Cordillera region-test April 12, 2012
Chapter 5 introduces students to the Cordillera region, the
mountainous backbone of North and South America. There are three main
mountain ranges—the Coast Mountains, the Columbia Mountains, and the
Rocky Mountains. Between the mountain ranges are broad plateaus which
are heavily populated. The most heavily populated area is the coastal plains
bordering the Pacific Ocean. The huge variations in elevation, rising from the
seaside lowlands to the soaring mountain peaks, separated by plateaus,
are a very distinctive aspect of the Cordillera region. The mountains
contain the only remaining glaciers in Canada apart from those in the
Arctic.
The climate ranges from some of the hottest to some of the
coldest in Canada. There are two particularly distinctive climate zones. The coast
receives a tremendous amount of precipitation. Coupled with the warm climate, this creates one of the few temperate rainforests in the world.
Forestry is one of the mainstays of the economy. The leeward side of the Coast Mountains receives very little precipitation, leading to an area that is almost desert-like. Irrigation is a necessity for agriculture. The Pacific fishery, especially the salmon fishery, is the largest in Canada. It is suffering problems of sustainability. Mining is a relatively small contributor to the economy.
mountainous backbone of North and South America. There are three main
mountain ranges—the Coast Mountains, the Columbia Mountains, and the
Rocky Mountains. Between the mountain ranges are broad plateaus which
are heavily populated. The most heavily populated area is the coastal plains
bordering the Pacific Ocean. The huge variations in elevation, rising from the
seaside lowlands to the soaring mountain peaks, separated by plateaus,
are a very distinctive aspect of the Cordillera region. The mountains
contain the only remaining glaciers in Canada apart from those in the
Arctic.
The climate ranges from some of the hottest to some of the
coldest in Canada. There are two particularly distinctive climate zones. The coast
receives a tremendous amount of precipitation. Coupled with the warm climate, this creates one of the few temperate rainforests in the world.
Forestry is one of the mainstays of the economy. The leeward side of the Coast Mountains receives very little precipitation, leading to an area that is almost desert-like. Irrigation is a necessity for agriculture. The Pacific fishery, especially the salmon fishery, is the largest in Canada. It is suffering problems of sustainability. Mining is a relatively small contributor to the economy.