Canada (0)

Canada is the second largest country in the world. Situated to the north of the United States, in North America, it has both English and French as its official languages. Even though its area is bigger than that of the United States, its population is only about 11% of that of the USA – some 35 million. Because of that, Canada has one of the lowest population densities in the world. The capital of Canada is Ottawa – the name of whose comes from the old Algonquin language , with the original word meaning ‘to trade’.
Due to the country’s huge size and position , it is very diverse . It is bordered by the Pacific Ocean to the west , the Atlantic to the east , and the Arctic to the north. The landscapes differ greatly – from rolling plains and mountains to the cold tundra in the northern part of the country.
Geographically, the country’s split into 5 major regions – the Pacific, the Prairie Provinces, Central Canada, the Atlantic Provinces and the North.
The Pacific Region is known for its mild coastal climate, its forests and its spectacular mountains. The three Prairie Provinces are known for their rolling plains and their extreme climate with long, cold winters and hot, dry summers . Part of the Rocky Mountains are in the there . A lot of the Prairie Provinces’ area is covered with farms producing wheat and other grains. The region is rich in oil and natural gas. In fact , Canada is the second largest oil reserve holder in the world, after Saudi Arabia.
Central Canada which includes Ontario and Quebec is not the geographical centre of Canada. It is called that because it has historically been the political and economic centre of the country. Central Canada is the most heavily populated and industrialised area. In there lie the Great Lakes – the largest body of fresh water in the world. Some of the first settlements in Canada were, naturally, built around those areas .
In the Atlantic Provinces, the most important activities include fishing and farming of all sorts . Also in the Atlantic Provinces are the Appalachian Mountains – old and rounded mountains.
The North is also comprised of three territories. The area has a varied landscape including mountains and plains. The climate there is extremely cold with long winters and a lot of snow . Much of the area is treeless tundra. In the summer months, the sun stays up for the whole day, never setting. The permanent frozen layer of earth there makes construction a real challenge .
Perhaps Canada’s most famous animal is the moose. They, along with grizzly bears, are the most well-known of its many mammals. Gray wolves are also very popular in Canadian large wild spaces. There are plenty others , though.
The wolverine is a large member of the weasels’ family. It has a reputation for ferocity and strength out of proportion with its size, with the documented ability to kill pray many times larger than itself.
Some of Canada’s best known birds are the Canada goose and the snowy owl.
It is believed that the first people – the native people came to the country from Siberia by crossing a land bridge during the last Ice Age, at least 10,000 years before the Europeans arrived. The natives lived in harmony with nature and took only what they needed to survive.
The first Europeans arriving there changed that, however . Those were the Vikings from the north. A famous Viking explorer built a settlement there, but it was abandoned. The first settlements that stayed were greatly helped by the fact that there was an abundance of fish stocks in the Atlantic Region. The British and French both sent explorers to those areas, and both countries were interested in creating settlements there. France and Britain , however, didn’t have good relations. They fought over colonies and fur trade. Their different religions also caused tension. In 1756, a 7- year war broke out between the two countries. The British were victorious, and renamed the French-speaking region in their territory Quebec. The French influence continues to be felt in Canada.
The French there were allowed to keep their religion , law system and language. Quebec was then divided into the English and French-speaking colony . Eventually, those colonies became the provinces of Ontario and Quebec. Today, more than five million French-speaking descendants of those settlers live in Quebec.
In 1867, four colonies (Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia) were united into the Dominion of Canada. In the following years, the others followed. Only Newfoundland, discovered first by the British, remained independent until 1949.
Canada is a democratic country. Political representatives are elected by citizens 18 years old and over. Canada has 3 levels of government : federal, provincial and municipal. The federal representatives are called Members of Parliament or MPs. Provincial representatives are called Members of the Legislative Assembly. Municipal representatives are called councillors. The responsibilities of the different levels of government are specified in Canada’s constitution.
The Queen of England is the head of state in Canada’s government. She appoints a representative in Canada called the governor-general. The governor-general appoints a lieutenant-governor in each province . The actual leader of the country is the prime minister, the leader of the party that has the most seats in the House of Commons.
The prime minister and the cabinet or any Member of Parliament can present bills which are passed by the House of Commons They become laws when they are approved by the Senate and signed by the governor-general. The Senate is an appointed body, not elected body of men and women . The prime minster appoints them. There are five main political parties in Canada.
Canada is blessed with many natural resources: oil, natural gas, coal , gold, silver , iron ore, zinc , nickel, copper , uranium. Canadians export wheat and other grains meat , dairy products , sugar products and forestry products such as paper and pulp . Canada also has a manufacturing industry producing automobiles and automobile parts and chemicals . The most important customers for export are the United States, Japan , the United Kingdom and Germany
Schooling in Canada is free and universal . It’s compulsory from the ages of 7 to 14. Schools are described as elementary and secondary, some provinces have junior high or middle schools for Grades 7-9. The system varies greatly. The enrolment in college and university education is the highest in the world.
As in many countries, sports play an important part in the lives of many people. One sport which is uniquely Canadian is hockey . Though hockey has been considered a male sport many girls and women are now playing the game . Many adults and children play soccer . Another popular game is Canadian football. Also popular are skiing , skating, rowing , swimming and track and field . Canada has hosted the Winter Olympics in 1988 in Calgary and in 2010 in Vancouver.
Some important holidays in Canada are New Year’s Day, Good Friday, Easter , Victoria Day, Canada Day, Labour Day, Thanksgiving, Remembrance day and Christmas Day. Many provinces have additional statutory holidays, for example Boxing Day. There are also days of celebration for particular ethnic groups and religions. Some celebrations are an excuse for a party, not a day off such as Valentine’s Day, Halloween etc.
Some of the most famous tourist attractions in Canada are Niagara Falls – a collection of three waterfalls on the international border between Canada and the United States, more specifically, between the province of Ontario and the state of New York . Another famous site is the CN Tower – the world’s highest free-standing structure. Situated in Downtown Toronto, it’s 533 meters high and it was built to be a communications and observations tower. In 1995, the CN Tower was declared one of the modern Seven Wonders of the World. Its name "CN" originally referred to Canadian National, the railway company that built the tower.
Some famous Canadians are architect Frank Gehry , actors Jim Carrey , Ryan Gosling etc.