Explore Mountains, Valleys, and Plains Around You!

A landform is a natural shape of land on Earth. You can find many different landforms all around the world. In Canada, you will discover mountains, valleys, and plains as you explore Climate and Geography.

Learning about landforms helps you understand why some places look tall and rocky while others look flat and wide. You will use this knowledge as you study Geographic Features in the future.

A mountain is very tall land that rises high above the ground around it. Mountains have steep, rocky sides that make them hard to climb. The very top of a mountain is called a peak, and many peaks in Canada are covered in snow and ice.

The Rocky Mountains are found in western Canada, mainly in British Columbia and Alberta. Mount Logan, found in Yukon, is Canada's tallest mountain. Mountains block wind and rain, so one side of a mountain often gets more rain than the other.

A valley is low land that sits between mountains or hills. Valleys dip down like a bowl between higher land. Rivers often flow through valleys because water moves downhill into low areas.

The Okanagan Valley and the Fraser Valley in British Columbia are famous Canadian valleys. Valleys have rich soil and water nearby, so trees and crops grow very well there. Many people build towns in flat valleys because the land is easy to build on.

A plain is a large, flat area of land with no big hills or mountains. Plains are wide and open, making them perfect for farming. Farmers grow wheat and grain on flat plains because the land is easy to plough and plant.

The Canadian Prairies are the most famous plains in Canada. They stretch across Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta. Saskatchewan and Alberta are known for their wide, flat prairie land. Bison and deer also live on the open Canadian plains.

You can compare landforms by looking at their height and shape. A mountain is the tallest landform, a hill is smaller than a mountain, and a valley is the lowest landform. A plain is flat with no big hills at all.

Here is a quick way to remember each one: mountains go up high, valleys dip down low, and plains stay flat and wide. You will use these comparisons when you study Changing Landscapes and Natural Processes.

Mountain: A mountain is very tall land that rises high above the ground around it. Canada's Rocky Mountains and Mount Logan are famous mountains.

Valley: A valley is low land that sits between hills or mountains. It is shaped like a low bowl, and rivers often flow through it.

Plain: A plain is a large, flat stretch of land with no hills. The Canadian Prairies are a well-known example of plains.

Peak: A peak is the very top of a mountain. Many mountain peaks in Canada, like those in the Rockies, are covered in snow and ice.

Flat land: Flat land is land that has no big hills or bumps. Plains are made of flat land, which makes them great for farming.

Low ground: Low ground is land that sits lower than the land around it. A valley has low ground at the bottom, between two higher landforms like hills or mountains.

Hill: A hill is a small raised piece of land that is shorter than a mountain. Hills are higher than plains but lower than mountains.

Canadian Prairies: The Canadian Prairies are large, flat plains found in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta. They are also called the great plains and are used for growing wheat and grain.

Rocky Mountains: The Rocky Mountains are a famous mountain range found in western Canada, mainly in British Columbia and Alberta. They are high, rocky, and hard to climb.

Mount Logan: Mount Logan is Canada's tallest mountain, located in Yukon in northwestern Canada. It is a very tall landform with a high, snowy peak.

You can look at pictures of mountains, valleys, and plains and try to name each one. Think about what makes each landform different is it tall, low, or flat? You will also practice this skill when you explore Using Geography Tools and Understanding Maps.

Try matching each landform to its key feature: mountains are high and rocky, valleys are low and between hills, and plains are flat and good for farming. This will help you get ready for Regional Characteristics and Communities and Their Environments.

Before learning about landforms, you explored Basic Mapping Concepts, which helped you understand how maps show land and places. You also learned about Features of Our Community, which showed you how the land around you looks and feels.

These topics gave you a strong start for understanding mountains, valleys, and plains. Now you are ready to explore even more with Human Geography and Understanding Other Places.

Landforms connect to many other topics you will study. You will learn about Types of Water Bodies: Oceans, Lakes, and Rivers, which often flow through valleys and sit beside plains. You will also explore Regional Biodiversity: Plants and Animals Across Diverse Ecosystems to see which animals and plants live on different landforms.

Understanding landforms helps you with World Maps and Locations, where you will find mountains and plains on a map. You will also connect landforms to Weather and Life, since mountains affect rain and temperature. Landforms also shape Where People Live, because people choose flat valleys and plains to build their homes and farms.