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Canada Facts

 

Canada Facts
  • Canada is on the continent of North America and stretches from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean.
  • The Arctic Ocean is north and the United States is south.
  • North of the 49th parallel of latitude.
  • Second largest country in the world.
  • Ten provinces and three territories (capitals in brackets) - Alberta (Edmonton), British Columbia (Victoria), Manitoba (Winnipeg), New Brunswick (Fredericton), Newfoundland and Labrador(St. John's), Nova Scotia (Halifax), Ontario (Toronto), Prince Edward Island (Charlottetown), Quebec (Quebec City), Saskatchewan (Regina)
    Territories : Yukon (Whitehorse), Nunavut (Iqaluit), Northwest Territories (Yellowknife)
  • Population 33,212,696 (July 2008 est.)
  • Capital city is Ottawa, Ontario.
  • Flag - red and white with a red maple leaf.
  • Canada's birthday is on the first of July.
  • Animal - the beaver.
  • Motto - "From sea to sea"
  • National anthem - "O Canada"
  • RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police) the national police force.
  • There are six time zones.

 

The People

 

  • Most of the people live in the southern part of Canada.
  • About 77 percent of Canadians live in cities and towns.
  • The largest cities are Toronto - 5.5 million; Montreal - 3.6 million; Vancouver - 2.1 million.
  • Canada's two official languages are English and French.
  • Ethnic groups include British Isles origin 28%, French origin 23%, other European 15%, North American Indian 2%, other, mostly Asian, African, Arab 6%, mixed background 26%.
  • Canada is the home of over a million Aboriginal people. (2006 census)
  • Three Aboriginal groups : First Nations, Métis and Inuit.

 

Land and Water

 

  • Canada has the world's longest coastline with oceans on three sides - Pacific (west), Atlantic (east), Arctic (north).
  • Nearly one-fourth of all the fresh water in the world is in Canada.
  • Forests cover almost half of Canada.
  • Canada has one-tenth of the world's forests.

 

History

 

  • The first people were the Aboriginal people.
  • Explorers and settlers from Western Europe arrived in the 1500s.
  • Canada was named by the French explorer Jacques Cartier (1535).
  • The name "Canada" comes from the Huron and Iroquois word "Kanata" meaning "village".
  • Canada became a country on July 1st, 1867.
  • The first prime minister was Sir John A. Macdonald.

 

Government

 

  • Democratic system of government.
  • Parliament of Canada is in Ottawa, Ontario.
  • Parliament consists of House of Commons (elected) and Senate (appointed).
  • Leader of Canada is Prime Minister Stephen Harper.
  • Governor General of Canada - Michaëlle Jean.

 

Sports

 

  • The native people of Canada invented the game of lacrosse which is the national summer sport of Canada.
  • Ice hockey is the winter national sport of Canada.
  • Five pin bowling was invented by T.E. Ryan of Toronto in 1909.
  • Basketball was invented by James Naismith in 1891.