Landforms of British Columbia 1976 - Department of Geography

CHAF”IER II.-PHYSIOGRAPHIC SUBDIVISIONS
OF BRITISH COLUMBIA
British Columbia lies within two of the five major physiographic subdivisions
of Canada-the Canadian Cordilleran Region and the Interior Plains Region. The
Canadian Cordillera is predominantly mountainous and includes all the mainland
westward from the eastern margin of the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, as well
as Vancouver Island and the Queen Charlotte Islands. The northeastern corner of
the Province, some 10 per cent of the area, lies east of the Rocky Mountain Foot-
hills and is predominantly flat or with low relief. Its plateaus, prairies, plains, and
lowlands are part of the Interior Plains Region.
A. Canadian Cordillera
The Cordillera, though comprising many physiographic units, has three major
subdivisions, which run the length of the Province in a northwesterly direction
(see Fig. 8). These subdivisions are called “ Systems.” The Western System
I western systurl
2 Interior System
3 Eoskn system
4 Interior Plains
Figure 8. The principal physiographic subdivisions of British Columbia: The Canadian
Cordillera, comprising the Western, Interior, and Eastern Systems; and the Interior Plains.
includes the tremendous mountain ranges that extend along the coast of British
Columbia from the State of Washington to the Yukon, as well as the mountain ranges
of Vancouver Island and the Queen Charlotte Islands. The Eastern System com-
prises the Rocky Mountains and the Rocky Mountain Foothills. Between these two
flanking mountain systems is a region of plateaus, low basins, highlands, and rugged
mountains, all of which are included within the Interior System.
2;