Geography of Canada
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|+<big><big>'''Canada'''</big></big>
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| align="center" width="140px" | [[Image:Ca-map.png|300px|center|Map of Canada (geopolitical)]]
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| '''[[Continent]]''' || [[North America]]
|-fart
| '''[[Subregion]]''' || [[Northern America]]
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| '''[[Geographic coordinates]]''' || {{coor dm|60|00|N|95|00|W|type:country}}
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| '''[[Area]]'''<br> - Total <br> - Water
| [[List of countries by area|Ranked 2nd]]<br>[[1 E12 m²|9,984,670 km²]]<br> 891,163 km² (8.92%)
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| '''Coastline''' || 202,080 km (125,567 [[mile|mi]])
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| '''Land boundaries''' || 8,893 km
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| '''Countries bordered''' || [[United States of America|US]] 8,893 km
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| '''Maritime claims''' || 200 [[nautical miles|nm]]
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| '''Highest point''' || [[Mount Logan]], 5,959 m / 19,550 ft
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| '''Lowest point''' || [[Atlantic Ocean]], 0 m
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| '''Longest river''' || [[Mackenzie River]], 4,241 km (2,635 [[mile|mi]])
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| '''Largest inland body of water''' || [[Great Bear Lake]] 31,153 km² (12,021 [[square mile|sq. mi]])
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| '''Land Use'''<br> - Arable land<br> - Permanent<br> crops<br> - Permanent<br> pastures<br> - Forests and<br> woodlands<br> - Other ||<br>5 %<br><br>0 %<br><br>3 %<br><br>54 %<br>38 % (1993 est.)
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| '''[[Climate]]''': || [[Temperate]] to [[arctic]]
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| '''[[Terrain]]''': || [[plains]], [[mountain]]s, [[subarctic]], [[arctic]]
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| '''Natural resources''' || [[iron]] ore, [[nickel]], [[zinc]], [[copper]], [[gold]], [[lead]], [[molybdenum]], [[potash]], [[silver]], fish, timber, wildlife, [[coal]], [[petroleum]], [[natural gas]], [[hydropower]]
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| '''Natural hazards''' || [[permafrost]], [[cyclonic storm]]s, [[tornado]]es, [[forest fire]]s
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| '''Environmental issues''' || [[air pollution|air]] and [[water pollution]], [[acid rain]]s
|}
The '''geography of Canada''' is vast and diverse. Occupying most of the northern portion of [[North America]] (41% of the [[continent]]), [[Canada]] is the [[list of countries by area|world's second largest country]] in total area after [[Russia]].
Canada spans an immense territory between the [[Pacific Ocean]] to the west and the [[Atlantic Ocean]] to the east (hence the [[List of national mottos|country's motto]] "From sea to sea"), with the [[United States]] to the south ([[contiguous United States]]) and northwest ([[Alaska]]), and the [[Arctic Ocean]] to the north; [[Greenland]] is to the northeast. Off the southern coast of [[Newfoundland (island)|Newfoundland]] lies [[Saint-Pierre and Miquelon]], an [[Overseas collectivities of France|overseas collectivity]] of [[France]]. Since 1925, Canada has claimed the portion of the [[Arctic]] between 60°W and 141°W [[longitude]] to the [[North Pole]]; however, this claim is contested.<ref>{{Cite web| url= http://atlas.gc.ca/site/english/maps/historical/territorialevolution/1927/1 | author= Atlas of Canada | title= Canada teritorrial evolution | year= 2004 | month= April| accessdate=2007-03-01}}</ref>
Covering [[1 E12 m²|9,984,670]] [[square kilometre|km²]] or 3,855,103 [[square mile]]s (Land: 9,093,507 km² or 3,511,023 mi²; Water: [[1 E11 m²|891,163 km²]] or 344,080 mi²), Canada is slightly less than three-fifths as large as Russia, nearly 1.3 times larger than [[Australia]], slightly smaller than [[Europe]], and more than 40 times larger than the [[United Kingdom|UK]]. In total [[area]], Canada is slightly larger than both the U.S. and [[People's Republic of China|China]]; however, Canada ranks fourth in land area (total area minus the area of lakes and rivers) (China is 9,326,410 km² / 3,600,947 mi² and the U.S. is 9,161,923 km² / 3,537,438 mi²)<ref>{{cite web| url=http://education.yahoo.com/reference/factbook/countrycompare/area/3d.html;_ylt=As1XMsN8kgSx746VWazy_s7PecYF| title = World Factbook: Area Country Comparison Table| publisher = Yahoo Education| accessdate = 2008-06-17}}</ref>
The northernmost settlement in Canada (and in the world) is [[CFS Alert|Canadian Forces Station (CFS) Alert]] (just north of [[Alert, Nunavut]]) on the northern tip of [[Ellesmere Island]] – [[latitude]] 82.5°N – just 834 kilometres (518 [[mile|mi]]) from the North Pole.
The [[North Magnetic Pole|magnetic North Pole]] lies within the Canadian Arctic territorial claim; however, recent measurements indicate it is moving towards [[Siberia]].
==Physical geography==
[[Image:Canada-satellite.jpg|thumb|280px|left|A satellite composite image of Canada. Boreal forests prevail throughout the country, including the Arctic, the Coast Mountains and Saint Elias Mountains. The relatively flat Prairies facilitate agriculture. The Great Lakes feed the St. Lawrence River (in the southeast) where lowlands host much of Canada's population.]]
Canada covers 9,984,670 [[square kilometre|km²]] (3,855,103 sq. mi) and a panoply of various geoclimatic regions. Canada also encompasses vast maritime terrain, with the world's longest coastline of 202,080 [[kilometre]]s (125,567 [[mile|mi]]). The [[physical geography]] of Canada is widely varied. [[Boreal]] forests prevail throughout the country, ice is prominent in northerly Arctic regions and through the [[Rocky Mountains]], and the relatively flat [[Canadian Prairies]] in the southwest facilitate productive agriculture. The [[Great Lakes]] feed the [[St. Lawrence River]] (in the southeast) where lowlands host much of Canada's population.
===Appalachian Mountains===
The [[Appalachian Mountains|Appalachian mountain range]] extends from [[Alabama]] in the [[southern United States]] through the [[Gaspé Peninsula]] and the [[Atlantic Provinces]], creating rolling hills indented by river valleys. It also runs through parts of southern [[Quebec]].
The Appalachian mountains (more specifically the [[Notre Dame Mountains|Notre Dame]] and [[Long Range Mountains]]) are an old and eroded range of mountains, approximately 380 million years in age. Notable mountains in the Appalachians include [[Mount Jacques-Cartier]] (Quebec, 1,268 m / 4,160 [[foot (unit of length)|ft]]) and [[Mount Carleton]] (New Brunswick, 817 m / 2,680 ft). Parts of the Appalachians are home to a rich [[endemic (ecology)|endemic]] flora and fauna and are considered to have been [[nunatak]]s during the last [[glaciation]] era.
===Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Lowlands===
[[Image:Niagara Falls and Maid of the Mist 2005.JPG|thumb|right|The [[Horseshoe Falls (Canada)|Horseshoe Falls]] in [[Niagara Falls, Ontario]], one of the world's most voluminous waterfalls,<ref name="AtlasSignificantFacts">{{cite web |author=Natural Resources Canada |authorlink=Natural Resources Canada |publisher= Natural Resources Canada |url=http://atlas.nrcan.gc.ca/site/english/learningresources/facts/supergeneral.html |title=Significant Canadian Facts |date=[[2004-04-05]]|accessdate=2006-05-16}}</ref> a major source of hydroelectric power, and a tourist destination.]]
[[Image:Great Lakes from space.jpg|thumb|left|The Great Lakes from space]]
The southern parts of Quebec and Ontario, in the section of the [[Great Lakes]] (bordered entirely by [[Ontario]] on the Canadian side) and [[St. Lawrence River|St. Lawrence]] basin (often called [[St. Lawrence Lowlands]]), is another particularly rich sedimentary plain. Prior to its [[colonization]] and heavy [[urban sprawl]] of the 20th century, this area was home to large [[mixed forest]]s covering a mostly flat area of land between the [[Appalachian Mountains]] and the [[Canadian Shield]] Most of this forest has been cut down through agriculture and logging operations, but the remaining forests are for the most part heavily protected.
While the relief of these lowlands is particularly flat and regular, a group of [[batholite]]s known as the [[Monteregian Hills]] are spread along a mostly regular line across the area. The most notable are [[Montreal]]'s [[Mount Royal]] and [[Mont Saint-Hilaire]]. These hills are known for a great richness in rare [[mineral]]s.
===Canadian Shield===
The northern parts of [[Saskatchewan]], [[Manitoba]], Ontario, and Quebec, as well as most of [[Labrador]], the [[mainland]] portions of the province of [[Newfoundland and Labrador]], are located on a vast rock base known as the [[Canadian Shield]]. The Shield mostly consists of eroded hilly terrain and contains many important [[river]]s used for [[hydroelectricity|hydroelectric]] production, particularly in northern Quebec and Ontario. The shield also encloses an area of [[wetlands]], the [[Hudson Bay]] [[lowlands]]. Some particular regions of the Shield are referred to as [[mountain range]]s. They include the [[Torngat Mountains|Torngat]] and [[Laurentian Mountains]].
The Shield cannot support intensive [[agriculture]], although there is subsistence agriculture and small dairy farms in many of the river valleys and around the abundant lakes, particularly in the southern regions. [[Boreal forest]] covers much of the shield, with a mix of [[conifers]] that provide valuable timber resources. The region is known for its extensive mineral reserves.
===Canadian Interior Plains===
The [[Canadian Prairies]] are part of a vast [[sedimentary]] [[Great Plains|plain]] covering much of [[Alberta]], southern Saskatchewan, and southwestern Manitoba, as well as much of the region between the [[Rocky Mountains]] and the [[Great Slave Lake|Great Slave]] and [[Great Bear Lake|Great Bear]] lakes in [[Northwest Territories]]. The prairies generally describes the expanses of (largely flat) arable agricultural land which sustain extensive grain farming operations in the southern part of the provinces. Despite this, some areas such as the [[Cypress Hills (Canada)|Cypress Hills]] and [[Alberta Badlands]] are quite hilly.
===Western Cordillera===
The [[Canadian cordillera]], part of the [[American cordillera]], stretches from the Rocky Mountains in the east to the [[Pacific Ocean]].
The [[Canadian Rockies]] are part of a major [[continental divide]] that extends north and south through western North America and western [[South America]]. The [[Columbia River|Columbia]] and the [[Fraser River]]s have their headwaters in the Canadian Rockies and are the second and third largest rivers respectively to drain to the west coast of North America.
[[Image:Vancouverpalms.jpg|right|thumb|250px|[[Vancouver]] has a mild enough climate to support several species of palm trees.]]
Immediately west of the mountains is a large interior plateau encompassing the [[Chilcotin District|Chilcotin]] and [[Cariboo]] regions in central [[British Columbia]] (the [[Fraser Plateau and Basin complex|Fraser Plateau]]) and the [[Nechako Plateau]] further north. The [[Peace River (Canada)|Peace River]] Valley in northeastern British Columbia is Canada's most northerly agricultural region, although it is part of the prairies. The dry, temperate climate of the [[Okanagan]] Valley in south central British Columbia provides ideal conditions for fruit growing and a flourishing wine industry. Between the plateau and the coast is a second mountain range, the [[Coast Mountains]]. The Coast Mountains contain some of the largest temperate-latitude [[icefield]]s in the world.
On the south coast of British Columbia, [[Vancouver Island]] is separated from the mainland by the continuous [[Strait of Juan de Fuca|Juan de Fuca]], [[Strait of Georgia|Georgia]], and [[Johnstone Strait|Johnstone]] [[strait]]s. Those straits include a large number of islands, notably the [[Gulf Islands]]. North, near the [[Alaska]]n border, the [[Queen Charlotte Islands]] lie across [[Hecate Strait]] from the [[Bella Coola]] region. Other than in the plateau regions of the interior and the river valleys, most of British Columbia is coniferous forest. The only [[temperate rain forests]] in Canada are found along the Pacific coast in the Coast Mountains, on Vancouver Island, and on the Queen Charlotte Islands.
===Volcanoes===
{{Main|Volcanism in Canada}}
[[Image:Mount Garibaldi.jpg|right|thumb|250px|[[Mount Garibaldi]] as seen from [[Squamish, British Columbia|Squamish]] ]]
[[Western Canada]] has many [[volcano]]es and is part of the system of volcanoes found around the margins of the [[Pacific Ocean]], which is called the [[Pacific Ring of Fire]]. There are over 200 young volcanic centers that strech northward from the [[Cascade Range]] to the [[Yukon Territory]]. They are grouped into five [[volcanic belt]]s with different volcano types and [[plate tectonics|tectonic]] settings. The [[Northern Cordilleran Volcanic Province]] was formed by [[geologic fault|faulting]], cracking, [[rift]]ing, and the interaction between the [[Pacific Plate]] and the [[North American plate]]. The [[Garibaldi Volcanic Belt]] was formed by [[subduction]] of the [[Juan de Fuca Plate]] beneath the North American Plate. The [[Anahim Volcanic Belt]] was formed as a result of the North American Plate sliding westward over the [[Anahim hotspot]]. The [[Chilcotin Plateau Basalts]] is believed to have formed as a result of [[back-arc basin|back-arc extension]] behind the [[Cascadia subduction zone]]. The [[Wrangell Volcanic Field]] formed as a result of [[subduction]] of the [[Pacific Plate]] beneath the North American Plate at the easternmost end of the [[Aleutian Trench]].
Volcanism has also occurred in the [[Canadian Shield]]. It contains over 150 [[volcanic belt]]s (now deformed and eroded down to nearly flat [[plain]]s) that range from 600 million to 2.800 billion years old. Many of Canada's major [[ore]] deposits are associated with [[Precambrian]] volcanoes. There are [[lava|pillow lava]]s in the [[Northwest Territories]] that are about 2.6 billion years old and are preserved in the [[Cameron River Volcanic Belt]]. The pillow lavas in rocks over 2 billion years old in the Canadian Shield signify that great oceanic volcanoes existed during the early stages of the formation of the Earth's crust. Ancient volcanoes play an important role in estimating Canada's [[mineral]] potential. Many of the volcanic belts bear ore deposits that are related to the volcanism.
===Canadian Arctic===
{{Main|Northern Canada}}
While the largest part of the Canadian Arctic is composed of seemingly endless permanent ice and [[tundra]] north of the [[tree line]], it encompasses geological regions of varying types: the [[Arctic Cordillera]] (with the [[British Empire Range]] and the [[United States Range]] on [[Ellesmere Island]]) contains the northernmost mountain system in the world. The [[Arctic lowlands]] and Hudson Bay lowlands comprise a substantial part of the geographic region often designated as the Canadian Shield (in contrast to the sole geologic area). The ground in the Arctic is mostly composed of [[permafrost]], making construction difficult and often hazardous, and agriculture virtually impossible.
The Arctic, when defined as everything north of the tree line, covers most of [[Nunavut]] and the northernmost parts of Northwest Territories, Yukon, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, and Labrador.
<br clear="all">
==Hydrography==
<div style="float:left; width:282px; border:1px silver solid; margin-right:12px;">
{{Canada provinces map |AB =List of Alberta rivers|BC =List of British Columbia rivers|SK = List of Saskatchewan rivers|MB = List of Manitoba rivers|ON = List of Ontario rivers|QC = List of Quebec rivers|NB = List of New Brunswick rivers|PE = List of Prince Edward Island rivers |NS = List of Nova Scotia rivers|NL = List of Newfoundland and Labrador rivers|NT=List of Northwest Territories rivers|NU=List of Nunavut rivers | YU= List of Yukon rivers |Map=Canada-Drainage.png}}
<center><small>Drainage basins of Canada</small></center></div>
Canada holds vast reserves of water: its rivers discharge nearly 9% of the world's renewable water supply,<ref>{{Cite web| url= http://atlas.nrcan.gc.ca/site/english/maps/freshwater/distribution/1 | author= Atlas of Canada | title= Distribution of Freshwater | year= 2004 | month= February | accessdate=2007-02-01}}</ref> it contains a quarter of the world's wetlands, and it has the third largest amount of [[glacier]]s (after [[Antarctica]] and [[Greenland]]). Because of extensive [[glaciation]], Canada hosts more than two million [[lake]]s: of those that are entirely within Canada, more than 31,000 are between 3 and 100 square kilometres (1.2 & 38.6 mi²) in area, while 563 are larger than 100 km².<ref>{{Cite web| url= http://atlas.nrcan.gc.ca/site/english/learningresources/facts/lakes.html | author= Atlas of Canada | title= Facts about Canada - Lakes | year= 2004 | month= April| accessdate= 2007-03-01}}</ref>
===Drainage basins===
The '''Atlantic watershed''' drains the entirety of the [[Atlantic provinces]] (parts of the Quebec-Labrador [[Border|boundary]] are fixed at the Atlantic [[continental divide]]), most of inhabited Quebec and large parts of southern Ontario. It is mostly drained by the economically important St. Lawrence River and its tributaries, notably the [[Saguenay River|Saguenay]], [[Manicouagan River|Manicouagan]] and [[Ottawa River|Ottawa]] rivers. The Great Lakes and [[Lake Nipigon]] are also drained by the St. Lawrence. The [[Churchill River (Atlantic)|Churchill River]] and [[St. John River]] are other important elements of the Atlantic watershed in Canada.
The '''Hudson Bay watershed''' drains over a third of Canada. It covers Manitoba, northern Ontario and Quebec, most of Saskatchewan, southern Alberta, southwestern Nunavut and the southern half of [[Baffin Island]]. This basin is most important in fighting [[drought]] in the [[Canadian Prairies|prairies]] and producing hydroelectricity, especially in Manitoba, northern Ontario and Quebec. Major elements of this watershed include [[Lake Winnipeg]], [[Nelson River]], the [[North Saskatchewan River|North Saskatchewan]] and [[South Saskatchewan River]]s, [[Assiniboine River]], and [[Nettilling Lake]] on Baffin Island. [[Wollaston Lake]] lies on the boundary between the Hudson Bay and Arctic Ocean watersheds and drains into both. It is the largest lake in the world that naturally drains in two directions.
The Continental Divide in the Rockies separates the '''Pacific watershed''' in British Columbia and the Yukon from the Arctic and Hudson Bay watersheds. This watershed irrigates the agriculturally important areas of inner British Columbia (such as the [[Okanagan River|Okanagan]] and [[Kootenay River|Kootenay]] valleys), and is used to produce hydroelectricity. Major elements are the [[Yukon River|Yukon]], [[Columbia River|Columbia]] and [[Fraser River|Fraser]] Rivers.
The northern parts of Alberta, Manitoba and British Columbia, most of Northwest Territories and Nunavut, and parts of the Yukon are drained by the '''Arctic watershed'''. This watershed has been little used for hydroelectricity, with the exception of the [[Mackenzie River]], the longest river in Canada. The [[Peace River (Canada)|Peace]], [[Athabasca River|Athabasca]] and [[Liard River|Liard]] Rivers, as well as Great Bear Lake and Great Slave Lake (respectively the largest and second largest lakes wholly enclosed by Canada) are significant elements of the Arctic watershed. Each of these elements eventually merges with the Mackenzie, thereby draining the vast majority of the Arctic watershed.
The southernmost part of Alberta drains into the '''Gulf of Mexico''' through the [[Milk River (Montana-Alberta)|Milk River]] and its tributaries. The Milk River originates in the Rocky Mountains of [[Montana]], then flows into Alberta, then returns into the [[United States]], where it is drained by the [[Missouri River]]. A small area of southwestern Saskatchewan is drained by [[Battle Creek (Milk River)|Battle Creek]], which empties into the Milk River.
{{See also|List of rivers in Canada}}
==Floristic geography==
[[Image:portneuf.jpg|thumb|250px|right|[[Mixed forest]] landscape in Réserve Faunique de Portneuf, Québec]]
{{Main|Ecoregions of Canada}}
Canada has produced a [[Biodiversity Action Plan]] in response to the 1992 international accord; the plan addresses conservation of [[endangered species]] and certain habitats. The main [[biome]]s of Canada are:
* [[Tundra]]
* [[Boreal forest]]
* [[Mixed forest]]
* [[Broadleaf forest]]
* [[Prairie]]s
* [[Rocky Mountains]] - vegetation includes various types of tundra and forests
* [[Temperate coniferous forests]], of which the [[Temperate rain forest]]s of coastal British Columbia is an example.
{{See also|Flora of Canada|Fauna of Canada}}
==Human geography==
[[Image:Comparison_Size_with_Canada_map.GIF|thumb|right|Comparison Maps of Canada and other regional Blocks and States]]
Canada is divided into thirteen [[Provinces and territories of Canada|provinces and territories]]. According to [[Statistics Canada]], 72.0% of the population is concentrated within 150 kilometres (95 mi) of the nation's southern border with the United States, 70.0% live south of the [[49th parallel north|49th parallel]], and over 60% of the population lives along the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River between [[Windsor, Ontario]] and [[Quebec City]]. This leaves the vast majority of Canada's territory as sparsely populated wilderness; Canada's population density is 3.5 people/km² (9.1/mi²), among the lowest in the world. Despite this, 79.7% of Canada's population resides in [[Urban area|urban]] areas, where population densities are increasing.
Canada shares the world's [[United States-Canada border|longest undefended border]] with the U.S. at 8,893 kilometres (5,526 mi); 2,477 kilometres (1,539 mi) are with [[Alaska]]. The [[Denmark|Danish]] island dependency of [[Greenland]] lies to Canada's northeast, separated from the [[Canadian Arctic islands]] by [[Baffin Bay]] and [[Davis Strait]]. The [[France|French]] islands of [[Saint-Pierre and Miquelon]] lie off the southern coast of [[Newfoundland (island)|Newfoundland]] in the [[Gulf of St. Lawrence]] and have a maritime territorial enclave within Canada's [[Exclusive Economic Zone]]. Canada also shares a land border with [[Denmark]], as maps released in December 2006 show that the agreed upon boundaries run through the middle of [[Hans Island]].<ref>[http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2007/07/26/hans-technology.html Satellite imagery moves Hans Island boundary]</ref>
Canada's geographic proximity to the United States has historically bound the two countries together in the political world as well. Canada's position between the [[Soviet Union]] (now [[Russia]]) and the U.S. was strategically important during the [[Cold War]] since the route over the North Pole and Canada was the fastest route by air between the two countries and the most direct route for [[intercontinental ballistic missile]]s. Since the end of the Cold War, there has been growing speculation that [[Canadian Arctic|Canada's Arctic]] maritime claims may become increasingly important if [[global warming]] melts the ice enough to open the [[Northwest Passage]].
Similarly, the disputed – and tiny – [[Hans Island]] (with Denmark), in the [[Nares Strait]] between [[Ellesmere Island]] and northern Greenland, may be a flashpoint for challenges to overall claims of Canadian sovereignty in [[Canadian Arctic|The North]].
Similar to the more famous American [[Four Corners (United States)|Four Corners]], Canada has a [[Four Corners (Canada)|point common to two provinces and two territories]], near [[Kasba Lake]].
==Natural resources==
Canada's abundance of [[natural resources]] is reflected in their continued importance in the [[economy of Canada]]. Major resource-based industries are [[fisheries]], [[forestry]], [[agriculture]], [[Fossil Fuel|petroleum products]] and [[mining]].
The fisheries industry has historically been one of Canada's strongest. Unmatched [[cod]] stocks on the [[Grand Banks]] off Newfoundland launched this industry in the 16th century. Today these stocks are nearly depleted, and their conservation has become a preoccupation of the [[Atlantic Provinces]]. On the West Coast, [[tuna]] stocks are now restricted. The less depleted (but still greatly diminished) [[salmon]] population continues to drive a strong fisheries industry. Canada claims 12 nautical miles (22 km) of territorial sea, a contiguous zone of 24 nautical miles (44 km), an [[exclusive economic zone]] of 200 nautical miles (370 km) and a continental shelf of 200 nautical miles (370 km) or to the edge of the continental margin.
Forestry has long been a major industry in Canada. Forest products contribute one fifth of the nation's exports. The provinces with the largest forestry industries are British Columbia, Ontario and Quebec. Fifty-four percent of Canada's land area is covered in forest. The boreal forests account for four-fifths of Canada's forestland.
[[Image:Grain Elevator 047.jpg|thumb|right|280px|Albertan [[grain elevator]]s]]
Five per cent of Canada's land area is arable, none of which is for permanent crops. Three per cent of Canada's land area is covered by permanent pastures. Canada has 7,200 square kilometres (2,800 mi²) of irrigated land (1993 estimate). Agricultural regions in Canada include the Canadian Prairies, the [[Lower Mainland]] and interior plateau of British Columbia, the [[St. Lawrence Basin]] and the Canadian [[Maritimes]]. Main crops in Canada include [[flax]], [[oat]]s, [[wheat]], [[maize]], [[barley]], [[sugar beet]]s and [[rye]] in the prairies; flax and maize in [[Western Ontario]]; Oats and [[potato]]es in the Maritimes. [[Fruit]] and [[vegetable]]s are grown primarily in the [[Annapolis Valley]] of Nova Scotia, [[Southwestern Ontario]], the [[Golden Horseshoe]] region of Ontario, along the south coast of [[Georgian Bay]] and in the [[Okanagan]] Valley of British Columbia. [[Cattle]] and [[domestic sheep|sheep]] are raised in the valleys of British Columbia. Cattle, sheep and [[Hog (swine)|hog]]s are raised on the prairies, cattle and hogs in Western Ontario, sheep and hogs in Quebec, and sheep in the Maritimes. There are significant [[dairy]] regions in central Nova Scotia, southern New Brunswick, the St. Lawrence Valley, [[northeastern Ontario]], southwestern Ontario, the [[Red River of the North|Red River]] valley of Manitoba and the valleys of eastern British Columbia, on [[Vancouver Island]] and the [[Lower mainland]].
Fossil fuels are a more recently developed resource in Canada. While Canada's [[crude oil]] deposits are fewer, technological developments in recent decades have opened up oil production in Alberta's [[Tar Sands]] to the point where Canada now has some of the largest reserves of oil in the world. In other forms, Canadian industry has long exploited large [[coal]] and [[natural gas]] reserves.
Canada's mineral resources are diverse and extensive. Across the Canadian Shield and in the north there are large [[iron]], [[nickel]], [[zinc]], [[copper]], [[gold]], [[lead]], [[molybdenum]], and [[uranium]] reserves. Large [[diamond]] concentrations have been recently developed in the Arctic, making Canada one of the world's largest producers. Throughout the Shield there are many mining towns extracting these minerals. The largest, and best known, is [[Greater Sudbury|Sudbury]], Ontario. Sudbury is an exception to the normal process of forming minerals in the Shield since there is significant evidence that the [[Sudbury Basin]] is an ancient [[meteorite]] [[impact crater]]. The nearby, but less known [[Temagami Magnetic Anomaly]] has striking similarities to the Sudbury Basin. Its magnetic anomalies are very similar to the Sudbury Basin, and so it could be a second metal-rich impact crater.<ref name="GH">[http://gdcinfo.agg.nrcan.gc.ca/app/3Dimaging/temagami_e.html 3-D Magnetic Imaging using Conjugate Gradients: Temagami anomaly] Retrieved on [[2008-03-13]]</ref> The Shield is also covered by vast boreal forests that support an important [[logging]] industry.
Canada's many rivers have afforded extensive development of hydroelectric power. Extensively developed in British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec and Labrador, the many dams have long provided a clean, dependable source of energy.
==Natural hazards==
Continuous permafrost in the north is a serious obstacle to development. Cyclonic storms form east of the Rocky Mountains, a result of the mixing of air masses from the Arctic, Pacific, and North American interior, and produce most of the country's rain and snow
==Current environmental issues==
Air pollution and resulting [[acid rain]] severely affects lakes and damages forests. Metal smelting, coal-burning utilities, and vehicle emissions impact agricultural and forest productivity. And ocean waters are becoming contaminated from agricultural, industrial, mining, and forestry activities.
{{See also|Acid rain|Kyoto Protocol}}
Global [[climate change]] and the warming of the polar region will likely cause significant changes to the environment, including loss of the [[polar bear]]{{fact|date=June 2008}}, the exploration for resource then the extraction of these resources and an alternative transport route to the [[Panama Canal]] through the [[Northwest Passage]].
==Extreme points==
[[Image:Canada topo.jpg|thumb|right|280px|Topographic map]]
The northermost point within the boundaries of Canada is [[Cape Columbia]], [[Ellesmere Island]], [[Nunavut]] (83°08' N, 74°13'W). The [[North Pole]] at 90°N is the northernmost water point. On the Canadian mainland it is [[Murchison Promontory]] on [[Boothia Peninsula]], Nunavut (71°58'N).
The southernmost point is [[Middle Island (Lake Erie)|Middle Island]], [[Ontario]] (41°41'N, 82°40'W), with the water point being Lake Erie on the Ontario-[[Ohio]] border (41°40'35"N). On the Canadian mainland it is [[Point Pelee National Park|Point Pelee]], Ontario (41°54'23"N).
The westernmost point is the Yukon-[[Alaska]] border (141°00'W).
The easternmost point is [[Cape Spear]], Newfoundland (47°31'N, 52°37'W). On the Canadian mainland it is [[Cape St. Charles]], Labrador (52°13'N, 55°37'W)
The lowest point is [[sea level]] at 0 m, whilst the highest point is [[Mount Logan]] at 5,959 m / 19,550 ft.
{{See also|Extreme points of Canadian provinces}}
==See also==
<div style="float:right; width:200px; border:1px silver solid; margin-left:12px;">
{{Canada provinces map |AB =Geography of Alberta|BC =Geography of British Columbia|SK =Geography of Saskatchewan|MB =Geography of Manitoba|ON =Geography of Ontario|QC =Geography of Quebec|NB =Geography of New Brunswick|PE =Geography of Prince Edward Island|NS =Geography of Nova Scotia|NL =Geography of Newfoundland and Labrador|YU =Geography of Yukon|NT =Geography of Northwest Territories |NU =Geography of Nunavut|width=200px}}
<center><small>Geography by province</small></center></div>
*[[List of highest points of Canadian provinces and territories]]
*[[List of areas disputed by the United States and Canada]]
*[[Extreme communities of Canada]]
*[[Canadian Rockies]]
*[[Canadian Geographic]]
*[[Mountain peaks of Canada]]
==References==
{{reflist}}
==External links==
{{Commonscat|Geography of Canada}}
*Government of Canada - [http://atlas.gc.ca/site/english/maps/reference The Atlas of Canada]
*Canadian Geographic - [http://www.canadiangeographic.ca/atlas/ The Canadian Atlas Online]
{{Geography of North America}}
{{Canada Geography}}
{{Canada topics}}
[[Category:Geography of Canada| ]]
[[es:Geografía de Canadá]]
[[eu:Kanadako geografia]]
[[fr:Géographie du Canada]]
[[ko:캐나다의 지리]]
[[io:Geografio di Kanada]]
[[it:Geografia del Canada]]
[[lt:Kanados geografija]]
[[no:Canadas geografi]]
[[pl:Geografia Kanady]]
[[pt:Geografia do Canadá]]
[[ro:Geografia Canadei]]
[[ru:География Канады]]
[[fi:Kanadan maantiede]]
[[tr:Kanada coğrafyası]]
[[zh:加拿大地理]]