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An introduction to CanadaLong before first European explorers came to Canada in the 15th and 16th centuries there were groups of First Peoples in every region. The East and the West Coasts as well as the Central area were populated with nations of Indians. The Inuit lived in the North part of the country. The First Peoples developed different and unique cultures based on where and how they lived. The name Canada may have come from the word "Kanata" in the language of the Huron-Iroquois Indians, which means a "village of settlement". The area that is now known as Canada was not settled until the 17th century. The British and the French were the two European groups to move to Canada in large numbers and at one time most Canadians were of French or English descent.In 1867, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia formed a confederation. On July 1, 1867, the British North America Act declared Canada a country. We celebrate Canada's national day on July 1 as Canada Day. The name "Canada" originally came from a First Nations' word "kanata" meaning village. Later, European map makers changed it to "Canada" to identify all the land north of the St. Lawrence River. In 1965, we adopted the red and white flag with the maple leaf as our official flag. Queen Elizabeth II of England is still Canada's Head of State, and until 1982 Canada could not make any changes to its constitution without the approval of the British Government. In 1982 the Constitution Act came into effect, which allows Canada to make these changes without British approval. We made the Charter of Rights and Freedoms part of the Constitution in 1982. The Official Languages Act protects English and French, the two official languages in Canada. The first Canadian Immigration Act was passed in 1869. Canada opened its doors for immigrants even wider. In the 19th century and the early years of the 20th, many eastern and northern Europeans, Immigrants from Asia, the Caribbean, the South and Central Americans also came to Canada in search of land and freedom increasing still further the diversity of the population. About half of all immigrants in the decade from 1981 to 1991 came from Asia, and Chinese is the fastest-growing mother tongue in Canada. And now one out of every four people in Canada comes from an ethnic background other then English or French. Today, Canada is home to immigrants from every part of the world and remains one of the few countries in the world that still has significant immigration programs. A "nation of immigrants"… And at present times thousands of immigrants continue to settle in Canada, making it a truly multicultural country. As a result of their efforts and contribution to Canada's society development the Organization of the United Nations has rated Canada the top country in the world to live in for the past seven years. Canada, federated country in North America, made up of ten provinces and three territories. English and French are the official languages. Canada is over 7000kms from east to west and it would take seven days to drive from Halifax in Nova Scotia to Vancouver in British Columbia. It occupies an area of 9,970,610 sq km, of which nearly 755,180 sq km is covered by fresh water such as rivers and lakes, including part of the Great Lakes. Canada is a vast nation with a wide variety of geological formations, climates, and ecological systems. It contains many different landforms, including mountains, prairies, forests, lakes, rivers and rugged coasts. Canada has wide variety of wildlife, plants and trees. The north of Canada, with its harsh Arctic and sub-Arctic climates, is sparsely inhabited. The northern climate, with its long winters, has enforced the population to settle in the south, where agricultural and living conditions are most favourable. 80% of 29 million Canadians live in the southern part of the country. More than three-quarters of them live in metropolitan areas within 250 km of the United States border. Provinces of Ontario and Quebec, which constitute the Central Canada, are the most populated regions in Canada. Ottawa (1,065,000), is Canada's capital and a first-rate high-technology research centre. The largest cities of Canada are: Toronto, Ontario (4,680,300) - the country's leading financial and manufacturing centre and one of the most ethnically varied cities in the world; Montreal, Quebec (3,438,500) - a major manufacturing and commercial centre; Vancouver, British Columbia (2,016,600) - scenic, rapidly growing commercial, transportation and forest-products manufacturing centre. Canada has an advanced economy, and the majority of its citizens enjoy a high quality of life by world standards. Canada has impressive resource industries such as forestry, mining, energy, agriculture and fishing. Canada's resource and manufacturing industries export about one-third of their output. Canada's economy is responding to the challenge of global competition and changing needs. And now Canada is also recognized as one of the world leaders in high technology areas such as communications. Oil and transportation equipment are the leading manufacturing industries. Though Canada's prosperity is built on the resource and manufacturing industries, more and more jobs involve working with people and information. Service industries, including trade and finance, are increasingly important. People from 150 different countries call Canada home. The first people who lived in Canada were the aboriginals, the native people of Canada. They are separated into three distinct groups: First Nations who lived in all areas of Canada, the Inuit who lived in the northern region, and the Metis who are descendants of First Nations women and English and French fur traders. The Atlantic Provinces
FFishing is the oldest industry in this region. Agricultural crops such as fruit and potatoes and extensive forests which produce pulp, paper and lumber form part of the industry. Traditionally dependent on fishing and farming, they are developing other natural resources such as oil, copper, nickel and cobalt.
Central Canada
Ontario and Quebec form the industrial and manufacturing heart of Canada. They produce 3/4 of Canada's manufactured goods. More than half of Canada's population live in the cities in the southern part of Ontario and Quebec. Three quarters of the people living in Quebec speak French. Quebec's major products include gold, copper, silver and iron ore. Quebec is also the country's largest producer of hydroelectricity. One third of Canadians live in Ontario. Products from Ontario's auto industry are one of Canada's key exports. Another is steel and machinery. The West Coast
Europeans settled British Columbia in the early 1800's. The railroad being built by the Government in the late 1800's made moving easier. Thousands of Chinese came to B.C. during this period to work on the railroad. British Columbia has the most valuable forest industry in Canada. Salmon fishing is not only a popular sport, but also an important economic factor. Pacific salmon is exported all over the world.
The North The Yukon and the Northwest Territories cover 1/3 of Canada. This vast region has a very small population of which most are Aboriginals. We have given several Aboriginal languages equal status as English and French. During the Gold Rush at the end of 1800, thousands of miners came to make their fortune. Mining is still an important industry in this region. The Government Canada is a democracy with a parliamentary Government. The Prime Minister is the leader of the political party with the largest number of elected Members of Parliament in the House of Commons. We usually hold federal elections every four years. Our Government consists of three parts: Federal, Provincial and Municipal. The Federal Government is responsible for things that affect all of Canada such as national defence. Provincial Governments are responsible for education, health care, etc. and shares some issues with the Federal Government. Municipal Governments are in charge of the police force, the fire department and environmental issues. The Justice System As a citizen or a landed immigrant, you have equal access to the justice system. The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms guarantees every resident fundamental freedoms, legal rights and equality under the law.
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