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Immigration To Canada |
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Land Mass At 9 970 610 Km2, Canada is the world’s second-largest country. Population As of the summer of 2004, Canada's population was approximately 32 million (Labour Force Survey, October,2004). Capital Ottawa, in the province of Ontario. Currency The Canadian dollar is divided into 100 cents. Climate There are of course many climatic variations in this huge country, ranging from the permanently frozen ice caps 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 the regions lying along the U.S.border. Daytime summer temperatures can rise to 35° C and higher, while lows of -25° C aren’t uncommon in winter. More moderate temperatures are the norm in spring and fall. 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, and the National 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 area. 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 religion includes Judaism, Hinduism, Sikhism ,Islam, 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 millions, are Canada's two official languages. However, many Canadians have mother tongue other than English or French, including Italian, Chinese, Punjabi , 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. Education The educational system varies from province to province and includes six to eight years of elementary school, four or five 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. Charter of Rights and Freedoms The right and freedoms of Canadians are entrenched in our Constitution. Since 1982, the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which process Canadian's fundamental rights and freedoms, has been an integral part of the Constitution. 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 steelwork, 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 electronics equipment, vehicles and automobiles parts, industrial materials (metal ores, iron and steel, precious metals, chemicals, plastics, cotton, wool and other textiles) along with manufactured products and food. National Parks and Historic Sites The Canadian government has set aside more than 100 national parks and historic sites in honor of the people; places and events that have marked the country’s history. Similarly, the provincial governments may form provincial government's 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 Tukrut 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, Coastland Mackeniz 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 are located in Canada (many large lakes are traversed by the Canada-U.S.border), are Huron, Great Bear, Superior, GreatSlave, Winnipeg, Erie and Ontario. Great Bear Lake in the Northwest Territories is the largest lake situated entirely in Canada. Its area 31 326 Km2. Rivers The St. Lwrence River, which is 3058km long, provides seaway for ships from the great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean. The mackenzies 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. 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 coloration of the flag defined by Dr. Gunter Wyszechi. Sports The most popular sports in Canada include swimming, ice hockey, cross-country and alpine skiing, basketball and golf. Ice hockey, Canadian football and baseball are the favorite spectator sports; Ice hockey and lacrosse are Canada's national sports. History & Geography The name "Canada" originally came from a First Nations' word "kanata" meaning village. Later, European mapmakers changed it to "Canada" to identify all the land north of the St. Lawrence River. In 1965, they adopted the red and white flag with the maple leaf as their 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. In 1982 the Charter of Rights and Freedoms became part of the Constitution. The Official Languages Act protects English and French, the two official languages in Canada. Three oceans border the country - the Atlantic, the Pacific and the Arctic. Due to its size, there are many different geographical areas and regions. These are divided into the following: the Atlantic region, Central Canada, the Prairie Provinces, the West Coast and the North. The country has 10 provinces and 3 territories each with its own capital. The capital of Canada is Ottawa. People from 150 different countries call Canada home. The first people who lived in Canada were the aboriginal, 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 Fishing 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 lives 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 Aboriginal. Several Aboriginal languages enjoy 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. Federal elections usually take place every four years. Government consists of three parts: Federal, Provincial and Municipal. The Federal Government is responsible for things that affect all of Canada such as national defense. 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. |
