The Rocky Mountains are the largest mountain system in North America and, in the parts north of the U.S. border, home to several Canadian national parks: Banff, Jasper, Kootenay and Yoho. The vast Canadian Rockies are studded with mountain peaks, glaciers, lakes, waterfalls, canyons and limestone caves, forming striking mountain landscapes. It is also the site of the Burgess Shale, one of the most significant fossil areas in the world, where evidence of the history and early evolution of most animal groups known today can be found. A vast majority of the protected land maintains a pristine natural integrity, with even 4,000 square miles of surrounding land protected to a similar standard.
—Prepared by the World Tribune staff
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