Browse "Nature & Geography"

Buckwheat (genus Fagopyrum), broad-leaved, erect annual belonging to the buckwheat family (Polygonaceae).

Bug is the name properly applied to a member of the order Hemiptera, the most diverse order of insects having incomplete metamorphosis.

Bunting is a common name for several not particularly closely related members of the order Passeriformes (perching birds).

In Canada, bush flying refers to aviation in sparsely populated northern areas. Flight in the Arctic and the “bush” of the Canadian Shield developed between the world wars. Early bush pilots faced the challenges of cold weather and vast distances between communities. Given the rarity of airstrips, their planes were often equipped with skis or floats so that they could take off and land on water or snow. This type of aviation was key to developing services and industries in the North. While the romantic image of the bush pilot is associated with the past, bush flying continues to serve remote communities in Canada.

Buttercup is a common name for several herbaceous plants of the genus Ranunculus, family Ranunculaceae.

Butterfly, term referring to insects of order Lepidoptera [Gk "scaly wings"]. The Canadian fauna includes 272 known species, compared to 695 known from North America as a whole, and over 20 000 worldwide.

Bylot Island, 11 067 km2, is nestled into the northeastern corner of Baffin Island at the entrance to Lancaster Sound.

Cabbage (Brassica oleracea, Capitata Group) is a biennial vegetable of the Cruciferae family, which is usually grown as an annual.

Succulent plants of the family Cactaceae which consists of approximately 1600 species in 104 genera.

The caddisfly is a small (1.5-40 mm), drab insect of order Trichoptera ["hairy wings"].

Cadmium (Cd) is a soft, ductile, silvery white metal that melts at 320.9°C and is present in the earth's crust at 0.1-0.5 parts per million. The most common cadmium MINERAL, greenockite (CdS), is generally found in zinc-bearing ores and is recovered as a by-product during processing.

Canada Centre for Inland Waters One of the world's leading water-research complexes, the Canada Centre for Inland Waters (CCIW), is owned and managed by Environment Canada (EC).

This article was originally published in Maclean’s magazine on October 17, 2005. Partner content is not updated.

Canada Land Inventory is a comprehensive federal-provincial survey of LAND capability and use for regional resource and land-use planning established under the Agricultural Rehabilitation and Development Act in 1961.

CANADIANS ARE masters of the universe. Just look at the numbers. Sure, the U.S. leads the world in spending on space research, laying out roughly US$7 per American each year, while Britain, France and Germany budget between US$4 and US$5 for every citizen.

Arctic sovereignty is a key part of Canada’s history and future. The country has 162,000 km of Arctic coastline. Forty per cent of Canada’s landmass is in its three northern territories. Sovereignty over the area has become a national priority for Canadian governments in the 21st century. There has been growing international interest in the Arctic due to resource development, climate change, control of the Northwest Passage and access to transportation routes. As Prime Minister Stephen Harper said in 2008, “The geopolitical importance of the Arctic and Canada’s interests in it have never been greater.”

Rivers are part of our lives and our heritage. They are the threads that bind the fabric of nature and humanity together.

Canadian Wildlife Federation, national, nonprofit, nongovernmental conservation organization founded in 1961 and chartered in 1962.

The CWS focuses on 3 key areas reflecting its legislative mandate: migratory birds, species at risk and habitat.

This article was originally published in Maclean’s magazine on March 18, 2002. Partner content is not updated.