Name: ___________________

The Interior Plains

Region

Location and Landforms

The Interior Plains is a region flattened by glaciers that crept

over the land millions of years ago. The region covers almost all
of Alberta, half of Saskatchewan and part of Manitoba. The
Plains also move up through parts of the Northwest Territories
and a corner of British Columbia.
The Interior Plains region is made up of three smaller areas- the
taiga plains, the prairies and the boreal plains.
The taiga plains is an area that contains small, short trees. Taiga
is Russian for land of little sticks. This area of the Interior Plains
is found in the Northwest Territories.
The prairie area is large and is found in Alberta, Manitoba and
Saskatchewan. They are known for their rich soil, making this
place an ideal area to grow crops.
The boreal plains is an area found in the middle of Alberta,
Saskatchewan and part of Manitoba. The area gets its name
from the large amount of spruce trees that are found there.
Draw a snapshot of what you might see in the Interior Plains
region:

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The Interior Plains

Region
History
The First Nations were the first people to live in the Interior
Plains region. First Nations groups that lived and travelled in
this area included, the Assiniboine, Blackfoot Nation and
Western Woods Cree. They were traditionally nomadic and
travelled with the seasons.
Fur trading began with the First Nations in the 1700s, as French
explorers began to discover the Interior Plains region. Fur
trading posts were set up and the Cree and Metis people
acted as guides, allowing explorers to travel further than ever
before.

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The Interior Plains

Region
Natural Resources
Soil, trees, natural gas, oil and animals are considered the main
natural resources of the Interior Plains region.
The rich, fertile soil allows many crops to be grown. In fact,
half of all the wheat grown in Canada is grown in
Saskatchewan by farmers who live in the Interior Plains!
Farmers also grow oats, canola and barley. The soil also allows
farmers to grow food for their herds of cows, elk and bison.
Forestry is a huge industry in the Interior Plains because of
the abundance of trees grown in this region. Trees cover
more than 80% of the boreal forest of this region.
Oil and gas is another major resource found in this region.
Alberta is the leader in Canada when it comes to producing oil
and gas, Saskatchewan has the biggest potash deposits in the
world! Potash is often used to make fertilizers that help crops
grow. The Interior Plains also has many deposits of uranium.
The thick forests and wetlands provide homes for many
different types of animals. Elk, moose, deer, caribou all live in
this region. Smaller animals such as badgers, prairie dogs, river
otters and coyotes can also be found in the Interior Plains. In
the water you can see ducks, swans and geese. More than
half of all the ducks in North America are born in the wetlands
of the Interior Plains!

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The Interior Plains

Region
Climate
The Interior Plains is known for having dry hot summer and
very cold winters. Chinook winds are warm, dry winds that
happen mostly in southern Alberta. They can raise the
temperature on cold winter days and provide relief to people
working outside. The Interior Plains is known for being a dry
region.

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The Interior Plains

Region

Jobs

Farming jobs are very plentiful in the Interior Plains. Many

people in this region also work in the oil and gas industry. This
region is also home to people who work in the logging industry
as well as the tourism industry.

Would you want to live in this region? Why or

why not?
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