Capital Ottawa The largest city Toronto Area

Capital Ottawa The largest city Toronto Area : Total 9, 984, 670 km 2 (2 nd) Population approximately 35 million as of December 2012 Currency Canadian Dollar(CAD) Drives on the right Official Languages English & French constitutional monarchy

Canada is… a country in North America consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic to the Pacific and northward into the Arctic Ocean. At 9. 98 million square kilometres in total, Canada is the world's second-largest country by total area and the fourth-largest country by land area. Its common border with the United States is the world's longest land border shared by the same two countries. Canada is a federal parliamentary democracy and a constitutional monarchy, with Queen Elizabeth II as its head of state. Canada is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. The country is officially bilingual at the federal level. It is one of the world's most ethnically diverse and multicultural nations, the product of large-scale immigration from many countries, with a population of approximately 35 million as of December 2012. Its advanced economy is one of the largest in the world, relying chiefly upon its abundant natural resources and welldeveloped trade networks. Canada's long and complex relationship with the United States had a significant impact on its economy and culture.

Canada is a developed country and one of the wealthiest in the world, with the eighth highest per capita income globally, and the eighth highest ranking in the Human Development Index. It ranks among the highest in international measurements of government transparency, civil liberties, quality of life, economic freedom, and education, and stands among the world's most educated countries- ranking first worldwide in the number of adults having tertiary education with 51% of adults having attained at least an undergraduate college or university degree (according to the OECD 2012 survey). [10] Canada's participation in economic international and intergovernmental institutions or groupings includes the G 8 (Group of Eight); the Group of Ten (economic); the Group of Twenty (G-20 major economies); the North American Free Trade Agreement; and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum. Canada's alliances include the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

Provinces and territories Canada is a federation composed of ten provinces and three territories. In turn, these may be grouped into four main regions: Western Canada, Central Canada, Atlantic Canada, and Northern Canada ("Eastern Canada" refers to Central Canada and Atlantic Canada together). Provinces have more autonomy than territories, having responsibility for social programs such as health care, education, and welfare. Together, the provinces collect more revenue than the federal government, an almost unique structure among federations in the world. Using its spending powers, the federal government can initiate national policies in provincial areas, such as the Canada Health Act; the provinces can opt out of these, but rarely do so in practice. Equalization payments are made by the federal government to ensure that reasonably uniform standards of services and taxation are kept between the richer and poorer provinces.

Languages English and French are the first languages of 59. 7 and 23. 2 percent of the population respectively. Approximately 98 percent of Canadians speak English or French: 57. 8 percent speak English only, 22. 1 percent speak French only, and 17. 4 percent speak both. [The English and French officiallanguage communities, defined by the first official language spoken, constitute 73. 0 and 23. 6 percent of the population respectively Approximately 98% of Canadians can speak English and/or French. [209] English – 56. 9% English and French (Bilingual) – 16. 1% French – 21. 3% Sparsely populated area ( < 0. 4 persons per km 2) Map of Canada showing the language spoken in different regions of the country.

Economy Canada has the eleventh (nominal) or 14 th-largest (PPP) economy in the world (measured in US dollars at market exchange rates), is one of the world's wealthiest nations, and is a member of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and Group of Seven (G 7). As with other developed nations, the Canadian economy is dominated by the service industry, which employs about three quarters of Canadians. Canada is unusual among developed countries in the importance of the primary sector, with the logging and oil industries being two of Canada's most important.

Canada also has a sizable manufacturing sector, centred in Central Canada, with the automobile industry and aircraft industry especially important. With a long coastal line, Canada has the 8 th largest commercial fishing and seafood industry in the world. [17][18] Canada is one of the global leaders of the entertainment software industry

National Symbols The National flag of Canada was officially adopted and inaugurated in the year 1965 after several years of political debate over the flag’s design. Canada’s official National flag is colored and white, the country’s official colors, and its center bears a maple leaf which is Canada’s traditional emblem. Great Seal of Canada Flag of the Governor General of Canada

Canada’s National Coat of Arms closely resembles the Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom with the exception of the additional maple leaves around its edges. The Coat of Arms is widely used for official purpose like classifying the minister and their offices, institutions of parliamentary secretaries’ and also the institutions with quasi-judicial functions. Besides, the symbol of the Coat of Arms also appears on official documents like the passports. The Crown symbolizes the Canadian monarchy, and appears on the coat of arms

National animals Canada has two national animals – the beaver and the Canadian Horse. The Beaver associated with the discovery of the country itself. As an official National symbol, the beaver appears on several Canadian memorabilia like stamps and coins. The beaver is a symbol of ingenuity and perseverance. The beaver officially became the emblem of Canada on 24 March, 1975. Beaver is more popular than Bieber

The Canadian Horse is another animal commonly seen as a national symbol of Canada. The government of Canada passed a bill in 2003, which made the Canadian Horse an official symbol and a national animal of Canada. This animal is associated with the agricultural traditions and historical origins of the province of Quebec, and hence, provincial legislation recognized the Canadian Horse as a ‘heritage breed of Quebec’.

Canada’s National Sport Ice hockey is the national sport for winter in Canada and which is also an Olympic sport and the most popular team sport played on ice. Ice hockey is played with two opposing teams wearing ice skates. Unless there is a penalty, each team only has six players on the ice rink at a time. The aim of the game is to knock the hockey puck into the opposing team’s net. The net is guarded by a special player called the goalie.

Climate Canada is a very large country, that is why the climate of Canada is much varied. The climate in the eastern and central parts of Canada is continental with hot summers and cold winters. In the southwestern and southern parts of the country the climate is mild. Canadian south is known for its changeable weather. The west of the country has a mild and humid climate thanks to a warm Pacific current. The average winter temperature is about +4°C there.

The average January and February temperatures vary from less than − 36°C in Northwest territories, to about 0°C in Nova Scotia. In March Canadians have moderate temperatures. In April they have milder days but the evenings are cool. May is warm at daytime, but cool at night. In June the weather is warm. The weather in June is ideal for travel and all outdoor activities. July and August are the warmest months of the year. For example, the July temperature in Winnipeg, Manitoba, is +20°C. In September days are warm and evenings are cool. October is cool, with the first frost in the air. In November the weather is cool to frosty. First signs of snow

The Basics: Government Both Canada and the US… are democracies; have a written Constitution; have a Senate; and… Canadian Parliament US Congress

Ø have a Head of Government who appoints members to his Cabinet (Secretary of Defense / Minister of Defense) President Barack Obama Prime Minister Stephen Harper BUT…

Canada is also very different because it. . . Øis a Constitutional Monarchy; Øis a member of the British Commonwealth; Øhas a Parliamentary form of government; Øhas the Queen as Head of State (not Prime Minister) Øhas a Governor General who represents the Queen. Her Majesty, the Queen, Elizabeth II His Excellency, the Right Honourable David Johnston

II Johnston

Culture Historically, Canada has been influenced by British, French, and aboriginal cultures and traditions. Through their language, art and music, aboriginal peoples continue to influence the Canadian identity. Many Canadians value multiculturalism and see Canada as being inherently multicultural. American media and entertainment are popular, if not dominant, in English Canada; conversely, many Canadian cultural products and entertainers are successful in the United States and worldwide.

Canadian visual art has been dominated by figures such as Tom Thomson – the country's most famous painter – and by the Group of Seven. Thomson's career painting Canadian landscapes spanned a decade up to his death in 1917 at age 39. The Music of Canada has reflected the multi-cultural influences that have shaped the country. Aboriginals, the French, and the British have all made contributions to the musical heritage of Canada. Since French explorer. Samuel de Champlain arrived in 1605 and established the first permanent Canadian settlements at Port Royal and. Quebec City in 1608, the country has produced its own composers, musicians and ensembles. Ottawa Jazz Festival inside. Rideau Centre, 2008

Canadian writer Robertson Davies, author of The Deptford Trilogy which included the famous book, Fifth Business. Canadian literature is often divided into French and English-language literature, which are rooted in the literary traditions of France and Britain, respectively, However, collectively this literature has become distinctly Canadian authors have accumulated numerous international awards. In 1992, Michael Ondaatje became the first Canadian to win the Man Booker Prize for The English Patient. Margaret Atwood won the Booker in 2000 for The Blind Assassin and Yann Martel won it in 2002 for the Life of Pi. Carol Shields's The Stone Diaries won the 1995 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, and the 1994 National Book Critics Circle Award. • Canada has a thriving stage theatre scene. Theatre festivals draw many tourists in the summer months, especially the Stratford Shakespeare Festival in Stratford, Ontario, and the Shaw Festival in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario. The Famous People Players are only one of many touring companies that have also developed an international reputation. Canada also boasts the world's second largest fringe festival the Edmonton International Fringe Festival. There also 2 major theatre venues in Ottawa, the government-owned and sponsored National Arts Centre and the privately-owned Great Canadian Theatre Company.

Standard Theatre, 482 Queen Street West. (Toronto, Canada), 1906 Canada has developed a vigorous film industry that has produced a variety of well-known films, actors, and auteurs. In fact, this eclipsing may sometimes be creditable for the bizarre and innovative directions of the works of such auteurs as Atom Egoyan (The Sweet Hereafter, 1997) and David Cronenberg (The Fly, Naked Lunch, A History of Violence). Also, the distinct French. Canadian society permits the work of directors such as Denys Arcand Denis Villeneuve. At the 76 th Academy Awards Arcand's The Barbarian Invasions became Canada's first film to win the. Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.

Just for Laughs Festival in Montreal, Québec at the Saint-Denis Theatre. Canadian humour is an integral part of the Canadian Identity. Canadian comedians such as Jim Carrey, John Candy, Mike Myers, Norm Macdonald, Rick Mercer, Seth Rogen, Michael Cera, Martin Short, The Kids in the Hall, Tom Green, Phil Hartman, Eugene Levy, Howie Mandel, Russell Peters, Dan Aykroyd and Leslie Nielsen are amongst the most recognized. Second City Television, otherwise known as SCTV, is also regarded as a television show which was very influential on the development of comedy television.

Famous people…