Discover Canada's Diverse Landforms

Mountain Formation

• Constructive forces, such as plate tectonics, push up the land to create mountains and highlands.
• Folding is one of the ways in which mountains can be formed by constructive forces.
• The most common type of mountain formed by folding is a fold mountain.
• The least common type of mountain formed by faulting is a block mountain.

Volcanic Mountains

• Tectonic forces allow magma to reach the surface and form volcanic mountains.
• Volcanic activity is the quickest type of mountain formation.

Weathering

• Weathering is the process of wearing away and breaking down the surface of the land.
• Mechanical weathering involves the disintegration of rock without changing its composition.
• Chemical weathering involves the disintegration of rock by changing its composition.
• Biological weathering can be accomplished by plants and animals.

Landform Regions in Canada

• Canada has several landform regions, including mountains, highlands, and lowlands.
• The Canadian Cordillera is a landform region known for its tall, young mountains and v-shaped valleys.
• The Prairies is a landform region characterized by flat land suited for farming, where the majority of Canadian fossil fuels are found.
• The Canadian Shield is a landform region known for its lumpy irregular land and many lakes.
• The Interior Plains is a landform region characterized by rolling land, some hills, and is flat enough for farming.
• The St. Lawrence Lowlands is a landform region very low, near sea level, flat, and swampy.
• The Appalachian Mountains is a landform region known for its U-shaped wide valleys and rounded hills/mountains.
• The Arctic Archipelago is a landform region characterized by rounded mountains, exposed rocks, and covered with snow.

Landform Region and Landform Definitions

• A landform region is a large area of land characterized by a specific type of landscape.
• A landform is a natural feature of the Earth's surface, such as a mountain, valley, or plain.