Canada: Climate & Natural Resources

Spanning nearly the entire width of North America, Canada's climate ranges from humid continental conditions in the heavily populated south to subarctic and arctic conditions across much of the north, where permafrost and tundra prevail beyond the tree line. Interior and Prairie regions experience cold, dry winters, with average temperatures often falling near minus 15 degrees Celsius and occasionally dropping below minus 40 with wind chill, while coastal British Columbia enjoys a milder, wetter climate shaped by the Pacific Ocean. Summers vary widely too, from mild coastal temperatures to highs above 30 degrees Celsius inland. Non-coastal snow cover typically lasts close to six months, and in the far north it can persist year-round.

Canada's natural resource base is among the most extensive of any country, encompassing major reserves of nickel, zinc, copper, gold, potash, and diamonds, alongside the mineral-rich rock of the Canadian Shield. Energy resources include substantial oil and natural gas production, much of it from western Canada, together with coal reserves and a long-established hydroelectric sector that draws on the country's many rivers and lakes, particularly in Quebec, Ontario, and British Columbia. These resources have made the extraction and export of raw materials central to the national economy since the colonial era.

Roughly 42 percent of Canada's land area is covered by forest, dominated by spruce, pine, and poplar, and concentrated heavily within the boreal forest stretching across the Canadian Shield. The country also holds more than two million lakes, including Great Bear Lake, the largest entirely within Canadian borders, giving it one of the world's largest shares of surface fresh water. Combined with its mineral and energy wealth, this abundance of forest and freshwater resources has long shaped both Canadian economic development and the country's relationship with its vast northern landscape.