National Anthem
O, Canada
Our home and Native land,
True patriot love
in all our son's command
with glowing hearts, we see thee rise, the true North strong and free,
From far and wide, O, Canada we stand on gaurd for thee
God keep our land,
glorious and free
O, Canada we stand on gaurd for thee
O, Canada we stand on, gaurd, for, thee
Facts about Canada
Canada is the second largest country in the world, in terms of land mass. The only country bigger than Canada is Russia (yes, even after the split, Russia itself is still slightly larger than Canada. I think.) Canada has a population of somewhere around 27 million people. It is located above (mostly) the 49th North parallel, except parts of eastern Canada (Ontario, New Brunswick).
Most of the population of Canada is concentrated in Ontario and Quebec.
There are 10 provinces, the largest of which is Quebec and the smallest of which is Prince Edward Island. There are also two territories in Canada (soon to be three), the Yukon Territory which is north of British Columbia, and the NorthWest Territories, which is north of Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba.
Canada also contains the seven Great Lakes, which are the largest bodies of fresh water anywhere. They are called Lake Huron, Lake Ontario, Lake Michigan, Lake Erie, and Lake Superior. Lake Superior is the biggest of the Great Lakes.
Canada's confederation was in 1867, which means that some parts of it are 131 years old. Not all the provinces joined at confederation, several joined later than that date.
More Facts About Canada
GEOGRAPHY OF CANADA
- TOTAL AREA: 9,976,140 sq km (3,851,809 sq mi); LAND AREA: 9,220,970 sq km (3,560,236 sq mi)
- COMPARATIVE AREA: larger than US
- LAND BOUNDARIES: 8,893 km (4,802 mi) with US (includes 2,477 km or 1,337 mi with Alaska)
- COASTLINE: 243,791 km (131,637 mi)
- MARITIME CLAIMS: Continental shelf: 200 m (depth) or to depth of exploitation; Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm; Territorial sea: 12 nm
- DISPUTES: maritime boundary disputes with the U.S.
- NATURAL RESOURCES: nickel, zinc, copper, gold, lead, molybdenum, potash, silver, fish, timber, wildlife, coal, crude oil, natural gas
- LAND USE: arable land 5%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures 3%; forest and woodland 35%; other 57%; includes NEGL% irrigated
- ENVIRONMENT: 80% of population concentrated within 160 km (86 mi) of US border; continuous permafrost in north a serious obstacle to development
- DEFORESTATION RATE: 0.56 net annual percent
- NOTE: second-largest country in world (after Russia); strategic location between Russia and US via north polar route.
PEOPLE OF CANADA
- POPULATION, YEAR 1992: 27,352,000
- POPULATION, YEAR 2010 (Projected): 32,125,000
- POPULATION, YEAR 2025 (Projected): 35,000,000
- POPULATION DENSITY: 7.1 persons per sq mi
- TOTAL URBAN POPULATION: 21,198,000
- URBAN POPULATION: 77.5%
- TOTAL POPULATION GROWTH: 213,346
- POPULATION GROWTH: 0.78%
- POPULATION DOUBLING TIME: 88.87 years
- TOTAL BIRTHS: 413,015
- BIRTH RATE: 15.1 births per 1000 persons
- FERTILITY RATE: 1.77 children born per woman
- TOTAL DEATHS: 199,670
- DEATH RATE: 7.3 deaths per 1000 persons
- POPULATION UNDER AGE 15: 5,738,000
- PERCENT UNDER AGE 15: 20.98%
- POPULATION OVER AGE 65: 3,091,000
- PERCENT OVER AGE 65: 11.3%
- LIFE EXPECTANCY AT BIRTH: 74 years male, 81 years female (1992)
- NET MIGRATION RATE: 6 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
- MARRIAGES: 187,860
- MARRIAGE RATE: 7.2 per 1000 persons
- DIVORCES: 78,160
- DIVORCE RATE: 3.05 per 1000 persons
- NATIONALITY: noun - Canadian(s); adjective - Canadian
- ETHNIC DIVISIONS: British Isles origin 40%, French origin 27%, other European 20%, indigenous Indian and Eskimo 1.5%
- RELIGIONS: Roman Catholic 46%, United Church of Canada 16%, Anglican 10%
- LANGUAGES: Canadian (English) and French
EDUCATION IN CANADA
- LITERACY: 99% (male NA%, female NA%) age 15 and over can read and write (1981 est.)
Government
- DIPLOMATIC REPRESENTATION: Ambassador Derek BURNEY; Chancery at 501 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, D.C. 20001; telephone (202) 682-1740; there are Canadian Consulates General in Atlanta, Boston, Buffalo, Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas, Detroit, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Seattle; US: Ambassador Peter TEELEY; Embassy at 100 Wellington Street, K1P 5T1, Ottawa (mailing address is P. O. Box 5000, Ogdensburg, NY 13669-0430); telephone (613) 238-5335 or (613) 238-4470; FAX (613) 238-5720; there are US Consulates General in Calgary, Halifax, Montreal, Quebec, Toronto, and Vancouver
- FLAG: three vertical bands of red (hoist side), white (double width, square), and red with a red maple leaf centered in the white band
- BRANCHES: Canadian Armed Forces (including Mobile Command, Maritime Command, Air Command, Communications Command, Canadian Forces Europe, Training Commands), Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP)
- MANPOWER AVAILABILITY: males 15-49, 7,366,675; 6,387,459 fit for military service; 190,752 reach military age (17) annually
- DEFENSE EXPENDITURES: exchange rate conversion - $11.4 billion, 1.7% of GDP (FY91); $10.5 billion, NA% of GDP (FY 92)
CRIME IN CANADA
- TOTAL OFFENSES: 11,442.55 per 100,000 persons
- MURDER: 5.66 per 100,000 persons
- SEX OFFENSES (including rape): 116.06 per 100,000 persons
- SERIOUS ASSAULT: 134.34 per 100,000 persons
- THEFT (all kinds): 5,038.52 per 100,000 persons
- AGGRAVATED THEFT: 1,429.77 per 100,000 persons
- ROBBERY AND VIOLENT THEFT: 98.05 per 100,000 persons
- BREAKING AND ENTERING: 1,331.72 per 100,000 persons
- THEFT OF AUTOMOBILES: 382.68 per 100,000 persons
- OTHER THEFT: 3,226.06 per 100,000 persons
- FRAUD: 468.12 per 100,000 persons
- COUNTERFEIT CURRENCY OFFENSES: 8.68 per 100,000 persons
- DRUG OFFENSES: 258.9 per 100,000 persons
ECONOMY OF CANADA
- GDP: purchasing power equivalent - $521.5 billion, per capita $19,400; real growth rate -1.1% (1991 est.)
- EXPORTS: $124.0 billion (f.o.b., 1991); commodities: newsprint, wood pulp, timber, crude petroleum, machinery, natural gas, aluminum, motor vehicles and parts; telecommunications equipment; partners: US, Japan, UK, Germany, South Korea, Netherlands, China
- IMPORTS: $118 billion (c.i.f., 1991); commodities: crude petroleum, chemicals, motor vehicles and parts, durable consumer goods, electronic computers; telecommunications equipment and parts; partners: US, Japan, UK, Germany, France, Mexico, Taiwan, South Korea
- EXTERNAL DEBT: $247 billion (1987)
- ILLICIT DRUGS:
illicit producer of cannabis for the domestic drug market; use of hydroponics technology permits growers to plant large quantities of high-quality marijuana indoors; growing role as a transit point for heroin and cocaine entering the U.S. market
- CURRENCY: Canadian dollar (plural - dollars); 1 Canadian dollar (Can$) = 100 cents
- EXCHANGE RATES: Canadian dollars (Can$) per US$1--1.1950 (January 1993), 1.1565 (January 1992), 1.1457 (1991), 1.1668 (1990), 1.1840 (1989), 1.2307 (1988), 1.3260 (1987)
TRAVEL IN CANADA
- NATIONAL HOLIDAY: Canada Day (Jul 1)
- TOURIST ARRIVALS: 14,989,000
- TOURIST RECEIPTS: $5,537,000,000
...to be continued...
CANADIANS RULE!!!
Why I love being a Canadian
1. Freedom of everything.. women can go topless in places here!
2. Health Care! no bills from the doctor's office!
3. Lots of work (in places) and relative job security
4. Better beer!
5. More Resources, like wood and fish and minerals and grain and oil and natural gas
6. Not much pollution, crime, etc. (except in Ontario)
7. Low Population density=more space between people, lots of land and acreages
8. It's purdy here!! lots of trees and mountains and lakes... even the big cities are pretty, some of them (Ottawa, Montreal, Victoria).
Other Great Canadians Besides Me
Eric Lindros, Patrick Roy, Celine Dion, Shania Twain, Ian Millar, Beth Underhill, Ross Rebligiatti (spelling?), Michael J. Fox, Pamela Anderson Lee (yeah, the baywatch girl), Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemiuex, to name a few.
Now that you've read probably enough about the whole country, im going to add some stuff about my personal favourite part, the Province of British Columbia.
British Columbia has lots of good points-lakes, mountains, forests, the Pacific Ocean, the Okanagan Valley.
B.C. is a prime tourist destination, with it's many ski resorts, golf courses, parks, and beautiful scenery. Popular things to do in B.C. are to visit the tourist attractions like Stanley park, the ski resorts (many of which are world class, such as Sun Peaks in the Okanagan and Whistler near Vancouver).
to be continued...
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