Canadian Geography Exam Notes

CGC-1D1
Exam Notes
Geography
Levels of Geography • Me → personal space • Local → Oshawa • Regional → Durham • Provincial → Ontario • National → Canada • Worldwide → Global
Five Focus Areas for Geographers 1) Why things are located where they are. 2)Geographical systems; that shape our world. 3) Interactions between people and the environment within they live. 4) Global Connections; between regions and other countries. 5) Special tools and skills geographers use (like mapping, graphing, and aerial photographing.)

• Gross Domestic Product (GDP) – total value of the goods and services produced within a country, excluding transactions with other countries.
• With regards to GDP, Canada fits in the 11th spot out of the whole world.

Maps
• Map – a representation of the earths features on a flat surface. Labeling of a Map 1)Title – states clearly what is on the map, underlined in red 2)Legend – titled, underlined, right-hand side, includes all symbols/colors on map 3)Color/Shading – suits what your trying to show, cities indicated by a red dot, blue for water only 4)Accuracy – be exact 5)Labeling – fine blue or black printing only, horizontal in CAPITAL LETTERS, includes compass rose and black border outline
Map Projections • Mercator Projection - map projection in which compass bearings are more correct - useful for marine charts - unsuitable for ground level (distorts distances, areas, and shapes of land masses and oceans) • Winkel Tripel Projection - best map projection for providing a balance between size and shape • Equal-Area Projection - map projection in which the correct sizes of all countries are shown in relation to one another - used by most nations and international organizations

• Large Scale Map – maps that show a large amount of detail in a small area (used for such things as residential planning, hiking, and military purposes)
• Small Scale Map – maps that show a small amount of detail in a large area (used to show general details such as political, physical, and economic information)
Three Types of Maps We Use Most Often • General Purpose Maps - map that contains many different types of information • Thematic Maps - best map projection for providing a balance between size and shape • Topographic Maps – large-scale map showing both natural and human made structures
Compass Rose

• compass point – direction on a compass• compass rose – diagram, in the shape of a flower, showing directions and bearings. used to indicate directions on a map• compass bearing – degrees on a compass measured clockwise from 0° (North) to 360° (North)• alpha-numeric grid – grid that uses letters and numbers to identify squares of a grid pattern on a map.
• map grid – series of lines on a map that can be used to locate ant place on the map• easting – first three figures in a map reference giving the east-west location• northing – last three figures in a map reference giving the north-south location• latitude – distance north or south of the equator measured in degrees (Equator = 0°, North Pole = 90° N)• longitude – distance east or west of the Prime Meridian measured in degrees (Prime Meridian = 0°)• Prime Meridian – line of longitude that joins North and South Poles and runs through Greenwich, England• Global Positioning System (GPS) – satellite navigation system used to compute exact latitude and longitude position on any place on earth.• time zone – division of the earth's surface, usually extending across 15° longitude that establishes a uniform time
• standard time – every place within a time zone has the same time• International Date Line – the line that generally follows the 180° line of longitude, where one day ends and other starts (+1 day W, -1 day E)
• daylight-savings time – world wide system of changing time according to season where by daylight hours are extended into the evening when most people are awake
Ways of Locating Places on a Map • latitude and longitude • alpha-numeric grid reference • military grid reference
(diagrams on separate sheet 12)
Types of Scale • linear • direct statement • representative fraction

Conversion Chart

• Geographic Information System (GIS) – integrated software package for the input, management, analysis and display of spatial information• satellite – manufactured object that is launched by a rocket and circles the earth.
• remote sensing – study of characteristics of the earth using photos and electronic images taken from aircrafts and satellites • geostationary orbit – satellite orbiting about 36 000 km above the earth at a speed that keeps it exactly above the same place on earth• false colours – colour artificially added into satellite images of earth to make patterns obvious• radar – in remote sensing, radar sensors send out microwaves to earths surface and use the microwaves reflected back to create an image of human objects and natural features on the earths surface
Satellite Imagery Colours • red – things that grow (crops and other vegetation) • blue-green to grey - few things growing (urban ares or bare soil) • blue to black – shallow and deep water
Three Uses of Satellite Images 1) for predicting weather (storms, hurricanes, etc) 2) for studying environmental pollution 3) for making maps
Geologic History • Seismologists - geographers that study earthquakes• Plate Tectonics – theory by Canadian scientist J. Tuzo Wilson which states • Continental Drift – theory by German scientist Alfred Wegener(in 1915) which states 300 million years ago all the plates were in constant motion and collided to form a super continent named Pangaea meaning “all land”• Convection Currents – caused by uneven temperatures inside the earth. They are the driving force that moves plates. As two plates move apart, magma comes up from the earth, the sea floor spreads, and a ridge is formed. As two plates collide, one plate descends under the other creating a trench.
• 20 plates• most plates; part continent part ocean• move over a weak layer of rocks• unequal distribution of heat within the earth causes convection current to move the plates • We live on the North American Plate.• The Pacific Plate and the North American Plate are in conflict.• Tectonic plates float on magma, the earths mantle • The earths crust 19-25 miles
• Tectonic plates move around 2cm to 5cm• The last Ice Age happened in the Cenozoic Era.
• Volcanoes and earthquakes are caused when tectonic plates moves
• The Canadian Shield: large area of Precambrian rock that forms the core of Canada
Geologic Timethe earth is 4,600,000,000 years old and broken up into 4 eras: • Cenozoic - 66 million years ago to present (1% of the total age of the earth) Geological Events: > ice sheets cover most of NA >continents take present shape >formation of Rockies complete Biological Events: > humans develop >age of mammals >modern forms of life evolve

• Mesozoic - 245 to 66 million years ago (4% of the total age of the earth) Geological Events: > formation of Rockies begins >Innuitian Mountains formed >shallow seas in the interiors of NA at various times Biological Events: > age of reptiles (dinosaurs) >first flowering plants >first birds and mammals

• Paleozoic - 570 to 245 million years ago (7% of the total age of the earth) Geological Events: > periods where large parts of NA covered by shallow seas >continents take present shape Biological Events: > age of amphibians and fish >first insects, first plants/animals appear on land >large swamps-coal formed from this vegetation • Precambrian 4600 to 570 million years ago (88% of the total age of the earth) Geological Events: > Precambrian Shields (such as Canadian Shield) Biological Events: >first multi-celled organisms >first single-celled organisms

• FAULTS: fractures and cracks in bedrocks along with which movement takes place• FOLDING: occurs over a long period of times under conditions of high temperature and pressure, rock layers rather bend than break Rocks & The Rock Cycle
• sedimentary: rock usually found in layers from the compression of sediments over millions of years • igneous: formed from cooled molten rock (magma or lava)• metamorphic: formed when sedimentary and igneous rocks are subjected to great heat and pressure (rock cycle on separate sheet 19)

Glaciations of Canada • Glacial ice tends to be thousands of meters thick, glacial ice is very dense• Most of Canada's ice sheets cover around 25-30% of the worlds• They advance and retreat according to oceans moving and changing sea levels• This happens because they would melt tending to add water to the oceans or seas• Alpine Glaciers: mountains, move down ward, create “U” shaped valleys• Continental: flat, move across• Zone of Accumulation: glacier is added by snow, ice etc• Zone of Ablation: ice, snow shrinks & evaporates • Map Scales: one cm represents ten km in real life• Striation: grooves gouged out in the bedrock under the ice sheets by rocks frozen in the ice...groove runs in the dame direction as the ice flow • Till Plain: clay and gravel that is deposited by the ice sheets forming a gently rolling landscape, very good for growing crops because of the deep well drained soil • Moraine: clay, sand, gravel that is deposited by ice sheets in ridges at the edge of the glacier, not that good for agriculture • Lake Plain: huge volumes of glacial melt water carved out deep & wide valleys• Spillway: fertile, flat land that was once the bottom of ancient glacial lakes, today good for agriculture • Erratic: large rocks picked up by glaciers and carried 100kms away before being deposited • Drumlin: oval or egg shaped hills...steep side of the hill is at the wide end of the bill and points in the direction that the glacier came from
Factors Affecting ClimateO APPLE • Ocean Currents: West coast= warm Pacific current heats up the cool moist air which passes over it, East Coast= cold Labrador current cools the air over coastal Labrador and NFL, warm Gulf Stream warms up the air over coastal NS & NFL • Proximity to water • Prevailing winds: are large volumes of air, temperature and moisture depends on where they originate • Latitude: closer to the equator = hotter, closer to the poles= cooler • Elevation: Elevation closer to the sun it cooler because the atmosphere is thin and the area if far away from the trapped heat in the oceans > For every 100 m temperature drops 100 c...above 800 m temperature drops 0.06 every cm > Relief: is the flow of winds and air masses, the rise and fall in elevation (mountains restrict the movement of air masses) Ocean Currents & Air Masses• Maritime: wet, near large bodies of water• Tropical: hot• Continental: dry far from water• Polar: cold• Arctic: very cold • Types of Precipitation• Frontal Precipitation: an area of warm air meets and area of cold air. The warm air if forced over the cold air at the line of condensation, clouds form and precipitation occurs• Orographic: warm we air is forced to rise over high land. As the air rises it cools and condenses clouds form and precipitation occurs at line of condensation, drier air descends and warms • Convectional: the sun heats the ground and warm air rises. As the air rises it cools and water vapor condenses to form clouds, when the condensation line is reached rainstorm occurs.
Population Statistic Forms• Birth Rate: # of people born divided by population x 1000 • Death Rate: # of people died divided by population x 1000• Natural increase: birth rate – death rate = natural increase• Immigration Rate: # of people coming to Canada• Emigration Rate: # of people leaving Canada• Net Migration: # of people Immigration rate - Emigration rate= Net Migration Rate• Population Growth: N.I + Net Migration = Population growth rate• Fertility Rate: # of live births divided by # of women 15-14 yrs old x30• Infant Mortality Rate: # of infant deaths divided by total births x1000• Population Pyramids• Expansive Pyramid (triangle)- broad base (young population), result of past and recent high fertility rates, most common in Libya, Mexico, Venezuela & African countries• Constructive Type (light bulb): rapid declining fertility rates, most common in Barbados & Canada• Stationary Pyramids (rectangle): narrow base, equal percentages, most common in Italy, Europe• Immigration Quota: # of refugees, demand for family reunification, state of the economy, rate of population increase • Independent class immigrants• Family Class immigrants • Refugee Class Immigrants• Factors of Immigration Education = 25 pointsLanguage Ability= pointsWork Experience= 21 pointsAge= 10 pointsArranged Employment= 10 pointsAdaptability= 10 points• Skilled workers need at least 67 points to pass• Business applicants need 35 points + money to invest in order to pass• Population Density = # of people per km2 area and is calculated by dividing country's population by its area ie. Canada: 30 600 000 people / 9 922 000 km2 = 3.1 people/km2 (population density)• Population Distribution Types: Scattered, Clustered, Linear, Even
Fishery & Natural Resources • Methods of Fishing Include: Gill Netting, Purse Seining, Otter Trawling• (Atlantic Fishing-Newfoundland) Grand banks located on the continental shelf, suns energy warms the shallow water, large variety of fish and shell fish, mixing of warm and cold currents• (Pacific Fishing-BC/California) lots of salmon caught here, BC & Alaska over lap the Vancouver Island presenting problems with the off shore limit• Offshore limit: 200 nautical miles
Forestry• Commercial forestry, used by bug companies for profit, Non-Commercial is used by residential, selective cutting for their own purposes • Clear Cutting: wiping out entire forests, removing all threes and a barren landscape behind, pine, aspen, spruce, poplars• Shelter woods: involves clear cutting only an old part of a growth forest, white pint• Selective Cutting: harvesting only mature trees of the desired characteristics, sugar maple• Coniferous Trees: reproduces with seeds gathered together in cones, have needles, needles stay on trees all year round • Deciduous Trees: reproduce with seeds or nuts, lose their leaves, become dormant for winter
Mining• Metallic Minerals: copper, gold uranium • Industrial Minerals: salt, sand, diamonds, building stone• Fossil Fuels: coal, natural gas, oil• Open pit mining• Strip mining• Underground mining • Alberta Oil Sands second largest globally • 15% of worlds oil reserves after Saudi Arabia • 42% of these reserves are found in Alberta oil sands...over 173 billion barrels • underlines 140,200 square kms or Northern Alberta• 2 tones of oil sands to produce 1 barrel of oil• Bitumen: film of water that is surrounded by slick heavy oil, which surrounds the oil sands• Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage• In Situ= n Place

Energy• Biomass: dead material that can be used as fuel, plants• Solar Energy: uses sun as a form of heat & light captured in solar panels • Wind power: uses wind connected to electrical grinds• Geo Thermal: heat sources within the planet