1) Canada has a large and diverse geography characterized by different physical regions that have influenced patterns of human settlement and economic development over time. 2) Early European settlement focused on resource extraction of fish, fur, timber along coasts and major rivers for export to "mother countries". 3) Through the 19th century, Canada developed economically through the export of staple resources like fur, fish, forestry and mining products from various regions, and later wheat from the prairies. 4) Today the population and economy are concentrated near the US border, with resource industries still important, but also manufacturing, services and knowledge-based industries dominating major cities.

1. A Regional Geography ofA Regional Geography of
CanadaCanada
Study Canada 2012
David RossiterDavid Rossiter
Department of Environmental Studies, WWUDepartment of Environmental Studies, WWU
F H Johnston: Fire Swept – Algoma, 1920

2. “If some countries have too much history,
we have too much geography.”
– PM W.L. Mackenzie King,1936
Whistler, BC backcountry. Photo: D. Rossiter,

3. Oh, to brag…Oh, to brag…
• Second largest country
• Canada’s total area: 9,984,670 sq.km
– 9,093,507 sq.km land
– 891,163 sq.km freshwater.
• Coastline: 243,042 km
– Longest in world
• Resource rich
• Sparse yet diverse population
Source: Statistics Canada

4. BC
ALTA
SASK
MTBA
ONT
QUE
NB
NS
PEI
NFLD
and LAB
YK
NWT NVT
Pop QuizPop Quiz

5. Victoria
Edmonton
Regina
Winnipeg
Toronto
Quebec
Fredericton
Halifax
Charlottetown
St. John’s
Whitehorse
Yellowknife
Iqaluit
Vancouver
Calgary
Saskatoon
Ottawa Montreal
St. John

6. How to make sense of it all?How to make sense of it all?
• Physical base
• Human geography – current patterns
• Historical geography and political economy
• Oil Canada: regions, environment, and
economy

7. The Physical BaseThe Physical Base
• Geology
• Topography
• Soils
• Vegetation
• Climate
Fundamental to understanding Canada’s human
geography and historical development

8. The Late Wisconsin Ice AgeThe Late Wisconsin Ice Age
• Maximum extent 18,000 years ago
• Started to recede 15,000 years ago
• Last remnants in Rockies 7,000 years ago
Glacial till and erratic – NS
Drumlin – Alberta Glacial valley - Alberta

11. Appalachian UplandsAppalachian Uplands
• N. Appalachian
Mountains
• Rounded uplands;
narrow river valleys
• Rocky, shallow soils
• Mixed forest
• Cool, maritime climate
– short summer, wet
winter
NFLD Coast

12. Great Lakes – St. LawrenceGreat Lakes – St. Lawrence
LowlandsLowlands
• Sedimentary rock
and glacial deposits
• Flat, rolling
topography
• Good soil
• Moderate climate,
good growing season
– humid and hot
summer / cold winter
Oak Ridges Moraine – S. Ontario

13. Canadian ShieldCanadian Shield
• Geol. core of N.A.
• Precambrian rocks
– > 3 billion yrs old
• Widespread glaciation
– shallow soils, exposed
granite
• Mixed and Boreal forest
• Northern continental
climate
– hot, short summer / cold,
long winter
North Shore, Quebec

14. Interior PlainsInterior Plains
• Sedimentary rock
• Shaped by glacial and
hydrological processes
– river valleys
• Drain east to Hudson Bay
• Decent soils in south
• Oil and gas deposits
• Continental climate
– moderate precip.
– hot summer / cold winter
Wheat fields outside Winnipeg, MB
South Saskatchewan River

15. CordilleraCordillera
• Formed 40-80 million years
ago
– colliding NA and Pac. plates
• Glaciers in high alpine
• Fertile river valleys and
deltas
• Mostly coniferous forest
• Micro-climates
– warmer, wetter on coast
– colder, drier in interior
Alberta Rockies
The Barrier – Coast Mountains

16. Hudson Bay LowlandsHudson Bay Lowlands
• Youngest phyiso. reg. in
Canada
• Muskeg
– w/ low ridges of sand and
gravel
• Poorly drained
– low elev., level surface
• Northern climate
– maritime influence
– short summer / long winter
Muskeg
James Bay delta

17. Arctic LandsArctic Lands
• ~25% of Canada’s territory
• Coastal lowlands & plateaux and mtns. (Innutian)
• Mainly sedimentary rock w/ permafrost
• Glaciers still active
• Areas of polar desert
Baffin Island - Nunavut

18. Where are all the people?Where are all the people?
Short answer:
• In cities, near the USA
– ~80% of Canadians live in cities (100,000+)
– ~80% of Canadians live within 100km of USA

19. Population density, 2006Population density, 2006
Map source: Atlas of CanadaMap source: Atlas of Canada
Total population, 2011 - 33,476,690Total population, 2011 - 33,476,690
Source: Statistics CanadaSource: Statistics Canada
LegendLegend
Density by
Census Div.
(persons /
sq.km)
< 0.1
0.1-0.9
1.0-3.5
3.6-19.9
20.0-49.9
50.0-150.0
> 150.0

20. Major Cities andMajor Cities and
ProductiveProductive
AgriculturalAgricultural
LandsLands

21. Where are all the people?Where are all the people?
Longer answer:
• All over
– “Heartland” (cities) draws on resources of
“hinterland”
– north dominated by resource towns and regional
service centres

22. Resource ReliantResource Reliant
Communities, 2001Communities, 2001
Map source: Atlas of CanadaMap source: Atlas of Canada LegendLegend
30-100% of
income
from:
AgricultureAgriculture
EnergyEnergy
FisheryFishery
ForestryForestry
MiningMining

23. Financial Specialization, 1996Financial Specialization, 1996
Map source: Atlas of CanadaMap source: Atlas of Canada
LegendLegend
Degree of
specialization
LowLow
toto
High

24. An historical-geography ofAn historical-geography of
Canada’s political economyCanada’s political economy
in 10 minutes…in 10 minutes…

25. Three Popular ExplanationsThree Popular Explanations
• Staples Development
– Canada developed by resource extraction
• Heartland-hinterland patterns
– International, national, regional scales
• Physical disunity (or, unity despite geography)
– Human settlement in patches, difference from
USA

26. Storehouse of Raw Materials?Storehouse of Raw Materials?
• “Hewers of wood and
drawers of water”
• Early Euro interests more
commercial than colonial –
fish, fur, timber
• Settlement through
extraction and export
– Trade with “mother
countries”
• Resources still major
economic sector

27. Regional Run-downRegional Run-down
• New France (later Quebec / Lower Canada)
– From 17th
C: “habitant” agriculture, fur trade, forestry
• Maritimes (NFLD, Acadia; later NB, NS, PEI)
– From 17th
C: fisheries, lim. ag.; 19th
C: forestry NB
• Upper Canada; later Ontario
– From 18th
C: freehold agriculture; 19th
C:
manufacturing in south, mining & forestry in north
• West (“the NW”, the prairies, the cordillera)
– From 18th
C: fur trade; 19th
C: mining & forestry in BC,
agriculture in prairies

28. Source: www.canadianheritage.org
ChangingChanging
EconomicEconomic
Geographies:Geographies:
From East toFrom East to
West (and backWest (and back
again) in the late-again) in the late-
1919thth
C…C…

29. ……to North and South (and all over) in theto North and South (and all over) in the
2020thth
C.C.
GM plant – Oshawa, ON

30. Oil CanadaOil Canada

31. Source:
http://www.energy.gov.ab.ca

32. Map source:
nicholas.duke.edu

33. Northern GatewayNorthern Gateway
Map source: pacifcwild.org

34. References
• Many maps and images were obtained at:
– www.canadainfolink.ca/geog.htm
– http://atlas.nrcan.gc/site/english/index.html
• Other resources:
– A good atlas of Canada
– Historical Atlas of Canada, vols. 1-3, University of
Toronto Press
– Heartland and Hinterland, McCann and Gunn
– Regional Geography of Canada, Bone