Overview
This lecture covers key concepts in geography, including maps, earth structure, geological eras, climate, soil, vegetation, population, and immigration in Canada.
Map Basics and Geographic Tools
- Compass directions use N/E/S/W and bearings are measured in degrees from a circle.
- Map scales include direct statement, representative fraction, and linear scales.
- Longitude (E/W) and latitude (N/S) are imaginary lines for locating places.
- Thematic maps show specific topics; topographic maps display surface features using contour lines.
- GIS is a computer system for storing and analyzing geographic data.
- The prime meridian is 0° longitude; the equator is 0° latitude.
- There are 24 time zones, each covering 15° longitude.
Map Scale and Conversion
- Direct statement scales use words (e.g., 1 cm to 10 km).
- Representative fraction (RF) scales use ratios (e.g., 1:50,000).
- To convert direct statement to RF, multiply km by 100,000.
- 1 cm on a map equals 100,000 cm in a kilometer.
Earth's Structure and Geological History
- Earth’s layers: crust, mantle, outer core, and inner core.
- The crust includes continental (granite) and oceanic (basalt) plates.
- mantle is made of a thick viscous magma
- outter core is metal and rock
- inner core is solid iron
- Geological eras: Precambrian, Paleozoic, Mesozoic, Cenozoic.
- Earth is about 4.6 billion years old.
- Pangaea was a supercontinent that broke apart 200 million years ago.
- Plate boundaries: convergent, divergent (create ocean ridges), and transform.
Canadian Landform Regions
- Canadian Shield: ancient rocky area around Hudson Bay.
- St. Lawrence Lowlands: flat, fertile, densely populated.
- Appalachian Mountains: old, eroded mountains in eastern Canada.
- Western Cordillera: young, high, rugged mountains (Rockies).
- Hudson Bay-Arctic Lowlands: flat, swampy, sedimentary rock layers.
- Innuitians: ice-covered, formed during the Mesozoic.
Rocks and Soil
- Sedimentary rocks form from compressed sediments.
- Metamorphic rocks are changed by heat/pressure.
- Igneous rocks form from cooled magma.
- Soil components: minerals, organic matter, water, air (“moma”).
- Leaching removes minerals downward; calcification accumulates them at the surface.
- Permafrost is permanently frozen soil.
Climate and Weather
- Climate is long-term weather patterns; weather is daily atmospheric conditions.
- Continental climate: hot summers, cold winters; maritime climate: milder with nearby ocean.
- Temperature range = highest temp - lowest temp.
- Precipitation types: relief (mountains), cyclonic (low pressure).
- LOWERN factors influence climate: Latitude, Ocean currents, Wind/Air Masses, Elevation, Relief, Nearness to Water.
Natural Vegetation
- Three types in Canada: tundra (cold/dry), forest (trees), grassland (grasses).
- Coniferous trees have needles/cones; deciduous trees lose leaves in fall.
Population and Demography
- Demography is the study of population characteristics.
- Key terms: birth rate, death rate, population density, dependency load, net migration.
- Population pyramids show age/sex distribution: expansive (youthful), constrictive (aging), stationary (stable).
- Push factors drive emigration; pull factors attract immigrants.
- Most Canadians and immigrants live in urban areas.
- Current Canadian population: 36 million.
Key Terms & Definitions
- Contour lines — connect points of equal elevation.
- GIS — system for storing and analyzing geographical data.
- Pangaea — ancient supercontinent.
- Leaching — downward removal of soil minerals by water.
- LOWERN — climate factors: Latitude, Ocean currents, Wind/Air Masses, Elevation, Relief, Nearness to Water.
- Population pyramid — bar graph for age/sex distribution.
Action Items / Next Steps
- Review and memorize key terms, map types, and scale conversions.
- Practice reading and interpreting climate graphs and population pyramids.
- Study Canadian landform regions and geological eras in detail.