Canada Summary

Updated: 20.04.2020

Canada Summary

Location: northern part of North America
Capital city: Ottawa
Other cities: Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Quebec, Winnipeg
Provinces: Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Manitoba, British Columbia, Prince Edward Island, Saskatchewan, Alberta, Newfoundland and Labrador
Territories: Northwest Territories, Yukon, Nunavut
Population: 37,9 million
Currency: Canadian dollar CAD
Universities: University of Toronto, University of British Columbia, McGill University, McMaster University
State system: federal, parliamentary, democratic, constitutional monarchy
Head of state: formally Queen Elizabeth II, the Governor General is the federal viceregal representative of the monarch, the Prime Minister is the head of government, chair of the Cabinet and primary Minister of the Crown
Power: legislative - the Parliament (Senate and House of Commons), executive - the Governor General, the Prime Minister and the Cabinet, judicial - courts
Flag: Maple Leaf (l'Unifolié)
Anthem: O Canada
Geography: Rocky Mountains, the Mackenzie Mountains, the Great Lakes
Highest mountain: Mt Logan 6050m
Rivers: Mackenzie, Yukon, Fraser, River St Lawrence, Columbia
Climate: diverse, from Arctic permafrost to temperate, including humid continental and mediterranead climate
Sights: Niagara Falls, CN Tower in Toronto, Parliament Buildings in Ottawa, Klondike National Historic Site in Yukon, Old Quebec (Vieux-Quebec)

Canada occupies the whole northern part of North America with the exception of Alaska. It is the second largest country in the world, it stretches 5500km from the Atlantic to the Pacific Oceans and over 4600km from the North to the US border. Its only landborder is with the US, the longest undefended border in the world. Canada also has the longest coastline in the world.
          Canada is a parliamentary democracy and a constitutional monarchy in the Westminster tradition, it is a realm within the Commonwealth of Nations. The government constitutes of the monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, Governor General, the Prime Minister and the Cabinet. The Parliament consists of two houses, the House of Commons and the Senate. The country is divided into 10 provinces and 3 territories.
          The capital city is Ottawa, situated on the River Ottawa, it has the population of 934 thousand people, the metropolitan area has about 1,3 million inhabitants. The most populous city is Toronto, located on Lake Ontario, the city has 2,7 million inhabitants, the whole region is populated with 9,2 million people. Other big and important cities include Montreal, Vancouver, Edmonton, Hamilton, Winnipeg and Quebec.
          Canada has large mountain areas, for example the Rocky Mountains, the Mackenzie Mountains and the Melville Hills. The highest mountain is Mt Logan with 6050m. The longest river is the Mackenzie, other big rivers are the Yukon, the Fraser, the River St Lawrence and the Columbia. The Great Lakes Region is the largest areal of fresh water in the world, they are on the border with the US. The famous Niagara Falls are between Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. There are other huge lakes in Canada, for example Great Bear Lake, Great Slave Lake and Lake Winnipeg.
          The climate varies from arctic in the North with winter temperatures as low as -50°C to moderate climate in the east and west. The north of the country near the Arctic is a cold tundra with large and beautiful forests to the south. The central plains form the prairie.
          Canada's population is 37,9 million inhabitants, it is one of the least populated countries in the world. Most people live in large urban centres near the southern border and are mostly of British or French origin. About 4% are Indian and about 4,4% are First Nations, also called Inuits or Eskimos. Most people speak English or French. The name of the country comes from the original inhabitants, kanata means village.
          The original inhabitants came to Canada at least 14 thousand years ago from Siberia across a land bridge over the Bering Strait. The first Europeans to arrive to Canada were the Norse, better known as Vikings, who came around the year 1000. In 1497, John Cabot (Giovanni Caboto) landed in Newfoundland and voyages continued. The land was claimed by Spain and Portugal, but only really explored by Jacques Cartier in the name of France. After the American War for Independence, Canada was flooded by British immigrants. In 1867, the Constitution Act established Canada as a federal dominion. In 1965, Canada adopted the Maple Leaf Flag as a symbol of its new identity and in 1982, the Constitution Act established complete sovereignty from Britain, although the Queen retained her role as monarch of Canada.
          Canada came out of WWII with a strong economy and a large army. The country has many natural resources, including coal, oil, gas, uranium, gold and metal ores and has highly developed machine-building and chemical industries. There hydro-electric industry is highly developed and large forests provide wood for building, furniture and paper production. Only 7% of the land is suitable for farming, but Canada is still one of the biggest producers of wheat, canola and other grains. The valid currency is the Canadian dollar, designed as CAD.
          Canada is a multicultural country with publicly-funded healthcare, strong efforts to eliminate poverty, strict gun control, and social liberal attitude. It was mostly influenced by British, French and Indigenous cultures. The most popular sport is ice hockey, the Stanley Cup is the oldest trophy in North American sports, introduced in 1893 by Lord Stanley of Preston. Canadian humor is characteristical with irony, parody and satire and Canadian comedians have achieved international success. Canadians are also known to be very polite. Typical animals in Canada include elk, polar bears, moose, the national animal of Canada is thr beaver. Aurora Borealis, the northern lights, are visible in many parts of the country.
          The most famous Canadian product is probably maple syrup, which comes from the Indigenous people. Famous Canadian dishes include Poutine and Montreal smoked meat. Many desserts come from Canada, for example the Nanaimo bar and butter tart. A Caesar cocktail contains vodka, a Ceasar mix (tomato juice and clam broth, hot sauce and Worcestershire sauce, with celery and lime.
          Margaret Atwood is a famous Canadian poet, novelist and literary critic, she wrote the Handmaid's Tale. Other famous Canadians include Terry Fox, William Shatner, Michael J Fox, James Cameron, Jim Carrey, Keanu Reeves, Ryan Reynolds, Avril Lavigne, Anna Paquin, and Celine Dion.