Canada - Tourism and Travel

Canada is the second largest country in the world, after Russia. It has an area of 3,855,103 square miles (9,984,670 kilometers)

Canada has coastlines on the Atlantic, Pacific and Arctic oceans and makes up the northern two fifths of North America.

Although Canada is very large, only about one tenth of its land is inhabited, so it is one of the most sparsely populated countries in the world.

Canada is divided into ten provinces and three territories.

The provinces are: Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec and Saskatchewan

The territories are: Northwest Territories, Nunavut and Yukon.

Nunavut was once part of the Northwest Territories. In 1999, it became the Inuit's self-governing homeland.

The capital of Canada is Ottawa, in Ontario. The two largest cities are Toronto, in Ontario, and Montreal in Quebec.

Most of Canada has a continental climate, but there are polar conditions in the north. The area around Hudson Bay is snow-covered for most of the year. Its sparse population is made up mostly of Inuits.

Canada was once covered by an ice sheet.

The Canadian Shield, which is located in the eastern part of Canada, makes up about half the country. This is an infertile, eroded plateau, full of lakes and swamps., that is created by glacial action. It is located around Hudson Bay and extends eastward to Labrador. At the southern end of the Canadian Shield, there are a string of Lakes running southeast from Great Bear Lake to the Great Lakes, which are on the border with the United States. The Great Lakes are drained by the St. Lawrence River, which flows from the eastern shore of Lake Superior into the Atlantic. The St. Lawrence River is 2,350 miles (3,782 kilometers) long.

Niagara Falls is on the border between the United States and Canada.

To the south of the Canadian shield are the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence lowlands, which are very fertile.

In the center of Canada, there are fertile prairies.

Many of the people who live in the prairie provinces - Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba - are the descendants of early European immigrants who were attracted by empty lands and fertile soil.

The Rocky Mountains stretch along the west cost of Canada for 500 miles (800 kilometers). Some of the mountain peaks are more than 13,000 feet (4,000 meters) high.

The Rockies were formed 80 million years ago, when the Pacific continental plate subducted under the North American continental plate. They form a continental divide between west-flowing and east-flowing rivers.

In the rain shadow of the Rocky Mountains there is a semi-arid region known as the badlands. Near Red Deer River in the badlands of Alberta, you can find isolated pillars known as hoodos, which have been formed by wind and water erosion, particularly from flash floods.

Canada has a population of 33,573,000.

Most of the people live around the Great Lakes - St. Lawrence basin.

The Yukon Territory has a large Native American population.

English and French are the official languages of Canada. Inuktitut, Inuinnaqtun, Cree, Italian, German, Chinese, Ukrainian and Portuguese are also spoken.

French is the first language of Quebec, which is home to separatist sentiments.

Inuktitut and Inuinnaqtun are also official languages in Nunavut.

44% of Canadians are Roman Catholic and 29% are Protestant.

Only five percent of the land in Canada is cultivable. Nevertheless, Canada is one of the leading producers of wheat on Earth.

Most of Canada's agricultural land is located in the 140 million acres of Canadian prairies, which support grain-fed cattle.

There are pockets of arable land in the east and west where specialized crops, such as vegetables and fruits, are grown.

Prince Edward island is the only island with a noticeable amount of farmland.

Canada has large coniferous forests in the north, and timber, wood pulp and paper are important exports.

In the very far north, there is uncultivable tundra, which is covered in permafrost.

Fishing grounds in the Pacific and Atlantic have enabled Canada to become major exporter of fish and seafood.

Canada has a large amount of energy and mineral resources, including oil, natural gas, coal, hydroelectric power, iron ore, copper, zinc, nickel and uranium.

There are many untapped mineral resources in the Yukon Territory.

Other important Canadian exports include oil, machinery and motor vehicles.

Canada also has thriving hi-tech, aerospace and transportation industries.

More than three quarters of Canadian manufacturing is concentrated in the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence region.

The southern parts of Ontario and Quebec make up the industrial heart of the country.

The official currency of Canada is the Canadian dollar, which is made up of 100 cents.

Canada has a parliamentary system of government.