Trois-Rivieres is a place of cultural, economic and physical diversity. Located in a country with a deep history, which also grows in modern times, Trois-Rivieres shows its 375 years of history contributing to modern development. Economically, Trois-Rivieres has numerous resources, but the main economic resource is the continuously evolving manufacturing sector. In particular, the St. Lawrence River is connected to the three-armed delta that gave Trois-Rivieres its name. The natural vegetation is as varied as the city and ranges from forests to prairies. Trois-Rivieres is a small town with a lot to offer. More specifically, Trois-Rivieres is located in an area with flat, rolling hills and fertile soils that play a large part of Trois-Rivieres' economy. The formation of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence plains occurred during the Paleozoic era. “The Great Lakes-St Lowlands were formed by the effects of glaciation. This is due to the city's rolling landscape, where plains are broken by glacial hills and deep river valleys. After the glacial period, when large amounts of water melted from the glaciers, lakes were large, even larger than they are today. However, the lakes shrank to their current size and remained sediment plains. These sediments formed excellent soil for agriculture” (Pandya, n.d.). This process left behind a large amount of rock sediment, which was beneficial to the manufacturing industry. Furthermore, the natural vegetation of Trois-Rivieres is a combination of deciduous and coniferous trees, which include trees such as maple, hickory, oak, spruce, hemlock and elm. However, over time, the vast forest area has decreased due to the expansion of industrial factories. (See Appendix B) Trois-Rivieres has a climate very similar to that of other parts of Canada, characterized by temperatures fluctuating from month to month. In particular, the climate of Trois-Rivieres is continental, but it is humid due to its proximity to a river. (See appendix). Summers are hot with temperatures rising up to 25°C. Autumn tends to be quite cool, but it is not uncommon to have unreasonably hot or cold days. Winter can be short and freezing and ranges from -7.3°C to -17.6°C. Annual rainfall is rather low, but from May to October it is quite abundant (see Appendix A). The two main rivers are near Trois-Rivieres and there they are called the Saint Lawrence River and the Saint-Maurice River.