What did Palliser find about the land in Western Canada?

• A. Northern area heavily wooded with lots of lakes is ideal for farming
• B. Southern arid plains are ideal for farming
• C. Central river valleys and partially wooded areas are ideal for farming
• D. All regions are equally suitable for farming

Answer: (C)

Palliser’s work looked at where farming could realistically succeed in Western Canada by considering climate, rainfall, soils, and terrain. He found that the central river valleys, where moisture from the rivers meets fertile soils, along with areas that are only partially wooded, offered the most favorable conditions for farming. The northern regions, even if they have lakes, usually have cooler climates and shorter growing seasons, while the southern arid plains lack reliable moisture. So, the strongest agricultural land clusters in the central river valleys and partly wooded zones, not in the extreme north or the dry south.