Natural conditions of Canada. Canada: natural resources of the country Plains of Canada flora and fauna

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Canada is one of the best places in the world to enjoy the natural phenomenon of the Northern Lights. This is a mystical, unpredictable and beautiful celestial glow that suddenly appears and just as suddenly disappears. This spectacle is breathtaking, and can last from ten minutes to several days.

Here .

2 Cathedral Grove: British Columbia

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Do you have a desire to feel like a small child again? Do you want to understand the phrase “when the trees were big”? Then go to McMillian Park on Vancouver Island.

It is there, on the west bank of the Cameron River, that the cathedral grove is located. A forest of ancient pseudo-hemlock trees grows in the grove, among which there are specimens with an age of more than 800 years, a height of about 75 meters and a girth of the trunk as much as 9 meters! The grove is known not only in Canada, but all over the world. More than a million visitors visit it every year.

3. Dinosore Provincial Park (Dinosaur Park): Alberta

It doesn't matter if you are a fan of the Park Jurassic or just love to travel, you owe it to Alberta Provincial Dinosaur Park, which is also known as one of the largest dinosaur cemeteries in the world.

The remains of more than 500 dinosaurs belonging to 39 species have been found in the park . A walk along separate routes allows you to see the excavations, and the expositions introduce you to how the search for the remains is carried out. Children are attracted to life-size replicas of some dinosaurs.

4 Canadian Rockies: Alberta, British Columbia

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Turquoise water, vast expanses of untouched wildlife, snow-capped mountain peaks - an incredible picture will open before the eyes of everyone who visits this place. The Canadian Rockies stretch over 1200 km from British Columbia to Alberta. The beauty of this place cannot be ignored! There are five very beautiful national parks in the Canadian Rockies, which are included in the list. world heritage UNESCO: Jasper, Banff, Yoho, Waterton Lakes and Kootenay.

However, like Niagara Falls, Canada shares this natural wonder with the US.

5 Niagara Falls: Ontario

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If you have not seen the most powerful waterfall in North America with your own eyes, then it will be difficult for you to imagine this power!

Niagara Falls is the most famous natural wonder in North America. This is a complex of waterfalls on the Niagara River, separating the province of Ontario and american state NY. Niagara Falls are Horseshoe Falls (Canadian Falls), American Falls, and Veil Falls. In addition to the fact that both parts of the waterfall can be observed from the Canadian side, the part lying on Canadian territory is considered more beautiful.

6. Hopewell Rocks: New Brunswick

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Are you not a very good swimmer? So why not explore the ocean floor without scuba gear, a mask, and an oxygen tank? Every day, the water leaves the Bay of Fundy, giving visitors the opportunity to walk along the ocean floor and admire the bizarre rocks like sculptures in a gallery. During periods of maximum low tide, the area can reach two kilometers. At high tide, the water level rises by about 16 meters and, like a blanket, covers the earth.

7 Cabot Trail: Nova Scotia

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The Cabot Trail is a 298 km long scenic highway in the province of Nova Scotia. The route passes through beautiful landscapes, coasts, parks and valleys. Cape Breton's highlands embrace amazing sights, deep valleys and canyons. it's the same The best way explore picturesque Cape Breton. Do not rush, just enjoy the nature and beauty of this region.

Canada's main natural wealth is its vast territories. The country occupies vast areas, where there are mixed forests, and lush meadows, and lakes with crystal clear water. Canadian lands have everything you need for agriculture and ecotourism. Consider the nature of Canada in more detail.

general characteristics

The state has a location in North America. It is famous for being the second largest state on the planet. Canada also has the largest coastline in the world.

Canadian lands make up an area of ​​9,984,672 sq. km.

On the territory of the country there are almost all types of reliefs, except for the tropical coast. Although Canada also has its own coastal zone, it is cold due to the fact that it is washed by the Atlantic, Pacific, and Arctic oceans.

Climate regime of Canada

The Canadian climate can be described as temperate continental, arctic, and also maritime. Since the country is endowed with a large extent, the climate on its lands can vary from region to region.

In general, Canadian climatic conditions are characterized by harsh and snowy winters and hot and dry summers. There are exceptions to this rule. For example, the maritime climate softens the winter on the coast.

Flora of the state

Huge areas in the country are occupied by such natural formations like taiga and tundra. In the tundra zones, vegetation belongs to dwarf species. Shrubs and various herbs grow on this land.

The taiga is rich in coniferous and deciduous trees. Canadian maples, from which the notorious maple syrup is made, are the pearl of these forests. Among Canadian forest areas dominated mixed zones trees.

Beech, fir, red spruce, cedar and hemlock are unique Canadian trees that are not widely distributed around the world and are of great interest to researchers.

It is worth knowing that there are really many national parks and botanical gardens in the country. Canada is considered the leader among countries in terms of the number of uncultivated territories.

Fauna of Canada

The fauna of the Canadian lands is the dream of a naturalist and hunter. Here there is a huge species diversity animals.

largest predator Canadian territories- bear.

The most important animal in Canada is the beaver. The living symbol of Canada has brought a lot of benefits to the explorers of the territories. In Canada, there are many lynxes and coyotes, which is not typical for such an area. Fur-bearing animals, forest herbivores and inhabitants of the forest-steppe are also found here.

About 1,500 species of birds live in the state. Outstanding representatives The bird fauna are considered to be the beautiful auk and the wild Canadian goose.

The relief of the country

The center and east of the country are occupied by plains. The Cordillera mountain range extends to the west of Canada. The entire territory of the state is covered with a network of small and medium-sized rivers, as well as large lakes. The country's hydropower reserves exceed all similar reserves in the world.

The cultivated black soil of the state is located in the south. There in Canada are active agricultural work. Most of the forested areas in Canada are located in the west.

Mount Logan is considered the highest point in the Canadian mountains. Its peak stretches to the sky at 5959 meters.

The Mackenzie is the longest river in Canada. Length water artery is 4,200 km.

Big Bear Lake is the largest lake in the state. Its area is estimated at 30,200 square meters. km.

Minerals in Canada

A huge amount of natural resources is hidden in the Canadian subsoil. The country boasts the following gifts of nature:

• Non-ferrous and rare metals;
• Iron ores;
• Coal and natural gas;
• Large oil reserves;
• asbestos and uranium;
• Potassium salts and more.

Canadian industry works on the resources of its own country, without the need to purchase materials from other countries. Luxurious Canadian nature is a separate attraction of Canada, for which thousands of tourists come to the state.

Canadian nature is known for its incredible landscapes and lakes. Each province can boast of its incredibly beautiful natural places, which will give you goosebumps. Ready?

Moraine Lake

One of the many wonderful turquoise lakes located in Alberta. For those who are interested in reading about the road trip from Vancouver to this lake, we advise you to read the entry of one of our bloggers - Alena, .

Mount Nimbus (Nimbus Mountain)

Do you like extreme walks? Then you should visit Nimbus in British Columbia. Delivery is by helicopter only.

Niagara Falls

Perhaps the most popular natural attraction in Canada, which everyone has heard of. But it is better to see once than to hear 100 times.

Cape Auguet

Incredible natural place along the coast in Nova Scotia

O. Baffin (Baffin Island)

Canada's largest island (5th in the world) is located in Nunavut.

Panorama Ridge

One of the most popular summer destinations in British Columbia overlooking Lake Garibaldi. A popular camping site, however, you will have to sweat a lot to get here. Read more

Bruce Peninsula National Park =

Who would have thought that Ontario has a national park along sea ​​coast with turquoise water And such nature is in Canada!

Torngat Mountains National Park

And this Canadian miracle of nature is located in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Yellowknife

A city located in northern Canada. Known for the fact that people from all over Canada come here to admire one of the most important natural phenomena - the northern lights.

Peyto Lake

Another one of the wonderful lakes in Alberta. Wonders of nature, right?

Dinosaur Provincial Park

Do you like prehistoric nature? Canada has it too! Another part of Alberta with a completely different landscape. But Jurassic Park wasn't filmed here :)

Red Sand Beach

An incredible red sand beach is located on about. Prince Edward. Unique Canadian natural site.

Black Tusk

Incredible a nice place in its landscape in British Columbia, under the name Black Tusk. Travelers say that climbing to the top there is a feeling that you are on Mars. Read more about how to get here

Canada is the second largest country in the world (10 million sq. km.), which is surpassed in size only by Russia. Canada occupies 1/12 of the earth's land 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, the US land border being considered the longest unguarded border in the world. The "border" with Russia is the shortest, as it is just a mathematical point - North Pole, where the boundaries of the polar sectors of these countries converge. In the north, Canada is washed by the North Arctic Ocean. In the northeast by Baffin Bay and Davis Strait, in the east - Atlantic Ocean, and in the west - Pacific.

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

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

most high point Canada is Mount Logan with a height of 5950 m above sea level.

Climate of Canada

Due to the vast 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 the Canadian mainland and most of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago lie in the permafrost zone. The rest is in the Northern temperate zone. In the coastal provinces, winters are not so cold. And the summer is not so hot because of the influence of the ocean. average temperature January in the north - 35 C, in the south - 20 C, in the Atlantic - 5 C, in the Pacific - 4 C; July temperature ranges from 5 C on the islands of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago to 22 C in the south of the country. On the west coast of the country, the climate is influenced by warm ocean currents, which cause, among other things, high humidity. In the mountainous regions, there are areas that are quite dry, despite the fact that rain and snowfall are frequent in the Selkirk Mountains. Precipitation decreases as you move from the Atlantic and Pacific coasts to the central regions. The annual precipitation in the east is 1000-1400 mm, in the central part - 200-500 mm, in the extreme west - up to 250 mm, in the north - less than 150 mm. IN winter time Canada is turning into a fairyland, where giant mountains, impenetrable forests, endless steppes are covered with thick ice. The maximum thickness of the snow cover is up to 150 cm (Labrador Peninsula). In general, winters in the country are characterized by heavy snowfalls and frosts, and summers - moderate temperatures.

Vegetation

In the far north, on the northern islands of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, there is a zone of arctic deserts with a rare cover of lichens and a few herbaceous species. To the south, it is replaced by the tundra zone, located on the Southern Islands of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago and the mainland coast. Further south, stretching as a strip from the foothills of the Cordillera to the Atlantic coast, there is a zone of forest-tundra and pre-tundra woodlands on permafrost-taiga, mostly stony soils and a zone of taiga forests, which are dominated by stands of white and black spruce, American larch, Banks pine and balsam firs. On South central regions the taiga is replaced by zones of forest-steppes and steppes with characteristic park forests of aspen and the dominance of dry-steppe vegetation, such as koviel, 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, like the Appalachian Uplands. In the Cordillera there is altitudinal zonality. In the north, the mountain-taiga forests of the valleys on the slopes are replaced by mountain-taiga light forests, turning into mountain tundra. In the south, in the interior of the mountainous regions, the valleys are occupied by mountain steppes, which higher up are replaced by belts of mountain forest-steppes, park forests, mountain coniferous forests. the Pacific slopes of the Cordillera, from foot to peak, are occupied by tall coastal forests of giant arborvitae, western gelpok, Douglas fir, Sitka spruce, giant fir, and other very productive species. The average annual growth of trees here is 10 cubic meters. m/ha, and the age-old reserve is 900-940 cubic meters/ha (against 5-6 cubic meters/ha and 500-550 cubic meters/ha in coniferous-deciduous forests and 1-3 cubic meters/ha and 100 -300 cubic meters/ha in the taiga). The total forest area of ​​Canada is over 440 million hectares (over 1/3 of the territory of Canada). Industrial forests occupy 240 million hectares, concentrating in themselves a timber reserve of about 21-22 billion cubic meters. m.

Animal world of Canada

The territory of Canada belongs to the non-Arctic zoogeographical region. On the islands of the Canadian Archipelago and in the tundra zone on the mainland are found reindeer, musk ox, polar bear, fox. Lemmings, polar hare, tundra partridge, snowy owl. Elk, forest deer, bison, red squirrel, northern flying squirrel, porcupine, hare, marten, bear, lynx, red fox, wolf, and beaver live in the taiga zone and partly in the forest-tundra. The coniferous-broad-leaved forests of eastern Canada are characterized by the virgin deer, tsaliti deer, marmot, hares, raccoon, gray squirrel, and red lynx. The southern treeless regions are inhabited by donkey deer, pronghorn antelope, saccular gopher rats, ground squirrels, prairie dog. Steppe ferret. Steppe fox, badger. Coyote.

In the Cordillera, specific high-altitude animal species predominate: the mountain goat, Mountain sheep, bear - grizzly, puma. Rivers and lakes. The coastal waters are also rich in fish. In Atlantic waters, cod, herring, haddock, flounder, and crabs are of the greatest commercial importance; in the Pacific waters, mainly salmon are caught: sockeye salmon. Pink salmon, etc. In lakes, the main commercial fish- whitefish and lake trout. Insects and reptiles in Canada are not at all different and they are found only in the south. In Canada a large number of reserves and national parks. They occupy an area equal to 730,000 sq. km. The most famous are: Wood Buffalo National Park, which houses the largest herd of bison; National parks Kootenay, Tlassier and Yoho, famous for their glaciers and waterfalls; Jasper National Park - Glaciers, lakes. Hot springs, among the animals - bears, mountain goats and moose; the oldest national park in Canada, which is a mountain resort with hot springs - Bauff Park; national park "Elk - Island" (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 sq. km, of which 755.180 sq. km is occupied by freshwater lakes and rivers. The rivers are fed mainly by snow and rain, on the plains - by a high spring rein. Summer floods in the Cordillera. The duration of freeze-up is from 3 months in the south, up to 9 months in the north. Canada has more lakes than any other country in the world. In addition to the Great Lakes, partly located in Canada, the country has 31 more large lake. The most famous are the Great Bear, Great Slave, Lakes Winnipeg, Athabasca, Manitoba, Nipigan, Mistasini. The largest rivers in Canada are the St. Lawrence, St. John, Saskatchewan, the Mackenzie River along with the Slave, the largest river in Canada that flows into the Pacific Ocean is the Fraser River.

Relief

The central part of the mainland land and the adjacent land of the Canadian Aurktic Archipelago is occupied by plains that are located no higher than 200 m above sea level, i.e. plateau lowlands, i.e. plains lying relatively high above sea level and separated from neighboring areas by steep slopes. Stand out: the lowland of the Hudson Bay, which has an exceptionally flat relief; Lavreptian upland, its height reaches up to 1000 m and has a characteristic lacustrine-hilly relief; the central plains (the Mackenzie River Lowland, the Manitoba Lowland, the Alberta and Saskatchewan Plains, the section enclosed between Lakes Erie, Huron and Ontario, the so-called "Ontario Peninsula", and the lowland of the St. Lawrence River Valley), in the relief of which glacial-accumulative forms predominate; foothill plateau. The Great Plains, whose height is from 500 to 1500 m, as well as with characteristic erosional dissection and forms of glacial accumulation. The western edge of Canada is occupied mountain system Cordillera. Height of the Cordillera 3000 - 3500m, highest mountain Logan with a height of 6050 m. This mountain system includes Mount St. Epias (5483 m), Mount Lucania (5226 m), Mount King Peak (5173 m), in the northeast along the coast of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago and in the north of the peninsula Labrador - a strip of mountains with a height of 1500-2000 m. In the extreme southeast, the region of the Appalachian Uplands with a low-mountain relief. The Appalachians are located in eastern North America. They lie in the territory of Canada and the USA. They form a strip of ridges, valleys, plateaus and plateaus, 300-500 km wide. They stretch from the southwest to the 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 large 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 region is high-latitude and extremely cold. The surface is bound by permafrost, most of the territory is covered by ice sheets, reminiscent of the conditions that prevailed in large parts of North America during the Pleistocene period.

2. Laurentian (Canadian) shield

The territory of this region is limited by outcrops of ancient crystalline bedrocks. Local landforms are the legacy of the Pleistocene. As massive ice sheets were absent 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 district is Hudson Bay. The entire region, which is shaped like a circle, covers half of Canada. The southern part of this area goes beyond Canada and extends to Northern regions Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan and New York.

3 Appalachian Mountains

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

4. Interior Plains

Bordering the Canadian Shield to the west, this region of plains and canopy-undulating relief 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 are an area of ​​low landform that covers approximately 60% of Canada and the United States.

5. Rocky Mountains

The Rocky Mountains rise abruptly to impressive heights along western edge Inner plains. In clear contrast to the gently undulating plains, the Rocky Mountains have peaks often exceeding 3,000 meters.

6. Intermountain regions

To the west is a relatively narrow corridor of plateaus and valleys that separates the Rocky Mountains from the mountain ranges along the Pacific coast. This area, extremely complex in geological terms, is a labyrinth of plateaus, low ridges and valleys.

7. Pacific mountain system

The western edge of the continent is a mountain wall 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 ends at Atlantic coast Newfoundland. To the south of the tundra extends a vast region of subarctic climate, running from the Yukon and the Northwest Territories east across the country to Hudson Bay and continuing into the Gulf of St. Lawrence.

The territory of Canada lies in the arctic, subarctic and temperate zones. The smaller Western part of Canada is mountainous, under the softening influence of the Pacific Ocean; large, eastern - mostly flat, with a sharply continental climate, strongly influenced by the Arctic.

Natural disasters (risk): persistent, permafrost in the north is a serious obstacle to the development of the region; cyclonic storms and hurricanes that form in the eastern Rocky Mountains as a result of mixing air masses from the Arctic, the Pacific Ocean and North America, bring frequent rain and snow.

Environment - environmental issues: air pollution and acid rain greatly harm lakes and forests; waste from the metal-smelting industry and coal combustion, as well as exhaust gases, adversely affect the productivity of forests and agricultural holdings; coastal ocean waters are polluted as a result of agricultural, industrial and human mining activities.

Relief and geological structure

The Canadian Shield is a huge geological structure formed by ancient (at least 600 million years) crystalline rocks. The Canadian shield occupies a colossal territory - 4.6 million square meters. km from the Arctic archipelago to the Adirondacks in the USA, covering Hudson Bay from all sides. The richest deposits and huge mineral reserves of the Canadian Shield (almost the entire periodic table) are the main wealth of the country.

The central part of the mainland land and the adjacent areas of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago are occupied by plains and plateaus. Stand out: the lowland of the Hudson Bay, which has an exceptionally flat relief; Laurentian Upland (altitude up to 1000 m) with a characteristic lacustrine-hilly relief; central plains (lowland of the Mackenzie River, Manitoba lowland, valleys of the St. Lawrence River, and so on), foothill plateau of the Great Plains (altitude from 500 to 1500 m.). The western outskirts of Canada is occupied by the Cordillera mountain system (altitude 3000-3500 m, the highest point is Mount Logan, 6050 m). In the northeast along the Canadian Arctic Archipelago and in the north of the Labrador Peninsula there is a strip of mountains with a height of 1500-2000 m. In the extreme southeast there is a region of the Appalachian Uplands with a low-mountain relief.

Inland waters

The entire population of Canada (it is 1% of the world's population) accounts for 9% of the world's fresh water. Most of it is concentrated in rivers and lakes, which occupy 20% of the total area of ​​Canada. The river network is dense. The rivers are fed mainly by snow and rain, on the plains - high spring floods, in the Cordillera - summer floods. The duration of freeze-up is from 3 months in the south to 9 months in the north. Plain regions, which make up about 2/3 of the territory of Canada, belong to the basin of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Complex lake-river systems are formed here, carrying out runoff from vast territories. The largest of them: the St. Lawrence River with the Great Lakes, with a total length of more than 3 thousand km; the Finley-Peace River - Slave - Mackenzie river system, including the Athabasca, Great Slave and Great Bear lakes; Bow rivers - Saskatchewan - Nelson with lakes Bow, Cedar, Manitoba, Cross, Winnipeg. The rivers of the mountain west, belonging to the Pacific basin, are usually short, and have very narrow, deeply incised valleys. The largest are the Fraser River and the Yukon and Columbia Rivers, which belong to Canada in their upper reaches.

Mountain rivers are rapids, navigable only in some areas, but they have large reserves of hydropower. Thanks to numerous lakes, the flow of rivers is well regulated. There are over 200 largest lakes. Plain lakes are mostly of glacial origin, mountain lakes are predominantly tectonic or glacial-tectonic. From 5 to 9 months of the year, rivers and lakes are covered with ice.

But most Canadian rivers are useless for the economy. This "uselessness" is determined by two factors:

1. rivers flow through uninhabited territory;

2. most of them freeze for the winter.

Canada differs by region. In the maritime provinces (New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island), winters are not as cold and summers are not as hot due to the influence of the ocean. On the western coast of the country, the climate is influenced by warm ocean currents, which cause, among other things, high humidity. In the mountainous regions, there are areas that are quite dry, despite the fact that rain and snowfall are frequent in the Selkirk Mountains. In general, winters in the country are characterized by heavy snowfalls and frosts, and summers by moderate temperatures. The climate of Canada is so diverse that peaches and grapes grow in the lower reaches of the Fraser River, while deer graze in the Mackenzie Delta. There is already a tundra. The warmest climate is along the US border, and the hottest summers are in Manitoba, in central, southern British Columbia and Ontario.

Soils, vegetation and wildlife

The islands of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago and the north of the mainland coast are occupied by a zone of arctic deserts with a sparse cover of lichens and a few herbaceous species and a tundra zone. There are reindeer, musk ox, polar bear, arctic fox, lemmings, polar hare, tundra partridge, snowy owl. Further south, stretching as a strip from the foothills of the Cordillera to the Atlantic coast, there are zones of forest-tundra and pre-tundra woodlands on permafrost-taiga, mostly stony soils and a zone of taiga forests where white and black spruce, American larch, Banks pine and balsam fir grow on podzolic, and in some places marsh soils. Elk, forest deer, bison, red squirrel, northern flying squirrel, porcupine, hare, marten, bear, lynx, red fox, wolf, beaver live in this territory. In the south of the central regions, the taiga gives way to forest-steppe and steppe zones, where aspen forests, feather grass, grass and grama grow.

The fertile gray forest, meadow-chernozem, chernozem and chestnut soils of these regions are used in agriculture. More than half of the steppe territories have been plowed up. Further, there is a zone of coniferous-deciduous forests developing on podzolic and brown forest soils. Several species of spruce, cedar, juniper, Canadian yew grow there. Marmots, hares, raccoons, red lynx, gray squirrel, Virginian deer, huapiti deer are found in Canadian forests. In the southern treeless regions, pronghorn antelope, bagged gopher rats, ground squirrels, prairie dog, steppe polecat, steppe fox, badger, coyote. Altitudinal zonality is observed on the Cordillera. The Pacific slopes of the Cordillera are occupied by forests of giant arborvitae, Douglas fir, Sitka spruce, giant fir and other very productive species. Animals: mountain goat, mountain sheep, grizzly bear, puma. Rivers and lakes, as well as coastal waters, are rich in fish. In Atlantic waters, cod, herring, haddock, flounder, and crabs are of commercial importance; in the Pacific waters, mainly salmon are caught: sockeye salmon, pink salmon, chum salmon, halibut.

Canada has the largest reserves of minerals, including coal, oil, natural gas, iron ore(3rd place in the world), lead and zinc (1st place), nickel and platinum (2nd place), gold (3rd place), radioactive ores (1st place in terms of uranium reserves), asbestos (first place, over 50% of world reserves). Deposits of oil, natural gas, as well as lead, zinc, copper, gold, silver, coal, and asbestos have been discovered in the Northwest Territories.

natural attractions

Among the natural attractions that attract tourists, spring flower festivals stand out: the Ottawa Spring Festival (Tulip Festival) in May is the most significant of them. In the fall, the Niagara Grape and Wine Festival is held. There are autumn tours in Ontario and Quebec. Canada has a large number of nature reserves and national parks (they cover an area of ​​730,000 km 2). The most famous: national park"Wood Buffalo", which houses the largest herd of bison: Kootene, Glacier and Yoho National Parks, famous for glaciers and waterfalls: Jasper National Park - glaciers, lakes, hot springs, among animals - bears, mountain goats and elks; the oldest national park in Canada, which is a mountain resort with hot springs - Bauff Park; Elk Island National Park (Moose Island) - a large number of beautiful forest lakes, among the animals are elks, bison.