Editing Manitoba (section)

== Geography ==
{{Main|Geography of Manitoba}}
{{See also|List of provincial parks in Manitoba|List of protected areas of Manitoba|List of lakes of Manitoba}}
[[File:Canada Manitoba relief location map.jpg|thumb|upright=1|Relief map of Manitoba]]
Manitoba is bordered by the provinces of [[Ontario]] to the east and [[Saskatchewan]] to the west, the territory of [[Nunavut]] to the north, and the [[US states]] of [[North Dakota]] and [[Minnesota]] to the south. Manitoba is at the centre of the Hudson Bay drainage basin, with a high volume of the water draining into Lake Winnipeg and then north down the [[Nelson River]] into Hudson Bay. This basin's rivers reach far west to the mountains, far south into the United States, and east into Ontario. Major watercourses include the [[Red River of the North|Red]], [[Assiniboine River|Assiniboine]], Nelson, [[Winnipeg River|Winnipeg]], [[Hayes River|Hayes]], [[Whiteshell River|Whiteshell]] and [[Churchill River (Hudson Bay)|Churchill rivers]]. Most of Manitoba's inhabited south has developed in the prehistoric bed of [[Lake Agassiz|Glacial Lake Agassiz]]. This region, particularly the [[Red River Valley]], is flat and fertile; receding glaciers left hilly and rocky areas throughout the province.<ref>{{vcite book|author=Savage, Candace|title=Prairie: A Natural History|publisher=Greystone Books|year=2011|pages=52–53|isbn=978-1-55365-588-6|edition=2nd}}</ref>

The province has a saltwater coastline bordering Hudson Bay and more than 110,000 lakes,<ref>{{vcite web|url=http://www40.statcan.gc.ca/l01/cst01/phys01-eng.htm |title=Land and Freshwater area, by province and territory |accessdate=7 August 2007 |publisher=Statistics Canada |url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110524063547/http://www40.statcan.gc.ca/l01/cst01/phys01-eng.htm |archivedate=24 May 2011 }}</ref> covering approximately 15.6 percent or {{convert|101593|km2|sqmi}} of its surface area.<ref>{{vcite web|url=http://www.travelmanitoba.com/default.asp?page=130&node=585|title=Geography of Manitoba|publisher=Travel Manitoba|accessdate=10 February 2010|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20101129121538/http://travelmanitoba.com/default.asp?page=130&node=585|archivedate=29 November 2010}}</ref> Manitoba's major lakes are [[Lake Manitoba]], [[Lake Winnipegosis]], and [[Lake Winnipeg]], the [[List of lakes by area|tenth-largest freshwater lake]] in the world.<ref>{{vcite web |url=http://www.lakewinnipeg.org/web/content.shtml?pfl=public/downloads.param&page=000103&op9.rf1=000103 |title=Lake Winnipeg Facts |publisher=Lake Winnipeg Stewardship Board |accessdate=7 August 2007  |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20040614003633/http://www.lakewinnipeg.org/web/content.shtml?pfl=public%2Fdownloads.param&page=000103&op9.rf1=000103 |archivedate=14 June 2004 |url-status=dead}}</ref> A total of {{convert|29000|km2}} of traditional First Nations lands and [[Taiga|boreal forest]] on Lake Winnipeg's east side were officially designated as a UNESCO [[World Heritage Site]] known as [[Pimachiowin Aki]] in 2018.<ref>{{vcite journal|author=Schwartz, Bryan; Cheung, Perry|year=2007|title=East vs. West: Evaluating Manitoba Hydro's Options for a Hydro-Transmission Line from an International Law Perspective|journal=Asper Review of International Business and Trade Law|publisher=University of Manitoba|volume=7|issue=4|page=4|url=https://journals.library.ualberta.ca/asperreview/index.php/asperreview/article/view/189}}</ref>

[[Baldy Mountain (Manitoba)|Baldy Mountain]] is the province's highest point at {{convert|832|m}} above [[sea level]],<ref>{{vcite book|author=Manitoba Parks Branch|title=Outdoor recreation master plan: Duck Mountain Provincial Park|publisher=Manitoba Department of Tourism, Recreation and Cultural Affairs|location=Winnipeg|year=1973}}</ref> and the Hudson Bay coast is the lowest at sea level. [[Riding Mountain National Park|Riding Mountain]], the [[Pembina Escarpment|Pembina Hills]], [[Sandilands Provincial Forest]], and the [[Canadian Shield]] are also upland regions. Much of the province's sparsely inhabited north and east lie on the irregular granite Canadian Shield, including [[Whiteshell Provincial Park|Whiteshell]], [[Atikaki Provincial Wilderness Park|Atikaki]], and [[Nopiming Provincial Park]]s.<ref>{{vcite journal|author=Butler, George E|year=1950|title=The Lakes and Lake Fisheries of Manitoba|journal=Transactions of the American Fisheries Society|publisher=American Fisheries Society|volume=79|page=24|doi=10.1577/1548-8659(1949)79[18:tlalfo]2.0.co;2 }}</ref>

Extensive agriculture is found only in the province's southern areas, although there is grain farming in the [[Kelsey, Manitoba|Carrot Valley Region]] (near [[The Pas]]). Around 11 per cent of Canada's farmland is in Manitoba.<ref name=farmland>{{vcite web|url=https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/95-640-x/2011001/p1/prov/prov-46-eng.htm|publisher=Statistics Canada|title=Manitoba Provincial Trends|accessdate=2 April 2021|archivedate=16 February 2019|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20190216215023/https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/95-640-x/2011001/p1/prov/prov-46-eng.htm}}</ref>

=== Climate ===
{{Main|Climate of Manitoba}}
[[File:Deep Lake - Riding Mountain National Park.JPG|thumb|Deep Lake at [[Riding Mountain National Park]]]]
Manitoba has an extreme [[continental climate]]. Temperatures and precipitation generally decrease from south to north and increase from east to west.<ref>{{vcite book|author=Ritchie, JC|title=Post-Glacial Vegetation of Canada|publisher=Cambridge University Press|year=2004|page=25|isbn=978-0-521-54409-2}}</ref> Manitoba is far from the moderating influences of mountain ranges or large bodies of water. Because of the generally flat landscape, it is exposed to cold [[Polar high|Arctic high-pressure]] air masses from the northwest during January and February. In the summer, air masses sometimes come out of the [[Southern United States]], as warm humid air is drawn northward from the [[Gulf of Mexico]].<ref>{{vcite book|author=Vickers, Glenn; Buzza, Sandra; Schmidt, Dave; Mullock, John|title=The Weather of the Canadian Prairies|publisher=Navigation Canada|date=2001|url=http://www.navcanada.ca/ContentDefinitionFiles/publications/lak/CanadianPrairies/1-P32E.PDF|pages=48, 51, 53–64|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110722135648/http://www.navcanada.ca/ContentDefinitionFiles/publications/lak/CanadianPrairies/1-P32E.PDF|archivedate=22 July 2011}} </ref> Temperatures exceed {{convert|30|C}} numerous times each summer, and the combination of heat and humidity can bring the [[humidex]] value to the mid-40s.<ref>{{vcite web |url=http://climate.weatheroffice.gc.ca/climateData/generate_chart_e.html?timeframe=3&Prov=XX&StationID=28051&Year=2006&Month=1&Day=1&Type=line&MeasTypeID=meanmaxtemp |title=Mean Max Temp History at The Forks, Manitoba |work=Climate Data Online |publisher=Environment Canada |accessdate=7 August 2007 |url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20111028080958/http://climate.weatheroffice.gc.ca/climateData/generate_chart_e.html?timeframe=3&Prov=XX&StationID=28051&Year=2006&Month=1&Day=1&Type=line&MeasTypeID=meanmaxtemp |archivedate=28 October 2011  }}</ref> [[Carman, Manitoba]], recorded the second-highest humidex ever in Canada in 2007, with 53.0.<ref>{{vcite web|title=Canada's Top Ten Weather Stories for 2007|url=http://www.ec.gc.ca/EnviroZine/default.asp?lang=En&n=70BF6FA1-1|publisher=Environment Canada|accessdate=8 November 2010|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110611202120/http://www.ec.gc.ca/envirozine/default.asp?lang=En&n=70BF6FA1-1|archivedate=11 June 2011}}</ref> According to [[Environment Canada]], Manitoba ranked first for clearest skies year round and ranked second for clearest skies in the summer and for the sunniest province in the winter and spring.<ref>{{vcite web|url=http://www.on.ec.gc.ca/weather/winners/manitoba-e.html|title=Manitoba Weather Honours|publisher=Environment Canada|accessdate=28 October 2009|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20081211154143/http://www.on.ec.gc.ca/weather/winners/manitoba-e.html|archivedate=11 December 2008}}</ref>

[[Southern Manitoba]] (including the city of Winnipeg), falls into the humid continental climate zone (Köppen Dfb). This area is cold and windy in the winter and often has blizzards because of the open landscape. Summers are warm with a moderate length. This region is the most humid area in the prairie provinces, with moderate precipitation. Southwestern Manitoba, though under the same climate classification as the rest of Southern Manitoba, is closer to the semi-arid interior of [[Palliser's Triangle]]. The area is drier and more prone to [[drought]]s than other parts of southern Manitoba.<ref name="steppe" /> This area is cold and windy in the winter and has frequent blizzards due to the openness of the [[Canadian Prairie]] landscape.<ref name="steppe" /> Summers are generally warm to hot, with low to moderate humidity.<ref name="steppe">{{vcite web|url=http://www.uwsp.edu/geo/faculty/ritter/geog101/textbook/climate_systems/midlatitude_steppe.html |title=Midlatitude Steppe Climate |work=The Physical Environment |author=Ritter, Michael E |year=2006 |url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070822190831/http://www.uwsp.edu/geo/faculty/ritter/geog101/textbook/climate_systems/midlatitude_steppe.html |archivedate=22 August 2007 }}</ref>

Southern parts of the province, just north of [[Tornado Alley]], experience [[tornado]]es, with 16 confirmed touchdowns in 2016. In 2007, on 22 and 23 June, numerous tornadoes touched down, the largest an [[Elie, Manitoba tornado|F5 tornado]] that devastated parts of [[Elie, Manitoba|Elie]] (the strongest recorded tornado in Canada).<ref>{{vcite web|url=http://www.ec.gc.ca/default.asp?lang=En&n=714D9AAE-1&news=4B3DE57E-4967-4B09-98D6-EF974B32D6B5 |title=Elie Tornado Upgraded to Highest Level on Damage Scale Canada's First Official F5 Tornado |date=18 September 2007 |publisher=Environment Canada |url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110611150927/http://www.ec.gc.ca/default.asp?lang=En&n=714D9AAE-1&news=4B3DE57E-4967-4B09-98D6-EF974B32D6B5 |archivedate=11 June 2011 }}</ref>
[[File:Manitoba Köppen.svg|thumb|Köppen climate types of Manitoba]]
The province's northern sections (including the city of [[Thompson, Manitoba|Thompson]]) fall in the [[subarctic climate]] zone ([[Köppen climate classification]] ''Dfc''). This region features long and extremely cold winters and brief, warm summers with little precipitation.<ref name="subarctic" /> Overnight temperatures as low as {{convert|-40|C}} occur on several days each winter.<ref name="subarctic">{{vcite web|url=http://www.uwsp.edu/geo/faculty/ritter/geog101/textbook/climate_systems/subarctic.html |title=Subarctic Climate |work=The Physical Environment |author=Ritter, Michael E |year=2006 |url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080525080242/http://www.uwsp.edu/geo/faculty/ritter/geog101/textbook/climate_systems/subarctic.html |archivedate=25 May 2008 }}</ref>

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="width:60%; font-size:95%;"
|-
!Community
![[List of regions of Manitoba|Region]]
!July daily<br />maximum<ref name="Canadian Climate Normals or Averages 1981-2010">{{vcite web|url=http://climate.weather.gc.ca/climate_normals/index_e.html|publisher=Environment Canada|accessdate=26 February 2014|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140227145147/http://climate.weather.gc.ca/climate_normals/index_e.html|archivedate=27 February 2014|title=Canadian Climate Normals}}</ref>
!January daily<br />maximum<ref name="Canadian Climate Normals or Averages 1981-2010"/>
!Annual<br />precipitation<ref name="Canadian Climate Normals or Averages 1981-2010"/>
|-
| [[Morden, Manitoba|Morden]] || [[Pembina Valley Region|Pembina Valley]] ||  {{convert|26|C|0}} || {{convert|-10|C|0}} || {{convert|541|mm|0|abbr=on}}
|-
| '''[[Winnipeg]]''' || [[Winnipeg Capital Region|Winnipeg]] || {{convert|26|C|0}} || {{convert|-11|C|0}} || {{convert|521|mm|0|abbr=on}}
|-
| [[Pierson, Manitoba|Pierson]] || [[Westman Region]] || {{convert|27|C|0}} || {{convert|-9|C|0}} || {{convert|457|mm|0|abbr=on}}
|-
| [[Dauphin, Manitoba|Dauphin]] || [[Parkland Region, Manitoba|Parkland]] || {{convert|25|C|0}}  || {{convert|-10|C|0}}  || {{convert|482|mm|0|abbr=on}}
|-
| [[Steinbach, Manitoba|Steinbach]] || [[Eastman Region, Manitoba|Eastman]] ||{{convert|25|C|0}}  || {{convert|-11|C|0}} || {{convert|581|mm|0|abbr=on}}
|-
| [[Portage la Prairie]] || [[Central Plains Region, Manitoba|Central Plains]] || {{convert|26|C|0}} || {{convert|-9|C|F}} || {{convert|532|mm|0|abbr=on}}
|-
| [[Brandon, Manitoba|Brandon]] || [[Westman Region, Manitoba|Westman]] || {{convert|25|C|0}} || {{convert|-11|C|0}}  || {{convert|474|mm|0|abbr=on}}
|-
| [[The Pas]] || [[Northern Region, Manitoba|Northern]] || |{{convert|24|C|0}}  || {{convert|-14|C|0}}  || {{convert|450|mm|0|abbr=on}}
|-
| [[Thompson, Manitoba|Thompson]] || [[Northern Region, Manitoba|Northern]]  || {{convert|23|C|0}}  || {{convert|-18|C|0}} ||  {{convert|474|mm|0|abbr=on}}
|-
| [[Churchill, Manitoba|Churchill]] || [[Northern Region, Manitoba|Northern]] || {{convert|18|C|0}}  || {{convert|-22|C|0}} || {{convert|453|mm|0|abbr=on}}
|}

=== Flora and fauna ===
[[File:Polarbär 1 2004-11-17.jpg|thumb|upright|alt=A bear with white fur and black eyes|Polar bears are common in northern Manitoba.]]
Manitoba natural communities may be grouped within five ecozones: [[Boreal Plains Ecozone (CEC)|boreal plains]], [[Prairies Ecozone|prairie]], [[Taiga Shield Ecozone (CEC)|taiga shield]], [[Boreal Shield Ecozone (CEC)|boreal shield]] and [[Hudson Plains Ecozone (CEC)|Hudson plains]]. Three of these—taiga shield, boreal shield and Hudson plain—contain part of the [[Boreal forest of Canada]] which covers the province's eastern, southeastern, and northern reaches.<ref>{{vcite book|author=Oswald, Edward T.; Nokes, Frank H. |title=Field Guide to the Native Trees of Manitoba|publisher=Manitoba Conservation|year=2016}}</ref>

Forests make up about {{convert|263000|km2|sqmi}}, or 48 percent, of the province's land area.<ref>{{vcite web|url=https://gov.mb.ca/forest/forestry/index.html|publisher=Government of Manitoba|title=Forestry|accessdate=2 April 2021 |archivedate=4 March 2021|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20210304180458/https://www.gov.mb.ca/forest/forestry/index.html}}</ref> The forests consist of pines ([[Pinus banksiana|Jack Pine]], [[Pinus resinosa|Red Pine]], [[Pinus strobus|Eastern White Pine]]), spruces ([[Picea glauca|White Spruce]], [[Picea mariana|Black Spruce]]), [[Abies balsamea|Balsam Fir]], [[Larix laricina|Tamarack (larch)]], poplars ([[Populus tremuloides|Trembling Aspen]], [[Populus balsamifera|Balsam Poplar]]), birches ([[Betula papyrifera|White Birch]], [[Betula pumila|Swamp Birch]]) and small pockets of [[Thuja occidentalis|Eastern White Cedar]].<ref name="Forestry">{{vcite web|url=https://www.gov.mb.ca/conservation/forestry/forest-education/general.html |title=Manitoba Forest Facts |publisher=Manitoba Conservation |accessdate=11 April 2011 |url-status=unfit |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090226181706/http://www.gov.mb.ca/conservation/forestry/forest-education/general.html |archivedate=26 February 2009 }}</ref>

Two sections of the province are not dominated by forest. The province's northeast corner bordering Hudson Bay is above the [[treeline]] and considered [[tundra]]. The [[tallgrass prairie]] once dominated the south-central and southeastern regions, including the Red River Valley. [[Mixed grass prairie]] is found in the southwestern region. Agriculture has replaced much of the natural vegetation but prairie can still be found in parks and protected areas; some are notable for the presence of the endangered [[Platanthera praeclara|western prairie fringed orchid]].<ref>{{vcite web|url=http://www.cosewic.gc.ca/eng/sct1/searchdetail_e.cfm?id=200&StartRow=1&boxStatus=All&boxTaxonomic=All&location=All&change=All&board=All&commonName=orchid&scienceName=&returnFlag=0&Page=1 |title=Fringed-orchid, Western Prairie |publisher=Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada |accessdate=7 November 2009 |url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110706183933/http://www.cosewic.gc.ca/eng/sct1/searchdetail_e.cfm?id=200&StartRow=1&boxStatus=All&boxTaxonomic=All&location=All&change=All&board=All&commonName=orchid&scienceName=&returnFlag=0&Page=1 |archivedate=6 July 2011 }}</ref><ref>{{cite iucn |author=Goedeke, T. |author2=Sharma, J. |author3=Delphey, P. |author4=Marshall Mattson, K. |date=2008 |title=''Platanthera praeclara'' |volume=2008 |page=e.T132834A3464336 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2008.RLTS.T132834A3464336.en}}</ref>

Manitoba is especially noted for its northern [[polar bear]] population; [[Churchill, Manitoba|Churchill]] is commonly referred to as the "Polar Bear Capital".<ref>{{vcite book|author=Stirling, Ian; Guravich, Dan |title=Polar Bears|publisher=University of Michigan Press|year=1998|page=208|isbn=978-0-472-08108-0}}</ref> In the waters off the northern coast of the province are numerous marine species, including the [[beluga whale]]. Other populations of animals, including [[moose]], [[white-tailed deer]], [[mule deer]], [[American black bear|black]] and [[grizzly bear|brown bears]], [[coyote]], [[cougar]], [[red fox]], [[Canada lynx]], and [[grey wolf]], are distributed throughout the province, especially in the provincial and national [[List of protected areas of Manitoba|parks]]. There is a large population of [[garter snake|red-sided garter snakes]] near [[Narcisse, Manitoba|Narcisse]]; the overwintering dens there are seasonally home to the world's largest concentration of snakes.<ref>{{vcite book|author=LeMaster, MP; Mason, RT|title=Chemical signals in vertebrates|editor=Marchlewska-Koj, Anna; Lepri, John J; Müller-Schwarze, Dietland |publisher=Springer|year=2001|page=370|volume=9|chapter=Annual and seasonal variation in the female sexual attractiveness pheromone of the red-sided garter snake, ''Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis''|isbn=978-0-306-46682-3}}</ref>

Manitoba's bird diversity is enhanced by its position on two major migration routes, with 392 confirmed identified species; 287 of these nesting within the province.<ref>{{vcite web |url=http://www.naturemanitoba.ca/sites/default/files/MB_bird_checklist.pdf |author=Manitoba Avian Research Committee |title=Checklist of the Birds of Manitoba |publisher=Nature Manitoba |accessdate=26 July 2016 |url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160421155557/http://www.naturemanitoba.ca/sites/default/files/MB_bird_checklist.pdf |archivedate=21 April 2016  }}</ref> These include the [[great grey owl]], the province's official bird, and the endangered [[peregrine falcon]].<ref>{{vcite book|author=Bezener, Andy; De Smet, Ken D|title=Manitoba birds|publisher=Lone Pine|year=2000|pages=1–10|isbn=978-1-55105-255-7}}</ref>

Manitoba's lakes host 18 species of game fish, particularly species of [[trout]], [[Pike (fish)|pike]], and [[goldeye]], as well as many smaller fish.<ref>{{vcite web|url=http://www.manitoba.ca/waterstewardship/fisheries/recreation/09guide.pdf|title=Angler's Guide 2009|year=2009|publisher=Manitoba Fisheries|page=5|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110720135819/http://www.manitoba.ca/waterstewardship/fisheries/recreation/09guide.pdf|archivedate=20 July 2011}}</ref>