Geography of Manitoba

Manitoba is the easternmost of the three Prairie Provinces. Comparatively level, Manitoba generally ranges from 490-ft./150 m to 980-ft./300 m above sea level. Baldy Mountain is Manitoba's highest point, at 2727 ft./831 m. Agricultural land lies in a triangle, bordering Saskatchewan and the U.S., cutting diagonally across lake Winnipeg. The northern 3/5 of Manitoba is Precambrian Shield. In northernmost Manitoba lies tundra and permafrost (permanently frozen subsoil). All waters in Manitoba flow to Hudson Bay. Before settlement, a large area of southern Manitoba was flood plain or swamp. An extensive system of drainage ditches had to be constructed throughout south central Manitoba to make the region suitable for cultivation.