Canada’s landmass is very diversified and comprises 7 distinctive areas called physiographic regions, each of which has its own unique topography and geology. Physiographic regions are large areas that share similar relief and landforms shaped by common geomorphic processes and geological history. Physiographic regions are often used to describe Canada’s geography to show regional differences in climate, vegetation, population and the economy.This dataset collection contains three interrelated datasets mapping the location of Canada’s 7 different physiographic regions, their 21 subregions and many divisions (landforms).

The Yukon Territory is underlain by a great variety of rock types ranging in age from Early Proterozoic to Recent and representing diverse environments including epicratonic basins, subsiding shelves, foreland basins, island arcs and deep ocean basins. Episodes of compressional and extensional deformation, transcurrent faulting, metamorphism and plutonism further complicate the map pattern. This complex geological record has been described in terms of the interactions of several terranes (large parts of the earth's crust which preserve a common geological record) with each other and with the margin of ancestral North America.Distributed from [GeoYukon](https://yukon.ca/geoyukon) by the [Government of Yukon](https://yukon.ca/maps) . Discover more digital map data and interactive maps from Yukon's digital map data collection.For more information: [geomatics.help@yukon.ca](mailto:geomatics.help@yukon.ca)

This dataset defines the ecological areas of Alberta known as the Natural Regions and Natural Subregions, as defined in 2004/2005. This dataset is intended to allow for the stratification of the province of Alberta based on ecological criteria. Natural Regions are the largest mapped ecological units in Alberta's classification system. They are defined geographically on the basis of landscape patterns, notably vegetation, soils and physiographic features. Natural Subregions are subdivisions of a Natural Region, generally characterized by vegetation, climate, elevation, and latitudinal or physiographic differences within a given Region.The intended scale of use of this product is 1:250 000. This version is 2005 Final. Linework changes from the previous Natural Subregion delineation are due both to better information and refined subregion definitions. Note that the Athabasca Plain subregion has been moved into the Boreal Natural Region and that the Boreal Highlands has now been split into Lower and Upper. There is an accompanying report, published 2006: https://albertaparks.ca/media/2942026/nrsrcomplete_may_06.pdf

Ecodivisions are areas of broad climatic and physiographic uniformity, defined at the continental level.

Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) regions were created to help manage ministry programs and resources at a regional level. Extents of the regions were originally compiled by description of: metes and bounds, topographic features, geographic township boundaries, territorial district boundaries, etc. MNR regions consist of a number of districts. This product requires the use of geographic information system (GIS) software.

This product provides the boundaries for the 25 drainage regions in Canada and the five ocean drainage areas. These drainage regions cover all of the area within the coastal boundaries of Canada.These files were produced by Statistics Canada, Environment, Energy and Transportation Statistics Division, 2009, special tabulation of data from Pearse, P.H., F. Bertrand and J.W. MacLaren, 1985, Currents of Change: Final Report of the Inquiry on Federal Water Policy, Environment Canada, Ottawa.

Hydrogeological Regions provide a framework to introduce the regional hydrogeology of Canada and to connect apparently disparate studies into a broader framework. The hydrological regions are first order areas used to capture and summarize data that will help develop more detailed profiles of each region. Comparison of findings within and between regions will allow scalable extension to sub-regional and watershed scale mapping.Canada has been classified into nine principal hydrogeological regions. Each region is described briefly based on the following five hydrogeological characteristics (Heath, 1984):system components and geometry;water-bearing openings;rock matrix composition;storage and transmission;recharge/ discharge.The hydrogeological classification emphasizes major geological provinces and rock formations. Fundamental water-bearing openings and rock matrix properties help determine the quantity (storage), flux (transmission), and composition of formation waters. These same properties and any overlying sediment cover affect recharge/ discharge rates for regional formations. While regional attributes are general, a simple aquifer mapping scheme can further describe the nature and character of aquifers in each region. For example, general groundwater settings across the country could be described as has been done by USGS principal aquifers [1]. Thus the regional framework can potentially link from national scales to watershed scales by identifying typical aquifer types based on readily available geological maps that use water-bearing character as a common attribute.The nine hydrogeological regions include:CordilleraMountains with thin sediment over fractured sedimentary, igneous and metamorphic rocks of Precambrian to Cenozoic age. Intermontane valleys are underlain by glacial and alluvial deposits of Pleistocene age.Plains (Western Sedimentary Basin)Region-wide basin of sub-horizontal Paleozoic to Cenozoic sedimentary rocks are overlain by thick glacial deposits filling buried valleys. Incised post-glacial valleys provide local relief. Shallow gas, coal, and brines may occur.Canadian ShieldUndulating region of thin glacial sediment overlying complex deformed, fractured PreCambrian igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary rocks. Region contains several terrains: sedimentary basins, structural belts, and glacial-lacustrine basins.Hudson Bay (Moose River) BasinSedimentary basin of Paleozoic to Mesozoic sub horizontal carbonate and clastic sediment covered by surficial deposits, with low relief and poor drainage.Southern OntarioEastern Great Lakes region is underlain by gently-dipping Paleozoic, carbonate, clastic and gypsum-salt strata overlain by glacial sediments up to 200 m thick with tunnel valleys. Karst, bedrock valleys, shallow gas and brines are also important components.St. Lawrence LowlandsLowlands underlain by shallow-dipping Paleozoic sedimentary rocks and thick glacial sediment in glacial-marine basins. Appalachian and Precambrian uplands discharge water to valleys. Shallow gas and saltwater intrusion are possible.AppalachiaUpland to mountainous region with thin surficial sediment on folded Paleozoic sedimentary and igneous rocks. Range of rock types yields a wide range of water compositions. Valleys contain important alluvial aquifers.Maritimes BasinLowlands with flat-lying, Carboniferous clastic , salt, and gypsum rocks contain shallow coal deposits. Surface glacial sediment is thin and discontinuous. Salt water intrusion is possible.PermafrostArctic islands and most areas north of 60o contain frozen ground affects on groundwater flow. Diverse topography and geology define sub-regions of sedimentary basins and crystalline rocks. Glacial sediment is thin, discontinuous; local peat accumulations are significant.

Contained within the 5th Edition (1978 to 1995) of the National Atlas of Canada has a large that shows the extent of permafrost and abundance of ground ice; mapping units are based on physiographic regions. Point data on map give permafrost temperature and thickness for specific sites. The second, smaller, map shows the mean annual ground temperatures. Graphs show four shallow temperature profiles (to 25 metres depth), and four deep temperature profiles (to several hundred metres depth).Heginbottom, J. A., Dubreuil, M. -A. & Harker, P. (1995). Canada, permafrost. In The National Atlas of Canada (5 ed.). Natural Resources Canada, Geomatics Canada, MCR Series, 4177, Natural Resources Canada. https://doi.org/10.4095/294672

An ecoregion is an area with major physiographic and minor macroclimatic or oceanographic variation. There are 43 ecoregion in British Columbia of which 39 are terrestrial. Ecodivsions are meant to be mapped at 1:500,000 for regional strategic planning

In 2021, the Canada Coast Guard (CCG) and Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) updated its administrative boundaries following the creation a new Arctic region.There are now 7 administrative regions in DFO (Pacific, Arctic, Ontario and Prairie, Quebec, Gulf, Maritimes, Newfoundland and Labrador). DFO and Coast Guard Arctic Regions developed these regions in partnership with the people they serve; this important decision will lead to stronger programs and services to better meet the unique needs of our Arctic communities.DFO and CCG operations and research cover Canada's land and waters to the international boundaries (EEZ) and are in no way limited to the boundaries drawn in the map.