Quebec's Physiographic Regions

Physiographic regions are distinguished from one another by physical characteristics such as relief and soil composition. The geology of each region is unique.

Canada has seven physiographic regions.

• The Canadian Shield

• The Hudson Bay Lowlands

• The Arctic Lands

• The Inland Plains

• The Cordillera

• The St. Lawrence Lowlands - Great Lakes

• The Appalachians (Appalachian Highlands)

Three of these regions are partly or wholly located in Quebec.

• The St. Lawrence Lowlands

• The Canadian Shield

• The Appalachians

* The information in the map’s legend contains an error. Hudson Bay Lowland is plural not singular (Hudson Bay Lowlands).

The physiographic region of the St. Lawrence Lowlands lies to the south of the province of Quebec, more precisely around the St. Lawrence River. However, its surface area extends beyond the province of Quebec. In fact, the lowlands stretch from Quebec City to Brockville, Ontario, via the northern United States. The majority of its area, 41 000 km² out of 46 000 km², however, lies in the province of Quebec^[1].

The soil in this region is mostly composed of sedimentary rocks. This is the result of many years of erosion and marine deposits of the former Champlain Sea, which once covered the present-day St. Lawrence Lowlands.

The geographic location of this region means that the climate is predominantly mild and humid, which is conducive to the development of a diverse flora. In fact, this part of the province of Quebec is marked by a mixed forest cover, with several types of deciduous trees such as birch, poplar, sugar maple and basswood, as well as conifers such as fir and various types of spruce.

This physiographic region is the most populous in Quebec, and among the most densely populated in Canada. It is home to major cities such as Ottawa, Montreal, Trois-Rivières and Quebec City.

Agricultural activities combined with high population density mean that there is little forest cover in this region.

The Canadian Shield covers most of Quebec. It lies north of the St. Lawrence River and extends as far as Hudson Bay.

This region began to form over 3 billion years ago^[3]. The Canadian Shield extends over a vast territory and its soil contains igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary rocks. Many of these rocks date from the Precambrian era^[4].

The Canadian Shield region boasts a wide variety of natural resources, from timber and freshwater to minerals, such as silver, gold, zinc and copper. The exploitation of these natural resources is important to the economy of both Canada and Quebec.

The Appalachians cover an area that extends beyond the borders of Quebec. They stretch from Newfoundland (in Canada) to Alabama (in the USA). In Quebec, they stretch along the St. Lawrence River from the Eastern Townships to the Gaspé Peninsula.

This region is mainly composed of sedimentary rocks and igneous rocks (also known as volcanic).

Due to its wide variation in altitude, the climate in this region of Quebec tends to be changeable. In the southwest, it is milder, while in the northeast, it is harsher (cold temperatures, high humidity, strong winds, presence of fog, etc.)[7].

This region is made up of  a temperate forest with mixed forest cover and, to a lesser extent, the boreal forest.

The flatter parts of the territory are used for agriculture. However, the territory's economic activities are primarily logging, mining and tourism.

For more information, please consult the following concept sheets.

To access the rest of the unit, consult the Tools in Geography concept sheet.