Canada is the second largest country in the
world. Only Russia has more land. Canada extends from the Atlantic Ocean to the
Pacific Ocean. It also reaches from the Arctic Ocean to the northern border of
the United States.
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Facts About Canada
|
|
|
Capital
|
Ottawa
|
|
Official
languages
|
English,
French
|
|
Population
|
33,700,000
people
|
|
Rank
among countries in population
|
36th
|
|
Major
cities
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Toronto,
Montréal, Vancouver
|
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Area
|
3,860,000
square miles
9,980,000 square kilometers |
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Rank
among countries in area
|
2nd
|
|
Highest
point
|
Mt.
Logan
19,551 feet/5,959 meters |
|
Currency
|
Canadian
dollar
|
CANADA’S PEOPLE
For a country its size, Canada’s population is
quite small. About the same number of people live in Canada as in the U.S.
state of California.
Most Canadians live near the country’s southern
border. Two-thirds live within 200 miles (300 kilometers) of the United States.
Canada’s northern areas are very lightly populated. Most who live there are
Inuit or other indigenous (Native American) people.
Canada has two official languages: French and
English. For a long time, France and Britain struggled for control of Canada.
French explorers and traders arrived first, but Britain won control in a war
that ended in the 1760s. Most of the French settlers stayed on and kept their
language and traditions.
Today, most of Canada’s French speakers live in the
province of Québec. They prize their French heritage. Many of them would like
to separate from Canada and make Québec an independent country. However, Québec
voters have narrowly voted against independence in two elections.
A FAIRLY NEW COUNTRY
Canada is a relatively new country. It was created
from three British colonies in 1867. After they united to form Canada, the
colonies became four provinces. Six more provinces later joined Canada. The
province of Newfoundland and Labrador is the newest one. It joined Canada in
1949.
In 1931, Canada gained independence from Britain.
But Britain's Queen Elizabeth II is also queen of Canada and the official head
of the nation. Canada belongs to the Commonwealth of Nations, a group of
countries that once formed part of the British Empire.
LAND OF MANY REGIONS
Today, Canada is made up of ten provinces and three
northern territories. As a big country, it has many different regions.
British Columbia is the westernmost Canadian
province and the only province on the Pacific Ocean. Mountains cover most of
it. Vancouver, a major port city, is here.
The Maritime Provinces lie along the Atlantic coast.
They consist of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island. These
provinces, along with Newfoundland and Labrador, are sometimes called the
Atlantic Provinces. Fishing is a major industry in these provinces. The rugged,
rocky coastlines and picturesque fishing villages draw tourists in summer.
In between the coasts are the Prairie Provinces and
the eastern provinces of Ontario and Québec. Rolling wheat fields cover much of
the Prairie Provinces—Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. They produce more
than one-fifth of the world’s wheat.
Two-thirds of Canada’s people live in Ontario and
Québec. These two provinces are Canada’s business and industrial heartland.
Toronto, Canada’s largest city, is in Ontario. So is Canada’s capital, Ottawa.
Montréal, the second largest city, is in Québec.
Canada’s three territories are in the northern part of
the country, where the land is frozen much of the year. The Northwest
Territories, Nunavut, and the Yukon Territory have long, extremely cold
winters.
TRANS-CANADA HIGHWAY
The Trans-Canada Highway extends across the country. The
eastern starting point is St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador. The western
end is Victoria, British Columbia.
Along the way, the highway crosses five time
zones and all ten Canadian provinces. With a length of 4,860 miles (7,821
kilometers), it’s the longest national highway in the world. The highway was
completed in 1962.
MAJOR BODIES OF WATER
In addition to land, Canada has plenty of
water. It contains more lakes and inland waterways than any other country.
Hudson Bay, the largest bay in the world, is connected to both the Arctic and
Atlantic oceans.
Four of North America’s five Great Lakes lie partly
in Canada. All but Lake Michigan are on the border with the United States.
Ontario touches all four lakes. The St. Lawrence River flows through southern
Ontario and Québec. The river links the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean.
With so many water sources, it’s no surprise
that Canada leads the world in the production of hydroelectric
power—electricity produced from waterpower.
INTERNATIONAL PEACE GARDEN
Canada and the United States share a long border
and have friendly relations. The International Peace Garden honors the
friendship between the countries. This garden crosses the border into Manitoba
in Canada and North Dakota in the United States. It lies at the geographic
center of the North American continent.
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