Pacific Cordillera
Encyclopedia
The Pacific Cordillera (Canada) is a top-level physiographic
region of Canada
. This cordillera
is part of the Western Cordillera of North America. The mountain ranges in this region were covered during the Pleistocene by the Cordilleran Ice Sheet
. The extent of the Cordilleran ice sheet gives perspective on the geographic extent of this region, extending from coastal mountains in Alaska, south through most of the Yukon and British Columbia, bordered by the Rocky Mountains to the East, to stretch its margin beyond the Canada-US border with five extensive lobes reaching into the mountain valleys of Montana and Washington.
The Cordillera mountains were formed by the collision of tectonic plates
and stray islands from the far East coast, causing the crust to buckle forming the mountains that we know today. This is the youngest of the three primary geographic regions of Canada, the others being the Canadian Shield
and Great Plains
. This designation is peculiar to Canada because the country's intramontane plateaus are narrow and may be considered together with adjoining ranges.
Well known mountain ranges can be found at the Pacific Cordillera, including the famous Rocky Mountain range, and the coastal mountain range stretching across British Columbia. Such places are major tourist attractions and are basis of economy for the province of British Columbia.
Physical geography
Physical geography is one of the two major subfields of geography. Physical geography is that branch of natural science which deals with the study of processes and patterns in the natural environment like the atmosphere, biosphere and geosphere, as opposed to the cultural or built environment, the...
region of Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. This cordillera
Cordillera
A cordillera is an extensive chain of mountains or mountain ranges, that runs along a coastline . It comes from the Spanish word cordilla, which is a diminutive of cuerda, or "cord"...
is part of the Western Cordillera of North America. The mountain ranges in this region were covered during the Pleistocene by the Cordilleran Ice Sheet
Cordilleran Ice Sheet
The Cordilleran ice sheet was a major ice sheet that covered, during glacial periods of the Quaternary, a large area of North America. This included the following areas:*Western Montana*The Idaho Panhandle...
. The extent of the Cordilleran ice sheet gives perspective on the geographic extent of this region, extending from coastal mountains in Alaska, south through most of the Yukon and British Columbia, bordered by the Rocky Mountains to the East, to stretch its margin beyond the Canada-US border with five extensive lobes reaching into the mountain valleys of Montana and Washington.
The Cordillera mountains were formed by the collision of tectonic plates
Plate tectonics
Plate tectonics is a scientific theory that describes the large scale motions of Earth's lithosphere...
and stray islands from the far East coast, causing the crust to buckle forming the mountains that we know today. This is the youngest of the three primary geographic regions of Canada, the others being the Canadian Shield
Canadian Shield
The Canadian Shield, also called the Laurentian Plateau, or Bouclier Canadien , is a vast geological shield covered by a thin layer of soil that forms the nucleus of the North American or Laurentia craton. It is an area mostly composed of igneous rock which relates to its long volcanic history...
and Great Plains
Great Plains
The Great Plains are a broad expanse of flat land, much of it covered in prairie, steppe and grassland, which lies west of the Mississippi River and east of the Rocky Mountains in the United States and Canada. This area covers parts of the U.S...
. This designation is peculiar to Canada because the country's intramontane plateaus are narrow and may be considered together with adjoining ranges.
Well known mountain ranges can be found at the Pacific Cordillera, including the famous Rocky Mountain range, and the coastal mountain range stretching across British Columbia. Such places are major tourist attractions and are basis of economy for the province of British Columbia.