CANADA
There is a very large
Canada is the world’s second
largest country, surpassed only by the
Russian Federation. It has an area of
nearly 10 million square kilometers.
It is washed by the Pacific Ocean in
the west, by the Arctic Ocean in the
north, and by the Atlantic Ocean in
the east. In the south Canada borders
on the USA.
Canada has mountains, high
plains and low plains. The mountains
the Cordillera and the Rocky run
parallel to the Pacific coast. Mount
Logan in the Yukon is Canada’s tallest
peak.
Canada is a country of lakes.
Besides the Great Lakes there are many
other large ones (there are about 2
million lakes in Canada). Canada also
has large rivers. The St. Lawrence
River is Canada’s most important river,
providing a seaway for ships from
Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean. The longest Canadian river is the
Mackenzie, which flows through the Northwest Territories. Other large
watercourses include the Yukon, the Columbia, the Nelson, the Fraser. The
most admirable sight which attracts tourists from all over the world is the
Niagara Falls.
Canada has several climatic regions.
Winter in Canada lasts from 4 to 5 months with
heavy snowfalls. There is much rain in the east
and west, but less in the centre.
Canada is very rich in mineral resources.
The most important minerals are natural gas, oil,
gold, coal, copper, iron, nickel, etc. despite its
small population Canada is a great industrial
country and manufacturing is the foremost sector
of its economy. Canada is an important producer of oil, gas, pulp, paper and
electricity.
hydroelectric station at the Niagara
Falls. The main industries are food
and beverages, transport
equipment, textiles, clothing and
machinery. Agriculture is also very
important for Canadian economy. It
traditionally exports wheat, oats,
sugar beet, tobacco, potatoes.
The population of Canada is
over 30 million people. The capital
of Canada is Ottawa, in the
province of Ontario. Canada’s largest cities are Toronto, Ontario,
Vancouver, Edmonton, Montreal and others. The main ports are
Vancouver, Toronto, Hamilton and Halifax. All the main cities are
situated in the south of the country
near the USA border.
Canadians are the nation
composed of 2 linguistic and
cultural groups – French and
English, that’s why there are official
languages in the country – English
and French. The main part of French
Canadians lives in Quebec, the
largest Canadian province.
Canada is a constitutional
monarchy and a federal state with a democratic parliament. The official
head of the state is the Queen of England represented by the Governor-
General. The Parliament of Canada consists of the House of Commons and
the Senate.