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Canada
Canada (/ˈkænədə/ ( listen); French: [ka.na.dɑ]) is a country in
North America, located to the north of the United States. Its land Canada
reaches from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the
west and the Arctic Ocean to the north, covering 9.98 million square
kilometres (3.85 million square miles), making it the world's second
largest country by total area and the fourth largest country by land
Flag
area. It has the world's longest coastline which touches three oceans.
Motto: A Mari Usque Ad Mare (Latin)
Canada has ten provinces and three territories. Most parts of the (English: "From Sea to Sea")
country have a cold or severely cold winter climate, but areas to the
Anthem: "O Canada"
south are warm in summer. Much of the land contains forests or
0:00 MENU
tundra, with the Rocky Mountains towards the west. About four fifths
of Canada's 36 million people live in urban areas near the southern
Royal anthem: "God Save the Queen"[1]
border with the US, the longest between any two countries in the
world. The national capital is Ottawa, and the largest city is Toronto;
other large cities include Montreal, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton,
Quebec City, Winnipeg and Hamilton.

The places that are now Canada have long been home to many
Aboriginal people. In 1537 the French started a colony and the British
empire soon followed. The two empires fought several wars and in the
late 18th century only British North America remained with what is
more or less Canada today. The country was formed with the British
North America Act on July 1, 1867, from several colonies. Over time,
more provinces and territories became part of Canada. In 1931,
Canada achieved near total independence with the Statute of Capital Ottawa
Westminster 1931, and became completely independent when the 45°24′N 75°40′W
Canada Act 1982 removed the last remaining ties of legal dependence Largest city Toronto
on the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Official languages English · French
Ethnic groups Ethnic demography
Canada is a federal parliamentary democracy and a constitutional
monarchy, with Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom as its head Religion List of religions
of state. The country is officially bilingual at the federal level, meaning
Demonym Canadian
that citizens have the right to communicate with the government in
either English or French. Immigration to Canada has made it one of Government Federal parliamentary
the world's most ethnically diverse and multicultural nations. Its
representative democracy
under constitutional monarchy[4]
economy is the eleventh largest in the world, and relies mainly on
• Monarch Elizabeth II
natural resources and well-developed international trade networks.
• Governor General Julie Payette
Canada's relationship with its neighbor and biggest trading partner, • Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
the U.S., has a big impact on its economy and culture. • Chief Justice Richard Wagner

Canada is a developed country and has the tenth highest nominal per Legislature Parliament
capita income globally as well as the tenth highest ranking in the • Upper house Senate
• Lower house House of Commons
Human Development Index. It ranks among the highest in
international measurements of government transparency, civil Independence from the United Kingdom and France
liberties, quality of life, economic freedom, and education. Canada is a • Confederation July 1, 1867
• Statute of December 11, 1931
Commonwealth realm member of the Commonwealth of Nations, a
Westminster

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member of the Francophonie, and part of several major international • Patriation April 17, 1982
and intergovernmental institutions or groupings including the United Area
Nations, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the G8, the G20, the • Total area 9,984,670 km2
North American Free Trade Agreement and the Asia-Pacific Economic (3,855,100 sq mi) (2nd)
Cooperation forum. • Water (%) 8.92
• Total land area 9,093,507 km2
(3,511,023 sq mi)
Population
Contents • 2016 census 35,151,728[5] (38th)
• Density 3.92/km2 (10.2/sq mi) (228th)
Geography
GDP (PPP) 2016 estimate
History
• Total $1.672 trillion[6] (15th)
Government • Per capita $46,199[6] (20th)
Provinces and territories
GDP (nominal) 2016 estimate
Climate and its influence
• Total $1.529 trillion (10th)
Natural resources • Per capita $40,409[6] (15th)
Demographics
Gini (2012) 31.6[7]
Travel requirements for US citizens medium · 20th[8]
References
HDI (2015) 0.920[9]
Other websites very high · 10th
Currency Canadian dollar ($) (CAD)

Geography Time zone (UTC−3.5 to −8)

• Summer (DST) (UTC−2.5 to −7)
Canada is the second largest country in the world in land area, after
Date format yyyy-mm-dd (AD)[10]
Russia.[11] It has the longest border with water (coastline) of any
country in the world. It is next to the Pacific, Arctic, and Atlantic Drives on the right
Oceans. It is the only country in the world to be next to three oceans at Calling code +1
once. It has six time zones.[12][13] ISO 3166 code CA

Canada is made up of ten provinces and three territories. The Internet TLD .ca
provinces are between the 45th and 60th parallels of latitude, and the
territories are to the north of the 60th parallel of latitude. Most large cities in Canada are in the southern part of the country, including
Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal. There are very few people living in the northern part of Canada.

Canada extends from the west coast, across the prairies and central Canada, to the Atlantic provinces. In the north there are three
territories, stretching between Alaska and Greenland: the Yukon in the west, then the Northwest Territories, then Nunavut. Four of
the five Great Lakes (Superior, Huron, Erie, and Ontario) are shared between Canada and the United States (Lake Michigan is in the
USA), and they make up 16% of the Earth's fresh water. The Saint Lawrence Seaway joins the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean,
allowing ocean going vessels to travel as far inland as Thunder Bay in Ontario, Canada.

Canada shares land and sea borders with the USA (the lower 48 states and Alaska), Denmark (Greenland), and France (St. Pierre and
Miquelon — a small group of islands off the southern coast off the island of Newfoundland).

The geography of Canada is very different from place to place, from high alpine areas in the west, flat grasslands and prairies in the
centre, and ancient shield rocks in the east. Canada contains some of the very last untouched boreal forest in the world.

The Canadian Shield is a vast area of ancient Pre-Cambrian rocks lying in an arc around Hudson Bay, covering more than one third of
Canada's land area. This is a unique land of lakes, bogs, swamps, trees, and rocks. It is a terrain that is very dangerous and difficult to
traverse cross country because of lakes, bogs, swamps, trees, and rocks. Canada has 60% of the world's lakes.

History

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Indigenous (native) people lived in what is now Canada for thousands of years before the first Europeans arrived. They are known as
the First Nations and the Inuit people. The Métis have part First Nations and part European backgrounds. Together, these three
groups are called "Indigenous," "Aboriginal," or "First Peoples." They used to be called "Indians" by the Europeans, but this is now
considered rude.

The Vikings were the first Europeans known to land in Canada, in what is now Newfoundland, led by the Viking explorer Leif Erikson.
They did not stay long, however. In the early 16th century, Europeans started exploring Canada's eastern coast, beginning with John
Cabot from England in 1497, and later Jacques Cartier in 1534 from France. Alexander Mackenzie later reached the Pacific coast over
land, where captains James Cook and George Vancouver went by sea. The Europeans also traded beaver furs to the First Nations.

Parts of Canada were settled by France, and parts by Great Britain. In 1605, Port-Royal was built in Acadia (today called Nova Scotia)
by the French, led by Samuel de Champlain, and in 1608 he started settling Quebec. The British took control of the French areas after
a battle of the French and Indian War on the Plains of Abraham near Quebec City in 1759.

After the American Revolutionary War, many people in the new United States wanted to stay loyal to Britain. Thousands came north
to Canada and settled in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec, and Ontario. They were called United Empire Loyalists. During the
War of 1812, the United States tried to conquer Canada but were defeated.

On July 1, 1867, Canada was united under a federal government. It included the provinces of Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, and
Nova Scotia. Sir John A. Macdonald was the first prime minister. Manitoba, the Yukon territory, and the Northwest Territories
became part of Canada in 1870. British Columbia joined in 1871, and Prince Edward Island in 1873.

There were two Red River Rebellions, in 1869-70 and 1885, both led by Louis Riel. He fought for more rights for the Métis people, a
mix between French and First Nations. A railroad across the country, the Canadian Pacific Railway, finished in 1885, made it easier for
Canadians to move to the west. Many Europeans came to the prairies, so Alberta and Saskatchewan became provinces in 1905.

Canadian soldiers fought in World War I for the British Empire. More Canadians died in this war than any other war. Canada became
better known as a country after its success in capturing Vimy Ridge from the Germans in France in 1917. Women were given the right
to vote by the end of the war, partly because of the help they gave making weapons while the men fought in Europe. In 1931, Canada
became fully independent. Then the government of Canada made all decisions about Canada.

Canadians also fought in World War II. The Dieppe Raid in 1942 went very badly and most of the
soldiers were killed, wounded, or taken prisoner. Canadians were important in 1944 at Normandy, and
they liberated the Netherlands from the Germans.

In 1949, Newfoundland and Labrador became the 10th province of Canada. In 1956, Canadian Lester
Pearson, who later became prime minister, helped end the Suez Crisis. As a result, he won the Nobel
Peace Prize. In 1965, Pearson helped Canada get a new flag, the Maple Leaf. Before that, Canadians had
used the Red Ensign. In 1982, Canada changed its constitution, including a new Canadian Charter of
Rights and Freedoms. The main part of the Constitution is still the 1867 British North America Act.

Some French Canadians today wish to form their own country, separate from the rest of Canada. The
A Canadian crew province of Quebec held a referendum (vote) in 1980, but only about 40% wanted to separate. Another
during the battle of
referendum was held in 1995, with almost 50% voting in favour of leaving Canada. Since then, fewer
Normandy in June
1944. people in Quebec have wanted to leave Canada, but it is still important to Quebec politics.

Today, about 25% of Canadians speak French as their first language. Many people can speak both French
and English. Although most French Canadians live in the province of Quebec, there are French-speaking communities and people all
across Canada. For example, 40% of the people in the province of New Brunswick and 20% of those in Manitoba have a strong French
background, as do some people in Ontario, mainly along its border with Quebec.

In 1999, Nunavut was created as Canada's third territory, out of the eastern Northwest Territories, in an agreement with the Inuit
people.

In 2014, after-tax, middle-class incomes in Canada were reported to be higher than those in the United States.[14]

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Government
Canada has a government called a constitutional monarchy.[15] It has a monarch (meaning a
king or queen is the head of that country), and is a democracy (meaning the people of that
country rule it). The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who is officially the Queen of Canada.
She appoints a Governor General to represent her in the country, however, the choice of
Governor General is made by the prime minister.

The Queen's powers are mostly exercised by the Governor General, currently Julie Payette.
The Governor General, like the Canadian sovereign (King/Queen of Canada), is not political Parliament Hill.
and remains above politics, and because of that they do not usually use their powers without
the advice of the Prime Minister or other ministers.

The head of government is the Prime Minister. The current prime minister is Justin Trudeau,[16] who replaced Stephen Harper in
October 2015. Each province and territory has a premier to lead its government. The day-to-day operations of the government are run
by the cabinet. The cabinet is usually formed from the largest party in Parliament.

The Parliament of Canada passes the laws of the country. The governor general, acting on behalf of the monarch, has the right to veto
a law (meaning the law cannot go into effect) but this right has not been used for some time. There are five main parties in the
Canadian Parliament: the Conservative Party, the New Democratic Party, the Liberal Party, the Bloc Québécois, and the Green Party.
In addition to the five parties with MPs in Parliament, there are fourteen other smaller parties registered with Elections Canada and
several MPs who sit as Independents.

Provinces and territories

Main article: Provinces and territories of Canada

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Below is a list of provinces and territories. They are listed by population.

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Provinces

Largest Entered Population Area Official

Name Capital
city Confederation (2014) (km2) language
Ontario Toronto Toronto 1867 13,678,700 1,076,395 English

Quebec Quebec City Montreal 1867 8,214,700 1,542,056 French

British Columbia Victoria Vancouver 1871 4,631,300 944,735 English

Alberta Edmonton Calgary 1905 4,121,700 661,848 English

Manitoba Winnipeg Winnipeg 1870 1,282,000 647,797 English

Saskatchewan Regina Saskatoon 1905 1,125,400 651,036 English

Nova Scotia Halifax Halifax 1867 942,700 55,284 English

New Brunswick English and

Fredericton Saint John 1867 753,900 72,908
French
Newfoundland and
St. John's St. John's 1949 527,000 405,212 English
Labrador

Prince Edward Island Charlottetown Charlottetown 1873 146,300 5,660 English

Territories
Northwest Territories Yellowknife Yellowknife 1870 41,462 1,346,106 multiple

English and
Yukon Whitehorse Whitehorse 1898 33,897 482,443
French
Nunavut Iqaluit Iqaluit 1999 31,906 2,093,190 multiple

Climate and its influence

Many people from other parts of the world think of Canada as a very cold and snowy place. While it is true that much of Canada is very
far north, most Canadians live in the southern parts, where the weather is much milder. Nearly two thirds of Canadians live less than
100 kilometres (62 mi) from the U.S. border.[17] In some cities the temperature can get very cold in the winter, especially in the
inland.[18] Warm air systems moving in from the Pacific Ocean bring more rain than snow to the Pacific coast, while colder
temperatures further inland do result in snow. Most of Canada can get quite hot in the summer, often over 30 degrees Celsius (86
degrees Fahrenheit).[19]

Canadians are known to play winter sports such as ice hockey and skiing and snowboarding, and also enjoy many summer sports and
games.

Natural resources
Canada has lots of natural resources. Its large amounts of fish have been used for centuries for
food and money. Hydroelectric power (electricity by water) is abundant because of Canada's
many rivers.[20] Forests of the west are used for wood. Besides these renewable resources,
Canada has metal ores and oil deposits. Also, Canada is the leading exporter of zinc, uranium,
gold, nickel, aluminum, steel and lead.[21]

Demographics Peyto Lake in Alberta.

Around 35 million people live in Canada. This is almost the same number as in the U.S. state
of California. Most people live in the southern parts of Canada.

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A large number of immigrants from almost every part of the world come to live in Canada.[22] One example is the former Governor
General of Canada, Michaëlle Jean, who came to Canada as a young child with her family from Haiti in 1968. Today, up to 1/5th of the
population is an immigrant to Canada.

Travel requirements for US citizens

American citizens do not need a visa or an eTA to visit or transit Canada. However, American citizens must carry proper travel
documents and identification.

References
1. D. Michael Jackson (2013). The Crown and Canadian Federalism. Dundurn. p. 199. ISBN 978-1-4597-0989-8. Archived from the
original on April 12, 2016.
2. "2016 Census of Population, Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 98-400-X2016187. "Ethnic Origin (279), Single and Multiple Ethnic
Origin Responses (3), Generation Status (4), Age (12) and Sex (3) for the Population in Private Households of Canada, Provinces
and Territories, Census Metropolitan Areas and Census Agglomerations, 2016 Census - 25% Sample Data" ". Statistics Canada.
November 22, 2017. "Data is an aggregate of single and multiple responses. Total ethnic origin responses are the sum of single
and multiple responses for each ethnic origin. Total response counts indicate the number of persons who reported a specified
ethnic origin, either as their only origin or in addition to one or more other ethnic origins. The sum of all ethnic origin responses is
greater than the total population estimate due to the reporting of multiple origins."
3. "Religions in Canada—Census 2011". Statistics Canada/Statistique Canada.
4. Hail, M; Lange, S (February 25, 2010). "Federalism and Representation in the Theory of the Founding Fathers: A Comparative
Study of US and Canadian Constitutional Thought". Publius: the Journal of Federalism 40 (3): 366–388.
doi:10.1093/publius/pjq001 (http://dx.doi.org/10.1093%2Fpublius%2Fpjq001).
5. Statistics Canada (February 8, 2017). "Population size and growth in Canada: Key results from the 2016 Census". Archived from
the original on February 10, 2017. Retrieved February 8, 2017.
6. International Monetary Fund. "Report for Selected Countries and Subjects: Canada". Archived from the original on December 28,
2016. Retrieved August 13, 2016.
7. "Gini coefficients before and after taxes and transfers: In the late 2000s". OECD. Archived from the original on August 12, 2014.
Retrieved May 21, 2017.
8. "OECD Economic Surveys". OECD. Archived from the original on August 12, 2014. Retrieved May 21, 2017.
9. "2016 Human Development Report" (PDF). United Nations Development Programme. 2016. Archived (PDF) from the original on
March 27, 2017. Retrieved March 23, 2017.
10. ISO 8601 is the official date format of the Government of Canada: Translation Bureau, Public Works and Government Services
Canada (1997). "5.14: Dates". The Canadian style: A guide to writing and editing (Rev. ed.). Toronto: Dundurn Press. p. 97.
ISBN 978-1-55002-276-6. The dd/mm/yy and mm/dd/yy formats also remain in common use; see Date and time notation in
Canada.
11. "BBC Newes". Canada country profile. Retrieved June 17, 2016.
12. Natural Resources Canada. Standard Time Zones [map], 6923 edition, 1:20000000, Atlas of Canada, 6th Edition. (2007)
13. Canada's Time Zones (http://www.timeanddate.com/time/canada/time-zones-background.html)
14. The American Middle Class Is No Longer the World’s Richest (https://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/23/upshot/the-american-middle-c
lass-is-no-longer-the-worlds-richest.html) April 22, 2014 New York Times
15. Amanda, Briney. "About.com: geography and overview of Canada". Retrieved November 12, 2010.
16. Official Government of Canada website. "PRIME MINISTER OF CANADA". Retrieved November 17, 2010.
17. http://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2006/as-sa/97-550/vignettes/a1-eng.cfm
18. http://www40.statcan.ca/l01/cst01/phys08b-eng.htm
19. http://www.cfls-elfc.forces.gc.ca/canada/weather-temps-eng.asp
20. "Natural Resources Canada". Retrieved November 17, 2010.
21. Brendan Marshall, Director, Economic Affairs (2014). "Facts & Figures 2014" (PDF). The Mining Association of Canada. Retrieved
December 3, 2015.
22. Ayabe Hisao, Iino Syouko (2003). Canadawosirutameno60syou(60 chapters about Canada). Tokyo: Akaisi. p. 314.

Other websites
Official Government of Canada website (https://www.canada.ca/)
Wikimedia Commons has
CIA World Factbook - Canada (https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factb media related to Canada.
ook/geos/ca.html)
Yahoo - Definition of Canada (http://education.yahoo.com/reference/dictionary/entry/Canada)

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