Identify two major physical landform regions of Canada and describe one key feature of each.

• A. Appalachian Uplands – flat plains; Innuitian Mountains – tropical lowlands.
• B. Great Plains – desert; Hudson Bay Lowlands – volcanic mountains.
• C. Canadian Shield – vast ancient rock with numerous lakes; Western Cordillera – towering mountain ranges with rugged terrain and mineral resources.
• D. Canadian Shield – deep snow deserts; Western Cordillera – low-lying wetlands.

Answer: (C)

This question tests your understanding of Canada’s major physical landform regions and one defining feature of each.

The two major regions are the Canadian Shield and the Western Cordillera. The Canadian Shield is a vast expanse of ancient Precambrian bedrock that is exposed across much of northern Canada, giving a landscape of low relief dotted with thousands of lakes carved by glaciers. Its standout feature is the immense, old rock surface with numerous lakes and rivers. The Western Cordillera runs along Canada’s western edge and comprises towering mountain ranges formed by tectonic uplift and shaped by glaciation, producing rugged terrain and deep valleys; its notable feature is the high, dramatic mountains and rich mineral resources.

Other options mix up landforms or describe incorrect features (for example, deserts where there are none in the Plains, or volcanic mountains where that isn’t the defining characteristic of the Hudson Bay Lowlands).