Canada's Regions

• Ottawa is described in the guide as Canada's fourth-largest metropolitan area.
• The National Capital Region covers about 4,700 km2 around Ottawa.
• The region preserves and enhances the area's built heritage and natural environment.

• Canada has 10 provinces and 3 territories.
• Every province and territory has its own capital city.
• You should know the capital of your province or territory and the capital of Canada.
• The guide states that Canada had a population of about 34 million at the time of publication.
• Most Canadians live in cities, while others live in small towns and rural areas.

The Atlantic provinces are Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.

• Atlantic Canada's coasts and natural resources have played an important role in Canada's history and development.
• Important resources include fishing, farming, forestry and mining.
• The Atlantic Ocean brings cool winters and cool, humid summers.

Central Canada consists of Ontario and Quebec.

• More than half of Canada's people live in cities and towns near the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River in southern Ontario and Quebec.
• Central Canada is the country's industrial and manufacturing heartland.
• Southern Ontario and Quebec have cold winters and warm, humid summers.
• Together, Ontario and Quebec produce more than three-quarters of all Canadian manufactured goods.

The Prairie Provinces are Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta.

• The region is rich in energy resources.
• It contains some of the most fertile farmland in the world.
• The region is mostly dry.
• It has cold winters and hot summers.

British Columbia is Canada's West Coast province.

• B.C. is known for its majestic mountains.
• It is known as Canada's Pacific gateway.
• The Port of Vancouver is Canada's largest and busiest port.
• The port handles billions of dollars in goods traded around the world.
• Warm air from the Pacific gives the B.C. coast a temperate climate.

The North consists of Northwest Territories, Nunavut and Yukon.

• The three territories contain about one-third of Canada's land mass.
• The guide states that their population was about 100,000 at the time of publication.
• The North has mines producing gold, lead, copper, diamonds and zinc.
• Oil and gas deposits are being developed.

Climate & Landscape

• Long, cold winters and short, cool summers.
• Much of the North is tundra, a vast rocky Arctic plain.
• There are no trees on the tundra because of the cold Arctic climate.
• The soil is permanently frozen.
• Some people continue to earn a living through hunting, fishing and trapping.
• Inuit art is sold throughout Canada and around the world.

Canada's vast North creates security and sovereignty challenges. The Canadian Rangers play an important role in the Arctic.

• The Rangers are part of the Canadian Forces Reserves (militia).
• They operate in harsh weather and isolated regions.
• They draw on Indigenous knowledge and experience.
• They travel by snowmobile in winter and all-terrain vehicles in summer.
• They help keep the Canadian flag flying in Canada's Arctic.