- Geography of Manitoba
The Geography of
Manitoba is the study of the geography of the easternmost of the three prairie provinces, located in the longitudinal center ofCanada . Manitoba borders onSaskatchewan to the west,Ontario to the east,Nunavut to the north, and the American states ofNorth Dakota andMinnesota to the south. On comparative level, Manitoba ranges from 490 ft (150 m) to 980 ft (300 m) abovesea level . [cite web|url=http://www.travelmanitoba.com/default.asp?page=130&node=585&menu=436|title=Manitoba Geography|accessdate=2006-09-23] Baldy Mountain, which is its highest point, is at 2727 ft (831 m). The northern 3/5 of the province is on theCanadian Shield . The northernmost regions of Manitoba lie intundra andpermafrost (permanently frozen subsoil).All waters in the province flow into
Hudson Bay , due to its coastal area.Lake Winnipegosis andLake Winnipeg are two of its largest lakes. Important rivers are the Red River,Assiniboine River ,Nelson River , andChurchill River .Manitoba has an extreme
climate , but southern latitudes allow extensive growth for agriculture. The northern area of the region ranges from coniferousforest s tomuskeg to tundra in the far north. Before settlement had occurred, a vast portion of southern Manitoba was eitherflood plain orswamp . [cite web|url=http://www.fact-index.com/m/ma/manitoba.html|title=Manitoba|accessdate=2006-09-23|last=Jones] . An extensive system for drainage ditches was required for construction throughout south central Manitoba to make the region suitable for cultivation.Historical geography
It is bordered on the
east byOntario , and south byNorth Dakota andMinnesota , on the west bySaskatchewan , and north toNunavut . Northeast Manitoba follows theHudson Bay shoreline. Churchill, on the Hudson Bay is the onlyport for itself and the remaining prairie provinces. The harbour serves as an open market forgrain .Manitoba was the first
province to be involved in thewheat industry. There are only three ice-free months a year that allow for the shipments to be sent.The
Canadian Shield limits the amount of farming in the north, but there are some forestry andmining operations. The majority of the grain production is found in farms in the south.Central and southern Manitoba is covered by
lakes andrivers . Most of the population is centered in the southern third of the province. [cite web|url=http://www.canadianaconnection.com/cca/manitoba.htm|title=Manitoba Historical Geography|accessdate=2006-09-23]Manitoba played a significant role in the population of the Canadian west. Explores arrived in Manitoba by the Hudson Bay, in search of a passage to China. As the
fur trade boomed, settlements rose up in the province to trading posts for the Natives and the Voyageurs (trappers). The settlement was not easy, and colonization slowed down for several years (1816). In 1870, the Hudson's Bay Company sold its huge domain to theconfederation of Canada.Settlement inflated in Manitoba when the railway was built in the province and again in late 18th, early 19th century when government promoted settlement by European immigrants.
Mountain ranges of Manitoba
The three dominant mountain ranges in Manitoba consist of Duck Mountains, the Pembina Mountains, and the Porcupine Mountains. They encompass natural beauty, tourist attractions,
resorts , provincial parks, and many recreational activities.The Duck mountain range is located in western
Manitoba and stretches along the north-south Saskatchewanborder . The highest point is Baldy Mountain, which reaches 2, 727 feet. Duck Mountain Provincial park is located within the range and includes vivid scenery, tranquil Madge Lake, aspen forests,beach es, campgrounds, andfishing . [cite web|url=http://www.traveltocanadanow.com/article.asp?article_id=59|title=Mountain ranges|accessdate=2006-09-23]The Pembina Mountains are located in southern
Manitoba and extends over toAssiniboine River and theNorth Dakota border . Its highest point is 2, 000 feet.The Porcupine Mountains range is located in
west -central Manitoba and extending along the Saskatchewan border. The highest point, which isHart Mountain near Swan River, rises to 2,700 feet. The area is for diverse habitats, ranging from prairies toglacier valley s toplateau s and well-known for its denseforest .Geology
In central Manitoba lies the
Flin Flon greenstone belt , which is one of the largestPaleoproterozoic volcanic-hosted massive sulphide districts in the world, containing 27copper -zinc -(gold ) deposits from which more than 183 million tonnes of sulphide have been mined.cite paper | author = Norris, Jessica | title = Report on the 2007 Diamond Drilling Program McClarty Lake Project, Manitoba | publisher = Aurora Geosciences Ltd. | date = 2007 | url = http://www.troymet.com/i/pdf/2007McClarty43-101.pdf | format =PDF | accessdate = 2008-02-22 ]Other facts
=Location and Boundary=*
Area : 250,946 miles / 649,950 km
* Land Surface: 2123231,721 miles / 548,360 km
* North to South: 7232361miles / 1225 km
* Width (South): 27232329 miles / 449 km
* North Boundary (Width): 260 miles / 418 km
*Coastline : 4023235230 miles / 645 km
* "Water surface": 39,225 miles / 101,593km
* Widest Point: 4923233 miles / 793 kmMiscellaneous
* Capital: Winnipeg
* Largest City: WinnipegArea
* 8th largest % of fresh water
* The 6th largest provincePopulation
* Total (2001): Density Ranked 5th
* 1 150 000
* 1.78/km² Time zone UTC: -6References
Notes
* [http://www.travelmanitoba.com/default.asp?page=130&node=585&menu=436 Manitoba Geography]
* [http://www.fact-index.com/m/ma/manitoba.html Manitoba]
* [http://www.canadianaconnection.com/cca/manitoba.htm Manitoba historical geography]
* [http://www.traveltocanadanow.com/article.asp?article_id=59 Mountain ranges]
* [http://home.westman.wave.ca/~hillmans/strathwh.html Praire:Manitoba: Strathclair] by John Welsted, John Everitt and Christoph Stadel of University of Manitoba PressFurther reading
* Dredge, L. A., F. M. Nixon, and R. J. Richardson. Quaternary Geology and Geomorphology of Northwestern Manitoba. Ottawa, Canada: Canadian Govt. Pub. Centre, Supply and Services Canada, 1986. ISBN 0660121638
* Dredge, L. A., and F. M. Nixon. Glacial and Environmental Geology of Northeastern Manitoba. Ottawa, Canada: Geological Survey of Canada, 1992. ISBN 0660143992ee also
*
Geography of Canada
*List of highest points of Canadian provinces and territories External links
* [http://homeschooling.about.com/cs/unitssubjgeog/a/pusmb.htm Manitoba Provincial Unit Study]
* [http://www.rootsweb.com/~canmb/mangenlinks.htm Manitoba Geology]
* [http://www.answers.com/topic/manitoba Answers.com for Manitoba]
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