Canada's Regions Flashcards

Canada's Regions

  • Canada is the second largest country: 10 million square kilometers.
  • Three oceans border Canada:
    • Pacific (West)
    • Atlantic (East)
    • Arctic (North)
  • Southern border: Canada-United States boundary.

Five Regions of Canada

  • Atlantic Provinces
  • Central Canada
  • Prairie Provinces
  • West Coast
  • Northern Territories

National Capital

  • Ottawa: Chosen as the capital in 1857 by Queen Victoria.
  • Fourth largest metropolitan area.
  • National Capital Region: 4,700 square kilometers surrounding Ottawa.
  • Rideau Canal: Tourist attraction and winter skateway.

Population

  • Canada: Approximately 34 million people.

Provinces and Territories

  • Ten provinces and three territories.
  • Each has its own capital city.

Atlantic Provinces

  • Coasts and natural resources are vital to Canada's history and development.
  • Cool winters and humid summers due to the Atlantic Ocean.

Prince Edward Island (PEI) - Charlottetown

  • Smallest province known for:
    • Beaches
    • Red soil
    • Agriculture (especially potatoes)
  • Birthplace of Confederation.
  • Confederation Bridge: 13 kilometers long.
  • Anne of Green Gables: Famous Canadian story by Lucy Maud Montgomery.

Newfoundland and Labrador - St John’s

  • Most easterly part of North America with its own time zone.
  • Oldest British colony.
  • Known for fisheries, coastal fishing villages, and distinct culture.
  • Off-shore oil and gas extraction; Labrador has hydro-electric resources.

Nova Scotia - Halifax

  • Largest population among Atlantic provinces.
  • World’s highest tides in the Bay of Fundy.
  • Halifax: Largest east coast port.
  • Nova Scotian culture: Celtic and Gaelic traditions.
  • Over 700 annual festivals.

New Brunswick - Fredericton

  • Second largest river system on the Atlantic coast: St. John River system.
  • Main industries: forestry, agriculture, fisheries, mining, food processing, and tourism.
  • Saint John: Largest city, port, and manufacturing center.
  • Moncton: Principal Francophone Acadian centre.
  • Fredericton: Historic capital.
  • Only officially bilingual province.

Central Canada

  • Southern Quebec and Ontario near the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River.
  • Industrial and manufacturing heartland.
  • Cold winters and warm humid summers.
  • Produces more than three-quarters of Canadian manufactured goods.

Quebec - Quebec City

  • Nearly eight million people, mostly along the St. Lawrence River.
  • Over three-quarters speak French as their first language.
  • Industries: forestry, energy, and mining.
  • Main producer of pulp and paper.
  • Largest producer of hydro-electricity.
  • Leaders in pharmaceuticals and aeronautics.
  • Montreal: Second largest French-speaking city after Paris, known for cultural diversity.

Ontario - Toronto

  • More than 12 million people.
  • Toronto: Largest city and main financial center.
  • Service and manufacturing industries are significant.
  • Niagara region: Vineyards, wines, and fruit crops.
  • Largest French-speaking population outside of Quebec.
  • Five Great Lakes: Lake Ontario, Lake Erie, Lake Huron, Lake Michigan (in the U.S.A.) and Lake Superior.
    • Lake Superior: Largest freshwater lake.

Prairie Provinces

  • Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta.
  • Rich in energy resources and fertile farmland.
  • Mostly dry, with cold winters and hot summers.

Manitoba - Winnipeg

  • Economy: agriculture, mining, and hydro-electric power generation.
  • Winnipeg: Most populous city.
  • St. Boniface: Largest Francophone community in Western Canada (45,000).
  • Important center of Ukrainian culture; Largest Aboriginal population.

Saskatchewan - Regina

  • "Breadbasket of the world"; "Wheat province".
  • 40% of Canada's arable land; Largest producer of grains and oilseeds.
  • Richest deposits of uranium and potash.
  • Regina: Training academy of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
  • Saskatoon: Headquarters of the mining industry.

Alberta - Edmonton

  • Most populous Prairie province.
  • Named after Princess Louise Caroline Alberta.
  • Five national parks, including Banff National Park.
  • Largest producer of oil and gas; Oil sands are a major energy source.
  • Vast cattle ranches; Major beef producer.

West Coast

  • British Columbia: Known for mountains and as Canada’s Pacific gateway.
  • Port of Vancouver: Largest and busiest in Canada.
  • Temperate climate due to Pacific airstreams.

British Columbia - Victoria

  • Westernmost province on the Pacific coast.
  • Port of Vancouver: Gateway to the Asia-Pacific.
  • Forestry products are valuable (lumber, newsprint, pulp).
  • Mining, fishing, fruit orchards, and wine industry in the Okanagan Valley.
  • Most extensive park system in Canada.
  • Large Asian communities speak Chinese and Punjabi.
  • Victoria: Tourist center and headquarters of the navy’s Pacific fleet.

The Northern Territories

  • Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut.
  • One-third of Canada’s land mass, but only 100,000 population.
  • Gold, lead, copper, diamond, and zinc mines; Developing oil and gas deposits.
  • "Land of the Midnight Sun" (24 hours of daylight in summer).
  • Long, cold winters and short, cool summers.
  • Tundra: Vast rocky Arctic plain with permanently frozen soil (permafrost).
  • Hunting, fishing, and trapping.
  • Inuit art.

Yukon - Whitehorse

  • Gold Rush of the 1890s.
  • Mining remains significant.
  • White Pass and Yukon Railway.
  • Coldest temperature ever recorded in Canada: -63^\circ C.
  • Mount Logan: Highest mountain in Canada.

Northwest Territories - Yellowknife

  • Formed in 1870 from Rupert’s Land and the North-Western Territory.
  • Yellowknife: "Diamond capital of North America".
  • More than half the population is Aboriginal (Dene, Inuit and Métis).
  • Mackenzie River: Second-longest river system in North America (4,200 km).

Nunavut - Iqaluit

  • Established in 1999 from the eastern part of the Northwest Territories.
  • Iqaluit: Capital, formerly Frobisher Bay.
  • Population: ~85% Inuit.
  • Inuktitut: Official language and first language in schools.

Canadian Rangers

  • Security and sovereignty challenges in the vast North.
  • Canadian Rangers (Canadian Forces Reserves) play a key role.
  • Use indigenous knowledge; Travel by snowmobile and all-terrain vehicles.