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.