Canada's population, geographic location and climate. Geographical location of Canada. Features of natural conditions The position of Canada relative to the conventional lines on the map

Area - 9.97 million km2. Population - 33.3 million people

The state is composed. Commonwealths - ten provinces and three territories. Capital -. Ottawa

EGP

. Canada is one of the highly developed countries and ranks seventh in terms of industrial production among the most developed countries in the world

Canada is located in the northern part. Northern. America and occupies 2/5 of its territory. In terms of area, it is the second country in the world after. Russia. It is washed by the waters of three oceans: Northern. Arctic in the north and. Quiet in the west and. The Atlantic in the east has an extremely long maritime border, which is almost 120 thousand km. The coasts are of greatest importance for the formation of economic ties. The Atlantic Ocean and in particular the river estuary. Saint. Lawrence. In the West. Canada is washed by waters. Pacific Ocean. The production potential of this area is growing annually due to the development of external relations and agriculture. USA and countries. Eastern. Asia. Asia.

Canada has a land border only with. USA. The immediate proximity to this country has influenced the fact that they are interconnected and complement each other. The US is the main trading partner. Canada, what does. EGP. P. Canada is relatively profitable to them.

Population

Today's population. 1/3 of Canada is made up of immigrants. Natural population growth - 6 per 1000 people

Average life expectancy is more than 77 years. More than 10% of the population is over 65 years of age, and their share continues to grow

Modern population. Canada was formed primarily from immigrants from European countries. The indigenous inhabitants - Indians (1 million people) and Eskimos (50 thousand people) had very little influence on the formation. Canadian Khoi Nation. The basis of the population. Canada is made up of Anglo-Canadians (about 58% of the population) and French-Canadians (31% of the population). A significant part of immigrants from. Germany,. Italy, Ukraine. The official languages ​​are English and French. French Canadians inhabit the province. Quebec and from time to time put forward demands for the creation of a French-Canadian state. Ukrainians make up 10% of the province's population. Manitoba and 8% -. Saskatchewan (total about 1 million people).

Average population density in. Canada has one of the lowest in the world - just over three people per 1 km2. In the river valley. Saint. Lawrence and on the mid-lake plain it reaches 160 people per 1 km2. In the north, because of the poor territories, there are two people for every 100 km2. Two-thirds of the population is concentrated in the lakeside parts, and 90% live in the strip adjacent to the border with. USUSA.

The urbanization rate is 80%. The process of suburbanization is developing intensively. Today it is the great administrative, financial, trade, transport, scientific and cultural centers of the country. Toronto,. Montreal,. Ottawa,. Vancouver,. Edmonton,. Calgary,. Winnipeg.

About 75% of the country's population is employed in the service sector

Natural conditions and resources

By diversity and total reserves of mineral resources. Canada occupies one of the leading places in the world. In its depths there are large deposits of energy, ore and non-metallic minerals, it ranks fifth in the world in terms of coal reserves, and has significant deposits of oil and gas. Significant deposits of these types of hydrocarbon fuels have been discovered in the foothills. Cordillera. Canada is rich in uranium ores, which account for 2/5 of their reserves in developed countries worldwide.

There are significant deposits of ore minerals on the territory of the state; which are concentrated both within the Canadian crystalline shield and in the mountains. Cordillera. Particularly significant are the reserves of iron ores, various ores of non-ferrous metals (especially nickel, polymetallic ores, copper, titanium and other non-ferrous metals).

. Canada has the world's largest reserves of non-metallic minerals, namely potassium salts, which is an important prerequisite for the production of potash fertilizers here. Canada has significant deposits of a variety of construction raw materials

In general, the country’s territory has not yet been sufficiently developed, and its subsoil, especially in the northern regions, has been poorly explored. Recently, the state has been investing heavily in the economic development of the northern territories

Canada has vast water resources spanning. Great lakes and rivers. St. Lawrence,. Mackenzie, Yukon,. Nelson. There are significant reserves of fresh water in the central and especially northern regions. Canada, where there are many freshwater lakes and deep rivers. But the poor development of these regions does not contribute to the use of the water resources available here. Canada has many mountain rivers, so there are large reserves of hydro resources.

Approximately half (43%) of the territory. Canada is covered with forests, most of which are located in areas accessible to development. In terms of forest reserves (about 20% of the world). Canada ranks third in the world after. Russia and. Brazil.

Diversity of natural conditions. Canada is defined by its geographical location. Territory. Canada stretches from south to north for 4600 km and is located in the temperate, subarctic and arctic zones. S. From east to west it extends for 5200 km and is located in six time zones. Territory. Canada covers many islands and peninsulas that are still little developed and characterized by extreme climatic conditions. The main elements of the relief are: Appalachian Mountains. Cordillera and located between them. Laurentian Upland with adjacent lowlands.

Only southern regions. Canada has favorable soil and climatic conditions for the development of agriculture. This development is held back by. The Great Plains have insufficient precipitation (250-500 mm per year). For the most part. Canada's soils are podzolic; in the south - gray forest, chernozem and chestnut soils; 15% of the country's territory is suitable for cultivation. Almost 70 million hectares are used in agriculture.

Canada is the second largest country in the world (10 million sq. km.), surpassed in size only by Russia. Canada occupies 1/12 of the earth's landmass and has the longest coastline, equal to 3 equators. Canada is located in North America. It borders the United States to the south and northwest, and the US land border is considered the longest unguarded border in the world. The “border” with Russia is the shortest, since it is simply a mathematical point - the North Pole, where the boundaries of the polar sectors of these countries converge. In the north, Canada is washed by the Arctic Ocean. In the northeast is Baffin Bay and Davis Strait, in the east is the Atlantic Ocean, and in the west is the Pacific Ocean.

Canada's climate ranges from temperate in the south to arctic in the north.

Although most of the land is occupied by lakes and forested lowlands, Canada also has mountain ranges, plains and even a small desert. The Great Plains or prairies cover Manitoba, Saskatchewan and parts of Alberta. Now this is the main agricultural land of the country. Western Canada is known for its Rocky Mountains, while the east is home to the country's most important cities, as well as Niagara Falls, the Canadian Shield, an ancient mountainous region formed by more than 2.5 billion. years ago, covers most of the north of the country. In the Arctic region you can only find tundra, which further north is divided into islands covered with ice almost all year round.

The highest point in Canada is Mount Logan at 5950 m above sea level.

Climate of Canada

Due to the huge extent of the country from north to south (5 thousand km) and from west to east (6.5 thousand km), the climate is very diverse. Part of mainland Canada and most of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago are located in the permafrost zone. The rest is in the North Temperate Zone. In the coastal provinces, winters are not so cold. And summer is not so hot due to the influence of the ocean. The average January temperature in the north is 35 C, in the south – 20 C, in the Atlantic – 5 C, in the Pacific – 4 C; July temperatures range from 5 C on the islands of the Canadian Arctic archipelago to 22 C in the south of the country. On the western coast of the country, the climate is influenced by warm ocean currents, causing, among other things, high humidity. There are areas in the mountainous regions that are quite dry, despite frequent rain and snowfall in the Selkirk Mountains. Precipitation decreases as you move from the Atlantic and Pacific coasts to the central regions. Annual precipitation in the east is 1000-1400 mm, in the central part - 200-500 mm, in the far west - up to 250 mm, in the north less than 150 mm. In winter, Canada turns into a fairyland, where giant mountains, impenetrable forests, and endless steppes are covered with thick ice. The maximum thickness of snow cover is up to 150 cm (Labrador Peninsula). In general, winters in the country are characterized by heavy snowfalls and frosts, and summers are characterized by moderate temperatures.

Vegetation

In the far north, on the northern islands of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, there is a zone of arctic deserts with sparse cover of lichens and a few herbaceous species. To the south it is replaced by a tundra zone located on the Southern Islands of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago and the mainland coast. Further to the south, stretching in a strip from the foot of the Cordillera to the Atlantic coast, there is a zone of forest-tundra and pre-tundra woodlands on frozen-taiga, mostly rocky soils and a zone of taiga forests, which are dominated by plantations of white and black spruce, American larch, Banks pine and balsam firs. In the south of the central regions, the taiga gives way to zones of forest-steppe and steppe with characteristic park forests of aspen and the dominance of dry-steppe vegetation, such as koviel and grama grass. In the extreme southeast, south of the taiga, there is a zone of coniferous-deciduous forests; forests have been preserved mainly in relatively inaccessible areas, such as the Appalachian uplands. Altitudinal zonation is observed in the Cordillera. In the north, mountain-taiga forests of valleys on the slopes are replaced by mountain-taiga woodlands, turning into mountain tundra. In the south, in the interior mountainous regions, the valleys are occupied by mountain steppes, which above are replaced by belts of mountain forest-steppes, park forests, and mountain coniferous forests. The Pacific slopes of the Cordillera from the foot to the top are occupied by tall coastal forests of giant thuja, western gelpok, Douglas fir, Sitka spruce, giant fir and other very productive trees. The average annual growth of trees here is 10 cubic meters. m/ha, and the century-old reserve is 900-940 cubic m/ha (versus 5-6 cubic m/ha and 500-550 cubic m/ha in coniferous-deciduous forests and 1-3 cubic m/ha and 100 -300 cubic m/ha in the taiga). The total forest area of ​​Canada is over 440 million hectares (more than 1/3 of Canada's territory). Industrial forests occupy 240 million hectares, containing a timber reserve of about 21-22 billion cubic meters. m.

Wildlife of Canada

The territory of Canada belongs to the non-Arctic zoogeographic region. On the islands of the Canadian Archipelago and in the tundra zone on the mainland, reindeer, musk ox, polar bear, and arctic fox are found. Lemmings, arctic hare, tundra partridge, snowy owl. The taiga zone and partly in the forest-tundra are inhabited by elk, forest deer, bison, red squirrel, northern flying squirrel, porcupine, hare, marten, bear, lynx, red fox, wolf, and beaver. The coniferous-deciduous forests of eastern Canada are characterized by Virginia deer, tsaliti deer, marmot, hares, raccoon, gray squirrel, and red lynx. The southern treeless areas are inhabited by burro deer, pronghorn antelope, pouched rat gophers, ground squirrels, and prairie dogs. Steppe ferret. Steppe fox, badger. Coyote.

In the Cordillera, specific high-mountain species of animals predominate: mountain goat, mountain sheep, grizzly bear, puma. Rivers and lakes. The coastal waters are also rich in fish. In Atlantic waters, cod, herring, haddock, flounder, and crabs are of greatest commercial importance; In Pacific waters, mainly salmon are caught: sockeye salmon. Pink salmon, etc. The main game fish in the lakes are whitefish and lake trout. Insects and reptiles in Canada are not at all different and they are found only in the south. Canada has a large number of nature reserves and national parks. They occupy an area of ​​730,000 square meters. km. The most famous: Wood-Buffalo National Park, which has the largest herd of bison; Kootenay, Tlassier and Yoho national parks, famous for their glaciers and waterfalls; Jasper National Park – Glaciers, lakes. Hot springs, animals include bears, mountain goats and moose; Canada's oldest national park, which is a mountain resort with hot springs - Bauff Park; Elk Island National Park (elk island) – a large number of beautiful forest lakes. Animals include moose and bison.

Water resources

The area of ​​the country is 9,970,610 square meters. km, of which 755,180 sq. km are occupied by freshwater lakes and rivers. The rivers are fed primarily by snow and rain; on the plains there is a high spring flow. In the Cordillera there are summer floods. The duration of freeze-up ranges from 3 months in the south to 9 months in the north. Canada has more lakes than any other country in the world. In addition to the Great Lakes, which are partly located in Canada, there are 31 other large lakes in the country. The most famous are the Great Bear, Great Slave, lakes Winnipeg, Athabasca, Manitoba, Nipigan, Mistasini. The largest rivers in Canada are the St. Lawrence River, St. John River, Saskatchewan River, the Mackenzie River along with the Slave River, the largest river in Canada flowing into the Pacific Ocean is the Fraser River.

Relief

The central part of the mainland and the adjacent land of the Canadian Aurctic Archipelago is occupied by plains that are located no higher than 200 m above sea level, i.e. lowland plateau, i.e. plains lying relatively high above sea level and separated from neighboring areas by steep slopes. The following stand out: the lowlands of Hudson Bay, which have an extremely flat topography; Lavreptian Upland, its height reaches up to 1000 m and has a characteristic lake-hilly topography; central plains (Mackenzie River lowlands. Manitoba lowlands, Alberta and Saskatchewan plains, area. Enclosed between Lakes Erie, Huron and Ontario, the so-called “Ontario Peninsula”, and the lowlands of the St. Lawrence River Valley), the topography of which is dominated by glacial-accumulative forms; foothill plateau. Great Plains, whose heights range from 500 to 1500 m, as well as with characteristic erosional dissection and forms of glacial accumulation. The western edge of Canada is occupied by the Cordillera mountain system. The height of the Cordillera is 3000 - 3500 m, the highest Mount Logan is 6050 m high. This mountain system includes Mount Saint-Epias (5483 m), Mount Lucania (5226 m), Mount King Peak (5173 m), in the northeast along the coast of Canada The Arctic archipelago and in the north of the Labrador Peninsula - a strip of mountains with an altitude of 1500-2000 m. In the extreme southeast, the region of the Appalachian hills with low-mountain terrain. The Appalachian Mountains are located in eastern North America. They lodge in Canada and the USA. They form a strip of ridges, valleys, plateaus and plateaus, 300-500 km wide. They stretch from southwest to northeast from 33 degrees north latitude. up to 49 degrees N at 2600 km. The Appalachians are divided into northern and southern. The northern Appalachians border in the northwest along a major fault (Logan Line) with the Canadian Shield.

Canada can be divided into 7 well-defined physiographic regions:

1. Arctic mountains

Much of Elslier Island and the northeast coast of Baffin Island is occupied by a series of high mountains and steep slopes. This area is high latitude and exceptionally cold. The surface is bound by permafrost, and most of the territory is covered with ice sheets, reminiscent of the conditions that prevailed in much of North America during the Pleistocene period.

2. Laurentian (Canadian) shield

The area is limited by outcrops of ancient crystalline bedrock. Local landforms are a legacy of the Pleistocene. As massive ice sheets disappeared to the north, they cleared and smoothed the surface. Within this area are thousands of lakes reminiscent of the last Ice Age in North America. In the center of the area is Hudson Bay. The entire area, shaped like a circle, covers half of Canada. The southern part of this area extends beyond Canada and extends into the northern regions of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan and New York.

3. Appalachian Mountains

The Maritime Provinces and insular Newfoundland represent the northernmost edge of the Appalachian System, which begins in Alabama and runs through the eastern United States and Canada. This mountainous region of ancient rocks is also the first area with permanent European settlements.

4. Inland Plains

This region of plains and gently undulating topography, bordering the Canadian Shield to the west, extends from the United States into the steppe provinces and continues in the northwest to the Pacific coast. Together, the Canadian Shield and the Interior Plains constitute an area of ​​low relief that covers approximately 60% of the area of ​​Canada and the United States.

5. Rocky Mountains

The Rocky Mountains rise sharply to impressive heights along the western edge of the Interior Plains. In marked contrast to the gently undulating plains, the Rocky Mountains have peaks often exceeding 3,000 meters.

6. Intermountain regions

To the west lies a relatively narrow corridor of plateaus and valleys that separates the Rocky Mountains from the mountain ranges along the Pacific Coast. This region, extremely complex geologically, is a labyrinth of plateaus, low ridges and valleys.

7. Pacific Mountain System

The western edge of the continent is a wall of mountains stretching from Alaska through the Yukon Territory and British Columbia to the Sierra Nevada in Southern California.

The climatic regions of Canada are very similar to those of the Russian Federation. In the north, the tundra region extends from the Canadian Archipelago through the Ungava Peninsula east of Hudson Bay and ending on the Atlantic coast of Newfoundland. South of the tundra is a vast region of subarctic climate, running from the Yukon and Northwest Territories east across the country to Hudson Bay and continuing into the Gulf of St. Lawrence.

Introduction.

I chose the country of Canada as the main object of consideration in my course work. The purpose of this work is to study and most fully consider all the geopolitical characteristics of a given state.
According to the goal, the following tasks are defined.
Consider:

Geographical location of Canada;
Socio-economic development;
Canada's role in the international arena.

Canada is one of the most environmentally friendly countries in the world;
Canada is one of the richest countries in the world with a high per capita income;
Canada is one of the few countries in the world that, in accordance with its immigration policy, allows people who do not have close relatives in Canada to obtain a residence permit quite easily and legally, which is a good help for obtaining a second citizenship.

Chapter I. Geopolitical position of Canada.

1.1. Description.

1.2. Geographical location of Canada.

1.3. Historical reference.

1.4. Natural conditions and resources.

British Columbia and Ontario are known for their intensive vegetable gardening.
The steppes in the west of the country contain large areas of extensive grain crops.
Quebec is the largest producer of dairy products.
Prince Edward Island is where most of Canada's potatoes are grown.

1.5. Religion.

1.6. Culture.

1.7. Political structure.

Chapter II. Social and economic development of Canada.

2.1. Population.

The material gives an idea of ​​the geographical location of the country. Forms an idea of ​​what compensates for the impossibility of conducting business activities in Canada in full. The article allows you to get an idea of ​​what position in the world economy is typical for this state and why.

Geographical location of Canada

The territorial localization of the country is such that it is located in the northern part of the American continent and has a significant total area of ​​9976 thousand square meters. km. The main characteristic of Canada's EGP can rightly be considered that it is the second largest country in the world.

The shores of Canada are washed by the waters of the oceans:

• Arctic;
• Atlantic;
• Quiet.

The country's southern borders coincide with the United States. In the Northern regions, where the polar islands are located, the country's territory extends for 800 km. beyond the Arctic Circle.

Canada is the owner of a chain of islands:

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• Baffin Island;
• Victoria;
• Ellesmere;
• Devonian;
• Banks;
• Newfoundland.

The highest point in the country is Logan Peak (5951 m).

The rocky coast of the Pacific Ocean is dotted with fjords and cut off from the main territory by a powerful ridge of mountain peaks of St. Elijah, as well as the Beregovoy and Boundary ridges.

The famous Canadian prairie stretches across the southern regions of the country to the Atlantic coast.

Rice. 1. Canadian prairie.

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As in most developed countries, the service sector occupies a priority position in the Canadian economy. According to the most conservative estimates, about 3/4 of Canadians are employed in it.

These areas of the country occupy low hilly ridges with vast plains. The Polar and Hudson Bay regions appear as vast, low-lying plains crossed by many rivers and lakes.

Rice. 2. Hudson Bay.

The area is often swampy or occupied by tundra-type landscapes.

Economic and geographical position of Canada

Not excluding the continental northern region of North America, Canada includes a significant number of small and large islands of the Arctic, Pacific and Atlantic oceans. The main part of the country is dominated by cold arctic and subarctic climate zones. The only exception is the southern region, which is dominated by a temperate climate zone.

Rice. 3. Climate zones of Canada.

Canada occupies 1/1.5 of the earth's surface.

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The main features of the country are that it has the longest coastline, which is approximately 120 thousand km. The land border between Canada and the United States is considered the longest unguarded section of border in the world.

The polar sectors of Canada and Russia are the longest in the world. Canada is a federal state, which includes 10 provinces and 2 federal territories.

The peculiarity of the country is that Canada is one of the few industrialized countries that is recognized as a net exporter of energy resources. The Atlantic coast of Canada has resource potential, which is expressed in natural gas deposits and large oil and gas fields. Significant reserves of tar sands make Canada the world's second largest country with oil reserves after Saudi Arabia.

What have we learned?

We found out the presence of which natural resources in Canada place it in second position among the powers with significant oil reserves. We found out what part of the country's population is employed in the service sector. We got an idea of ​​what is the main direction of replenishing the country's budget.

Test on the topic

Evaluation of the report

Average rating: 4.6. Total ratings received: 216.

1. Using the map of world religions, determine which religions adherents live in Canada. Explain the distribution of areas of these religions.

The overwhelming majority of Canada's population are Christians (mainly Catholics and Protestants), since historically Canada's population was largely represented by immigrants from Western Europe: Catholic France and Protestant England.

2. What are the features of Canada's geographic location?

Canada is the only country that is washed by the waters of three oceans at once: the Arctic, Atlantic and Pacific, and therefore it has the longest coastline in the world. In the south, Canada borders on America, and in the north, thanks to the large number of polar islands (Victoria, Baffin Island, Newfoundland, Devon, Ellesmere, Banks and others), they go 800 kilometers deeper into the Arctic Circle.

3. How does Canada resemble Russia?

Russia and Canada have long been called twin countries. These two countries are the largest states in the modern world by territory. In terms of natural conditions and wealth of resources, Canada has many similarities with our country, and the natural landscapes are very reminiscent of Russian ones. Although our common border is not even a line, but simply a geographical point - the North Pole, where the conventional boundaries of the Arctic polar sectors of both countries meet - Russia and Canada are considered neighboring countries. In the world, only Russia and Canada have vast undeveloped territories left, where there are many natural resources, but difficult climatic conditions.

4. Choose the correct answers:

1) A distinctive feature of the Canadian economy is the large role of extractive industries and primary processing of raw materials.

2) In the structure of the manufacturing industry, the leading positions are occupied by the chemical and light industries.

3) Pipeline transport has received great development in Canada.

4) A characteristic feature of Canada is the uneven distribution of the population and economy.

6. What are the similarities and differences between the forms of government in the USA and Canada?

The USA and Canada are federal states, however Canada is a constitutional monarchy (kingdom) with a parliamentary system, its monarch is the monarch of the British Commonwealth of Nations, and the USA is a presidential republic.

7. What are the characteristics of the ethnic composition of the USA and Canada? What are the similarities between them?

The populations of the USA and Canada are represented by a very wide ethnic spectrum, but the national backbone of both countries is formed by immigrants from Western European countries.

8. Name the branches of international economic specialization in the USA and Canada.

Canada is a highly developed country, although its face in the world economy is determined by its specialization in the production and export of mining, forestry, energy, and agricultural products. The face of the United States in the world economy is the automotive industry, electronics, electrical engineering, and aerospace industry.

9. One of the provinces of Canada is called the “bread basket”. What province is this? Why is she called that?

The province of Saskatchewan is called the bread basket of Canada. It is famous for its prairies and wheat fields. Saskatchewan is located in the western part of the country and borders Manitoba, Alberta, the Northwest Territories and the United States.

10. There is a common expression among Canadians: “Canada has too little history and too much geography.” How do you understand it? Can it also be attributed to Australia?

Canada and Australia are young states. They are former British colonies and cannot boast of a rich history, but their territories are huge. Australia occupies an entire continent, and Canada is the second largest country in the world.