Canyon and Gorge are both erosional features formed by the river in the upper course. They are deep valleys but they are different from each other.
Canyon
(a) It is an ‘I’ shaped valley.
(b) It is a very deep, steep and narrow valley.
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(c) Canyon is formed in areas where the rainfall is scanty, i.e., in arid regions.
(d) It is useful as a tourist attraction, e.g., Grand Canyon on river Colorado is 1800 m deep.
Gorge
(a) Gorge is a deep, steep, narrow valley.
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(b) It is formed in semi-arid or semi-humid regions.
(c) It is generally formed where the rocks are hard.
(d) A gorge is useful for dam constructions, e.g., on Sutlej Gorge, Bhakra Nangal Dam has been constructed.