Geography 2010A/B Study Guide - Final Guide: Preston Manning, Canadian Alliance, Soil
5 May 2016
School
Department
Course
Professor
THE PRAIRIES
Name Origins
Alberta Named after Princess Louise Caroline daughter of Queen Elizabeth
and Prince Albert
Saskatchewan Cree word for swift water flowing
Manitoba Cree word for Lake of the Prairies
Agricultural Land Settlement
Before 1869- narrow & provided frontage along rivers (based on Metis
settlement patterns)
From 1869 onward – land division based on grid & square lots of 160 acres
in size
Settlement Patterns:
oOriginally arranged in linear pattern linked to railways
oSettlements provided services to nearby farmers
Rural Population Decline – Since 1940
Farms are becoming larger & more mechanized lower population density
Many areas dominated by grain farms no livestock so less staffing needed
Changes in Farming:
Since 1970s we have lost ½ our farms
Because average acreage of farms are increasing, therefore fewer farms
because they are getting bigger
Decrease in Villages – 1940
Lower rural population density leads to less business for villagers
An increase in car and truck use + an expanded and improved road network
Rationalization of road & rail system
oInfrequently used transportation corridors were shut down fewer
villages resulted in a reduced need to maintain a dense local network
Sites of Growth:
Dormitory towns – people live in the town but work in a nearby city
Sites of government services – stable jobs unlike farming
Resource towns – 1 major industry in the town but produces lots of jobs (ex.
Paper
*Canadian Pacific Railway was completed in 1885*
Summer fallow- practice of leaving land idle for a year or more to accumulate soil
moisture
Political Movement in the Prairies
1. CFF (Co-Operative Commonwealth Federation)
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Alberta named after princess louise caroline daughter of queen elizabeth and prince albert. Saskatchewan cree word for swift water flowing. Manitoba cree word for lake of the prairies. Before 1869- narrow & provided frontage along rivers (based on metis settlement patterns) From 1869 onward land division based on grid & square lots of 160 acres in size. Settlement patterns: originally arranged in linear pattern linked to railways, settlements provided services to nearby farmers. Farms are becoming larger & more mechanized lower population density. Many areas dominated by grain farms no livestock so less staffing needed. Since 1970s we have lost our farms. Because average acreage of farms are increasing, therefore fewer farms because they are getting bigger. Lower rural population density leads to less business for villagers. An increase in car and truck use + an expanded and improved road network.
