Physical Geography
I. Label the physical regions of Canada using a color/pattern key .
WESTERN MOUNTAIN
REGION
INTERIOR PLAINS
CANADIAN SHIELD
ARCTIC ISLANDS
APPALACIAN HIGHLANDS
APPALACIAN HIGHLANDS
ST. LAWRENCE
LOWLANDS
II. Some major bodies of water are labeled for you. Complete the map by labeling these other important bodies of water:
A. The Great Lakes B. Gulf of St. Lawrence
H _____________ C. St. Lawrence Seaway
O _____________
M _____________
1. ____________ - swiftly flowing water
E _____________
2. ____________ - a waterway built
across land for boat
S _____________
travel
3. ____________ - a water elevator that moves boats to higher or lower levels
D. Bay of Fundy
III.
Fill in the blanks to help describe and identify each of the regions and physical features of Canada.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
The ____________ _____________ _____________
is an extension of the
____________ _____________
which cover much of the western part of the United States.
The ____________ ____________ is located in the western part of Canada. The region is known for its
____________ ____________. The rich soil was brought to the area by ____________ as they moved
southward. The area stretches from the _____________ ___________ in the north to the
_____________ ____________ in the south.
The largest region in Canada is the _______________ ____________. It is a vast plain that forms a horseshoe
around ____________ ____. The elevation here rises no more than ________ feet above sea level. This
characteristic is also one caused by ____________ erosion during the ____________ ____________.
Because the land is so low, it is often called
____________ an Indian word for “wet and
spongy.” It is often called ‘Canada’s Storehouse’
because of its rich ________________
_____________.
The ____________ ____________ are located in the Arctic Ocean, which is most often covered in ice. Unique
landforms here are deep, narrow inlets of the sea bordered by steep cliffs called ___________.
On the eastern coast of Canada is a region made up of islands and peninsulas called the _______________
_______________, due to a higher elevation. It is in this region where fishermen come to experience the highest tides in
the world at the _______ ____ _____.
The southernmost region of Canada is the __________ ___________ ________________ surrounding
the _______ ____________ _______. This body of water is nicknamed the
“__________________________” because of its great importance to the settlers. It is now very important in
providing Canada with ______________ ____________. This region is small in size, but it has a large
___________________.
If you were to look at Canada from the air you would see a line at which trees cannot grow. This is called the
________________. North of this area is the
____________ which is a vast, treeless plain.
As you continue further north, you will reach the
________________ which is land that is
permanently frozen.
I. Explorers of Canada
Leif Ericsson
A. Create a key by
highlighting each
explorer’s name with a
different color. Then
trace that explorers
route in or through
Canada.
John Cabot
Jacques Cartier
Henry Hudson
Alexander Mackenzie
Samuel de Champlain
B. Match each explorer in the list to
his accomplishment below. In the
second blank include the country for
which he sailed. Make sure you label
each underlined location on the map.
1. __________________ French navigator who discovered the St.
Lawrence River
2. __________________ Scottish – Canadian who discovered the
Mackenzie River
3. __________________ Italian explorer who named the island of
Newfoundland
4. __________________ Norse discoverer of North America
(offspring of Eric the Red)
5. __________________ Founder of Quebec City
6. __________________ First European to ascend the Hudson River