Name ____________________________ Class _________________ Date __________________

Human Geography of Canada

Section 3

Subregions of Canada
Terms and Names
Atlantic Provinces four provinces–Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Nova
Scotia, and Newfoundland–located in eastern Canada
Ontario one of Canada’s Core Provinces
Quebec one of Canada’s Core Provinces
Prairie Provinces provinces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta
British Columbia Canada’s westernmost province
Nunavut territory that is home to many of Canada’s Inuit

Before You Read

In the last section, you read about the economy and culture of Canada.
In this section, you will learn how each of Canada’s four subregions is
unique.

As You Read
Use a concept web to take notes on the subregions of Canada.

THE ATLANTIC PROVINCES New Brunswick’s dense forests provide

(Pages 166-167) the province with its largest industry—
Why is this region’s population so logging. The Gulf of St. Lawrence and
small? coastal waters supply plentiful seafood for
Canada is divided into ten provinces and export. Also, there is mining for zinc,
three territories. Eastern Canada is the copper, lead, and silver.
location of the four Atlantic Provinces— Logging and fishing are mainstays of
Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, the economy of Nova Scotia, too. This
Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland. province has one of the largest fish-
The Atlantic Provinces are home to just processing plants in North America.
eight percent of Canada’s population. Shipbuilding and trade provide more
Most people live in the region’s coastal employment and revenue.
cities. The small population is due largely Fishing was the principal industry in
to the provinces’ rugged terrain and severe Newfoundland until the 20th century. Today,
weather. the province also has major mining and
About 85 percent of the land in Nova logging industries. Its hydroelectric-power
Scotia cannot be farmed because of rocky resources are important, too. They are a part
hills and poor soil. In New Brunswick, of a system that supplies power to Quebec
forests cover 90 percent of the land. and parts of the northeastern United States.
Newfoundland is visited by fierce storms.

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Section 3, continued

1. What are the primary industries of this economic and political activity in Quebec
region? province.
2. How do the cultures of these provinces
_______________________________ differ?
_______________________________ _______________________________

THE CORE PROVINCES—QUEBEC _______________________________

AND ONTARIO (Pages 167-168)
Why is this called Canada’s THE PRAIRIE PROVINCES (Page 168)
heartland? How diverse is this region?
Canada’s most dynamic region are The Prairie Provinces—Manitoba,
Quebec and Ontario, Canada’s Core Saskatchewan and Alberta—lie to the west
Provinces. of Ontario and Quebec. They are part of
Quebec and Ontario are often referred the Great Plains of North America. The
to as Canada’s heartland. Three out of five three provinces are the center of the
Canadians live here. Most of the nation’s agricultural region. They are
settlement in these inland provinces is responsible for about half of Canada’s
found along the Great Lakes and the St. agricultural production. In addition, a
Lawrence River. Each province is the core significant amount of Canada’s mineral
of one of Canada’s two major cultures. A output comes from this region. Alberta
large number of Canada’s English- itself has the nation’s largest known
speaking majority live in Ontario. For deposits of coal and oil and produces over
most French-speaking Canadians, Quebec two-thirds of Canada’s natural gas.
is home. The people of the Prairie Provinces are
Ontario and Quebec are at the center of a diverse group. Manitoba has large
Canada’s political life. Ottawa, Ontario, is numbers of Scots-Irish, Germans,
the capital of the federal government. Scandinavians, Ukrainians, and Poles. The
Quebec has its own political importance as population of Saskatchewan also includes
the heart of French Canadian life. immigrants from South and East Asia and
Ontario and Quebec also power is home to the métis. Alberta is perhaps
Canada’s economy. Together, they the most diverse of all. In addition to
account for more than 35 percent of European immigrants, this province also
Canada’s agricultural production, 41 has significant numbers of people from
percent of its mineral output, and 70 India, Japan, Lebanon, and Vietnam.
percent of its manufacturing. 3. How important is the region’s mineral
Toronto, located on the shores of Lake output?
Ontario, is not only the country’s most
populous city but also its banking and _______________________________
financial center. Montreal, located on the
St. Lawrence River, is Canada’s second _______________________________
largest city. It is also the heart of

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Name ____________________________ Class _________________ Date __________________
Section 3, continued

THE PACIFIC PROVINCE AND THE Canada’s three territories—Yukon

TERRITORIES (Page 168–169) Territory, Northwest Territories, and
When was Nunavut created? Nunavut—make up 41 percent of the
Canada’s westernmost province is British country’s land area. Yet, they do not have
Columbia. Nearly all of it lies within the large enough populations to be provinces.
Rocky Mountains. As a result, three- The Yukon Territory is largely
fourths of the province is 3,000 feet or unspoiled wilderness. The Northwest
more above sea level. Over half of the Territories is directly east and extends into
land is heavily forested. About one-third is the Arctic. Nunavut was carved out of the
frozen tundra, snowfields, and glaciers. eastern half of the Northwest Territories in
Most of the population lives in the 1999. It is home to many of Canada’s
southwest. This is where British Inuit.
Columbia’s two largest cities, Victoria and 4. Why is British Columbia so far above
Vancouver, are located. The economy is sea level?
built on logging, mining, and the
production of hydroelectric power. _______________________________
Vancouver is Canada’s largest port and
_______________________________
has a successful shipping trade.

Original content © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Additions and changes to the original content are the responsibility of the instructor.

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Name ____________________________ Class _________________ Date __________________
Section 3, continued

Use the chart below to compare the subregions of Canada.

Provinces Land/Political Units Economic Activities/ People/Issues

Resources
Atlantic 1. 2. 3.

Core 4. 5. 6.

Prairie 7. 8. 9.

Pacific and 10. 11. 12.

Territories

Original content © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Additions and changes to the original content are the responsibility of the instructor.

95 Guided Reading Workbook