Long deep coastal inlets Rock Type • Sedimentary with some igneous and metamorphic

Appalachian Mountains Formation • Collision of plates = Folding • Some volcanic activity • Eroded rounded mountains Human Activities • Fishing • Agriculture

Arctic Lowlands Description • Islands, gently rolling hills Rock Type • Sedimentary Tundra in Nunavut. Notice the flat land strewn rocks.

Arctic Lowlands Formation • Sedimentary rock scraped bare by glaciers (deposition) Human Activities • Oil and Natural Gas exploration and drilling

Innuitian Mountains Description • Rugged, ice covered mountains Rock Type • Sedimentary with some igneous and metamorphic The dramatic cliffs of Ellesmere Island, Nunavut.

Innuitian Mountains Formation • Collision of plates = folding • Some Volcanic activity Human Activities • Oil and Natural Gas