Human Geography of Canada Chapter 7 Developing a

Human Geography of Canada Chapter 7 Developing a Vast Wilderness

Early Peoples l Vast size & cold climate affected development l 1 st settlers came from Asia across the land bridge l Ancestors of the Inuit & Native American Indians

Early Peoples About A. D. 1000, Leif Erikson landed in what is now Newfoundland l Called it Vinland, after the wild grapes there l Vikings built a settlement & later and later abandoned it l

Early Peoples In 1497, Giovanni Caboto (John Cabot in English) an Italian navigator, landed in Newfoundland & claimed the region for England l European exploration & colonization followed l

France & Britain l In the 16 th & 17 th century, French explorers claimed much of Canada l Settlements were called New France l British colonized the Atlantic coast l Fisheries & inland fur trade were important to both

French & British Challenged Claims l British defeated the French in the French & Indian War (1754 -1763) l Forced France to surrender its territory, but French settlers remained

Steps Toward Unity l l l In the 18 th century, there were 2 distinct cultures Roman Catholic French & Protestant English Conflict erupted In 1791, the British government split Canada into 2 provinces Upper Canada (Ontario) – English speaking majority Lower Canada (Quebec) – French speaking majority

Dominion of Canada l In 1867, created the Dominion of Canada l Loose confederation of Ontario, Quebec, 2 British colonies (Nova Scotia & New Brunswick) l Remained part of the British Empire, but had self-government l Ottawa, Ontario became the capital

Canada’s Government Today Recognized by the British as an independent nation in 1931 l Parliamentary government, system in which legislative & executive functions are combined in the legislature called a parliament l Parliament consists of an appointed Senate & an elected House of Commons l The majority party’s leader in Parliament becomes Prime Minister l

Parliament

Economy l Industries: l l l l l Farming Logging Mining Fishing Automobiles Steel Household appliances Electronics High-tech and mining equipment

Economy l 60% of the GDP comes from service industries l Tourism, communications, finance, utilities, etc. l NAFTA – North American Free Trade Agreement l Made trade between Mexico, U. S. , & Canada easier

Language l Officially a bilingual country l English-speaking majority l French-speaking minority l Native languages

Religion l Protestant (English) l Roman Catholic (French) l Muslims l Jews

Population l 33 million l 80% of Canadians live on 10% of the land l Most live along a 100 mile strip of land just north of the U. S. border

Life in Canada Today l Leisure time Skating, ice hockey, fishing, skiing, golf, & hunting l Professional sports teams (own football league and ice hockey, baseball, basketball teams compete in U. S. leagues) l

Subregions of Canada l Atlantic Provinces Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, & Newfoundland l 8% of the population l Most live on coastal cities l Small population due to rugged terrain & severe weather l

Nova Scotia

Subregions of Canada l The Core Provinces Quebec & Ontario l Canada’s heartland l 3 out of 5 Canadians live there l Settlement along the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway l Political & economic life l

Ottawa

Subregions of Canada l The Prairie Provinces Manitoba, Saskatchewan, & Alberta l Canada’s breadbasket l 50% of Canada’s agricultural production l

Subregions of Canada l British Columbia & the Territories Yukon Territory, Northwest Territories, & Nunavut l Vancouver, BC is Canada’s largest port l Territories make up 41% of the land mass l

Vancouver