Canada occupies most of the northern portion of North America, stretching from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and north to the Arctic Ocean.
Its population density, about 3.5 inhabitants per square kilometer, is one of the lowest in the world. The most densely populated region of the country is that of the Quebec-Windsor Corridor, along the lowlands of the St. Lawrence River and the Great Lakes to the southeast. To the north of this region is the vast Canadian Shield, a region of rock cleared by the last ice age, devoid of fertile soil, rich in minerals, and endowed with lakes and rivers. We find there the boreal forest, immense northern forest composed mainly of spruce and fir. Canada has more lakes on its territory than any other country in the world and has a large supply of fresh water.
In eastern Canada, the St. Lawrence River flows into the Gulf of St. Lawrence, the largest estuary in the world; the island of Newfoundland is located at its mouth, while Prince Edward Island is south of it. New Brunswick and Nova Scotia are separated by the Bay of Fundy, which has the largest tidal ranges in the world. These four maritime provinces extend east of the Gaspe peninsula of Quebec. Ontario and Hudson Bay dominate central Canada, while to the west lie the vast plains of the Canadian Prairies, passing through Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta to the Rocky Mountains, that separate them from British Columbia.
The Horseshoe Falls in Ontario are the largest component of Niagara Falls. It is a major source of hydroelectric power and a tourist destination.
North of the 60th parallel are the three Canadian territories - Nunavut, the Northwest Territories and the Yukon - dotted with several lakes (including Great Bear Lake and Great Slave Lake) and crossed by the longest river in the country, the Mackenzie River. In addition, the mainland of Canada's North is bordered to the north by a large archipelago, the Arctic Archipelago comprising some of the largest islands in the world. The straits between these islands form the Northwest Passage, from Davis Strait to the Beaufort Sea through Baffin Bay. In addition, it is in this region that we find, mostly offshore and between the Queen Elizabeth Islands, the magnetic north pole and part of the polar ice.
In terms of relief, the country takes shape mainly through the plains of the Prairies, and plateaus of the Canadian shield. The mainland of British Columbia and the Rocky Mountain range occupy the area west of the Prairies, while the Appalachian Mountains stretch from southern Quebec to the Maritime provinces.
