Natural regions of Alberta Alberta

+ Alberta is a big province. + It has six natural regions. + Can you find the six regions on the map? Use the legend below.

Boreal Forest

Edmonton

Canadian Shield

Legend

Foothills

Boreal Forest

Grassland

Canadian Shield

Parkland

Foothills

Rocky Mountain

Calgary

Grassland Parkland

GrasslandRocky region Mountain

4 In this region, many people live in cities, towns and villages. Some people live on farms and ranches.

Medicine Hat

4 The Siksika Nation is in this region. It is east of Calgary.

Medicine Hat: David Walker; Siksika sign: Bev Burke

4 The Grassland region is in southern Alberta. It covers about 14 per cent of the province.

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• Natural regions of Alberta: Grassland region November—December 2009 • Page 1

Here is a map with some cities, towns, roads and rivers in the Grassland region. N E

W S

Red Deer River

Calgary

Saskatchewan

Drumheller

Brooks South Saskatchewan River Bow River Oldman River Fort Macleod

Medicine Hat Taber

Cypress Hills

Lethbridge Milk River

Pincher Creek Cardston

United States

This area of the Cypress Hills is part of the Rocky Mountain region. 0

50 km

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• Natural regions of Alberta: Grassland region November—December 2009 • Page 2

Land

Climate

4 The Grassland region is mostly prairie. On the prairie, the land is often f lat. There are also small hills, valleys and coulees.

4 The Grassland region is the warmest, driest region of Alberta.

valley

4 Summers are very warm and dry. It can be very windy. 4 Winters are cold. Most areas don’t get much snow.

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river

hill coulee

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2

4 Part of the Grassland region has big hills. They are near the Rocky Mountains.

4 Areas near the Rocky Mountains get more rain and snow. They also have chinooks. + During a chinook, wind blows over the mountains. The wind becomes warm and dry. + It can be –20ºC at 9 a.m. and 10ºC at 3 p.m.!

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+ You often see clouds that look like an arch.

4 The Grassland region also has badlands and sand hills.

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Animals

Plants

4 Many animals live in the Grassland region. For example:

4 The Grassland region has grasses, shrubs and herbs.

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ground squirrel

deer

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shrub

4 Some animals don’t live in other regions of Alberta. They only live in the Grassland region. For example:

pronghorn antelope

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herb 14

4 Trees and shrubs grow mostly along rivers and in coulees.

coulee

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grass

rattlesnake river

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• Natural regions of Alberta: Grassland region November—December 2009 • Page 4

Land use 4 The region has oil and gas.

4 In 1900, the Grassland region was mostly natural prairie. 4 Today, most of the region is cropland. Farmers grow wheat and other crops.

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4 People enjoy many activities in this region. For example:

4 Some farmers irrigate their land.

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canoeing

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camping

4 Farmers and ranchers raise cattle, horses, sheep and other animals.

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hunting

ice skating

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Visit Dinosaur Provincial Park Dinosaur Provincial Park is in the Grassland region. Find the green star ( ) on the map.

4 In 1979, the park became a World Heritage Site. 4 You can do many things in the park. You can hike and camp. You can take guided hikes and bus tours.

4 The park is in the badlands.

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4 Dinosaurs lived in this area 75,000,000 years ago. People have found many dinosaur fossils in the park. 30

Visitor centre: open year-round (open only Monday to Friday in the winter)

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4 There are dinosaur skeletons at the visitor centre.

Hikes and bus tours: Some trails and the loop road are open year-round. You can take guided hikes and bus tours from the May long weekend to mid-October. Camping: open year-round Website: www.dinosaurpark.ca

Maps: Wendy Johnson, adapted from 2005 Natural Regions and Subregions of Alberta, Government of Alberta • Source: Natural Regions Committee 2006. Natural Regions and Subregions of Alberta. Government of Alberta • Photos—(1,7,9,17,18,20,23,24,25,26,28,29,30) Travel Alberta; (2,3,5,13,14,16,22) David Walker; (4,15,27) Bev Burke; (6) ©iStockphoto/BrendanHunter; (8) Gordon Court; (10) ©iStockphoto/JohnThiessen; (11) ©iStockphoto/Photawa; (12) Lorna Allen; (19,21) ©iStockphoto/ImagineGolf • Art—sun: ©iStockphoto/browndogstudios; other art: Guy Parsons • Special thanks to Lorna Allen and David Walker.

• Natural regions of Alberta: Grassland region November—December 2009 • Page 6