Nature of Canada

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Nature of CanadaA country of high mountains and endless plains. In terms of the size of the territory and the nature of nature, Canada is very similar to our Siberia. Like Siberia, Canada lies in temperate and cold climates. Most of the country is covered with dense taiga forests, concealing enormous wealth of valuable species of wood and fur-bearing animals, endless tundra lies in the north, and steppes stretch in the south between the Rocky Mountains and Lake Winnipeg. In the extreme west and east, mountains rise, in which a change of various landscapes is observed during the rise.

Beautiful Canadian "national parks" in the provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, in the Primorye provinces, where nature has been preserved in its virgin form. Waterton Park, located at the junction of the borders of the provinces of Alberta and British Columbia and the United States, is exceptionally picturesque. Here the Front Range rises majestically, the slopes of which are like a staircase of platforms, depressions ("circuses", "trogs") formed by an ancient glacier. The steepness of the slopes is softened by the placers of rock debris. Deep below, the mountain river Waterton snakes through.

The territory of Canada has a complex geological structure, in which rocks of various ages take part. Along with such an ancient structure as the Canadian Shield, there are also young mountains - the Cordillera.

Nature of CanadaMore than half of the country's territory (north of the valley of the St. Lawrence River and the Great Lakes) is occupied by the Laurentian Plateau, a part of the Canadian Shield protruding to the surface.

This is the most ancient part of the Canadian land mass, composed of crystalline rocks (granites, gneisses), which in some places are covered by younger glacial deposits. The plateau is a gently undulating plain, low-lying in the north, elevated in the west, south and northeast, where it reaches an altitude of 500-600 to 1700 m (on the Labrador Peninsula).

In the recent geological past, this area of ​​Canada was covered by a huge glacier, which left an imprint on the entire nature of this region. Traces of glaciation are visible everywhere: smoothed rocks - "lamb's foreheads", moraines, countless chains of lakes. All this gives the region a peculiar beauty and makes it very similar to the northwestern parts of Russia, especially to Karelia. The Laurentian Plateau is one of the harshest and most uninhabited parts of the country, and at the same time is its treasury due to its enormous wealth of minerals.
In the recent geological past, this area of ​​Canada was covered by a huge glacier, which left an imprint on the entire nature of this region. Traces of glaciation are visible everywhere: smoothed rocks - "lamb's foreheads", moraines, countless chains of lakes. All this gives the region a peculiar beauty and makes it very similar to the northwestern parts of Russia, especially to Karelia. The Laurentian Plateau is one of the harshest and most uninhabited parts of the country, and at the same time is its treasury due to its enormous wealth of minerals.

Nature of CanadaTo the north and south, the plateau is bordered by large lowlands such as the Inner Plains, Laurentian Lowlands and Hudson Bay Lowlands. The plains are very characteristic of Canadian nature. It was they who created Canada the glory of a country of vastness and boundless distances. The endless expanse of the steppes, covered with a green carpet of grasses or crops in the spring, a variegated or golden carpet in summer and white in winter, reminds of the Russian and Ukrainian steppe expanses.

The most famous are the steppes of the southern parts of the provinces of Albert, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, as a result of which these provinces are called steppe.Laurentian lowland, located to the south of the plateau, is distinguished by especially favorable natural conditions: a temperate climate, soil fertility, etc. The main economic region of the country is located here.

In the southeast, the Appalachian Mountains, an ancient mountain system, enter Canada. Like our Urals, the Appalachians are heavily destroyed, rich in minerals. The average height of the mountains is 600 m, and only on the Gaspe Peninsula individual peaks rise to a height of over 1200 m (summit Shikshok — 1270 m). The mountains are heavily dissected by river valleys, covered with dense forest.

The western part of Canada is occupied by one of the greatest and most beautiful mountain systems in the world - the Cordilleras. Within Canada, this mountain system extends over a huge distance - almost 2.5 thousand km from north to south and 750 km from west to east. There are over 70 peaks with a height of more than 3300 m, and the maximum height of the mountains reaches 5-6 thousand m (including Mount Logan 6045 m - the highest point of the Canadian Cordilleras).

The Canadian Cordilleras are one with the American Cordilleras. The Coastal Range stretches along the Pacific coast and on the offshore islands. To the east are the Rocky Mountains. Between these mountain ranges is a lowered area of ​​the inner plateaus.

The Cordillera are relatively young mountains, composed of limestones and sandstones in the east and granites and crystalline schists in the west. They are very majestic and constitute one of the most picturesque areas in the country. Rapid river valleys combine with peaks covered with eternal snow and glaciers. This entire area is covered with huge forests. The Cordillera conceal numerous deposits of non-ferrous and precious metals, a significant part of which is being exploited.

The richest pantry

Nature of CanadaThe bowels of Canada are fraught with tremendous wealth. This country occupies a prominent place in the reserves of many types of minerals, including iron, non-ferrous metals, uranium, radium, precious metals, asbestos, and a prominent place in the reserves of coal and oil.

The Canadian Shield is especially distinguished by the richness of mineral raw materials. It is like a huge storehouse of the country, where the largest deposits of iron, nickel, copper, cobalt, platinum and uranium, gold and silver are located. In the Appalachians, there are deposits of asbestos, chromite, coal, non-ferrous and precious metals. The Cordillera are rich in numerous deposits of non-ferrous and precious metals.

Estimates of coal reserves in Canada differ sharply (from 100 billion, tons at the minimum, to 700 billion, tons at the maximum).

The most important coal deposits are located in the west of the country (Alberta, Saskatchewan) and in the east (Nova Scotia and New Brunswick). The total oil reserves in Canada are about 500 million tons. The overwhelming part of them is confined to the oil-bearing belt of the steppe provinces, especially the province of Alberta (the Leduc, Reduwater, Turner, Pembina fields). Small oil fields are found in the south of Ontario and in the Northwest Territory.

Canada is very rich in iron ore. Ore reserves, according to some estimates, exceed 20 billion tons. The largest deposits are located in the south-west of Ontario (in the area of ​​Lake Superior - Stip-Rock, Mishipiko-ten), on about. Newfoundland (Bell Island) and Labrador.

The richest resources of non-ferrous metals (for example, nickel) have long glorified the country. Most of the deposits of polymetallic ores are located near rich sources of hydropower resources, and this makes the development of the deposits especially profitable. The most famous deposits are in the provinces of Ontario and Quebec (mines Sudbury, Noranda, etc.), on about. Newfoundland (Buchansk mines), as well as in British Columbia (Sullivan mine, etc.). Deposits of non-ferrous metals have also been found on the northern outskirts of the country (Coppermine, B. Bear Lake), but they are almost never developed there. However, deposits of more valuable strategic metals (uranium, radium, etc.) are being intensively exploited.

Canada also has resources of such relatively rare metals as cobalt, manganese, and tungsten. Deposits of barite in Nova Scotia are of industrial importance. Canada is rich in precious metals: in terms of reserves of gold, silver and platinum, the dominion is one of the first in the world. Deposits of these metals are found in all parts of the country.

Canada is famous for its deposits of asbestos, huge reserves of which are concentrated in the provinces of Quebec (Thetford, Black Lake) and Ontario (Matheson). Canada accounts for 3/4 of the world's production of this mineral. There are also deposits of gypsum (Nova Scotia), salt (Ontario), various types of mineral construction materials.

Influenced by the Arctic

Nature of CanadaAs a country stretching a great distance from north to south and from west to east, Canada has a variety of climates. Suffice it to say, for example, that winter and summer temperatures in the north and south of the country differ many times over; precipitation also changes dramatically. Thus, average January temperatures range from -4 ° in the south-west to -40 ° in the north; mid-July - from + 2 ° in the north to + 20 ° in the southeast. Annual precipitation ranges from 250 mm in the north and middle of the country to 1600 mm in the southeast and 2500 mm in the southwest. The longest day ranges from 15 hours in the south to several months in the north. However, despite all these climatic differences from place to place, in general, Canada is characterized by a moderately cold and at the same time sharply continental climate. Even the warmest places in Canada, located in the southeast of the country, have relatively harsh winters. For example, the port of Montreal is located at the latitude of Odessa, but it is frozen by ice for 5 months a year. Most of the country has a harsh climate, very similar to that of Siberia. This is especially noticeable in winter, when Canada turns into a snowy country, in which gigantic mountains, dense forests, and endless steppes - everything is covered with a fluffy white cover, and countless lakes and rivers are chained by solid ice.

Why is Canada's climate so harsh?

The main reason for this is that the country's climate is strongly influenced by the Arctic air, which, mixing with the air of temperate latitudes, cools it very much. Cold air masses easily pass to the extreme south of the country, which is not in the least due to the features of the relief of Canada. After all, the main mountain systems of the country stretch in the meridional direction, and the entire surface (especially in the east) is inclined to the north. All this is aggravated by the fact that the Hudson Bay juts out far into the country, aptly called by the Canadians "ice bag", because the bay is almost always covered with ice, from which it does not completely free itself even at the height of summer. The bay is a constant source of cold weather, especially in winter. The cold Labrador Current, washing the eastern shores of the country, also has an important effect on the cooling of the air over Canada. Only the extreme western and eastern parts of the country have a milder maritime climate. But the moderating influence of the oceans is limited by the mountains close to the sea in the west and east of the country.

At the same time, as we have already noted, significant climatic differences are observed due to the vastness of the country's territory. In general, the following climatic regions can be distinguished: polar (arctic), cold (subarctic), moderately cold and mountain climates.

The most economically developed areas are located in the moderately cold climatic region, stretching across the entire southern Canada from the Pacific to the Atlantic Ocean (excluding mountain climates).

This region has an average July temperature of 15–20 ° and even higher. In the extreme south-west, its average July temperature ranges from 13-15 °.The growing season here lasts at least 5 months, the amount of precipitation ranges from 300 mm in the steppes to 1200 mm in the southeast and 2500 mm on the Pacific coast. The climatic conditions of this zone are most favorable for economic activities.

Lakes and rivers

Nature of CanadaCanada is extremely rich in rivers and lakes. No wonder Canadians call their homeland "the country of lakes". In terms of the number of lakes, Canada is the first country in the world, and in terms of hydropower reserves it is second only to the United States and Brazil in the Western Hemisphere.

Within this country there are such huge lake systems as the Great Canadian and partly the Great American Lakes. The first are located in the northern harsh, uninhabited part of the country. They are very picturesque due to rugged, steep rocky shores, clear water and rich in fish. The Great American Lakes have a total area of ​​more than 250 thousand square meters. km, which exceeds the area of ​​Great Britain and is half the area of ​​France or Germany. More than half of the area of ​​these lakes belongs to Canada. The average depth of the lakes exceeds the depth of the Baltic or North Sea. The waters of the Great American Lakes are so transparent that in clear weather ships passing through deep water seem to be hanging in the air. The steep banks are composed of hard crystalline rocks that are very slow to break down. Only the western shores of the lake. The upper ones are stacked with sediments and abound in beaches and spits. These shores are a favorite summer destination for Canadians.

Canadian lakes play an important role in the country's economy. They are rich in hydropower, and important waterways pass through them; the lakes are of great fishing importance. In addition to these large lakes, there are many small lakes in Canada.

Canada is rich in rivers. Large rivers such as the Mackenzie, Yukon, St. Lawrence, Nelson, Columbia and many others flow through the country in whole or in part.

The Mackenzie is the largest river in the entire American north. Its length exceeds 4.5 thousand km. This river in its regime resembles the Siberian rivers. In spring, the breakup begins at the top and ice drift on the tributaries begins earlier than on the river itself. Therefore, ice jams are formed on the tributaries, crumbling with a terrible roar and force under the pressure of melt water. In a few hours of travel, the ice changes the surrounding area beyond recognition, mixing in chaos the trees uprooted, boulders, and earth. In summer, Mackenzie takes on a calm character and is used as a waterway.

The rivers of the southeastern part of the country and the Great Lakes region (St. Lawrence, Niagara, Winnipeg) are of the most important economic importance. Due to the humid climate, they are very full-flowing, and numerous lakes provide them with a regulated flow. At the same time, they have many rapids and waterfalls (the largest of them is Niagara Falls 50 m high) and therefore are rich in hydropower. This territory accounts for almost 2/5 of the national hydropower reserves. The most economically developed region of the country is located here. Many hydroelectric power plants have been built on numerous rivers, serving the needs of industry and the population.

The river is of great economic importance. St. Lawrence. This is the Canadian Volga. If the mountains on the American continent, with their meridional length, impede the movement from west to east, then the Great Lakes and the river. St. Lawrence is a convenient transport route just in the latitudinal direction, linking the most important eastern parts of the United States and Canada with the hinterland and the Atlantic Ocean.

Rivers in northeastern Canada are also rich in hydropower. So, only p. Hamilton, which has one hundred meter (stepped) Grand Falls, has water resources of more than 5 million kW, but due to the low population of the region and the severity of the climate, they are little used.

The rivers of the western part of the country: Colombia, Fraser, Skina, etc., account for 1/3 of the country's water resources.These rivers, thanks to the abundant rainfall brought by the oceanic air masses, are rich in water. They are rapids and very convenient for hydraulic construction. However, due to the steepness of the fall, they have almost no transport value.

Nature of CanadaThe interior and northern parts of Canada are not so rich in hydro resources, although the largest rivers in the country are located there. This is due to the flat relief. The possibility of using these rivers is also limited by the fact that they are frozen for many months. Less than 2% of water resources are concentrated in the arid steppe region. But here the rivers are widely used for irrigation.

The kingdom of forests and steppes

Most of the territory of Canada is occupied by marginal tundra and podzolic soils, but in the steppe provinces there is a huge array of fertile chestnut and chernozem soils. It is no coincidence that this region (the south of the provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba) has become the main grain region of the country, whose products are largely exported.

The Cordilleras are characterized by mountain tundra and mountain podzolic soils. In the depressions, there are chernozem and chestnut soils, which are used for agricultural land.

Large differences in the structure of the surface of Canada and in soil and climatic conditions determined the diversity of Canadian vegetation.

Canada is often called the country of forests, as almost 40% of its area is covered with forests. Although 2/5 of Canadian forests are not of industrial importance, nevertheless, in terms of total timber reserves, Canada is second only to Russia and Brazil, and in terms of per capita reserves, it ranks first in the world.

Forests stretch across the country from west to east in the form of a huge strip with a width of 1000 to 1500 km. Here you can also find the majestic taiga of the East Siberian type and picturesque deciduous forests resembling European oak forests.

Nature of CanadaForests of Canada are mostly coniferous. The most valuable tree species are: almost ubiquitous black and white spruce - the main raw material of the pulp and paper industry; Douglas fir, widely used as a building material and found on the Pacific coast, where the famous forests are located, consisting of huge trees up to 100 m in height. These forests, praised by Jack London and other American writers, are truly a miracle of nature. Although there is no tree undergrowth here, dense bushes and large ferns grow in the humid semi-darkness. Huge trees, intertwined with their roots with trunks lying on the ground, live up to two hundred years. Along with sequoia forests, it is the densest forest in the world in terms of timber per tree or per hectare. Each tree is a treasure for the timber industry.

Hardwoods characteristic of southern and southeastern Canada are also of industrial importance: poplar, maple, yellow birch, oak. The forest in these places is distinguished by its special beauty not only in summer, but also in autumn, when the red maple leaves seem to "light up" the entire forest.

The forest zone in the north borders on the tundra, in the south on the steppes. The tundra occupies almost a third of the territory, together with the Arctic islands. This part of the country is completely treeless due to the harsh climate, scarcity of precipitation, and permafrost. However, the vegetation here is quite diverse. Vast flat areas in summer are covered with mosses, lichens, various grasses and flowers (polar poppy, anemone, grains, griada, etc.). Among them you can find shrubs (heather, blueberries) and dwarf trees (birch, willow). To the south, the tundra passes into the forest-tundra, which occupies a large area on the Labrador Peninsula. Along with the tundra, there are already undersized and thinned taiga vegetation (white and black spruce, American larch, white and dwarf birch, dwarf willow).

In the south, in the central part of Canada, there is an area of ​​steppes or prairies covered with cereal grasses: bearded grass, American feather grass, wheatgrass, thin-legged, bluegrass, and in the driest places with wormwood and even cacti.

The Canadian Prairies stretch for nearly 1,500 kilometers along the country's southern border, west of Lake Winnipeg all the way to the Rocky Mountains. Before plowing, these vast grassy plains had an infinitely varied appearance, changing from place to place and from season to season. In the western, more arid part, cereal grasses prevail, in the east there are feather grasses, which give the steppe the special beauty of the green-yellow sea waving in the wind. Now these steppes are almost entirely plowed up and are occupied for sowing wheat, which has turned the prairie region into the granary of the country, or, as the Canadians say, a huge "basket of bread."

One of the richest reserves in the world

Nature of CanadaIt is difficult to exaggerate the richness of the animal world of the Canadian expanses. According to the testimony of travelers who have been to Canada, even from an airplane one can see here and there large groups of animals (especially noticeable in the winter on the white snow). The forests, steppes and tundra of this country abound in a variety of animals, hunting for which is a very common activity among Canadians, known for their hunting skills.

In the tundra, there are reindeer, or caribou, tundra wolf, white hare, lemming. The northern coast is visited by the polar bear, and the musk ox (musk ox) is found on the coastal islands. One of the riches of the Arctic region is millions of migratory birds. The pearl of the tundra is the polar fox, or arctic fox, with a white skin in winter and smoky in summer; her fur is very much appreciated. In the forests there are bears, wolves, foxes, lynx, wolverine, weasel, marten, squirrels, hares, beavers. Of the ungulates in the forest, there is a special species of Canadian deer - wapiti, which resembles the European red deer; moose - very large with huge palm-like horns - a relative of the Scandinavian elk; here you can also find forest deer with lower antlers than caribou. In the Cordillera, the bighorn goat, the American mountain sheep, are widespread. Forests are exceptionally rich in birds.

Nature of CanadaMany animals are of commercial importance, especially fur animals. Of great value, in particular, the beaver, various types of foxes, for example, silvery, in terms of the quality of fur is not inferior to black-brown. The silver fox is specially bred in reserves. The fur of the muskrat (water rat), which is widespread almost everywhere, but is especially common in the lower reaches of the river, is also highly valued. Mackenzie.

The steppes are distinguished by the abundance of digging animals, which multiply very quickly and greatly spoil the pastures. The most typical of them are moles, ground squirrels, various types of mice and rats. Bison are often found in nature reserves in Canada. These are powerful animals with a fluffy mane - congeners of the European bison. Previously, they roamed in huge herds, making long transitions from north to south of the American continent. Travelers used their footprints as signs for a ford, water sources, etc.

Nature of CanadaThe Indians used these animals instead of livestock. With the arrival of the colonialists, bison began to be intensively exterminated and by the end of the 19th century. only a few hundred heads remained. Government measures to organize special reserves have saved from the complete extermination of bison. Now the number of these animals began to grow again.

The waters of Canada are inhabited by various types of fish, many of which are of commercial importance (especially salmon, cod, herring, mackerel).

Antonova I.F.


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