GEOG*2510 - Canada: A Regional Synthesis

Course Description

This course is designed to provide a better understanding of the nature and basis of Canadian regionalism. The first section of the course stresses the biophysical base and the inequality of the natural resource endowment. The historical geographic approach and the systematic overviews of contemporary Canada stress respectively the development and nature of the Canadian space-economy. The final section on regions, regionalism and nationalism provides an overview of the heartland-hinterland dichotomy and centrifugal and centripetal forces operative in the nation.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the course, the learner should be able to:

1. Demonstrate mastery of key definitions and course concepts;
2. Overview and discuss the impacts of key events in the early timeline of colonialism in Canada;
3. Identify and discuss three key areas taken in the approach to nation-building;
4. Describe the integral relationship between regions of Canada and various raw, natural resources;
5. Discuss how regional tensions shape Federal politics in Canada; and
6. Compare and contrast regions covered in the course making distinctions based on biophysical and human patterns and characteristics.

Course Topics

This course introduces the concept of regionalism and illustrates its strengths and limitations while examining Canada through a regional lens. The course will build student expertise in four areas:

• Indigenous Peoples
• Colonialism and Colonial Processes
• Territorial Expansion and Nation-Building
• Regionalism, Resources, and Politics

Assessment

Note: You must earn a passing grade on the final exam to pass the course.