Shopping on line can be easy, simple and save you lots of money. It can also take a lot of your time, frustrate you, and result in unwanted purchases. Now the same can be said for regular high street shopping, but with the vast opportunity presented by the Internet it will pay you to spend a few minutes reading this and understanding how to better optimize your Canadian shopping experience:
1. Compare - without doubt the biggest advantage that the Canadian offers shoppers today is the ability to compare thousands of Canadian at a time. This is a great thing, but not necessarily all the time! Too much can be daunting at times so take advantage of the great comparison sites and where possible let them do the hard work for you.
2. Research - if it has been said it will be on the internet. Ignorance is no longer a justifiable reason for buying the wrong thing. Take the time to research in detail everything that you could possible want to know about
3. Testimonials - don't know anybody that has bought a Canadian? Wrong! If the Canadian is good the internet will let you know. Use the Internet as a friend and get testimonials before you buy.
4. Questions - Got a question about Canadian then search the Forums, FAQ's, Blogs etc. Don't be afraid to ask .....
5. Reputation - Never heard of the company selling Canadian? Don't worry, no reason why you should know every company in the world, but you know someone that does! Use the internet to find out what people are saying about Canadian and build up a picture of their reputation for sales, returns, customer service, delivery etc.
6. Returns - still worried that even after all of the above your Canadian wont be what you want? Check out the returns policy. There is so much competition now that someone, somewhere is bound to offer the terms that you are comfortable with.
7. Feedback - happy with your Canadian then let people know, after all you are depending on others people input in your buying decision, so why not give a little back.
8. Security - check for the yellow padlock on the Canadian site before you buy, and the s after http:/ /i.e. https:// = a secure site
9. Contact - got a question about Canadian, or want to leave a comment then check out the sites contact page. Reputable companies have them and respond.
10. Payment - ready to pay for your Canadian, then use your credit card or PayPal! Be aware of companies that don't accept them, there may be genuine reasons but given the huge amount of choice you have when buying online there is no reason at all not to buy via credit card or PayPal.
{{Infobox Country or territory])"From Sea to Sea"|national_anthem = "O Canada"]"|image_map = Location Canada.svg|capital =
Ottawa|demonym = Canadian|official_languages = [Canadian English, French language in Canada|regional_languages = Inuktitut, Inuinnaqtun,
Dene Suline language, Cree language,
Gwich’in language,
Hän, Inuvialuktun, Slavey language, Dogrib language|government_type = |leader_title1 = Monarchy in Canada|leader_name1 = Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom|leader_title2 =
Governor General of Canada|leader_name2 =
Michaëlle Jean|leader_name3 = [Stephen Harper|established_event1 = [British North America Act [1867|established_date2 = [December 11 1931|established_date3 = [April 17
1982-->|area_rank = 2nd|area_magnitude = 1 E12|percent_water = 8.92 (891,163 km²)|population_estimate = round -2--> -->|population_estimate_year = 2007|population_estimate_rank = 36th|population_census = 31,612,897|population_census_year = 2006|population_density_km2 = 3.2|population_density_sq_mi = 8.3 ($)|currency_code = CAD|time_zone =|utc_offset = -3.5 to -8|time_zone_DST =|utc_offset_DST = -2.5 to -7|cctld =
.ca-->
Canada () is a [country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the
Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean. It is the
List of countries and outlying territories by total area by total area, and shares
Canada–United States border with the United States to the south and northwest.
The lands have been inhabited for millennia by Aboriginal peoples in Canada. Beginning in the late 15th century, British colonization of the Americas and French colonization of the Americas expeditions explored and later settled the Atlantic coast. France ceded nearly all of New France in 1763 after the
Seven Years War. In 1867, with the union of three
British North American colonies through Canadian Confederation, Canada became a federal dominion. A gradual process of independence from the United Kingdom moved Canada towards statehood and culminated in the Canada Act 1982, severing the last vestiges of dependence on the British parliament.
A
federation now comprising Provinces and territories of Canada, Canada is a
parliamentary system and a constitutional monarchy with Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom as its head of state. It is a Bilingualism in Canada and multiculturalism country, with both
Canadian English and
French language in Canada as official languages at the federal level. Developed country, Canada maintains a diversified economy that is heavily reliant upon its abundant natural resources and upon trade—particularly with the United States, with which Canada has had a Canada–United States relations.
Etymology
The name
Canada comes from a
St. Lawrence Iroquoians word meaning "village" or "settlement." In 1535, inhabitants of the present-day Quebec City region used the word to direct explorer Jacques Cartier toward the village of Stadacona. Cartier used the word 'Canada' to refer to not only that village, but the entire area subject to Donnacona, Chief at Stadacona. By 1545, European books and maps began referring to this region as Canada.
The French colony of
Canada, New France referred to the part of New France along the
Saint Lawrence River and the northern shores of the
Great Lakes. Later, it was split into two British colonies, called Upper Canada and Lower Canada until their union as the British
Province of Canada in 1841. Upon Canadian Confederation in 1867, the name
Canada was adopted for the entire country, and was frequently referred to as the
Dominion of Canada until the 1950s. As Canada asserted its political autonomy from
United Kingdom, the federal government increasingly simply used
Canada on legal state documents and treaties. The Canada Act 1982 refers only to "Canada" and, as such, it is currently the only legal (and bilingual) name. This was reflected in 1982 with the renaming of the national holiday from Dominion Day to
Canada Day.
History
was Canada's most important industry until the 1800sAboriginal and Inuit tradition holds that the Aboriginal peoples in Canada inhabited parts of Canada since the dawn of time. Archaeological studies support a human presence in northern
Yukon from 26,500 years ago, and in southern Ontario from 9,500 years ago. European colonization of the Americas when the Vikings settled briefly at
L'Anse aux Meadows circa AD 1000. The next Europeans to explore Canada's Atlantic coast included
John Cabot in 1497 for
Kingdom of England and Jacques Cartier in 1534 for France; seasonal
Basque people whalers and fishermen would subsequently exploit the region between the
Grand Banks and
Tadoussac for over a century .
French explorer Samuel de Champlain arrived in 1603 and established the first permanent European settlements at
Port Royal, Nova Scotia in 1605 and Quebec City in 1608. These would become respectively the capitals of Acadia and Canada. Among French colonization of the Americas of
New France,
Canadiens extensively settled the
St. Lawrence River valley,
Acadians settled the present-day Maritimes, while
Coureurs de bois and René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle explored the Great Lakes, Hudson Bay and the
Mississippi River#Watershed to Louisiana (New France). The French and Iroquois Wars broke out over control of the
fur trade.
The
Kingdom of England established fishing outposts in
Newfoundland and Labrador around 1610 and British colonization of the Americas the Thirteen Colonies to the south. A series of four
French and Indian Wars erupted between 1689 and 1763. Mainland
Nova Scotia came under British rule with the Treaty of Utrecht (1713); the
Treaty of Paris (1763) ceded Canada and most of
New France to British Empire following the French and Indian War.
on the Battle of the Plains of Abraham at
Quebec City in 1759, part of the French and Indian War.The
Royal Proclamation of 1763 carved the Province of Quebec (1763-1791) out of New France and annexed Cape Breton Island to Nova Scotia. It also restricted the language and religious rights of
French Canadians. In 1769, St. John's Island (now
Prince Edward Island) became a separate colony. To avert conflict in Quebec, the
Quebec Act of 1774 expanded Quebec's territory to the Great Lakes and
Ohio Valley, and re-established the French language, Catholic faith, and French civil law in Quebec; it angered many residents of the Thirteen Colonies, helping to fuel the
American Revolution. The Treaty of Paris (1783) recognized American independence and ceded territories south of the
Great Lakes to the
United States. Approximately 50,000 United Empire Loyalists fled the United States to Canada.
New Brunswick was split from Nova Scotia as part of a reorganization Loyalist settlements in the
Maritimes. To accommodate English-speaking Loyalists in Province of Quebec (1763-1791), the
Constitutional Act of 1791 divided the province into French-speaking
Lower Canada and English-speaking Upper Canada, granting each their own elected Legislative Assembly.
Canada was a major front in the
War of 1812 between the United States and British Empire. Its defence contributed to a sense of unity among British North Americans. Large-scale immigration to Canada began in 1815 from Britain and Ireland. The
timber industry would also surpass the
fur trade in importance in the early 1800s.
The desire for
Responsible Government resulted in the aborted
Rebellions of 1837. Report on the Affairs of British North America (1839) would subsequently recommend responsible government and the assimilation of French Canadians into British culture. The
Act of Union (1840) merged
The Canadas into a
United Province of Canada. French and English Canadians worked together in the Assembly to reinstate French rights. Responsible government#British North America was established for all British North American provinces by 1849.
The signing of the
Oregon Treaty by Britain and the United States in 1846 ended the
Oregon boundary dispute, extending the border westward along the 49th parallel north, and paving the way for British colonies on
Colony of Vancouver Island and in
Colony of British Columbia. Canada launched a series of western exploratory expeditions to claim
Rupert's Land and the
Arctic region. The Canadian population grew rapidly because of high birth rates; British immigration was offset by emigration to the United States, especially by French Canadians moving to New England.
Following several constitutional conferences, the
Constitution Act, 1867 brought about Canadian Confederation creating "one Dominion under the name of Canada's name#Adoption of Dominion" on July 1, 1867 with four provinces:
Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick. Canada assumed control of
Rupert's Land and the North-Western Territory to form the
Northwest Territories, where Métis people (Canada) grievances ignited the Red River Rebellion and the creation of the province of
Manitoba in July 1870. British Columbia and Vancouver Island (which had
United Colonies of Vancouver Island and British Columbia in 1866) and the colony of
Prince Edward Island joined Confederation in 1871 and 1873, respectively.
Prime Minister of Canada John A. Macdonald's Conservative Party of Canada (historical) established a
National Policy of tariffs to protect nascent Canadian manufacturing industries. To open the West, the government sponsored construction of three trans-continental railways (most notably the Canadian Pacific Railway), opened the prairies to settlement with the
Dominion Lands Act, and established the
Royal Canadian Mounted Police to assert its authority over this territory. In 1898, after the Klondike Gold Rush in the Northwest Territories, the Canadian government decided to create the
Yukon territory as a separate territory in the region to better control the situation. Under
Liberal Party of Canada Prime Minister of Canada Wilfrid Laurier, continental European immigrants settled the prairies, and
Alberta and
Saskatchewan became provinces in 1905.
in 1917.Canada automatically entered the
First World War in 1914 with Britain's declaration of war, sending volunteers to the Western Front. The
Conscription Crisis of 1917 erupted when
Conservative Party of Canada (historical) Prime Minister
Robert Borden brought in compulsory military service over the objection of French-speaking Quebecers. In 1919, Canada joined the League of Nations independently of Britain; in 1931 the Statute of Westminster 1931 affirmed Canada's independence.
The Great Depression of 1929 brought economic hardship to all of Canada. In response, the
Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) in Alberta and Saskatchewan presaged a welfare state as pioneered by Tommy Douglas in the 1940s and 1950s. Canada Military history of Canada during World War II independently during World War II under Liberal Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King, three days after Britain. The first Canadian Army units arrived in Britain in December 1939. Canadian troops played important roles in the
Battle of the Atlantic, the failed 1941
Dieppe Raid in France, the Allied invasion of Italy, the Battle of the Scheldt during the liberation of the
Netherlands in 1944. The Canadian economy boomed as industry manufactured military
materiel for Canada, Britain, China and the Soviet Union. Despite another Conscription Crisis of 1944 in Quebec, Canada finished the war with one of the largest armed forces in the world..
In 1949,
Newfoundland and Labrador joined Confederation as Canada's 10th province. Post-war prosperity and economic expansion ignited a Post-World War II baby boom and attracted immigration from war-ravaged European countries.
Quebec underwent profound social and economic changes during the Quiet Revolution of the 1960s.
Québécois Quebec nationalism began pressing for greater provincial autonomy. The
Quebec sovereignty movement Parti Québécois first came to power in 1976. A
referendum on sovereignty-association in 1980 Quebec referendum was rejected by a solid majority of the population, and a second referendum in 1995 Quebec referendum was rejected by a slimmer margin of just 50.6% to 49.4%. In 1997, the Canadian Supreme Court ruled
Reference re Secession of Quebec; Quebec's sovereignty movement has continued nonetheless.
signing the
Constitution Act, 1982.Under successive Liberal Party of Canada governments of
Lester B. Pearson and Pierre Trudeau, a new
Canadian identity emerged. Canada adopted its current
Flag of Canada in 1965. In response to a more assertive
francophone Quebec, the federal government became Bilingualism in Canada with the
Official Languages Act (Canada) of 1969. Non-discriminatory Immigration to Canada were introduced in 1967 and 1976, and official
Multiculturalism#Origins in Canada in 1971; waves of non-European immigration have changed the face of the country.
Social democratic programs such as Medicare (Canada), the Canada Pension Plan, and Canada Student Loans were initiated in the 1960s and consolidated in the 1970s; provincial governments, particularly Quebec, fought these as incursions into their jurisdictions. Finally, Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau pushed through the patriation of the constitution from Britain, enshrining a Charter of Rights and Freedoms based on
individual rights in the
Constitution Act of 1982.
Economic integration with the United States has increased significantly since World War II. The Canada-United States Automotive Agreement (or Auto Pact) in 1965 and the
Canada-United States Free Trade Agreement of 1987 were defining moments in integrating the two economies.
Canadian nationalism continued to worry about their cultural autonomy as American television shows, movies and corporations became omnipresent. However, Canadians take special pride in their Health care in Canada and their commitment to multiculturalism.
Government and politics
, Ottawa.
Canada is a constitutional monarchy with
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom,
Style of the Canadian Sovereign, as head of state; the monarch of Canada also serves as head of state of Commonwealth realm, putting Canada in a
personal union relationship with those other states. The country is a parliamentary democracy with a
federation of Parliament and strong democratic traditions.
Constitution of Canada consists of written text and unwritten traditions and conventions. The Constitution Act, 1867 (formerly the British North America Act) established governance based on Parliamentary precedent "similar in principle to that of the United Kingdom" and divided powers between the federal and provincial governments. The Constitution Act, 1982 added a
Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which guarantees basic rights and freedoms for Canadians that generally cannot be overridden by legislation of any level of government in Canada. However, a "Section Thirty-three of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms", allows the federal parliament and the provincial legislatures to override certain sections of the Charter temporarily, for a period of five years.
.The position of
Prime Minister of Canada, Canada's
head of government, belongs to the
List of Prime Ministers of Canada of the political party that can obtain the confidence of a plurality in the
Canadian House of Commons. Executive power is exercised by the Prime Minister and Cabinet ministers, all of whom are sworn into the Queen's Privy Council for Canada to become Ministers of the Crown and
Responsible government to the elected
House of Commons. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are formally appointed by the
Governor General of Canada (who is the Monarch's representative in Canada). However, the Prime Minister chooses the Cabinet, and by convention, the Governor General respects the Prime Minister's choices. Cabinet of Canada ministers are traditionally drawn from elected members of the Prime Minister's party in the House of Commons. The Prime Minister exercises vast political power, especially in the appointment of government officials and Canadian civil service.
Michaëlle Jean has served as Governor General since
September 27, 2005, and Stephen Harper, leader of the Conservative Party of Canada, has been Prime Minister since
February 6, 2006.
The Parliament of Canada is made up of the Queen and two houses: an elected House of Commons and an appointed
Canadian Senate. Each member in the House of Commons is elected by
plurality electoral system in a
electoral district (Canada); general elections are called by the Governor General when the Prime Minister so advises. While there is no minimum term for a Parliament, a new election must be called within five years of the last general election. Members of the Senate, whose seats are apportioned on a regional basis, are chosen by the Prime Minister and formally appointed by the Governor General, and serve until age 75.
Canada's four major political parties are the
Conservative Party of Canada, the
Liberal Party of Canada, the New Democratic Party (NDP), and the
Bloc Québécois. The current government is formed by the Conservative Party of Canada. While the
Green Party of Canada and other smaller parties do not have current representation in Parliament, the list of
List of political parties in Canada#Historical parties that have won seats in Parliament is substantial.
Law
in Ottawa, west of Parliament Hill.
Canada's judiciary plays an important role in interpreting laws and has the power to strike down laws that violate the Constitution. The Supreme Court of Canada is the highest court and final arbiter and is led by the Right Honourable Madam Chief Justice
Beverley McLachlin, P.C. Its nine members are appointed by the
Governor General of Canada on the advice of the Prime Minister. All judges at the superior and appellate levels are appointed by the Governor General on the advice of the prime minister and minister of justice, after consultation with non-governmental legal bodies. The federal cabinet appoints justices to superior courts at the provincial and territorial levels. Judicial posts at the lower provincial and territorial levels are filled by their respective governments (see
Court system of Canada for more detail).
Common law prevails everywhere except in Quebec, where civil law (legal system) predominates. Criminal law in Canada is solely a federal responsibility and is uniform throughout Canada. Law enforcement, including criminal courts, is a provincial responsibility, but in rural areas of all provinces except Ontario and Quebec, policing is contracted to the federal
Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP).
Foreign relations and military
in Ottawa.
Canada and the
U.S.-Canada relations share the world's longest undefended border, co-operate on military campaigns and exercises, and are each other's largest trading partners. Canada has nevertheless maintained an independent foreign policy, most notably maintaining full relations with
Cuba and declining participation in the
Iraq War. Canada also maintains historic ties to the United Kingdom and France and to other former British and French colonies through Canada's membership in the
Commonwealth of Nations and La Francophonie (French-Speaking Countries).
Canada currently employs a professional, volunteer military force of about 64,000 regular and 26,000 reserve personnel. The unified Canadian Forces (CF) comprise the
Canadian Forces Land Force Command,
Canadian Forces Maritime Command, and
Canadian Forces Air Command. Major CF equipment deployed includes 1,400 armoured fighting vehicles, 34 combat vessels, and 861 aircraft.
with 1957 Nobel Peace Prize.
Strong attachment to the British Empire and Commonwealth in
English Canada led to major participation in British military efforts in the Second Boer War, the First World War, and the Second World War. Since then, Canada has been an advocate for multilateralism, making efforts to resolve global issues in collaboration with other nations. Canada joined the United Nations in 1945 and became a founding member of NATO in 1949. During the Canada in the Cold War, Canada was a major contributor to UN forces in the Korean War, and founded the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) in cooperation with the United States to defend against aerial attacks from the
Soviet Union.
Canada has played a leading role in UN peacekeeping efforts. During the Suez Crisis of 1956, Lester B. Pearson eased tensions by proposing the inception of the
UN peacekeeping.{{cite web |author=Canadian Broadcasting Corporation |authorlink= Canadian Broadcasting Corporation | publisher= CBC.ca |title= Lester B. Pearson |url=http://www.cbc.ca/greatest/top_ten/nominee/pearson-lester.html |date=2006 | accessdate=2006-05-22--> Canada has since served in 50 peacekeeping missions, including every UN peacekeeping effort until 1989and has since maintained forces in international missions in the former
Yugoslavia and elsewhere.
Canada joined the Organization of American States (OAS) in 1990 and hosted the OAS General Assembly in Windsor in June 2000, and the third Summit of the Americas in Quebec City in April 2001. Canada seeks to expand its ties to
Pacific Rim economies through membership in the
Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum (APEC).
.
Since 2001, Canada has had troops deployed in
Afghanistan as part of the
War in Afghanistan (2001–present) and the UN-authorized, NATO-commanded
International Security Assistance Force. Canada's Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) has participated in three major relief efforts in the past two years; the two-hundred member team has been deployed in relief operations after the 2004 tsunami in South Asia, the Hurricane Katrina in September 2005 and the 2005 Kashmir earthquake in October 2005.
In February 2007, Canada, Italy, Britain, Norway, and Russia announced their funding commitments to launch a $1.5 billion project to help develop vaccines they said could save millions of lives in poor nations, and called on others to join them." Rich Nations Launch Vaccine Pact".
Reuters. February 10, 2007. In August 2007, Canadian sovereignty in
Territorial claims in the Arctic was challenged following a
Arktika 2007 which planted a Russian flag at the seabed at the North Pole. Canada has considered that area to be sovereign territory since 1925.
Provinces and territories
.
Canada is a federation composed of ten provinces and three
Territory (country subdivision); in turn, these may be grouped into numerous regions.
Western Canada consists of British Columbia and three
Canadian Prairies (
Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba).
Eastern Canada consists of Central Canada (Quebec and Ontario) and Atlantic Canada (comprised of the three
Maritimes of New Brunswick,
Prince Edward Island, and
Nova Scotia; and Newfoundland and Labrador). Three territories (
Yukon,
Northwest Territories, and Nunavut) comprise
Northern Canada. Provinces have a
Canadian federalism from the federal government, territories somewhat less. Each has its own
List of Canadian provincial and territorial symbols.
The provinces are responsible for most of Canada's social programs (such as
Health care in Canada, Education in Canada, and
welfare (financial aid)) and together collect more revenue than the federal government, an almost unique structure among federations in the world. Using its spending powers, the federal government can initiate national policies in provincial areas, such as the Canada Health Act; the provinces can opt out of these, but rarely do so in practice.
Equalization payments are made by the federal government to ensure that reasonably uniform standards of services and taxation are kept between the richer and poorer provinces.
All provinces have
unicameral, elected
Legislative Assemblies of Canada's provinces and territories headed by a
premier (Canada) selected in the same way as the Prime Minister of Canada. Each province also has a Lieutenant-Governor (Canada) representing the Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, analogous to the Governor General of Canada, appointed on the recommendation of the Prime Minister of Canada, though with increasing levels of consultation with provincial governments in recent years.
Geography and climate
s prevail on the rocky
Canadian Shield. Ice and
tundra are prominent in the
Arctic. Glaciers are visible in the Canadian Rockies and
Coast Mountains. Flat and fertile
Prairies facilitate agriculture. The Great Lakes feed the St. Lawrence River (in the southeast) where lowlands host much of Canada's population.
Canada occupies a major northern portion of
North America, sharing land borders with the
contiguous United States to the south and with the
U.S. state of Alaska to the northwest, stretching from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the
Pacific Ocean in the west; to the north lies the Arctic Ocean. By total area (including its waters), Canada is the second largest country in the world, after Russia, and largest on the continent. By land area it ranks fourth, after Russia, China, and the United States. World Factbook: Area Country Comparison Table Since 1925, Canada has claimed the portion of the Arctic between 60°W and 141°W
longitude, but this claim is not universally recognized. The northernmost settlement in Canada and in the world is CFS Alert on the northern tip of Ellesmere Island—latitude 82.5°N—just 817 kilometres (450 nautical miles) from the North Pole. Canada has the longest coastline in the world: 243,000 kilometres.{{cite web ] |accessdate=2007-07-13-->
The population density, , is among the lowest in the world. The most densely populated part of the country is the
Quebec City-Windsor Corridor along the Great Lakes and Saint Lawrence River in the southeast.To the north of this region is the broad
Canadian Shield, an area of rock scoured clean by the
Wisconsin glaciation, thinly soiled, rich in minerals, and dotted with lakes and rivers. Canada by far has more lakes than any other country and has a large amount of the world's freshwater.
in Ontario is the largest component of
Niagara Falls, one of the world's most voluminous waterfalls, a major source of hydroelectric power, and a tourist destination.
In eastern Canada, the Saint Lawrence River widens into the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, the world's largest estuary, that contains the island of
Newfoundland (island). South of the Gulf, the Canadian Maritimes protrude eastward along the Appalachian Mountains range from northern
New England and the Gaspé Peninsula of Quebec. New Brunswick and
Nova Scotia are divided by the
Bay of Fundy, which experiences the world's largest tidal variations.
Ontario and
Hudson Bay dominate central Canada. West of Ontario, the broad, flat
Canadian Prairies spread toward the Rocky Mountains, which separate them from
British Columbia.
In western Canada, the
Mackenzie River flows from the
Great Slave Lake to the Arctic Ocean. A tributary of a tributary of the Mackenzie is the South Nahanni River, which is home to
Virginia Falls, Northwest Territories, a waterfall about twice as high as Niagara Falls.
Northern Canada vegetation tapers from
coniferous forests to
tundra and finally to Arctic barrens in the far north. The northern Canadian mainland is ringed with a vast
Canadian Arctic Archipelago containing some of the
List of islands by area.
Average winter and summer high temperatures across Canada vary depending on the location. Winters can be harsh in many regions of the country, particularly in the interior and Prairie provinces which experience a
continental climate, where daily average temperatures are near −15 °Celsius (5 °Fahrenheit) but can drop below −40 °C (−40 °F) with severe wind chills. In non-coastal regions, snow can cover the ground almost six months of the year, (more in the north). Coastal British Columbia is an exception and enjoys a temperate climate with a mild and rainy winter.
On the east and west coast average high temperatures are generally in the low 20s °C (70s °F), while between the coasts the average summer high temperature ranges from 25 to 30 °C (75 to 85 °F) with occasional extreme heat in some interior locations exceeding 40 °C (104 °F). For a more complete description of climate across Canada see Environment Canada's Website.
Economy
depicting, top to bottom,
Wilfrid Laurier, John A. Macdonald,
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, William Lyon Mackenzie King, and
Robert Borden.
Canada is one of the world's
List of countries by GDP (nominal) with a high per capita income, a member of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and
Group of Eight (G8). Canada is a free market economy with slightly more government intervention than the United States, but much less than most European nations. Canada has traditionally had a lower per capita gross domestic product (GDP) than its southern neighbour (whereas wealth has been more equally divided), but higher than the large western European economies. Since the early 1990's, the Canadian economy has been growing rapidly with low unemployment and large government surpluses on the
Government of Canada level. Today Canada closely resembles the US in its market-oriented economic system, pattern of production, and high living standards. While as of October 2007, Canada's national unemployment rate of 5.9% is its lowest in 33 years. Provincial unemployment rates vary from a low of 3.6% in Alberta to a high of 14.6% in Newfoundland and Labrador.
In the past century, the growth of the manufacturing, mining, and service sectors has transformed the nation from a largely rural economy into one primarily industrial and urban. As with other first world nations, the Canadian economy is dominated by the
service industry, which employs about three quarters of Canadians. However, Canada is unusual among developed countries in the importance of the primary industry, with the logging and petroleum industries being two of Canada's most important.
Canada is one of the few developed nations that is a net exporter of energy. Atlantic Canada has vast offshore deposits of natural gas and large oil and gas resources are centred in Alberta. The vast
Athabasca Tar Sands give Canada the world's second largest reserves of oil behind Saudi Arabia. In Quebec, British Columbia, Newfoundland & Labrador, Ontario and Manitoba,
hydroelectric power is a cheap and clean source of renewable energy.
Canada is one of the world's most important suppliers of agricultural products, with the Canadian Prairies one of the most important suppliers of wheat,
canola and other grains. Canada is the world's largest producer of zinc and
uranium and a world leader in many other natural resources such as gold, nickel,
aluminum, and
lead; many, if not most, towns in the northern part of the country, where agriculture is difficult, exist because of a nearby mine or source of timber. Canada also has a sizeable manufacturing sector centred in southern Ontario and Quebec, with
automobiles and aeronautics representing particularly important industries.
Canada is highly dependent on international trade, especially trade with the United States. The 1989 Canada-US Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) (which included Mexico) touched off a dramatic increase in trade and economic integration with the US Since 2001, Canada has successfully avoided economic recession and has maintained the best overall economic performance in the G8.{{cite web | url=http://www.pco-bcp.gc.ca/default.asp?Language=E&Page=archivechretien&Sub=Speeches&Doc=commonwealthbusinessforum.20031204_e.htm|publisher = Privy Council Office, Government of Canada | last = Chretien | first = Jean | date = 2003-12-04 | accessdate = 2006-08-07 | title = Notes for an Address by Prime Minister Jean Chrétien on the Occasion of the Commonwealth Business Forum--> Since the mid 1990s, Canada's federal government has posted annual budgetary surpluses and has steadily paid down the national debt.
Demographics
, Ontario skyline with the CN tower. Toronto is Canada's most populous metropolitan area with 5,113,149 people.
Canada's
Canada 2006 Census counted 31,612,897, an increase of 5.4% since 2001. Population growth is from
Immigration to Canada and, to a lesser extent, natural growth. About three-quarters of Canada's population lives within 150 kilometres (90 mile) of the US border. A similar proportion live in urban areas concentrated in the
Quebec City-Windsor Corridor (notably: the Golden Horseshoe anchored around Toronto,
Montreal,
National Capital Region (Canada), and their environs), the BC
Lower Mainland (Vancouver and environs), and the
Calgary-Edmonton Corridor in Alberta.
According to the 2001 census, it has 34 ethnic groups with at least one hundred thousand members each, with 83% of the total population claiming they are white. Ethnic diversity of CanadaThe largest ethnic group is
English-Canadian (20.2%), followed by
French Canadian (15.8%), Scottish-Canadian (14.0%),
Irish-Canadian (12.9%),
German-Canadian (9.3%),
Italian Canadian (4.3%), Chinese Canadian (3.7%),
Ukrainian Canadian (3.6%), and First Nations (3.4%); 40% of respondents identified their ethnicity as "Canadian." Canada's Aboriginal peoples in Canada population is growing almost twice as fast as the Canadian average. In 2001, 13.4% of the population belonged to non-aboriginal visible minorities.
In 2001, 49% of the Vancouver population and 42.8% of Toronto's population were visible minorities. In March 2005, Statistics Canada projected that people of non-European origins will constitute a majority in both Toronto and Vancouver by 2012. Canadian People - Learn About Canada's People According to Statistics Canada's forecasts, the number of visible minorities in Canada is expected to double by 2017. Roughly one out of every five people in Canada could be a member of a visible minority by 2017. Visible majority by 2017
Canada has the
Immigration to Canada#Immigration rate,{{cite web |author=Benjamin Dolin and Margaret Young, Law and Government Division |publisher=Library of Parliament |url=http://www.parl.gc.ca/information/library/PRBpubs/bp190-e.htm|title=Canada's Immigration Program |date=
2004-10-31 and [Immigration to Canada#Immigration categories; Canada also accepts large numbers of refugees. Newcomers settle mostly in the major urban areas of Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal. By the 1990s and 2000s, almost all of Canada’s immigrants came from
Asia. Inflow of foreign-born population by country of birth, by year
Canadians practice a Religion in Canada. According to 2001 census, 77.1% of Canadians identified as being Christianity; of this, Catholicism make up the largest group (43.6% of Canadians). The largest
Protestant denomination is the
United Church of Canada; about 16.5% of Canadians declare no religious affiliation, and the remaining 6.3% were affiliated with religions other than Christianity, of which the largest is
Islam numbering 1.9%, followed by
Judaism: 1.1%.
Canadian provinces and territories are responsible for education. Each system is similar while reflecting regional history, culture and geography. The mandatory school age ranges between 5–7 to 16–18 years, contributing to an adult literacy rate that is 99%. Postsecondary education is also administered by provincial and territorial governments, who provide most of the funding; the federal government administers additional research grants, student loans and scholarships. In 2002, 43% of Canadians aged between 25 and 64 had post-secondary education; for those aged 25 to 34 the post-secondary attainment reaches 51%.
Culture
totem pole and traditional "big house" in British Columbia
{{Infobox Country or territory])"From Sea to Sea"|national_anthem = "O Canada"]"|image_map = Location Canada.svg|capital = Ottawa|demonym = Canadian|official_languages = [Canadian English,
French language in Canada|regional_languages =
Inuktitut,
Inuinnaqtun,
Dene Suline language, Cree language,
Gwich’in language, Hän, Inuvialuktun, Slavey language,
Dogrib language|government_type = |leader_title1 =
Monarchy in Canada|leader_name1 =
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom|leader_title2 = Governor General of Canada|leader_name2 = Michaëlle Jean|leader_name3 = [Stephen Harper|established_event1 = [British North America Act [1867|established_date2 = [December 11 1931|established_date3 = [April 17
1982-->|area_rank = 2nd|area_magnitude = 1 E12|percent_water = 8.92 (891,163 km²)|population_estimate = round -2--> -->|population_estimate_year = 2007|population_estimate_rank = 36th|population_census = 31,612,897|population_census_year = 2006|population_density_km2 = 3.2|population_density_sq_mi = 8.3 ($)|currency_code = CAD|time_zone =|utc_offset = -3.5 to -8|time_zone_DST =|utc_offset_DST = -2.5 to -7|cctld = .ca-->
Canada () is a [country occupying most of northern
North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the
Arctic Ocean. It is the
List of countries and outlying territories by total area by total area, and shares Canada–United States border with the United States to the south and northwest.
The lands have been inhabited for millennia by
Aboriginal peoples in Canada. Beginning in the late 15th century, British colonization of the Americas and French colonization of the Americas expeditions explored and later settled the Atlantic coast. France ceded nearly all of New France in 1763 after the
Seven Years War. In 1867, with the union of three
British North American colonies through
Canadian Confederation, Canada became a federal dominion. A gradual process of independence from the
United Kingdom moved Canada towards statehood and culminated in the Canada Act 1982, severing the last vestiges of dependence on the British parliament.
A federation now comprising
Provinces and territories of Canada, Canada is a parliamentary system and a
constitutional monarchy with
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom as its head of state. It is a Bilingualism in Canada and multiculturalism country, with both
Canadian English and French language in Canada as official languages at the federal level. Developed country, Canada maintains a diversified economy that is heavily reliant upon its abundant natural resources and upon trade—particularly with the United States, with which Canada has had a
Canada–United States relations.
Etymology
The name
Canada comes from a
St. Lawrence Iroquoians word meaning "village" or "settlement." In 1535, inhabitants of the present-day Quebec City region used the word to direct explorer Jacques Cartier toward the village of Stadacona. Cartier used the word 'Canada' to refer to not only that village, but the entire area subject to
Donnacona, Chief at Stadacona. By 1545, European books and maps began referring to this region as Canada.
The French colony of Canada, New France referred to the part of
New France along the
Saint Lawrence River and the northern shores of the
Great Lakes. Later, it was split into two British colonies, called Upper Canada and Lower Canada until their union as the British
Province of Canada in 1841. Upon Canadian Confederation in 1867, the name
Canada was adopted for the entire country, and was frequently referred to as the
Dominion of Canada until the 1950s. As Canada asserted its political autonomy from
United Kingdom, the federal government increasingly simply used
Canada on legal state documents and treaties. The
Canada Act 1982 refers only to "Canada" and, as such, it is currently the only legal (and bilingual) name. This was reflected in 1982 with the renaming of the national holiday from Dominion Day to Canada Day.
History
was Canada's most important industry until the 1800sAboriginal and Inuit tradition holds that the
Aboriginal peoples in Canada inhabited parts of Canada since the dawn of time. Archaeological studies support a human presence in northern
Yukon from 26,500 years ago, and in southern
Ontario from 9,500 years ago. European colonization of the Americas when the
Vikings settled briefly at
L'Anse aux Meadows circa AD 1000. The next Europeans to explore Canada's Atlantic coast included John Cabot in 1497 for Kingdom of England and
Jacques Cartier in 1534 for
France; seasonal
Basque people whalers and fishermen would subsequently exploit the region between the Grand Banks and
Tadoussac for over a century .
French explorer Samuel de Champlain arrived in 1603 and established the first permanent European settlements at
Port Royal, Nova Scotia in 1605 and
Quebec City in 1608. These would become respectively the capitals of Acadia and Canada. Among French colonization of the Americas of New France,
Canadiens extensively settled the St. Lawrence River valley,
Acadians settled the present-day Maritimes, while Coureurs de bois and
René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle explored the Great Lakes,
Hudson Bay and the Mississippi River#Watershed to
Louisiana (New France). The
French and Iroquois Wars broke out over control of the
fur trade.
The Kingdom of England established fishing outposts in Newfoundland and Labrador around 1610 and British colonization of the Americas the
Thirteen Colonies to the south. A series of four French and Indian Wars erupted between 1689 and 1763. Mainland
Nova Scotia came under British rule with the Treaty of Utrecht (1713); the Treaty of Paris (1763) ceded Canada and most of New France to British Empire following the French and Indian War.
on the
Battle of the Plains of Abraham at
Quebec City in 1759, part of the
French and Indian War.The
Royal Proclamation of 1763 carved the Province of Quebec (1763-1791) out of New France and annexed Cape Breton Island to
Nova Scotia. It also restricted the language and religious rights of
French Canadians. In 1769, St. John's Island (now
Prince Edward Island) became a separate colony. To avert conflict in Quebec, the
Quebec Act of 1774 expanded Quebec's territory to the Great Lakes and
Ohio Valley, and re-established the French language, Catholic faith, and French civil law in Quebec; it angered many residents of the Thirteen Colonies, helping to fuel the
American Revolution. The Treaty of Paris (1783) recognized American independence and ceded territories south of the
Great Lakes to the United States. Approximately 50,000 United Empire Loyalists fled the United States to Canada.
New Brunswick was split from Nova Scotia as part of a reorganization Loyalist settlements in the Maritimes. To accommodate English-speaking Loyalists in
Province of Quebec (1763-1791), the Constitutional Act of 1791 divided the province into French-speaking Lower Canada and English-speaking
Upper Canada, granting each their own elected Legislative Assembly.
Canada was a major front in the
War of 1812 between the United States and British Empire. Its defence contributed to a sense of unity among British North Americans. Large-scale immigration to Canada began in 1815 from Britain and Ireland. The
timber industry would also surpass the
fur trade in importance in the early 1800s.
The desire for
Responsible Government resulted in the aborted
Rebellions of 1837.
Report on the Affairs of British North America (1839) would subsequently recommend responsible government and the assimilation of French Canadians into British culture. The
Act of Union (1840) merged The Canadas into a
United Province of Canada. French and English Canadians worked together in the Assembly to reinstate French rights. Responsible government#British North America was established for all British North American provinces by 1849.
The signing of the
Oregon Treaty by Britain and the United States in 1846 ended the
Oregon boundary dispute, extending the border westward along the 49th parallel north, and paving the way for British colonies on Colony of Vancouver Island and in
Colony of British Columbia. Canada launched a series of western exploratory expeditions to claim
Rupert's Land and the
Arctic region. The Canadian population grew rapidly because of high birth rates; British immigration was offset by emigration to the United States, especially by French Canadians moving to New England.
Following several constitutional conferences, the Constitution Act, 1867 brought about
Canadian Confederation creating "one Dominion under the name of Canada's name#Adoption of Dominion" on July 1, 1867 with four provinces: Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, and
New Brunswick. Canada assumed control of
Rupert's Land and the North-Western Territory to form the
Northwest Territories, where
Métis people (Canada) grievances ignited the
Red River Rebellion and the creation of the province of Manitoba in July 1870. British Columbia and Vancouver Island (which had United Colonies of Vancouver Island and British Columbia in 1866) and the colony of Prince Edward Island joined Confederation in 1871 and 1873, respectively.
Prime Minister of Canada John A. Macdonald's Conservative Party of Canada (historical) established a
National Policy of tariffs to protect nascent Canadian manufacturing industries. To open the West, the government sponsored construction of three trans-continental railways (most notably the
Canadian Pacific Railway), opened the prairies to settlement with the Dominion Lands Act, and established the Royal Canadian Mounted Police to assert its authority over this territory. In 1898, after the Klondike Gold Rush in the Northwest Territories, the Canadian government decided to create the Yukon territory as a separate territory in the region to better control the situation. Under Liberal Party of Canada
Prime Minister of Canada Wilfrid Laurier, continental European immigrants settled the prairies, and Alberta and Saskatchewan became provinces in 1905.
in 1917.Canada automatically entered the
First World War in 1914 with Britain's declaration of war, sending volunteers to the Western Front. The
Conscription Crisis of 1917 erupted when Conservative Party of Canada (historical) Prime Minister
Robert Borden brought in compulsory military service over the objection of French-speaking Quebecers. In 1919, Canada joined the
League of Nations independently of Britain; in 1931 the
Statute of Westminster 1931 affirmed Canada's independence.
The
Great Depression of 1929 brought economic hardship to all of Canada. In response, the
Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) in Alberta and Saskatchewan presaged a welfare state as pioneered by Tommy Douglas in the 1940s and 1950s. Canada
Military history of Canada during World War II independently during World War II under Liberal Prime Minister
William Lyon Mackenzie King, three days after Britain. The first Canadian Army units arrived in Britain in December 1939. Canadian troops played important roles in the
Battle of the Atlantic, the failed 1941
Dieppe Raid in France, the Allied invasion of Italy, the
Battle of the Scheldt during the liberation of the
Netherlands in 1944. The Canadian economy boomed as industry manufactured military
materiel for Canada, Britain, China and the Soviet Union. Despite another Conscription Crisis of 1944 in Quebec, Canada finished the war with one of the largest armed forces in the world..
In 1949,
Newfoundland and Labrador joined Confederation as Canada's 10th province. Post-war prosperity and economic expansion ignited a
Post-World War II baby boom and attracted immigration from war-ravaged European countries.
Quebec underwent profound social and economic changes during the Quiet Revolution of the 1960s. Québécois Quebec nationalism began pressing for greater provincial autonomy. The
Quebec sovereignty movement Parti Québécois first came to power in 1976. A referendum on
sovereignty-association in
1980 Quebec referendum was rejected by a solid majority of the population, and a second referendum in
1995 Quebec referendum was rejected by a slimmer margin of just 50.6% to 49.4%. In 1997, the Canadian Supreme Court ruled Reference re Secession of Quebec; Quebec's sovereignty movement has continued nonetheless.
signing the Constitution Act, 1982.Under successive Liberal Party of Canada governments of
Lester B. Pearson and Pierre Trudeau, a new
Canadian identity emerged. Canada adopted its current Flag of Canada in 1965. In response to a more assertive francophone
Quebec, the federal government became Bilingualism in Canada with the
Official Languages Act (Canada) of 1969. Non-discriminatory
Immigration to Canada were introduced in 1967 and 1976, and official
Multiculturalism#Origins in Canada in 1971; waves of non-European immigration have changed the face of the country. Social democratic programs such as
Medicare (Canada), the
Canada Pension Plan, and
Canada Student Loans were initiated in the 1960s and consolidated in the 1970s; provincial governments, particularly Quebec, fought these as incursions into their jurisdictions. Finally, Prime Minister
Pierre Trudeau pushed through the
patriation of the constitution from Britain, enshrining a Charter of Rights and Freedoms based on individual rights in the Constitution Act of 1982.
Economic integration with the United States has increased significantly since World War II. The
Canada-United States Automotive Agreement (or Auto Pact) in 1965 and the Canada-United States Free Trade Agreement of 1987 were defining moments in integrating the two economies.
Canadian nationalism continued to worry about their cultural autonomy as American television shows, movies and corporations became omnipresent. However, Canadians take special pride in their Health care in Canada and their commitment to multiculturalism.
Government and politics
,
Ottawa.
Canada is a
constitutional monarchy with
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom,
Style of the Canadian Sovereign, as head of state; the monarch of Canada also serves as head of state of Commonwealth realm, putting Canada in a
personal union relationship with those other states. The country is a
parliamentary democracy with a
federation of Parliament and strong democratic traditions.
Constitution of Canada consists of written text and unwritten traditions and conventions. The Constitution Act, 1867 (formerly the British North America Act) established governance based on Parliamentary precedent "similar in principle to that of the United Kingdom" and divided powers between the federal and provincial governments. The
Constitution Act, 1982 added a
Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which guarantees basic rights and freedoms for Canadians that generally cannot be overridden by legislation of any level of government in Canada. However, a "
Section Thirty-three of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms", allows the federal parliament and the provincial legislatures to override certain sections of the Charter temporarily, for a period of five years.
.The position of
Prime Minister of Canada, Canada's
head of government, belongs to the
List of Prime Ministers of Canada of the political party that can obtain the confidence of a plurality in the Canadian House of Commons. Executive power is exercised by the Prime Minister and Cabinet ministers, all of whom are sworn into the
Queen's Privy Council for Canada to become Ministers of the Crown and
Responsible government to the elected House of Commons. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are formally appointed by the
Governor General of Canada (who is the Monarch's representative in Canada). However, the Prime Minister chooses the Cabinet, and by convention, the Governor General respects the Prime Minister's choices. Cabinet of Canada ministers are traditionally drawn from elected members of the Prime Minister's party in the House of Commons. The Prime Minister exercises vast political power, especially in the appointment of government officials and Canadian civil service. Michaëlle Jean has served as Governor General since
September 27, 2005, and
Stephen Harper, leader of the Conservative Party of Canada, has been Prime Minister since
February 6,
2006.
The
Parliament of Canada is made up of the Queen and two houses: an elected House of Commons and an appointed
Canadian Senate. Each member in the House of Commons is elected by plurality electoral system in a
electoral district (Canada); general elections are called by the Governor General when the Prime Minister so advises. While there is no minimum term for a Parliament, a new election must be called within five years of the last general election. Members of the Senate, whose seats are apportioned on a regional basis, are chosen by the Prime Minister and formally appointed by the Governor General, and serve until age 75.
Canada's four major political parties are the Conservative Party of Canada, the
Liberal Party of Canada, the New Democratic Party (NDP), and the
Bloc Québécois. The current government is formed by the Conservative Party of Canada. While the Green Party of Canada and other smaller parties do not have current representation in Parliament, the list of List of political parties in Canada#Historical parties that have won seats in Parliament is substantial.
Law
in Ottawa, west of Parliament Hill.
Canada's
judiciary plays an important role in interpreting laws and has the power to strike down laws that violate the Constitution. The
Supreme Court of Canada is the highest court and final arbiter and is led by the Right Honourable Madam Chief Justice Beverley McLachlin, P.C. Its nine members are appointed by the
Governor General of Canada on the advice of the Prime Minister. All judges at the superior and appellate levels are appointed by the Governor General on the advice of the prime minister and minister of justice, after consultation with non-governmental legal bodies. The federal cabinet appoints justices to superior courts at the provincial and territorial levels. Judicial posts at the lower provincial and territorial levels are filled by their respective governments (see
Court system of Canada for more detail).
Common law prevails everywhere except in Quebec, where civil law (legal system) predominates. Criminal law in Canada is solely a federal responsibility and is uniform throughout Canada. Law enforcement, including criminal courts, is a provincial responsibility, but in rural areas of all provinces except Ontario and Quebec, policing is contracted to the federal
Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP).
Foreign relations and military
in Ottawa.
Canada and the
U.S.-Canada relations share the world's longest undefended border, co-operate on military campaigns and exercises, and are each other's largest trading partners. Canada has nevertheless maintained an independent foreign policy, most notably maintaining full relations with Cuba and declining participation in the Iraq War. Canada also maintains historic ties to the United Kingdom and France and to other former British and French colonies through Canada's membership in the
Commonwealth of Nations and La Francophonie (French-Speaking Countries).
Canada currently employs a professional, volunteer military force of about 64,000 regular and 26,000 reserve personnel. The unified Canadian Forces (CF) comprise the
Canadian Forces Land Force Command, Canadian Forces Maritime Command, and
Canadian Forces Air Command. Major CF equipment deployed includes 1,400 armoured fighting vehicles, 34 combat vessels, and 861 aircraft.
with 1957
Nobel Peace Prize.
Strong attachment to the
British Empire and Commonwealth in English Canada led to major participation in British military efforts in the Second Boer War, the
First World War, and the Second World War. Since then, Canada has been an advocate for
multilateralism, making efforts to resolve global issues in collaboration with other nations. Canada joined the United Nations in 1945 and became a founding member of NATO in 1949. During the
Canada in the Cold War, Canada was a major contributor to UN forces in the Korean War, and founded the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) in cooperation with the United States to defend against aerial attacks from the
Soviet Union.
Canada has played a leading role in UN peacekeeping efforts. During the Suez Crisis of 1956, Lester B. Pearson eased tensions by proposing the inception of the
UN peacekeeping.{{cite web |author=Canadian Broadcasting Corporation |authorlink= Canadian Broadcasting Corporation | publisher= CBC.ca |title= Lester B. Pearson |url=http://www.cbc.ca/greatest/top_ten/nominee/pearson-lester.html |date=2006 | accessdate=2006-05-22--> Canada has since served in 50 peacekeeping missions, including every UN peacekeeping effort until 1989and has since maintained forces in international missions in the former Yugoslavia and elsewhere.
Canada joined the
Organization of American States (OAS) in 1990 and hosted the OAS General Assembly in Windsor in June 2000, and the third Summit of the Americas in Quebec City in April 2001. Canada seeks to expand its ties to
Pacific Rim economies through membership in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum (APEC).
.
Since 2001, Canada has had troops deployed in Afghanistan as part of the
War in Afghanistan (2001–present) and the UN-authorized, NATO-commanded
International Security Assistance Force. Canada's Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) has participated in three major relief efforts in the past two years; the two-hundred member team has been deployed in relief operations after the 2004 tsunami in South Asia, the Hurricane Katrina in September 2005 and the 2005 Kashmir earthquake in October 2005.
In February 2007, Canada, Italy, Britain, Norway, and Russia announced their funding commitments to launch a $1.5 billion project to help develop vaccines they said could save millions of lives in poor nations, and called on others to join them." Rich Nations Launch Vaccine Pact".
Reuters. February 10, 2007. In August 2007, Canadian sovereignty in
Territorial claims in the Arctic was challenged following a Arktika 2007 which planted a Russian flag at the seabed at the North Pole. Canada has considered that area to be sovereign territory since 1925.
Provinces and territories
.
Canada is a federation composed of ten
provinces and three
Territory (country subdivision); in turn, these may be grouped into numerous regions. Western Canada consists of British Columbia and three
Canadian Prairies (Alberta,
Saskatchewan,
Manitoba).
Eastern Canada consists of Central Canada (
Quebec and
Ontario) and Atlantic Canada (comprised of the three Maritimes of
New Brunswick,
Prince Edward Island, and Nova Scotia; and
Newfoundland and Labrador). Three territories (
Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut) comprise Northern Canada. Provinces have a Canadian federalism from the federal government, territories somewhat less. Each has its own
List of Canadian provincial and territorial symbols.
The provinces are responsible for most of Canada's social programs (such as Health care in Canada, Education in Canada, and
welfare (financial aid)) and together collect more revenue than the federal government, an almost unique structure among federations in the world. Using its spending powers, the federal government can initiate national policies in provincial areas, such as the
Canada Health Act; the provinces can opt out of these, but rarely do so in practice.
Equalization payments are made by the federal government to ensure that reasonably uniform standards of services and taxation are kept between the richer and poorer provinces.
All provinces have unicameral, elected Legislative Assemblies of Canada's provinces and territories headed by a premier (Canada) selected in the same way as the Prime Minister of Canada. Each province also has a Lieutenant-Governor (Canada) representing the
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, analogous to the Governor General of Canada, appointed on the recommendation of the Prime Minister of Canada, though with increasing levels of consultation with provincial governments in recent years.
Geography and climate
s prevail on the rocky
Canadian Shield. Ice and tundra are prominent in the
Arctic. Glaciers are visible in the Canadian Rockies and Coast Mountains. Flat and fertile
Prairies facilitate agriculture. The
Great Lakes feed the St. Lawrence River (in the southeast) where lowlands host much of Canada's population.
Canada occupies a major northern portion of
North America, sharing land borders with the
contiguous United States to the south and with the U.S. state of Alaska to the northwest, stretching from the
Atlantic Ocean in the east to the
Pacific Ocean in the west; to the north lies the Arctic Ocean. By total area (including its waters), Canada is the second largest country in the world, after Russia, and largest on the
continent. By land area it ranks fourth, after Russia,
China, and the United States. World Factbook: Area Country Comparison Table Since 1925, Canada has claimed the portion of the Arctic between 60°W and 141°W longitude, but this claim is not universally recognized. The northernmost settlement in Canada and in the world is
CFS Alert on the northern tip of Ellesmere Island—latitude 82.5°N—just 817 kilometres (450 nautical miles) from the North Pole. Canada has the longest coastline in the world: 243,000 kilometres.{{cite web ] |accessdate=2007-07-13-->
The population density, , is among the lowest in the world. The most densely populated part of the country is the Quebec City-Windsor Corridor along the Great Lakes and Saint Lawrence River in the southeast.To the north of this region is the broad
Canadian Shield, an area of rock scoured clean by the
Wisconsin glaciation, thinly soiled, rich in minerals, and dotted with lakes and rivers. Canada by far has more lakes than any other country and has a large amount of the world's freshwater.
in Ontario is the largest component of
Niagara Falls, one of the world's most voluminous waterfalls, a major source of hydroelectric power, and a tourist destination.
In eastern Canada, the Saint Lawrence River widens into the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, the world's largest estuary, that contains the island of Newfoundland (island). South of the Gulf, the
Canadian Maritimes protrude eastward along the
Appalachian Mountains range from northern New England and the
Gaspé Peninsula of Quebec. New Brunswick and Nova Scotia are divided by the Bay of Fundy, which experiences the world's largest tidal variations.
Ontario and Hudson Bay dominate central Canada. West of Ontario, the broad, flat
Canadian Prairies spread toward the
Rocky Mountains, which separate them from British Columbia.
In western Canada, the Mackenzie River flows from the Great Slave Lake to the
Arctic Ocean. A tributary of a tributary of the Mackenzie is the
South Nahanni River, which is home to Virginia Falls, Northwest Territories, a waterfall about twice as high as Niagara Falls.
Northern Canada vegetation tapers from
coniferous forests to tundra and finally to Arctic barrens in the far north. The northern Canadian mainland is ringed with a vast
Canadian Arctic Archipelago containing some of the
List of islands by area.
Average winter and summer high temperatures across Canada vary depending on the location. Winters can be harsh in many regions of the country, particularly in the interior and Prairie provinces which experience a continental climate, where daily average temperatures are near −15 °Celsius (5 °
Fahrenheit) but can drop below −40 °C (−40 °F) with severe wind chills. In non-coastal regions, snow can cover the ground almost six months of the year, (more in the north). Coastal British Columbia is an exception and enjoys a temperate climate with a mild and rainy winter.
On the east and west coast average high temperatures are generally in the low 20s °C (70s °F), while between the coasts the average summer high temperature ranges from 25 to 30 °C (75 to 85 °F) with occasional extreme heat in some interior locations exceeding 40 °C (104 °F). For a more complete description of climate across Canada see Environment Canada's Website.
Economy
depicting, top to bottom,
Wilfrid Laurier,
John A. Macdonald,
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom,
William Lyon Mackenzie King, and
Robert Borden.
Canada is one of the world's List of countries by GDP (nominal) with a high per capita income, a member of the
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and Group of Eight (G8). Canada is a free market economy with slightly more government intervention than the United States, but much less than most European nations. Canada has traditionally had a lower per capita gross domestic product (GDP) than its southern neighbour (whereas wealth has been more equally divided), but higher than the large western European economies. Since the early 1990's, the Canadian economy has been growing rapidly with low unemployment and large government surpluses on the Government of Canada level. Today Canada closely resembles the US in its market-oriented economic system, pattern of production, and high living standards. While as of October 2007, Canada's national unemployment rate of 5.9% is its lowest in 33 years. Provincial unemployment rates vary from a low of 3.6% in Alberta to a high of 14.6% in Newfoundland and Labrador.
In the past century, the growth of the manufacturing, mining, and service sectors has transformed the nation from a largely rural economy into one primarily industrial and urban. As with other
first world nations, the Canadian economy is dominated by the
service industry, which employs about three quarters of Canadians. However, Canada is unusual among developed countries in the importance of the primary industry, with the
logging and
petroleum industries being two of Canada's most important.
Canada is one of the few developed nations that is a net exporter of energy.
Atlantic Canada has vast offshore deposits of natural gas and large oil and gas resources are centred in
Alberta. The vast
Athabasca Tar Sands give Canada the world's second largest reserves of oil behind Saudi Arabia. In Quebec, British Columbia, Newfoundland & Labrador, Ontario and Manitoba, hydroelectric power is a cheap and clean source of renewable energy.
Canada is one of the world's most important suppliers of agricultural products, with the Canadian Prairies one of the most important suppliers of wheat,
canola and other grains. Canada is the world's largest producer of
zinc and uranium and a world leader in many other natural resources such as gold,
nickel,
aluminum, and
lead; many, if not most, towns in the northern part of the country, where agriculture is difficult, exist because of a nearby mine or source of timber. Canada also has a sizeable manufacturing sector centred in southern Ontario and Quebec, with automobiles and aeronautics representing particularly important industries.
Canada is highly dependent on
international trade, especially trade with the United States. The 1989
Canada-US Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) (which included Mexico) touched off a dramatic increase in trade and economic integration with the US Since 2001, Canada has successfully avoided economic recession and has maintained the best overall economic performance in the G8.{{cite web | url=http://www.pco-bcp.gc.ca/default.asp?Language=E&Page=archivechretien&Sub=Speeches&Doc=commonwealthbusinessforum.20031204_e.htm|publisher = Privy Council Office, Government of Canada | last = Chretien | first = Jean | date = 2003-12-04 | accessdate = 2006-08-07 | title = Notes for an Address by Prime Minister Jean Chrétien on the Occasion of the Commonwealth Business Forum--> Since the mid 1990s, Canada's federal government has posted annual budgetary surpluses and has steadily paid down the national debt.
Demographics
,
Ontario skyline with the CN tower. Toronto is Canada's most populous metropolitan area with 5,113,149 people.
Canada's Canada 2006 Census counted 31,612,897, an increase of 5.4% since 2001. Population growth is from
Immigration to Canada and, to a lesser extent, natural growth. About three-quarters of Canada's population lives within 150 kilometres (90 mile) of the US border. A similar proportion live in urban areas concentrated in the
Quebec City-Windsor Corridor (notably: the
Golden Horseshoe anchored around Toronto,
Montreal,
National Capital Region (Canada), and their environs), the BC
Lower Mainland (Vancouver and environs), and the Calgary-Edmonton Corridor in Alberta.
According to the 2001 census, it has 34 ethnic groups with at least one hundred thousand members each, with 83% of the total population claiming they are white. Ethnic diversity of CanadaThe largest ethnic group is English-Canadian (20.2%), followed by French Canadian (15.8%),
Scottish-Canadian (14.0%), Irish-Canadian (12.9%),
German-Canadian (9.3%), Italian Canadian (4.3%), Chinese Canadian (3.7%), Ukrainian Canadian (3.6%), and
First Nations (3.4%); 40% of respondents identified their ethnicity as "Canadian." Canada's
Aboriginal peoples in Canada population is growing almost twice as fast as the Canadian average. In 2001, 13.4% of the population belonged to non-aboriginal
visible minorities.
In 2001, 49% of the Vancouver population and 42.8% of
Toronto's population were visible minorities. In March 2005,
Statistics Canada projected that people of non-European origins will constitute a majority in both Toronto and Vancouver by 2012. Canadian People - Learn About Canada's People According to Statistics Canada's forecasts, the number of visible minorities in Canada is expected to double by 2017. Roughly one out of every five people in Canada could be a member of a visible minority by 2017. Visible majority by 2017
Canada has the Immigration to Canada#Immigration rate,{{cite web |author=Benjamin Dolin and Margaret Young, Law and Government Division |publisher=Library of Parliament |url=http://www.parl.gc.ca/information/library/PRBpubs/bp190-e.htm|title=Canada's Immigration Program |date=2004-10-31 and [Immigration to Canada#Immigration categories; Canada also accepts large numbers of
refugees. Newcomers settle mostly in the major urban areas of Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal. By the 1990s and 2000s, almost all of Canada’s immigrants came from
Asia. Inflow of foreign-born population by country of birth, by year
Canadians practice a Religion in Canada. According to 2001 census, 77.1% of Canadians identified as being Christianity; of this,
Catholicism make up the largest group (43.6% of Canadians). The largest
Protestant denomination is the United Church of Canada; about 16.5% of Canadians declare no religious affiliation, and the remaining 6.3% were affiliated with religions other than Christianity, of which the largest is
Islam numbering 1.9%, followed by
Judaism: 1.1%.
Canadian provinces and territories are responsible for education. Each system is similar while reflecting regional history, culture and geography. The mandatory school age ranges between 5–7 to 16–18 years, contributing to an adult literacy rate that is 99%. Postsecondary education is also administered by provincial and territorial governments, who provide most of the funding; the federal government administers additional research grants, student loans and scholarships. In 2002, 43% of Canadians aged between 25 and 64 had post-secondary education; for those aged 25 to 34 the post-secondary attainment reaches 51%.
Culture
totem pole and traditional "big house" in British Columbia
Northland Properties - Canadian Land
Land for sale in Manitoba, Canada ... 19th July 08 - New low deposit and 'no gimmick' prices introduced at Gundy Lake.
Canadian Affair - cheap flights to Canada and UK
Offers flights to Canada. Contact details.
Canada Holidays – Hotels, Escorted Tours, Holidays in Canada ...
Holidays to Canada: Canadian Sky the Canadian holiday and travel specialists offer exciting holidays to Canada including Alaskan Cruises and Rockies by Rail holidays.
University of Leeds - Centre for Canadian Studies
Features both undergraduate and postgraduate programs, seminars and research conference, newsletter and conference proceedings, links and contact information. Also offer visit ...
Patrimoine canadien - Bienvenue / Canadian Heritage - Welcome
Advances Canadian culture, celebrates heritage and embraces Canadian identity.
Canadian Embassy
Canadian Embassies Worldwide - Find out about Canadian embassies worldwide, Visa Information, Visa Application Form and Other Canadian Consulates in Worldwide.
Home - School of American and Canadian Studies - The University of ...
Promotes undergraduate and graduate programs, research, study abroad option, links, staff and faculty listings and course details. Located at the University of Nottingham in ...
The Canadian Tourist Board : perspectives on clubbing baby seals to ...
CANADA'S SHAME The Canadian seal hunt : 'cruel, criminal, and out of control' government-sponsored cruelty : picture of a savagely killed baby seal
Canadian Visas: Canadian Visa Bureau
The Canadian Visa Bureau helps people in the UK obtain visas and work permits for emigration to Canada. Complete an online Canadian Visa assessment.
BBC NEWS | Americas | Iran 'expels Canadian ambassador'
Iran expels Canada's envoy to Tehran, says a Canadian minister, after a spat over diplomatic representation.
