SOME IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT
CANADA
Land Mass
At 9 970 610 km2, Canada is the world's second-largest country.
Capital
Ottawa, in the province of Ontario.
Provinces and Territories
Canada has 10 provinces and 2 territories, each with its own capital city (in
brackets): Alberta (Edmonton); British Columbia (Victoria); Prince Edward Island
(Charlottetown); Manitoba (Winnipeg); New Brunswick (Fredericton); Nova Scotia
(Halifax); Ontario (Toronto); Quebec (Quebec City); Saskatchewan (Regina);
Newfoundland (St. John's); Northwest Territories (Yellowknife) and Yukon Territory
(Whitehorse).
As well, on May 25, 1993, a land claim agreement was signed between government
and Inuit representatives creating a new territory called Nunavut. The Nunavut
territory and government will be officially established as of April 1, 1999.
Geography
Diversity is the keynote of Canada's geography, which includes fertile plains
suitable for agriculture, vast mountain ranges, lakes and rivers. Wilderness forests
give way to Arctic tundra in the Far North.
Climate
There are of course many climatic variations in this huge country, ranging from the
permanently frozen icecaps north of the 70th parallel to the luxuriant vegetation of
British Columbia's west coast. On the whole, though, Canada has four very distinct
seasons, especially in the regions lying along the U.S. border.
Daytime summer temperatures can rise to 35oC and higher, while lows of -25oC are
not uncommon in winter. More moderate temperatures are the norm in spring and
fall.
National Parks and Historic Sites
The Canadian government has set aside more than 100 national parks and historic
sites in honour of the people, places and events that have marked the country's
history. Similarly, the provincial governments may form provincial parks and historic
sites.
Canada's 38 national parks and national reserves are spread throughout the country.
Banff, located on the eastern slopes of Alberta's Rocky Mountains, is the oldest,
having opened in 1885, while Tuktut Nogait in the Northwest Territories was
established as recently as 1996.
Mountain Ranges
As one might expect, Canada's terrain incorporates a number of mountain ranges:
the Torngats, Appalachians and Laurentians in the east; the Rocky, Coastal and
Mackenzie ranges in the west; and Mount St. Elias and the Pelly Mountains in the
north. At 6050 m, Mount Logan in the Yukon is Canada's tallest peak.
Lakes
The main lakes, in order of the surface area located in Canada (many large lakes are
traversed by the Canada-U.S. border), are Huron, Great Bear, Superior, Great Slave,
Winnipeg, Erie and Ontario. Great Bear Lake in the Northwest Territories is the
largest lake situated entirely in Canada; its area is 31 326 km2.
Rivers
The St. Lawrence River, which is 3058 km long, provides a seaway for ships from the
Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean. The Mackenzie is the longest river, flowing 4241
km through the Northwest Territories. The Yukon and the Columbia, parts of which
flow through U.S. territory, the Nelson, the Saskatchewan, the Peace and the
Churchill are also major watercourses.
Time Zones
Canada has six time zones. The easternmost, in Newfoundland, is three hours and 30
minutes behind Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). The other time zones are the Atlantic,
the Eastern, the Central, the Rocky Mountain and, farthest west, the Pacific, which is
eight hours behind GMT.
Political System
Canada is a constitutional monarchy and a federal state with a democratic
parliament. The Parliament of Canada, in Ottawa, consists of the House of Commons,
whose members are elected, and the Senate, whose members are appointed. On
average, members of Parliament are elected every four years.
Citizenship Act and Patriation of the Constitution
In 1947, Canada adopted its first Citizenship Act. Canada affirmed its full status as a
self-governing nation with the patriation of the Constitution in 1982.
Charter of Rights and Freedoms
The rights and freedoms of Canadians are entrenched in our Constitution. Since
1982, the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which protects Canadians'
fundamental rights and freedoms, has been an integral part of the Constitution.
National Emblem
The maple leaf has been associated with Canada since the 1700s. It has become the
country's most important symbol since the Canadian flag was introduced in 1965.
The Canadian Flag
A key element of the Canadian flag - the stylized maple leaf - was designed by
Mr.๏Jacques St. Cyr, while the proportions of the flag were outlined by Mr. George
Bist, a World War II veteran, and the precise colouration of the flag defined by Dr.
Gunter Wyszechi. The final determination of all aspects of the new flag was made by
a 15-member parliamentary committee, which is officially credited with the design.
The design for the flag was approved by resolution of the House of Commons on
December 15, 1964, followed by the Senate on December 17, 1964, and proclaimed by
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II to take effect on February 15, 1965, now recognized
officially as Canada's Flag Day.
National Anthem
O Canada was proclaimed the national anthem on July 1, 1980, a century after being
sung for the first time.
Currency
The Canadian dollar is divided into 100 cents.
Population
As of the summer of 1996, Canada's population was over 30 million.
Main Cities
As of July 1, 1996, the leading Canadian cities were Toronto (4.34 million), Montreal
(3.33 million), Vancouver (1.83 million), Ottawa-Hull, the Nation Capital Region (1.03
million).
Urban and Rural Population
The majority of Canadians, 77 percent, live in cities and towns, while 23 percent live
in rural areas.
Family Size
At the time of the 1991 national census, the average family size was 3.1, including 1.3
children.
Living Standard
Canada has one of the world's highest living standards. For example, in 1991, 83
percent of Canadian households had at least one car; 97.5 percent had colour
televisions, and one of five had a computer.
Health Care and Social Security
All Canadians have free access to health care, with the exception of dental services.
Most people over 65 and social aid recipients receive the majority of their
prescription drugs free of charge. Canada also has an extensive social security
network, including old age pension, family allowance, unemployment insurance and
welfare.
Aboriginal Peoples
In 1991, 533 000 Canadians were either status or non-status Indians, and over one
million identified themselves as having Aboriginal descent: of these, 783 980 were
North American Indians, 212 650 were M้tis and 49 255 were Inuit.
Ontario had the highest concentration of Aboriginals - 243 550 - but the Northwest
Territories had the highest proportion: more than 60 percent of its population is of
Aboriginal descent.
Only 295 032 Canadian Aboriginals live on reserves or in Aboriginal settlements.
Religion
The majority of Canadians are Christian. According to the 1991 census, Roman
Catholicism has the most adherents (54.2 percent of Canadians), followed by
Protestantism. Other religions include Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Sikhism and
Buddhism. About 3.4 million people stated that they had no religious affiliation
whatsoever.
Languages
English, the mother tongue of 16.1 million Canadians, and French, the language of
6.6 million, are Canada's two official languages. However, many Canadians have a
mother tongue other than English or French, including Italian, Chinese, German,
Portuguese, Polish, Ukrainian, Dutch, Greek or other languages.
The Official Languages Act makes French and English the official languages of
Canada and provides for special measures aimed at enhancing the vitality and
supporting the development of English and French linguistic minority communities.
Canada's federal institutions must reflect the equality of its two official languages by
offering bilingual services.
Ethnic Origin
Canadians, including Aboriginals, who claim heritage other than only British or
French as their origin represent approximately 42 percent of the population, or over
11 million people. Among the largest ethnic cultural communities are the German,
Italian, Ukrainian, Dutch, Polish, Chinese, South Asian, Jewish, West Indian,
Portuguese and Scandinavian. It is projected that, a decade from now, more that 56
percent of Canada's population will be of heritage other than British or French.
The Aboriginal culture is the only truly indigenous culture of Canada, since all other
Canadians were originally immigrants. They began moving to Canada in the 17th
century. Canada opened its doors to immigration from all over the world in the early
20th century. In 1971, the multicultural policy of the Government of Canada was
adopted, reflecting the multicultural character of Canada.
Education
The educational system varies from province to province and includes six to eight
years of elementary school, four or five years of secondary school and three or four
years at the university undergraduate level. The 1991 census revealed that among
Canadians aged 15 and over, 56.9 percent had attended secondary school, 31.7
percent had gone to a trade school or other type of post-secondary institution, and
1.9 million - 11.4 percent of the population - had a university degree.
Sports
The most popular sports in Canada include swimming, ice hockey, cross-country
and alpine skiing, baseball, tennis, basketball and golf. Ice hockey, Canadian football
and baseball are the favourite spectator sports. Ice hockey and lacrosse are
Canada's national sports.
Main Natural Resources
The principal natural resources are natural gas, oil, gold, coal, copper, iron ore,
nickel, potash, uranium and zinc, along with wood and water.
Leading Industries
These include automobile manufacturing, pulp and paper, iron and steel work,
machinery and equipment manufacturing, mining, extraction of fossil fuels, forestry
and agriculture.
Exports
Canada's leading exports are automobile vehicles and parts, machinery and
equipment, high-technology products, oil, natural gas, metals, and forest and farm
products.
Imports
Canada imports machinery and industrial equipment including communications and
electronic equipment, vehicles and automobile parts, industrial materials (metal ores,
iron and steel, precious metals, chemicals, plastics, cotton, wool and other textiles),
along with manufactured products and food.