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Canada's natural assets

Canada’s Natural Assets, a portrait of what nature blessed Canada with

From beautiful maple leaves to striking appearance moose, there are many wonderful and inspiring Canada’s natural assets that can attract everyone’s attention at first sight. You may ask what type of vegetation are most common in Canada, which Animals are Canada’s iconic animals, what agricultural products are produced the most in Canada? 

For finding the answer to these questions, there are many websites you can separately refer to for each question. But here in Canadaya.ca, we will respond to all questions you may have about Canada’s natural assets at the same time. So, stick around.

The most prominent titles

  • Canada has 9% of the world’s forests. 
  • Forests cover 38% of Canada’s land area.
  • Canada’s forests are located within eight regions.
  • The most famous tree in Canada is spruce.
  • The maple tree has become Canada’s national symbol because of its sweet sap and goods derived from it.
  • More than two-fifths of Canada’s total crop area belong to Saskatchewan. 
  • In 2018 Canada was the world’s largest producer of rapeseed
  • Beaver is the emblem of Canada.
  • Over 800 million animals are slaughtered for food yearly.

Canada’s Forestry and Plants

Canada’s natural assets vary. This country has 9% of the world’s forests, with over 347 million hectares of forests. Forests dominate the Canadian landscape in some ecozones but are rare in others. For instance, the Atlantic maritime ecozone is 81% forested. The mixed wood plains ecozone is only 19% forested, and the prairie ecozone is less than 1% forested.

Overall, forests cover 38% of Canada’s land area. Forest areas are geographical areas with tree species that are often of the same or similar type. A forest area is an area or a geographical belt whose vegetation is characterized by a dominant species and a relatively uniform type of mass. The classification of forest areas is mainly based on vegetation or forest composition, unlike ecosystems, which contain a more comprehensive range of environmental variables.

Canada’s forest regions are as follows:  

  • Acadian Forest Region
  • Boreal Forest Region (the most extensive forests in Canada)
  • Coast Forest Region 
  • Columbia Forest Region Deciduous Forest Region 
  • Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Forest 
  • Montane Forest Region 
  • Subalpine Forest Region
Boreal-forest-region, showcasing Canada's natural assets

Boreal-forest-region

Autumnal-dedicious-forest

Canada’s Iconic Animals

Nature can be considered an essential part of Canadians’ natural assets and national identity; Canada’s lands and seas are renowned for their natural abundance and different wildlife. Canada is provenance to about 80,000 plant and animal species. This country is the second-largest country globally and home to approximately 200 mammal species by landmass. Canada is not a mega diverse country, unlike the United States and Mexico, North America’s two other nations. However, its wide-open spaces and relatively low human population have made it a land of wildlife wonderland.

Canada’s 10 Most Iconic Animals

  • Beaver
  • Moose 
  • Polar Bear
  • Bison 
  • Southern resident killer whale
  • Walrus 
  • Caribou 
  • Atlantic puffin 
  • Canada lynx
  • Beluga whale 

Agriculture and Productivity in Canada

Less than a twelfth of Canada’s land area is suitable for crop production. Canada’s natural assets are about four-fifths of this cropland is in the Prairie Provinces. The most important reason for the growth and germination of grains in this area is the long sunny days in summer and good rainfall. Nevertheless, most crops and the highest yields occur in southwestern British Columbia and southern Ontario.

A farm yard in summer, showcasing Canada's natural assets

A farm yard in summer

Although agriculture employs less than 4% of Canada’s workforce, producing a large amount of food for national and export markets and providing raw materials for food processing, wholesale, and retail industries is critical to the national economy. There are different types of agriculture in other parts of Canada. The Prairies are widely known for grain (particularly wheat), oilseeds (especially canola), and cattle grazing. 

Central and eastern Canada has a wide variety of crops and livestock. Also, farmers tend to specialize in either a particular cash crop or a livestock type. Southwestern Ontario produces lots of grain corn (maize), soybeans, and white beans. Southern Ontario and also southwestern British Columbia have a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. Dairy is vital in all major cities.

Canada’s Farming Regions 

Most of Canada’s total field crop acreage belongs to Saskatchewan, Alberta, and Manitoba. Saskatchewan produces the most durum wheat, Canola, and lentils, Alberta has the most beef cattle operations, and Manitoba has the most pig farms and is second in potato production. Farmers in British Columbia offer large amounts of fruit, vegetables, aquaculture products, eggs, and poultry meat. The most significant number of grape growers is cultivated in this province.

A farm in Ontario, showcasing Canada's natural assets

A farm in Ontario

Canada’s natural assets in 2018 were:

● The largest rapeseed’ producer worldwide

● The 2nd largest producer of oats in the world

● The 6th largest world producer of wheat

● The 7th largest world producer of soy

● The 10th largest world producer of maize

● And the 12th largest world producer of potato

Canada produces:  

Dry pea, lentil, flax, sugar beet (which is used to make sugar), tomato, apple, carrots, beans, chickpeas, rye, onion, cabbage, cranberry, blueberry, mustard seed, mushroom truffle, and grape, in addition to smaller productions of other agricultural products are Canada’s natural assets. 

Canada’s agricultural exports are:

  • Wheat
  • Canola seed
  • Soybeans
  • Canola Oil
  • Live Cattle
Canola field in Saskatchewan, showcasing Canada's natural assets

Canola field in Saskatchewan

Canada’s agricultural imports are:

  • Wine
  • Food preparation and baked goods
  • Beef  
  • Ethyl alcohol

Canada’s Livestock 

Many different farm animals in Canada are raised for various purposes. Farming practices have changed dramatically over Canada’s last 50 to 60 years. Small family farms have significantly declined, and larger intensive factory farms have become the norm for food production in the 21st century. Over 800 million animals are slaughtered for food in Canada every year; most are chickens.

Dairy cattle in a barn in Quebec, showcasing Canada's natural assets

Dairy cattle in a barn in Quebec

What types of animals are raised on Canada’s farms?

Although all significant Canada’s natural assets, including grain, dairy, and horticulture, are present across the country, the combination of farm types varies considerably across regions.

Farmers raise:

  • beef cattle
  • pigs
  • chickens
  • turkeys
  • sheep
  • Bison
  • Goats
  • deer
  • and elk in each of these regions

Aquaculture in Canada

Aquaculture exists in all provinces, and the Yukon Territory and farms more than a dozen types of fish and shellfish are farmed commercially. Although most of Canada’s aquaculture operations are found on the east and west coasts, freshwater trout operations are found in almost every province. The aquaculture of the Canadian industry delivers a wide range of safe, healthy, and sustainable seafood products to domestic and international markets. Atlantic salmon, mussels, trout, oysters, and clams are Canada’s most prominent aquaculture sectors. The aquaculture industry is a significant employer and economic driver in most coastal, rural, and Aboriginal communities.

Last words on Canada’s natural assets

This article was originally written to talk about Canada’s natural assets and tell you what types of vegetation, agricultural products, and animals are the most common type in Canada. We hope that our information has been interesting enough for you, and we appreciate your attention. 

Now that you’ve learned more about Canada let us know if you want to know more about Canada’s geographyYou can also read more about Canada’s PoliticsEconomySocio-cultural, and history.

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