The Prairie Plains- Location

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The Prairie Plains- Location

• The plains are one of the smallest areas in
  Canada. It is shaped like a large triangle. The
  Great Plains are so called plains because they
  are flat. It used to be covered by an ocean, then
  by lakes and swamps.

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The Prairie Plains- Location

• The Prairie Plains is found in the Yukon,
  Northwest Territories, British Columbia, Alberta,
  Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

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The Prairie Plains- Location

• At the northern extension of the Interior Plains,
  forest gives way to treeless Tundra and polar
  deserts.

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The Prairie Plains- Climate

• The way the land is shaped affects the climate in
  many ways. Winters are long and cold, with winds
  sweeping across the open treeless plains meaning
  there is little to block their affect.

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The Prairie Plains- Climate

• Closer to the western mountains the winter
  temperatures are lowered by the Chinook winds
  (warm breeze descending down the mountain slope).

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The Prairie Plains- Climate

• The summers are hot in the prairies because of
  the warm air that blows in from the Pacific Ocean
  and over the mountains. But the season is short
  and there is often danger of early frosts because
  of the cool air that can also blow in from the
  Pacific Ocean.

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The Prairie Plains- Climate

• The prairies climate is dry compared to most
  other parts of Canada with only 30 cm of
  precipitation a year. It is like this because the
  land is so flat and this makes it easier for any
  moisture to evaporate.

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The Prairie Plains- Landforms

• Sometimes, people make the mistake of calling the
  Plains the Prairie Provinces or just the
  Prairies. The term prairie refers to the prairie
  grasses that grow wild in Alberta, Saskatchewan
  and Manitoba.

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The Prairie Plains- Landforms

• The Interior Plains landscape includes much more
  than just the prairie grasslands. You'll find
  that this entire region is generally flat in
  elevation.   In fact there are 3 flat levels of
  elevation and each level is lower as you move to
  the east.

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The Prairie Plains- Landforms

• If you can picture 3 steps on stairs that
  descend, then you sort of get what it looks like.
  Found within these 3 levels of flat elevation ,
  you may find hills, cliffs, low mountains,
  forests, wide river valleys and there are even
  sand dunes!

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The Prairie Plains- Natural Resources

• The soil in this region is perfect for growing
  wheat and helps keep livestock alive and healthy.
  The soil has minerals and natural fertilizer
  which helps support life. The soil can be thought
  of as SKIN of the LAND.

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The Prairie Plains- Natural Resources

• Oil and gas are also found below the surface of
  the Interior Plains within the Prairies. Millions
  of years ago this land was under tropical seas.
  After the seas disappeared, deposits of oil,
  natural gas and potash were left behind from
  decaying animals. 90 of potash is found in
  Saskatchewan and is used for fertilizer.

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The Prairie Plains- Natural Resources

• Potash is the common name given to potassium
  carbonate and various mined and manufactured
  salts that contain the element potassium in
  water-soluble form.
• Potash is vital for agriculture because it
  improves water retention, yield, nutrient value,
  taste, color, texture and disease resistance of
  food crops. It has wide application to fruit and
  vegetables, rice, wheat and other grains, sugar,
  corn, soybeans, palm oil and cotton, all of which
  benefit from the nutrients quality enhancing
  properties.

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The Prairie Plains-Industry

• First of all, the farming  is extremely
  important. Crops such as wheat, barley, oats,
  flax, canola, mustard, potatoes, corn and sugar
  beets are grown in the plains.

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The Prairie Plains-Industry

• Farmers also raise cattle, pigs, poultry, to name
  a few. Both the crops and livestock produced in
  this area, feed many Canadians, as well as,
  others around the world.

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The Prairie Plains-Industry

• The agricultural industry is also linked with
  promoting the tourism industry. Many rodeos,
  stampedes and agricultural shows are held
  throughout this region for everyone to enjoy.

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The Prairie Plains-Industry

• Another main industry on the Prairies is oil and
  gas. These create many jobs in this region. Oil
  and gas from this region are sold in Canada and
  around the world making it one of the richest
  regions in Canada. Potash, also creates the
  industry of mining and fertilizer processing
  plants. This resource is found in Saskatchewan by
  drilling mostly underground. Potash is sold all
  around the world and in Canada, making it an
  important industry.