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Chapter 10: Canada's regions

Canada's size, oceans and regions

Canada is the second largest country on earth, covering about 10 million square kilometres. Three oceans line its coasts: the Pacific Ocean in the west, the Atlantic Ocean in the east and the Arctic Ocean in the north. To the south, Canada shares its boundary with the United States.

Discover Canada groups the country into five regions: the Atlantic Provinces, Central Canada, the Prairie Provinces, the West Coast and the Northern Territories. Together they make up 10 provinces and 3 territories, each with its own landscape, history and industries.

Ottawa, on the Ottawa River, is the national capital. Queen Victoria chose it in 1857 as the capital of the Province of Canada, and it remained the capital after Confederation. The National Capital Region surrounds Ottawa and protects the area's historic buildings and natural environment.

Provinces, territories and their capitals

Every province and territory has its own capital. In the Atlantic Provinces: St. John's (Newfoundland and Labrador), Charlottetown (Prince Edward Island), Halifax (Nova Scotia) and Fredericton (New Brunswick). In Central Canada: Quebec City (Quebec) and Toronto (Ontario). On the Prairies: Winnipeg (Manitoba), Regina (Saskatchewan) and Edmonton (Alberta). On the West Coast: Victoria (British Columbia). In the North: Whitehorse (Yukon), Yellowknife (Northwest Territories) and Iqaluit (Nunavut).

Watch for common mix-ups. The capital is not always the best-known city: it is Quebec City, not Montreal; Victoria, not Vancouver; Edmonton, not Calgary; Regina, not Saskatoon; and Fredericton, not Saint John. Also remember that St. John's (Newfoundland and Labrador) and Saint John (New Brunswick) are different cities.

The Atlantic Provinces

The Atlantic Provinces are Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. Fishing, farming, forestry and mining are important here.

Newfoundland and Labrador is the most easterly point in North America and has its own time zone. Known for its fisheries and coastal villages, it now also gains much from offshore oil and gas, and Labrador has immense hydro-electric resources. Prince Edward Island, the smallest province, is known for beaches, red soil and potatoes. It is the birthplace of Confederation and is linked to the mainland by the Confederation Bridge.

Nova Scotia, whose name means "New Scotland," has the world's highest tides in the Bay of Fundy, and Halifax is home to Canada's largest naval base. New Brunswick, founded by Loyalists, is Canada's only officially bilingual province.

Central Canada

Central Canada is made up of Quebec and Ontario. The lands near the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River form Canada's industrial and manufacturing heartland. Southern Quebec and Ontario have cold winters and warm, humid summers.

Quebec used the resources of the Canadian Shield to build forestry, energy and mining industries. Thanks to its abundant fresh water, it is Canada's largest producer of hydro-electricity, and it is the main producer of pulp and paper. Quebecers are also leaders in pharmaceuticals and aeronautics.

Ontario was founded by United Empire Loyalists. Toronto, its capital, is the country's main financial centre. The Niagara region is known for its vineyards, wines and fruit crops. Four of the five Great Lakes (Ontario, Erie, Huron and Superior) lie between Ontario and the United States; the fifth, Lake Michigan, is entirely in the US. Lake Superior is the largest freshwater lake in the world.

The Prairie Provinces

The Prairie Provinces are Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta. The region is rich in energy resources and has some of the most fertile farmland in the world.

Manitoba's economy is based on agriculture, mining and hydro-electric power generation. Winnipeg's French Quarter, St. Boniface, has a strong Francophone community, and the province is an important centre of Ukrainian culture.

Saskatchewan was once called the "breadbasket of the world" and the "wheat province." It is Canada's largest producer of grains and oilseeds and has the world's richest deposits of uranium and potash, which is used in fertilizer. Its capital, Regina, is home to the RCMP training academy.

Alberta was named after Princess Louise Caroline Alberta, a daughter of Queen Victoria. It is Canada's largest producer of oil and gas, is famous for its cattle ranches, and its Badlands hold rich dinosaur fossils.

The West Coast

British Columbia makes up the West Coast region. Lying on the Pacific Ocean and known for its mountains, it is Canada's gateway to the Asia-Pacific. The Port of Vancouver is Canada's largest and busiest port, handling goods traded around the world.

Victoria, not Vancouver, is the provincial capital. It is a tourist centre and the headquarters of the navy's Pacific fleet. Forestry, mining and fishing are important industries, and the Okanagan Valley is known for its fruit orchards and wine. British Columbia also has the most extensive park system in Canada, with hundreds of provincial parks.

The Northern Territories

The Northern Territories are Yukon, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut. Together they cover about one-third of Canada's land mass. The North is called the "Land of the Midnight Sun" because at the height of summer daylight can last up to 24 hours, while in winter the sun can disappear for months. Winters are long and cold and summers short and cool. Much of the region is tundra, a vast rolling Arctic plain where no trees grow.

Yukon drew thousands of miners during the Gold Rush of the 1890s, and mining is still important there; its capital is Whitehorse. The Northwest Territories, formed in 1870, have Yellowknife as capital, the "diamond capital of North America." Nunavut, meaning "our land" in Inuktitut, was created in 1999 from the eastern part of the Northwest Territories; its capital is Iqaluit.

Practice questions on this chapter

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