Climate

·      This ecozone experiences the warmest and wettest climate in Canada. The lower Georgia Strait can get as low as 600 mm of annual precipitation, but other areas in this zone receive as much as 3,000 mm. Most precipitation occurs during the winter. The temperature range of the ecozone is about 12 degrees Celsius. Compared to the rest of Canada, there is little variation in monthly temperatures. Therefore, the Pacific Maritime has the least amount of fluctuation in temperature in all of Canada. The climate is mostly affected by the nearby Pacific Ocean

Landforms

The Pacific Maritime covers over 195 000 square kilometers. This is a very vast amount of land and it consists of different landforms. These landforms create a diversity within the ecozone. 

The largest and most common landform in the Pacific Maritime are the mountains. These rugged and steep mountains are 1600 km long and 200 km wide along the coast of British Columbia. They are the youngest set of mountains in Canada. The mountains are made up of mostly granite. The spectacular view of the mountains can forever take your breath away.

Another landform that can be found in the Pacific Maritime are the fjords. They were formed from retreating glaciers and have now become very sharp sided. Along the British Columbia Coast, fjords can be found 190 kilometers inland and 2000 meters deep making them some of the longest and deepest on the entire earth. The beautiful mazes of fjords run along the coast between Vancouver and Alaska.

Forests are also a major landform that can be found in this ecozone. This ecozone is made up of almost 50% forested area. The forest ecosystems found here vary with elevation and precipitation. It is the coastal Western Hemlock Forests that make up the famous rainforests of this ecozone.