Talk:Geography of Canada

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Contents 1 What is needed 2 Continental Divide vs continental divide 3 Satellite imagery 3.1 Image of Canada in darkness 3.2 Total Area 4 Southern Okanagan - Desert or Steppe?

The comments about the request for "Featured Article" status indicate that several people think that this request was premature. I agree, with that, but I do think that it will be a fine article and worthy of featured article status with a bit more work. I've changed the title of the "Unorganized material" section, but anyone who a better way of incorporating it should go ahead. Sunray 04:10, 2005 Feb 8 (UTC)

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[edit] What is needed

Here is a list of things that must be done berfore the article is fit for Featured article submition

*Write up Geography_of_Canada#The_Arctic done

• Expand the other sections to be more comprehensive
  • Include more material about secondary, but notable features, like secondary mountain ranges, notable rivers and lakes... Have to re-read my writing to check this one
  • Separate Canadian rockies and Pacific coast comments on this one? I didn't manage to do it, unfortunately
    • It would be better to call it the "Cordilleran region", as there are a number of other mountain ranges and plateaus between the rockies & the Coast Mountains.
  • Create a section on the maritimes (specific Atlantic coast geography) this should be inserted into Appalachain mountains
• Create an Hydrography section, including a link to rivers of Canada done
  • The new Hydrography section really needs a map of the the 5 main canadian watersheds - anyone have one or feel up to the task of making one? -Lommer | ^talk 19:09, 8 Mar 2005 (UTC)
    • I already pointed out lower we need more maps. I'm afraid I lack sourche for that. Circeus 14:03, Mar 9, 2005 (UTC)
    • I inserted such a map from the Atlas of Canada and a link at the bottom of the page where one can find more.--Paddlebot 01:48, 10 Mar 2005 (UTC)
    • As I have an interest in rivers and having noted that the organization of rivers in wiki is an oxymoron, as time and interest permits I'd like to clean it up, starting with the reorganization of Canadian Rivers by drainage rather than province. If any interest or comments, please add to "List of rivers in Canada" discussion. --Paddlebot 01:48, 10 Mar 2005 (UTC)
• Create an ecogeography section about the main ecologic regions found in Canada. See Nearctic (maybe too specific) and Floristic province: Rockies, west of the rockies, tundra, plains, coniferous boreal forest, mixed forest, Broadleaf forest (can be divided in more specific areas, but these are the needed ones for te purpose of this article)
• Merge, expand, or delete the Natural hazards and Current environmental issues sections which are copied straight out of the CIA World Factbook [1].
• Appropriate Geological, ecological and hydrographic maps
• Not necessary but would make a good impression not to have a bunch or red links under See also

[edit] Continental Divide vs continental divide

I prefer the more general description: not everyone is aware that capitalizing the words designate a specific divide. I wasn't. besides, the Rockies form the Continental Divide everywhere in north America, don't they? Wouldn't it be a little ridiculous to state the fact as if they did only in Canada? The wording, for one that isn't aware of the nuance, also implies there are only 2 watersheds in Canada.Circeus 19:01, Mar 8, 2005 (UTC)

I see your points, I just feel that the contintental divide we are talking about is the Continental Divide, not just any one and this should be reflected in how we link to it. There is a specific article on this specific continental divide - let's use it. I don't really think it implies only 2 watersheds, but I can see the concern and maybe that's something that can be adequately addressed in the Continental Divide article or in the hydrology section? As for the wording, maybe it can be changed so as to not give the silly impression that the rockies formed the continental divide only in canada.-Lommer | ^talk 19:22, 8 Mar 2005 (UTC)

I've actually mentionned the Continental Divide in the Hydrology section. second-to-last paragraph, the one about the Pacific watershed. Circeus 20:16, Mar 8, 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Satellite imagery

This page could really use some great satellite imagery, I think that would go a long to improving it. Anyone have any GFDL compatible images? I love this one but it's mostly of the U.S. and so I don't think it's the best for the job. -Lommer | ^talk 01:13, 10 Feb 2005 (UTC)

I'm still looking for good satellite images of Canada. The best I've found so far is this unfortunately copyrighted one [2]. -Lommer | ^talk 19:09, 8 Mar 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Image of Canada in darkness

When I first saw this satellite image, I thought someone had added it as a joke. It shows the U.S. in brilliant sunlight, capturing the eye immediately. Then, as one's eyes become accustomed to the dark, one can barely make out the image of Canada.

I know that it wasn't intended as a joke. It is a beautiful image, but I'm removing it from the article. We need to find an image that features Canada. Sunray 04:51, 2005 Mar 10 (UTC)

Canada isn't dark in that image - it's just the way our vegetation looks (look up north and see how bright it is). Anyways, I just threw it in there b/c I figured it was better than nothing. It doesn't show the maritimes/quebec and some of the yukon, which is why I've been looking for a better image rather than just cropping that one down. -Lommer | ^talk 21:30, 10 Mar 2005 (UTC)

Done! See the geography page. Enjoy! E Pluribus Anthony 02:56, 18 September 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Total Area

My previous edit seemed clear to me since the phrase is clealy talking about total area. Been doing some research, finding that the area of the U.S. suddenly increased beyond that of China? Previously for the longest time this was not true. Anybody agree or disagree with me, or have I been missing out on something for the past 40 years? Svelyka 07:23, 2 March 2006 (UTC)

Sorry: I've reverted this (again). Your recent change made the relevant point unclear ... the current version clearly indicates order of the top four countries by total area, whereas your edit did not. And the sourced facts speak for themselves – see Talk:Canada#Canada's area and also Provinces and territories of Canada (tables): Canada has significant inland water area and the order differs for 2-4 between total and land area. Please cite sources before changing. Thanks. E Pluribus Anthony | talk | 07:37, 2 March 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Southern Okanagan - Desert or Steppe?

This has been a source of dispute, so I shall try and resolve it. The KCC has that a desert's precipitation is less than half the potential evapotranspiration; a steppe's precipitation is less than potential evapotranspiration but more than half of it.

climate data source. Relevant figures:

• Mean annual temp: 8.6C
• Mean total annual precipitation: 244.3mm (10mm snow = 1mm rain)
• Mean total precipitation April-September: 152mm, 62% of the mean total annual

The potential evapotranspiration is calculated as follows:

1. Multiply the average annual temperature in °C by 20 ==> 8.6*20 = 171.5
2. Add:
   • 280 if 70% or more of the total precipitation is in the high-sun half of the year (April through September in the Northern Hemisphere)
   • 140 if 30%-70%
   • 0 if less than 30%
   • ==> 171.5 + 140 = 311.5
3. This is potential evapotranspiration in millimetres.

The mean total annual preciptiation is therefore about 78% of the potential evapotranspiration, so the Okanagan is steppe, not desert. I know the Okanagan gets slightly less than 250mm of preciptiation (used for some definitions of desert), but the annual rainfall / potential evapotranspiration ratio shows it's clearly steppe. (Even if you ignore the snow, the figure comes out as 75%).

Tompw (talk) 12:46, 29 January 2007 (UTC)