Search for "New France"

The Freshwater Institute, located on the University of Manitoba campus in Winnipeg, Man, is one of the world's leading research centres for freshwater and Arctic fisheries research.

The wild horses, named for the island they inhabit, are now the only terrestrial mammals on Sable Island aside from the few inhabitants.

Barley, common name for members of genus Hordeum of the grass family (Gramineae).

Mercury (Hg) is a silvery white metal also known as quicksilver. Mercury is named for the Roman god of commerce, travel and thievery. It has been used for over 3000 years. Its chemical symbol, Hg, is derived from the Latin word hydrargyrum, which means "liquid silver.

A spider is a carnivorous arthropod (segmented, jointed-limbed animal) of the class Arachnida, order Araneae.

Irish moss is a type of seaweed that is commercially harvested in Canada’s Maritime provinces. It is mainly composed of carrageenan, a gelatinous substance. Carrageenan extracted from Irish moss is used as a thickening and gelling agent in foods and other products. It is also used to clarify beverages such as beer.

Canada may be divided into seven physiographic regions. The Canadian Shield is the largest and oldest of these regions. The other six physiographic regions are younger and form two concentric rings around the Canadian Shield. The outer, older ring contains the Western Cordillera, Canadian Arctic and Appalachian Region. The second, younger ring contains the Interior Plains, Hudson Bay Lowlands and the St. Lawrence Lowlands. These regions may be further sub-divided based on their structure, relief and the presence or absence of permafrost and forest cover (see Natural Regions).

Areas quoted for these regions are the land areas and do not include adjacent continental shelves or bodies of ocean water within Canada's territorial limits. Readers should also note that the abbreviation “masl” stands for “metres above sea level.”

 Biodiversity is the variety of life (genetic, species and ecosystem levels) on Earth or some part of it. It includes all living forms, plants, animals and micro-organisms. It is the natural wealth of a region that provides resources and ecological services.

For centuries people have argued about the age of the Earth; only recently has it been possible to come close to achieving reliable estimates.

Protection may be achieved by various means, including land-use zoning, long-term agreements with landowners and outright acquisition of land by wildlife agencies. Protected land areas may be designated as national wildlife areas, conservation areas, game reserves, etc.

The most important berry fruits produced in Canada are strawberries (Fragaria x ananassa), red raspberries (Rubus idaeus), highbush and lowbush blueberries (Vaccinium corymbosum and V. angustifolium, respectively) and cranberries (V. macrocarpon). Blackberries (various Rubus species), blackcurrants (Ribes nigrum) and redcurrants (R. rubrum) and gooseberries (Ribes grossulariia or R. uva-crispa) are of less importance but are increasing in popularity.

In Canada, elemental sulphur is recovered from the processing of sour natural gas with a high hydrogen sulphide (H2S) content, and from the refining of high sulphur-bearing crude and heavy oil.

Alfalfa, or lucerne (genus Medicago), is a herbaceous perennial belonging to the legume family and grown as a forage crop.

Biological Oceanography is a branch of oceanography that studies living organisms (ie, the biota) in the sea in relation to their environments.

Canada’s lumber and wood industries convert logs into various products, from lumber to wood chips.

Natural resources are aspects of the natural environment from which goods and services can be obtained and produced. They include air, sunlight, water, land, vegetation, animal life and geological resources. People can also value natural resources for their own sake or for their aesthetic qualities. Humans must manage natural resources to sustain the benefits they offer.

Canada is among the most resource-rich countries in the world. Its large and varied natural resources are essential to its economies and cultures. But there are ongoing debates about how to use, share and manage natural resources.

Click here for definitions of key terms used in this article.

This is the full-length entry about natural resources in Canada. For a plain-language summary, please see Natural Resources in Canada (Plain-Language Summary).

Plate tectonics is the theory proposing that Earth’s outer rocky shell is divided into seven major and several smaller rigid plates. Forces generated by heat losses from the planet’s interior constantly move the plates about. Plate movements, ongoing over millions of years (see Geological History), open and close ocean basins, generate volcanoes, raise mountains, facilitate accumulation of mineral and petroleum deposits, and influence evolution and climate change. Friction between plates prevents steady motion and stores energy that is released in sudden movements, causing earthquakes.

Floods are primarily caused by naturally occurring changes in the height of rivers, lakes and oceans. According to Public Safety Canada, floods are the most common natural hazard in the country and among the costliest. Historic floods have occurred across Canada, with many of the worst happening on major river systems that pass through populated areas. Scientists predict that flooding linked to the impacts of climate change will increase as the 21st century progresses, particularly in coastal areas of the country.

​An earthquake is a vibratory motion generated from the movement of rock along a fault line beneath the Earth’s surface.