The second largest country in the world after Russia, a territory comparable to the size of all of Europe, a zone of forests untouched by man - this is all Canada. The Rocky Mountains and the Coastal Mountains are the two youngest mountain ranges in the geological history of the Earth, which are not only a landmark of this country, but also historical and geographical monuments, rightly marked by UNESCO.
Canadian Cordilleras
The Canadian Rockies are just a small part of the Cordillera mountain range. The Cordillera is a mountain range 18,000 kilometers long that stretches from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego, crosses two continents of America, passes through the United States of America, Canada and Mexico, and then splits into three mountain arcs.
In every country that is lucky enough to own at least a piece of the Cordillera, these mountains have become the main attractions. They are proud and cherish.
We will not be able to describe the entire ridge in one articleCordillera, but let's focus on the segment that Canada owns. Let's start our trip to the Rocky Mountains with history and geology.
The main part of the Cordillera
Rocky Mountains (Canada) - in geological terms, a rather young formation, their length is 1400 kilometers, and their width is 700 kilometers. Seismic activity, geysers and hot springs are not uncommon in these places.
The Canadian part of the ridge is formed mainly by granites, the rocks reach a height of up to 4 thousand meters. The American part is formed mostly of sandstone, shale, limestone, on average it is half a kilometer higher. The Pleistocene glaciation took part in the formation of the mountains, which is still noticeable today by the presence of glaciers. This is the largest watershed between the so-called Pacific and Atlantic Oceans.
Flora and fauna
The taiga of this mountain range is represented by three varieties of firs: pretty, slender and alpine; two types of fir trees: black and white; two types of pines: pondrose and creeping; red cedar and American larch. Above, the forests turn into juniper bushes and alpine meadows ending in glaciers.
North American bison and musk oxen, elks, deer (wapits, fallow deer) and bighorn sheep (they can be seen especially often) are represented in the meadows. Amazing representatives of the fauna are endemic snow goats, whose habitat is located in the snowy part of the mountains. To this day, it remains a mystery howthese animals manage to survive the harsh winter.
Predators include grizzly bears, cougars, wolverines, large coyotes and wildcats. Many species of eagles nest on the rocks, including the bald eagle.
There are about 150 species of fish in the Missouri, Rio Grande and their tributaries. Commercial and amateur fishing attracts tourists with an abundance and variety of catch.
National Parks & Rockies
Canada takes good care of its natural resources. The Rocky Mountains include four national parks: Banff, Jasper, Kooteney, and Yoho.
The oldest park in Alberta - Banff. It was created in 1885. Today it is considered the most visited national park in the world. Many tourists wish to visit this place. Canada is always glad to its guests. The Rocky Mountains in this area are famous for their baths, located in thermal springs, and representatives of the fauna. Glaciers and glacial lakes, sometimes of completely unimaginable color, are definitely worth seeing.
The Athabasca Glacier is the main wonder of Jasper Park. With an area of more than 200 square meters, it impresses with its grandeur. In winter it is an excellent ski resort and in summer it is a paradise for golfers. Relatively recently, a new attraction has appeared here - an observation deck with a glass floor, located at an altitude of almost 300 meters.
Yoho Park, bordering Banff Park, is similar to it with its waterfalls and lakes. And here is the motto of Kootenee Park “From glaciersto cacti” strikes with a variety of flora and natural landscapes. It is also famous for its red lands rich in iron and ocher. The cold spring of Pons and the hot springs of the Sinclair Canyon of the Redwall Fault are places of pilgrimage and admiration.
Canada is famous for its abundance of extreme entertainment. The Rocky Mountains and national parks offer tourists not only rafting on mountain rivers, here you can be alone in silence with nature, take a hiking tour or a bike ride. And the abundance of climbing routes gathers fans from all over the world.
Niagara Falls
Separately, I would like to note a landmark located between the USA and Canada - a fifty-meter waterfall of the Niagara River. The most impressive part of the Great Horseshoe Falls attracts thousands of tourists to Canada from the USA alone. On the border bridge, named "Friendship", bypassing the Welland Canal by land and water, thousands of groups of tourists rush to see this miracle of nature.
Western Canada, and the Rocky Mountains in particular, has always attracted the attention of travelers. Indeed, in this region there are such natural attractions as the Gros Morne and Nahanni nature reserves.
Interesting to know
- Caution is always needed when traveling in the Rocky Mountains. There is a high chance of meeting a grizzly. And many masterpieces of cinema are far from being such an invention. They are intelligent and vindictive beasts.
- The common disease is Rocky Mountain spotted fever. Carry bacteriarickettsia (the causative agent of the disease) - small inconspicuous ixodid ticks.
- The motto A Mari Usque Ad Mage, which means "from sea to sea" in Latin, adorns the coat of arms of the country.
- Tourists visiting Canada should try beaver pate and grizzly skewers.
- For poaching in the forests of the Rocky Mountains, solid terms of imprisonment and huge fines are provided.
- A trip to the Rocky Mountains is unthinkable without familiarization with volcanoes. The active St. Helens volcano frightened the neighborhood for the last time for two years (1980-1982) with violent eruptions. About 40 citizens of the country became victims of the volcano then.
Natural forces shaped the Rocky Mountains no more than 75 million years ago. But the scale of this natural formation is impressive and fascinating. It is not only Canada that cares about the preservation of natural landmarks. The Rocky Mountains are a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
