Geography of Manitoba

The geography of Manitoba addresses the easternmost of the three prairie Canadian provinces, located in the longitudinal centre of Canada.

In elevation, Manitoba ranges from sea level on Hudson Bay to 2727 ft (831 m) on top of Baldy Mountain.

The northernmost regions of Manitoba lie permafrost (permanently frozen subsoil), and a section of tundra bordering Hudson Bay.

An extensive system for drainage ditches was required throughout south-central Manitoba to make the region suitable for cultivation.

The tundra region of northern Manitoba exhibits more sparse black spruce forests whose tree heights are limited by the thin soils, permafrost underlayer and generally cold climate.

In this region polar bears are found, denning in the Wapusk National Park and migrating to hunt for seals when pack ice forms on Hudson Bay.

The Canadian Shield limits the amount of farming in the north, but there are some forestry and mining operations.

Because of the generally flat landscape, it is exposed to cold Arctic high-pressure air masses from the northwest during January and February.

[7] Temperatures exceed 30 °C (86 °F) numerous times each summer, and the combination of heat and humidity can bring the humidex value to the mid-40s.

[10] Southern Manitoba (including the city of Winnipeg), falls into the humid continental climate zone (Köppen Dfb).

[11] This area is cold and windy in the winter and has frequent blizzards due to the openness of the Canadian Prairie landscape.

This region features long and extremely cold winters and brief, warm summers with little precipitation.