Geography of Canada Mostly Uninhabitable

Canada is a country second only in size to Russia. Despite it's large area, Canada is considered thinly populated because much of the land is uninhabitable- it's either too mountainous or too cold for settlement. Because of the terrain, most Canadians live within 186 miles of the country's southern border.

Canada spans across the widest portion of the North America continent, from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean, and covers 9,976,140 km² including both land and water regions. To put it into perspective, Canada is about 1.3 times the size of Australia and well over 40 times bigger than the United Kingdom.

The Rocky Mountains & Western Canada

The area considered Western Canada is mostly rugged mountains and includes several provinces, British Columbia, southern regions of Yukon territory and the western part of Alberta. In British Columbia, there are also rainforests, worldclass vineyards for winemaking, a desert and even beautiful green pastures.

The Rocky Mountains are almost completely impassable, although there are a few roads and railways that travel through the Canadian Rockies and are known as some of the most breathtaking scenic routes of all the world. The Rocky Mountains make up part of the continental divide.

The capital of British Columbia, Victoria, is located on the Vancouver Islands on the Pacific Coast and separated from the mainland of Canada by both the Juan de Fuca Strait and the Georgia Strait.

Central Regions

About the size of western Europe, and among the most densely populated areas of Canada are the provinces of Quebec and Ontario, located within the central region of Canada. This is a highly visited area by tourists, as well. The capital city, Ottawa, is located in Ontario and along the border of Quebec. Montreal and Quebec City are the major cities in Quebec and are positioned along the Saint Lawrence River. The United States and Quebec share the Northern Appalachian Mountains.

Eastern Canada

The eastern region of Canada consists of the provinces of Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. These Maritime Provinces are mostly forested, with coastlines and river valleys. There is a ferry route that takes people from Prince edward Island and New Brunswick to northern Nova Scotia.

In both Labrador and Newfoundland, the barren regions make it possible for people to watch icebergs floating by.

The Canadian Arctic

Primarily made up of ice and tundra that is permanent, the Canadian Arctic includes the territories of Yukon, Northwest and Nunavut, as well as the northern regions of Quebec, Manitoba and Ontario.

Canadian Geography Trivia Facts

Over 10% of the world's fresh water is located within Canada's borders, within the Yukon Territory, the Northwest territories and Nunavut.
The length of the Canadian Border along the United States is 8,890 kilometers.
Longest national highway in the world is 7,604 kilometers, and is Canada's Trans-Canada Highway.
Canadian natural resources include nickel, gold, iron ore, natural gas, coal, petroleum, fish, diamonds, timber, hydropower, and wildlife
Canada's principal trading partner is the United States, which buys about 85% of all Canadian exports.
Canada is the United States largest provider of energy, incluing gas, uranium, electric power and oil.