Canada's Climate, Natural Resources, and Population Distribution (Lesson)

Introduction

Canada is a large country made-up of many beautiful landforms, natural resources, and diverse climate regions. Landforms such as mountains, glaciers, plateaus, and fjords dominate the landscape. Since Canada's western seaboard sits on the area known as the "Ring of Fire", there are many volcanoes and mountains located in this region. In addition to Canada's beautiful landscape, Canada has a vast array of natural resources including iron ore, oil, natural gas, and coal. Because natural resources are plentiful, Canadians enjoy a high standard of living. Canada's climate varies from region to region. In the extreme northern region around the Arctic Circle, the climate is known as the tundra. Very few people reside in this region because of extreme cold temperatures. The southern region just north of the Great Lakes is called the humid continental region. This is where most Canadians live and work.

In this lesson we will examine Canada’s climate, the numerous natural resources found there and the effects that climate and natural resources have on the places that people can live and work in Canada.

Climate

Canada's 8 Climate Types
tundra, taiga, cordilla, pacific maritime, boreal, southeastern, prairie, atlantic maritime Canada has many diverse climates that range from Marine West Coast in Vancouver to Tundra in the northern regions of the country. There are a total of eight climate zones that can be found throughout Canada. Learn more about Canada's eight climate zones:

Tundra - The tundra zone can be found in the very northern parts and includes most of the Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut. The tundra can be defined as having long, extreme winters with short cool summers. For most of the year, the Arctic Ocean and other bodies of water are frozen. As a result, there is very poor evaporation and precipitation in this climate zone.

Taiga - The Taiga, or subarctic climate covers most of inland Canada. The Taiga includes much of the northern boreal forest along the tree line and the tundra. The Taiga has a low average temperature and has permanent ice caps. The Taiga has low precipitation during most of the year and rain during the summer months. The soil in the Taiga consists of poor nutrients.

Cordilla - The Cordilleran climate can be found in mountainous regions, basins, and plateaus throughout Canada. Areas along the coast tend to be moderate compared to inland areas while northern areas are cooler than southern areas. Winters in this area can last up to 8 months in the northern regions. The Cordillera climate extends along the Pacific coast into parts of the Yukon.

Pacific Maritime - Stretches along the Pacific Coast and into southern Alaska. This area along the coasts has an abundance of rainfall throughout the year. Because of ocean currents, temperatures are generally more mild during the winter months. Although summers are generally cooler.

Boreal - The Boreal climate region is located in Newfoundland and Labrador, stretches west to the Rocky Mountains, and north into Alaska. Most of the Boreal climate is inland, so climate is considered continental where there are warm summers and cold winters.

Southeastern - In the southeastern parts of Canada including Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick, the climate is both continental and maritime. A combination of humid summers and dryer winters prevail in this area.

Prairie - The prairie climate can be found throughout Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. Similar to continental climate, the winters in this region are generally very cold and summers are very hot. It is generally very dry in this region.

Atlantic Maritime - The Atlantic Maritime climate includes parts of Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, and Southeastern Quebec. Temperatures are generally mild in this region because of the Atlantic Ocean. Winters are cold but not extreme, and summers are warm but not hot. This region is generally very humid.

Canada's Population

Most Canadians live in temperate climate regions that are close to the US border. The primary reasons are because of trade with the United States and climate. Approximately 80% of Canada's population resides close to cities. The heaviest populated cities in Canada are Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, and Ottawa, Canada's capital. Approximately 20% of Canada's population live in rural areas outside the city. Most of these residents are farmers. There are very few people that live in Canada's extreme northern region. Native populations such as the Inuit can be found in these sparsely populated areas of the country.

Canada's Population
Provinces - Ontario 12.8 million, Quebec 8 million, Nova Scotia 1 million, New Brunswick 3/4 million, Manitoba 1.2 million, British Columbia 4.5 million, Prince Edward Island 140,000, Saskatchewan 1.1 million, Alberta 3.7 million, Newfoundland & Labrador 500,000
Territories - Northwest Territories 41,000, Yukon 34,000, Nunavet 32,000

Canada's Natural Resources

Canada has an abundance of natural resources, raw materials, and energy resources that are directly reflected in its large, prosperous economy. Other resource-based industries include mining, forestry, fisheries, agriculture, and products made from petroleum.

Canada's fishing industry is one of the largest and strongest in the world. Although, today there are strict regulations on overfishing of cod, tuna, and salmon due to the population depletion of these types of fish. Forestry is also a major industry in Canada. Products made from the forest contribute to approximately 20% of the country's exports. British Columbia, Ontario, and Quebec are the provinces with the largest forest industries in Canada.

Chart showing natural resources in Canada Agricultural regions of Canada include the interior of British Columbia where flax, wheat, corn, barley, rye, and sugar beets are grown. Nova Scotia and southwestern Ontario grow many different types of fruits and vegetables. In British Columbia and Quebec, cattle, sheep, and hogs are raised for food.

Canada is a major producer and exporter of fossil fuels such as oil and natural gas. Canada has many oil reserves that lie within the province of Alberta. Canada exports most of its energy resources to the United States.

In addition to fossil fuels, Canada has mineral resources that are mined across the Canadian Shield. Minerals such as iron, zinc, copper, gold, lead, and uranium are abundant in these vast areas. Large diamond concentrations have been found across the Arctic region.

Canada is home to many rivers and lakes that allow for the production of hydroelectric power. Canada is the world leader in hydroelectric power. Hydroelectric dams are clean energy and can be found throughout British Columbia, Labrador, and Quebec.
Because of the abundance of natural resources, fossil fuels, minerals, and raw materials, Canada is a developed country that continues to grow economically.

Consider This...

How does climate impact natural resources and where people live? Look at the chart above... why do some areas have more people than others? Using the definitions above, what type of climate do you think those areas have?

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Think About This

We have learned about the climate in Canada with its long, cold winters and short, humid summers and how the climate affects where people live and the economic activities of this diverse country.

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