Topography
New Brunswick is bounded on the north by Quebec’s Gaspe Peninsula and Chaleur Bay, and bounded on the east by the Gulf of St Lawrence and Northumberland Strait. On the west, New Brunswick borders the American state of Maine. New Brunswick's total land and water area of the province is 72,908 square kilometres. About 80% of the province is forested and the other 20% consists of agricultural land and urban areas. The major urban centers lie in the south of the province.
New Brunswick may be one of Canada’s Maritime Provinces, but it is different than its neighbors; Both Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island are surrounded by water, therefore their climate, economy, and culture are dependent on the ocean. New Brunswick, do have a significant seacoast however is sheltered from the Atlantic Ocean proper and has a large interior which is removed from oceanic effects. New Brunswick therefore tends to be defined by its rivers, rather than its seacoast.
The major river systems of the province include the Saint John River, Petitcodiac River, Miramichi River, St Croix River and the Restigouche River. Majority of western New Brunswick is drained by the Saint John River system. The Saint John River never rises in northern Maine, empties into the Bay of Fundy in Saint John. The high tides of the Bay of Fundy often causes the Saint John River to flow upstream. Other rivers which empty into the Bay of Fundy include the St. Croix River, Digdeguash River, Magaguadavic River, Lepreau River, Musquash River and Big Salmon River. Small lakes dot some sections of the western upland; larger ones occur in the south and the southwest, the big ones amongst them are Grand Lake, Oromocto Lake, Magaguadavic Lake, and the Chiputneticook group.
New Brunswick lies entirely within the Appalachian Mountain range, a chain of ancient eroded mountains which have created river valleys and low, gently rolling hills throughout large parts of the province. The eastern and central part of the province consists of the New Brunswick Lowland within the Gulf of St Lawrence lowland forests eco-region. The Caledonia Highlands and St. Croix Highlands extend along the Bay of Fundy coast, reaching elevations of 300 meters. The northwestern part of the province is the remote and more rugged part like the Miramichi Highlands, Chaleur Uplands, and the Notre Dame Mountains with a maximum elevation at Mount Carleton of 820 meters.
New Brunswick may be one of Canada’s Maritime Provinces, but it is different than its neighbors; Both Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island are surrounded by water, therefore their climate, economy, and culture are dependent on the ocean. New Brunswick, do have a significant seacoast however is sheltered from the Atlantic Ocean proper and has a large interior which is removed from oceanic effects. New Brunswick therefore tends to be defined by its rivers, rather than its seacoast.
The major river systems of the province include the Saint John River, Petitcodiac River, Miramichi River, St Croix River and the Restigouche River. Majority of western New Brunswick is drained by the Saint John River system. The Saint John River never rises in northern Maine, empties into the Bay of Fundy in Saint John. The high tides of the Bay of Fundy often causes the Saint John River to flow upstream. Other rivers which empty into the Bay of Fundy include the St. Croix River, Digdeguash River, Magaguadavic River, Lepreau River, Musquash River and Big Salmon River. Small lakes dot some sections of the western upland; larger ones occur in the south and the southwest, the big ones amongst them are Grand Lake, Oromocto Lake, Magaguadavic Lake, and the Chiputneticook group.
New Brunswick lies entirely within the Appalachian Mountain range, a chain of ancient eroded mountains which have created river valleys and low, gently rolling hills throughout large parts of the province. The eastern and central part of the province consists of the New Brunswick Lowland within the Gulf of St Lawrence lowland forests eco-region. The Caledonia Highlands and St. Croix Highlands extend along the Bay of Fundy coast, reaching elevations of 300 meters. The northwestern part of the province is the remote and more rugged part like the Miramichi Highlands, Chaleur Uplands, and the Notre Dame Mountains with a maximum elevation at Mount Carleton of 820 meters.
Physical Region
New Brunswick is in the Appalachian region of North America. It is sometimes called the Acadian section of the Appalachians. The province is primarily a flat rolling land, the surface was modified by continental glaciers during the last Ice Age. The ice sheets eroded and smoothed and in places leveled the land. On receding, they left vast amounts of debris throughout much of the province. Along the coast, numerous islands, harbors, and river estuaries have been created through subsidence, or sinking of the land. Grand Manan, Campobello, Deer, Lameque and Miscou are the largest islands.
Forests cover about 80% of the province; in the north, forests consist of coniferous trees such as spruce, fir, pine, and hemlock and deciduous trees such as birches, maples, poplars and elms elsewhere. Nearly half the forest land is owned by provincial government; much of the rest is in farm woodlots. New Brunswick has poor unproductive mountain soil but productive soil on the plateaus. New Brunswick’s provincial flower is the purple violet.
Forests cover about 80% of the province; in the north, forests consist of coniferous trees such as spruce, fir, pine, and hemlock and deciduous trees such as birches, maples, poplars and elms elsewhere. Nearly half the forest land is owned by provincial government; much of the rest is in farm woodlots. New Brunswick has poor unproductive mountain soil but productive soil on the plateaus. New Brunswick’s provincial flower is the purple violet.
Climate
Due to the prevailing winds, New Brunswick’s climate is like that of inland rather than maritime regions, only the coastal areas experience some of the moderating influences of the sea. In the uplands, winters are much colder and summers slightly warmer than along the coast. In Saint John for example the average temperatures in January are -7°C and 17°C in July but in the northwest at Grand Falls it is 10°C in January and 18°C in the summer. Precipitation ranges between 40 and 55 inches; it is fairly evenly distributed throughout the year and much of it falls as snow, which in places piles up to considerable depths.
Capital City Climatograph
Biome Region
Forests cover about 80% of the province; in the north, forests consist of coniferous trees such as spruce, fir, pine, and hemlock and deciduous trees such as birches, maples, poplars and elms elsewhere. The coniferous forest regions has deer, moose, black bears, and many fur-bearing animals, but also hawks, eagles, and different types of wild ducks. The Mixed forest region has the same wildlife as the coniferous forest region.Nearly half the forest land is owned by provincial government; much of the rest is in farm woodlots. New Brunswick has poor unproductive mountain soil but productive soil on the plateaus. New Brunswick’s provincial flower is the purple violet.
Current Issues
An area of concern for New Brunswick is the waste management. Materials thrown in garbages are destined for waste disposal where they are landfilled or incinerated. Canadians, in 2008, sent 25,871,310 tonnes of solid waste for disposal and at the provincial level the second largest increase in waste disposal by 16% was New Brunswick.
Another area of concern is the shale gas industry. The shale gas industry has prompted many protests around the province and has proved to be a difficult issue for the Alward government. It is much a very dangerous experiment. The chief of Medical officer of Health Recommendations concerning shale gas development in New Brunswick says "While large-scale development of a shale gas industry in New Brunswick may offer an economic growth opportunity for the province, it will be important to ensure that the overall health gains are greater than the losses".
Another area of concern is the shale gas industry. The shale gas industry has prompted many protests around the province and has proved to be a difficult issue for the Alward government. It is much a very dangerous experiment. The chief of Medical officer of Health Recommendations concerning shale gas development in New Brunswick says "While large-scale development of a shale gas industry in New Brunswick may offer an economic growth opportunity for the province, it will be important to ensure that the overall health gains are greater than the losses".