Discover Oceans, Lakes, Rivers, and More!

Water covers most of Earth's surface, and it comes in many different forms. You will find water in huge oceans, calm lakes, flowing rivers, and small ponds. Learning about Natural Features like Mountains, Forests, and Waterways helps you understand how water fits into the world around you.

Each type of water body has special features that make it different from the others. You can use these features to identify and name water bodies on a map or in real life.

An ocean is a very large body of salt water that covers most of Earth. Oceans are the biggest type of water body on our planet. About 71 percent of Earth's surface is covered by ocean water.

Canada is bordered by three oceans. The Pacific Ocean is on Canada's west coast, touching British Columbia. The Atlantic Ocean is on Canada's east coast, touching provinces like Nova Scotia and Newfoundland. The Arctic Ocean is in Canada's far north and is very cold and partly frozen. The Pacific Ocean is the largest ocean in the world.

A lake is a body of fresh water that is completely surrounded by land on all sides. Lakes hold still water, which means the water does not flow like a river. Most lakes in Canada contain fresh water, not salt water.

The Great Lakes are five huge freshwater lakes shared by Canada and the United States. The five Great Lakes are Superior, Huron, Erie, Ontario, and Michigan. Lake Superior is the largest of the five. Lake Ontario borders the province of Ontario. Okanagan Lake is a large lake found in British Columbia.

A river is a long body of fresh water that flows and moves across the land. Rivers are different from lakes because they are always moving. Rivers usually flow from higher places, like mountains, down toward a lake or an ocean.

The Fraser River flows through British Columbia and empties into the Pacific Ocean near Vancouver. The St. Lawrence River flows eastward through Canada and empties into the Atlantic Ocean. The Mackenzie River in the Northwest Territories is the longest river in Canada. The Ottawa River flows through Canada's capital city, Ottawa, and forms part of the border between Ontario and Quebec.

A pond is a small, shallow body of still fresh water. It is much smaller than a lake and is not connected to the ocean. You might find a pond in a park or near a forest.

A bay is a body of water that is partly surrounded by land on three sides. Hudson Bay is a large bay in northern central Canada, touching Manitoba, Ontario, and Nunavut. A strait is a narrow channel of water that connects two larger bodies of water. The Strait of Georgia is a famous strait in British Columbia.

Ocean: An ocean is a very large body of salt water that covers most of Earth. You can find three oceans touching Canada the Pacific, Atlantic, and Arctic Oceans.

Lake: A lake is a body of fresh water that is completely surrounded by land on all sides. You will notice that lakes hold still water and do not flow like rivers.

River: A river is a long body of fresh water that flows and moves across the land. You can think of a river as water that is always traveling from one place to another.

Pond: A pond is a small, shallow body of still fresh water. It is much smaller than a lake and is found in many neighborhoods and parks.

Fresh water: Fresh water is water that has very little salt in it. You find fresh water in rivers, lakes, and ponds. People and animals drink fresh water to survive.

Salt water: Salt water is water that has salt dissolved in it. You find salt water in oceans and some large bays. You cannot drink salt water without special treatment.

Bay: A bay is a curved area where water reaches into the land, with land on three sides. Hudson Bay in Canada is one of the world's largest bays.

Strait: A strait is a narrow channel of water that connects two larger bodies of water. The Strait of Georgia in British Columbia is a well-known example.

You can practice identifying water bodies by looking at a map of Canada. Try to find the Pacific, Atlantic, and Arctic Oceans, the Great Lakes, and the Fraser and St. Lawrence Rivers. You can also use Basic Mapping Concepts to help you read and understand maps better.

Think about the water bodies near your own community. You can connect what you learn here to Features of Our Community to see how water shapes the places where people live.

You have already learned about Natural Features like Mountains, Forests, and Waterways, which introduced you to how water appears across the land. You also explored Water and Sewage Treatment Infrastructure, which showed you why clean water is so important for communities.

Your knowledge of Rural vs Urban Environments helps you understand how water bodies affect where people choose to live and build communities.

Water bodies are connected to many other topics you will explore. You will learn about Types of Landforms like Mountains, Valleys, and Plains, which shows how the shape of the land affects where rivers flow and where lakes form.

You will also discover Global Climate Zones including Arctic, Tropical, Temperate, and Desert Regions, which explains how the climate near oceans and lakes can be very different from inland areas. The topic Climate and Geography Impact helps you understand how water bodies affect weather and temperature.

Learning about Regional Biodiversity and Plants and Animals Across Diverse Ecosystems shows you how different animals and plants live in and around oceans, lakes, and rivers. You can also explore Human Effects on Nature and Using Earth's Resources to see how people depend on and affect water bodies.

You will use what you learn here when you study World Maps and Locations and Where People Live, because water bodies are key features on every map. Topics like Geographic Features, Understanding Maps, and Using Geography Tools will build on your knowledge of water bodies as you continue learning. You will also connect to Weather and Life, Sharing Earth's Resources, Natural Processes, Changing Landscapes, Communities and Their Environments, Regional Characteristics, and Human Geography as you grow as a geography learner.