Difference between revisions of "Canada" - New World Encyclopedia

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[[category:countries]]
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[[Category:Geography and demographics]]
 
  
<!--{{editnote | Before you edit this article to change the name of the country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else, please read the Talk Page. This issue has been discussed at great length there, and the evidence provided indicates that the country's *legal* name is "Canada", not anything else. If you believe you have arguments or evidence to the contrary, please provide them on the Talk Page, and wait until the consensus changes before making the edit. Thank you!}}
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{{Infobox Country
{{editnote | Please use Canadian spelling. :)}}
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|native_name = Canada
{{editnote | Notice: This overview article is already too long and should serve only as an introduction for Canada. To keep this overview article concise, please consider adding information instead to one of the many "main" articles about Canada linked from this article, e.g., [[Politics of Canada]], [[Geography of Canada]], etc. Thank you.}}—>
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|common_name = Canada
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|image_flag = Flag of Canada.svg
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|alt_flag = Vertical triband (red, white, red) with a red maple leaf in the centre
 +
|image_coat = Coat of arms of Canada.svg
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|alt_coat = A shield divided into four rectangles over a triangle. The first rectangle contains three lions passant guardant in gold on red; the second, a red lion rampant on gold; the third, a gold harp on blue; the fourth, three gold fleurs-de-lis on blue. The triangle contains three red maple leaves on a white background. A gold helmet sits on top of the shield, upon which is a crowned lion holding a red maple leaf. On the right is a lion rampant flying the Union Flag. On the left is a unicorn flying a fleurs-de-lis flag. A red ribbon around the shield says "desiderantes meliorem patriam." Below is a blue scroll inscribed "A mari usque ad mare" on a wreath of flowers.
 +
|national_motto = {{lang|la|''[[A Mari Usque Ad Mare]]''}}{{spaces|2}}<small>([[Latin]])<br />"From Sea to Sea"</small>
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|national_anthem = "[[O Canada]]"
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|royal_anthem = "[[God Save the King]]"<ref>[https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/services/royal-symbols-titles/royal-anthem.html Royal Anthem] Government of Canada. Retrieved April 4, 2023.</ref>
 +
|image_map = Location Canada.svg
 +
|alt_map = Projection of North America with Canada in green
 +
|map_width = 220px
 +
|capital = [[Ottawa]]
 +
|latd = 45 |latm=24 |latNS=N |longd=75 |longm=40 |longEW=W
 +
|largest_city = [[Toronto]]
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|official_languages = [[Canadian English|English]] and [[Canadian French|French]]
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|regional_languages = [[Chipewyan language|Chipewyan]], [[Cree language|Cree]], [[Gwich’in language|Gwich’in]], [[Inuinnaqtun]], [[Inuktitut]], [[Inuvialuktun]], [[Slavey language|Slavey (North and South)]] and {{nowrap|[[Dogrib language|Tłįchǫ]]}}<ref>[http://www.nwtlanguagescommissioner.ca/nwt-official-languages/ NWT Official languages] NWT Languages Commissioner. Retrieved April 4, 2023.</ref>
 +
|demonym = [[Canadians|Canadian]]
 +
|government_type = [[Federalism|Federal]] [[Parliamentary system|parliamentary democracy]] and [[constitutional monarchy]]<ref>Keith Dowding and Patrick Dumont (eds.), ''The Selection of Ministers around the World'' (Routledge, 2016, ISBN 978-1138238190).</ref>
 +
|leader_title1 = [[Monarchy of Canada|Monarch]]
 +
|leader_name1 = [[Charles III]]
 +
|leader_title2 = [[Governor General of Canada|Governor General]]
 +
|leader_name2          = [[Mary Simon]]
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|leader_title3 = [[Prime Minister of Canada|Prime Minister]]
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|leader_name3 = [[Justin Trudeau]]
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|legislature = [[Parliament of Canada|Parliament]]
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|upper_house = [[Senate of Canada|Senate]]
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|lower_house = [[Canadian House of Commons|House of Commons]]
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|sovereignty_type = [[Canadian Confederation|Establishment]]
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|established_event1 = [[British North America Acts]]
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|established_date1 = July 1, 1867
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|established_event2 = [[Statute of Westminster 1931|Statute of Westminster]]
 +
|established_date2 = December 11, 1931
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|established_event3 = [[Canada Act 1982|Canada Act]]
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|established_date3 = April 17, 1982
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|area_km2 = 9,984,670
 +
|areami²  = 3,854,085 <!--Do not remove per [[WP:MOSNUM]]—>
 +
|area_rank = 2nd
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|area_magnitude = 1 E12
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|percent_water = 8.92 (891,163&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>/344,080&nbsp;mi<sup>2</sup>)
 +
| population_estimate    =  39,566,248<ref>[https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=1710000901 Population estimates, quarterly] ''Statistics Canada''. Retrieved April 4, 2023. </ref>
 +
| population_estimate_year = Q1 2023
 +
| population_census      = 39,566,248<ref>[https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2021/dp-pd/prof/details/page.cfm?Lang=E&DGUIDList=2021A000011124&GENDERList=1&STATISTICList=1&HEADERList=0&SearchText=Canada Census Profile, 2021 Census of Population] ''Statistics Canada''. Retrieved April 4, 2023. </ref>
 +
| population_census_year = 2021
 +
| population_estimate_rank = 37th
 +
| population_density_km2 = 4.2
 +
| population_density_sq_mi = 10.9
 +
| population_density_rank = 236th
 +
| GDP_PPP                = {{increase}} {{nowrap|$2.240&nbsp;trillion<!--end nowrap:—>}}<ref name="IMFWEOCA">[https://www.imf.org/en/Publications/WEO/weo-database/2022/October/weo-report?c=156,&s=NGDP_RPCH,NGDPD,PPPGDP,NGDPRPPPPC,NGDPDPC,PPPPC,&sy=2015&ey=2026&ssm=0&scsm=1&scc=0&ssd=1&ssc=0&sic=0&sort=country&ds=.&br=1 World Economic Outlook Database: October 2022] ''International Monetary Fund''. Retrieved April 4, 2023. </ref>
 +
| GDP_PPP_year          = 2022
 +
| GDP_PPP_rank          = 15th
 +
| GDP_PPP_per_capita    = {{increase}} $57,827<ref name="IMFWEOCA" />
 +
| GDP_PPP_per_capita_rank = 25th
 +
| GDP_nominal            = {{increase}} {{nowrap|$2.200{{nbsp}}trillion}}<ref name="IMFWEOCA" />
 +
| GDP_nominal_year      = 2022
 +
| GDP_nominal_rank      = 8th
 +
| GDP_nominal_per_capita = {{increase}} $56,794<ref name="IMFWEOCA" />
 +
| GDP_nominal_per_capita_rank = 11th
 +
| Gini                  = 30.3<ref>[https://data.oecd.org/chart/5OdN Income inequality] ''OECD''. Retrieved November 5, 2022.</ref> <!--number only—>
 +
| Gini_year              = 2018
 +
| Gini_change            = decrease<!--increase/decrease/steady—>
 +
| Gini_ref              =
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|currency = [[Canadian dollar]] ($)
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|currency_code = CAD
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|time_zone =
 +
|utc_offset = −3.5 to −8
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|time_zone_DST =
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|utc_offset_DST = −2.5 to −7
 +
|date_format = dd-mm-yyyy, mm-dd-yyyy, ''and'' yyyy-mm-dd ([[Common Era|CE]])
 +
|drives_on = Right
 +
|cctld = [[.ca]]
 +
|calling_code = [[Telephone numbers in Canada|+1]]
 +
}}
  
{| style="margin: 0 0 1em 1em; width:300px; float:right;" border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0"
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'''Canada''' is a country occupying most of northern [[North America]], extending from the [[Atlantic Ocean]] in the east to the [[Pacific Ocean]] in the west and northward into the [[Arctic Ocean]]. It is the world's second largest country by total area (including its waters), and shares land borders with the [[United States]] to the south and northwest. Canada has about one-tenth the population of the U.S.
|+ <big>'''Canada'''</big>
 
|-
 
| style="background:#efefef;" align="center" colspan="2" |
 
{| border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0"
 
|-
 
| align="center" width="140px" | [[Image:Canada flag large.png|125px|Flag of Canada]]
 
| align="center" width="140px" | [[Image:CANcoat-thb.png|Canada Coat of Arms]]
 
|-
 
| align="center" width="140px" | Flag of Canada
 
| align="center" width="140px" | Coat of Arms of Canada
 
|}
 
|-
 
| align="center" colspan="2" style="border-bottom:3px solid gray;" | <small>National motto: ''A Mari Usque Ad Mare''<br>(Latin: ''From Sea to Sea'')
 
|-
 
| align="center" colspan="2" |[[image:LocationCanada.png]]
 
|-
 
| '''Principal languages'''
 
| English, French
 
|-
 
| '''Capital'''                     
 
| Ottawa
 
|-
 
| '''Largest city'''
 
| Toronto
 
|-
 
| '''Monarch'''
 
| Elizabeth II
 
|-
 
| '''Governor General'''
 
| Adrienne Clarkson
 
|-
 
| '''Prime Minister'''
 
| Paul Martin
 
|-
 
| '''Area'''<br />&nbsp;- Total <br />&nbsp;- % water
 
| Ranked 2nd <br />9,984,670 km&sup2; <br /> 8.6%
 
|-
 
| '''Population'''<br />&nbsp;- Total (2003)<br />&nbsp;- Density
 
| Ranked 35th<br />32,207,113<br />4/km&sup2;
 
|-
 
| '''Independence'''
 
| 1867
 
|-
 
| '''Currency'''                   
 
| Canadian dollar
 
|-
 
| '''Time zone'''                   
 
| Universal Time<br>&minus;3.5 to &minus;8
 
|-
 
| '''National anthem'''
 
| ''O Canada''
 
|-
 
| '''Internet TLD'''
 
| .ca
 
|-
 
| '''Country calling code'''
 
| 1
 
|}
 
  
'''Canada''' is the country occupying most of the northern portion of [[North America]], and is the world's second-largest country in total area.
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The lands have been inhabited for millennia by aboriginal peoples. Beginning in the late fifteenth century, [[British]] and [[French]] expeditions explored and later settled the Atlantic coast. France ceded nearly all of its colonies in North America in 1763 after the [[Seven Years War]]. In 1867, with the union of three British North American colonies through Confederation, Canada became a federal [[dominion]]. A gradual process of independence from the [[United Kingdom]] moved Canada towards statehood and culminated in the Canada Act 1982, severing the last vestiges of dependence on the British parliament.
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{{toc}}
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A [[federation]] now comprising ten provinces and three territories, Canada is a parliamentary [[democracy]] and a constitutional [[monarchy]] with [[King Charles III]] as its head of state. It is a bilingual and multicultural country, with both English and [[French]] as official languages at the federal level. Technologically advanced and industrialized, Canada maintains a diversified economy that is heavily reliant upon its abundant natural resources and upon trade—particularly with the [[United States]], with which Canada has had a long and complex relationship. In contrast to American individualism, Canadians have a strong ethic of “fairness," which for them means to do right by the less fortunate. Arguably, even more than its southern neighbor, Canadians have transcended geographical, ethnic and religious boundaries to create one nation, especially since the issue of [[Quebec]] separatism has been relegated to the past.  
  
Originally inhabited exclusively by aboriginal peoples, Canada was officially founded in 1867 as a union of English and French speaking colonies, that were part of the British Empire. A federal dominion of ten provinces with three territories, Canada peacefully obtained sovereignty from its last colonial possessor, the [[United Kingdom]], in a process beginning in 1867 with its formation and ending in 1982 when Canada gained the authority to amend its own constitution.
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== Etymology ==
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[[Image:Cartier.png|thumb|300px|right|[[Jacques Cartier]]]]
  
Canada is a parliamentary democracy and constitutional monarchy. Canada's head of state is its monarch, who is represented in Canada by a governor general. The head of government is the prime minister.
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The name ''Canada'' comes from a Saint Lawrence [[Iroquois|Iroquoian]] word meaning "village" or "settlement." In 1535, inhabitants of the present-day [[Quebec City]] region used the word to direct explorer [[Jacques Cartier]] toward the village of Stadacona.<ref>Bruce G. Trigger (ed.), "Saint-Lawrence Iroquoians" ''Handbook of North American Indians'' Volume 15 (Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution, 1978), 357–361.</ref> Cartier used the word 'Canada' to refer to not only that village, but the entire area subject to Donnacona, Chief at Stadacona. By 1545, European books and maps began referring to this region as Canada.<ref>Jacques Cartier, [https://www.gutenberg.org/files/12356/12356-h/12356-h.htm Relation originale de Jacques Cartier] Tross, (1863 edition). Retrieved April 4, 2023.</ref>
  
Canada defines itself as a bilingual and multicultural nation. Both English and French are official languages. In the early 1970s, Canada began to adopt policies based on the concepts of cultural diversity and multiculturalism. Many Canadians now view this as one of the country's key attributes, but there are critics of the multiculturalism policy as well.
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The French colony of Canada referred to the part of New France along the [[Saint Lawrence River]] and the northern shores of the [[Great Lakes]]. Later, it was split into two British colonies, called Upper Canada and Lower Canada until their union as the British Province of Canada in 1841. Upon Confederation in 1867, the name ''Canada'' was adopted for the entire country, and was frequently referred to as the ''Dominion of Canada'' until the 1950s.<ref>[https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/confederation Confederation] ''The Canadian Encyclopedia''. Retrieved April 4, 2023.</ref> As Canada asserted its political autonomy from [[United Kingdom|Britain]], the federal government increasingly simply used ''Canada'' on legal state documents and treaties. The Canada Act 1982 refers only to "Canada" and, as such, it is currently the only legal (and bilingual) name. This was reflected in 1982 with the renaming of the national holiday from Dominion Day to Canada Day.
  
A technologically advanced and industrialized nation, Canada is a net exporter of energy because of its large fossil-fuel deposits, nuclear energy generation, and hydroelectric-power capacity. Its diversified economy relies heavily on an abundance of natural resources and trade, particularly with the U.S., with which Canada has had a long and complex relationship.
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== History ==
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Aboriginal and [[Inuit]] tradition holds that the First Peoples inhabited parts of Canada since the dawn of time. Archaeological studies support a human presence in northern [[Yukon]] from 26,500 years ago, and in southern [[Ontario]] from 9,500 years ago.<ref>J.V. Wright, [https://www.historymuseum.ca/cmc/exhibitions/archeo/hnpc/npint01e.html A History of the Native People of Canada: Early and Middle Archaic Complexes] ''Canadian Museum of Civilization Corporation''. Retrieved April 4, 2023.</ref> Europeans first arrived when the [[Vikings]] settled briefly at [[L'Anse aux Meadows]] circa 1000 C.E. The next Europeans to explore Canada's Atlantic coast included [[John Cabot]] in 1497 for [[Kingdom of England|England]] and [[Jacques Cartier]] in 1534 for [[France]]; seasonal [[Basque]] whalers and fishermen would subsequently exploit the region between the Grand Banks and Tadoussac for over a century.
  
==Geography==
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French explorer [[Samuel de Champlain]] arrived in 1603 and established the first permanent European settlements at Port Royal in 1605 and [[Quebec City]] in 1608. These would become respectively the capitals of Acadia and Canada. Among French colonists of [[New France]], ''Canadiens'' extensively settled the [[St. Lawrence River]] valley, [[Acadians]] settled the present-day [[Maritimes]], while French fur traders and Catholic missionaries explored the [[Great Lakes]], [[Hudson Bay]] and the [[Mississippi River#Watershed|Mississippi watershed]] to [[Louisiana]]. The [[French and Iroquois Wars]] broke out over control of the [[fur trade]].
[[Image:Canada-satellite.jpg|thumb|right|335px|A satellite composite image of Canada. Coniferous forests prevail throughout the country, ice is prominent in the [[Arctic]] and through the [[Rocky Mountains|Rockies]], and the relatively flat prairies facilitate agriculture. The [[Great Lakes]] feed the [[Saint Lawrence River]] (in the southeast), where lowlands host much of Canada's population.]]
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[[Image:Voyageur canoe.jpg|right|thumb|400px|The [[fur trade]] was Canada's most important industry until the 1800s]]
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The English established fishing outposts in [[Newfoundland and Labrador|Newfoundland]] around 1610 and colonized the [[Thirteen Colonies]] to the south. A series of four [[French and Indian Wars|Inter-colonial Wars]] erupted between 1689 and 1763. Mainland [[Nova Scotia]] came under British rule with the [[Treaty of Utrecht]] (1713); the [[Treaty of Paris (1763)]] ceded Canada and most of [[New France]] to [[British Empire|Britain]] following the [[French and Indian War|Seven Years' War]].
  
Canada occupies most of the northern portion of [[North America]]. It shares land borders with the contiguous United States to the south and with the U.S. state of Alaska to the northwest, stretching from the [[Atlantic Ocean]] in the east to the [[Pacific Ocean]] in the west; to the north lies the [[Arctic Ocean]]. Since 1925, Canada has claimed the portion of the Arctic between 60°W and 141°W longitude; this claim is not universally recognized. The northernmost settlement in Canada (and in the world) is a Canadian Forces Station on the northern tip of Ellesmere Island, at latitude 82.5°N, just 834 km from the North Pole. Canada is the world's second-largest country in total area, after [[Russia]].  
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[[Image:Benjamin West 005.jpg|thumb|right|400px|''The Death of General Wolfe'' on the Plains of Abraham at [[Quebec City|Quebec]] in 1759, part of the [[French and Indian War|Seven Years' War]].]]The Royal Proclamation (1763) carved the Province of Quebec out of [[New France]] and annexed Cape Breton Island to [[Nova Scotia]]. It also restricted the language and religious rights of French Canadians. In 1769, Saint John's Island (now [[Prince Edward Island]]) became a separate colony. To avert conflict in Quebec, the Quebec Act of 1774 expanded Quebec's territory to the [[Great Lakes]] and Ohio Valley, and re-established the French language, Catholic faith, and French civil law in Quebec; it angered many residents of the Thirteen Colonies, helping to fuel the [[American Revolution]].<ref>[https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/quebec-act Quebec Act, 1774]. ''The Canadian Encyclopedia''. Retrieved April 4, 2023. </ref> The [[Treaty of Paris (1783)]] recognized American independence and ceded territories south of the Great Lakes to the [[United States]]. Approximately 50,000 [[United Empire Loyalists]] fled the United States to Canada.<ref>Christopher Moore, ''The Loyalist: Revolution Exile Settlement'' (Toronto: McClelland & Stewart, 1994, ISBN 0771060939). </ref> [[New Brunswick]] was split from Nova Scotia as part of a reorganization of Loyalist settlements in the Maritimes. To accommodate English-speaking Loyalists in Quebec, the [[Constitutional Act of 1791]] divided the province into French-speaking [[Lower Canada]] and English-speaking [[Upper Canada]], granting each their own elected Legislative Assembly.  
  
The population density of 3.5 people per square kilometer is among the lowest in the world. The most densely populated part of the country is the Quebec City-Windsor Corridor in the southeast. To the north of this region is the broad Canadian Shield, an area of rock scoured clean by the last ice age, thinly soiled, rich in minerals, and dotted with lakes and rivers &mdash; more than 60% of the world's lakes are in Canada.
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Canada was a major front in the [[War of 1812]] between the United States and British Empire. Its defense contributed to a sense of unity among British North Americans. Large-scale immigration to Canada began in 1815 from Britain and Ireland. The timber industry would also surpass the [[fur trade]] in importance in the early 1800s.  
  
Newfoundland is at the mouth of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, the world's largest estuary. The Canadian Maritimes protrude eastward from the southern coasts of Quebec. New Brunswick and Nova Scotia are divided by the Bay of Fundy, which experiences the world's largest tidal variations. West of Ontario, the broad, flat Canadian Prairies spread toward the [[Rocky Mountains]], which separate them from British Columbia.
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The desire for responsible government resulted in the aborted rebellions of 1837. The Durham Report (1839) would subsequently recommend responsible government and the assimilation of French Canadians into British culture.<ref>David Mills, [https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/durham-report Durham Report] ''The Canadian Encyclopedia''. Retrieved April 4, 2023. </ref> The [[Act of Union (1840)]] merged The Canadian Provinces into the [[United Province of Canada]]. French and English Canadians worked together in the Assembly to reinstate French rights. Responsible government was established for all British North American provinces by 1849.  
  
[[Image:MountLogan.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Mount Logan in Yukon; at 5,959 m, Canada's highest point and second highest in North America.]]
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The signing of the Oregon Treaty by Britain and the United States in 1846 ended the Oregon boundary dispute, extending the border westward along the 49th parallel, and paving the way for British colonies on Vancouver Island (1849) and in [[British Columbia]] (1858). Canada launched a series of western exploratory expeditions to claim Rupert's Land and the [[Arctic]] region. The Canadian population grew rapidly because of high birth rates; British immigration was offset by emigration to the United States, especially by French Canadians moving to [[New England]].
  
Northern Canadian vegetation tapers from coniferous forests to tundra and finally to [[Arctic]] barrens in the far north. The northern Canadian mainland is ringed with a vast archipelago]] containing some of the world's largest islands.
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Following several constitutional conferences, the British North America Act brought about Confederation creating "one Dominion under the name of Canada" on July 1, 1867 with four provinces: [[Ontario]], [[Quebec]], [[Nova Scotia]], and [[New Brunswick]].<ref>John Farthing, ''Freedom Wears a Crown'' (Toronto: Kingswood House, 1957).</ref> Canada assumed control of [[Rupert's Land]] and the [[North-Western Territory]] to form the [[Northwest Territories]], where [[Métis people (Canada)|Métis']] grievances ignited the [[Red River Rebellion]] and the creation of the province of [[Manitoba]] in July 1870. British Columbia and Vancouver Island (which had [[United Colonies of Vancouver Island and British Columbia|united]] in 1866) and the colony of [[Prince Edward Island]] joined Confederation in 1871 and 1873, respectively.  
  
Average winter and summer high temperatures across Canada range depending on the location.
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[[Prime Minister of Canada|Prime Minister]] [[John A. Macdonald]]'s [[Conservative Party of Canada (historical)|Conservative Party]] established a [[National Policy]] of [[tariffs]] to protect nascent Canadian manufacturing industries. To open the West, the government sponsored construction of three trans-continental railways (most notably the [[Canadian Pacific Railway]]), opened the prairies to settlement with the [[Dominion Lands Act]], and established the [[Royal Canadian Mounted Police|North West Mounted Police]] to assert its authority over this territory. In 1898, after the [[Klondike Gold Rush]] in the Northwest Territories, the Canadian government decided to create the [[Yukon]] territory as a separate territory in the region to better control the situation. Under [[Liberal Party of Canada|Liberal]] Prime Minister [[Wilfrid Laurier]], continental European immigrants settled the prairies, and [[Alberta]] and [[Saskatchewan]] became provinces in 1905.
Winters can be harsh in many regions of the country, particularly in the Prairie provinces where daily average temperatures are near &minus;15 °C. Coastal British Columbia is an exception, and it enjoys a temperate climate with a mild and rainy winter.  
 
  
Average summer high temperatures across Canada range depending on the location. On the east and west coast average high temperatures are in the low 20s °C, while in between the coasts the average summer high temperature ranges between 25 °C to 30 °C.
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[[Image:Canadian tank and soldiers Vimy 1917.jpg|thumb|right|400px|Canadian soldiers proved effective in the Allied victory at the [[Battle of Vimy Ridge]] in 1917.]]
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Canada automatically entered the [[First World War]] in 1914 with Britain's declaration of war, sending volunteers to the Western Front. The [[Conscription Crisis of 1917]] erupted when [[Conservative Party of Canada (historical)|conservative]] Prime Minister [[Robert Borden]] brought in compulsory military service over the objection of the French-speaking people of Quebec. In 1919, Canada joined the [[League of Nations]] independently of Britain; in 1931 the [[Statute of Westminster 1931|Statute of Westminster]] affirmed Canada's independence.  
  
==Canada's name==
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The [[Great Depression of 1929]] brought economic hardship to all of Canada. In response, the [[Co-operative Commonwealth Federation]] (CCF) in Alberta and Saskatchewan presaged a welfare state as pioneered by [[Tommy Douglas]] in the 1940s and 1950s. Canada [[Military history of Canada during World War II|declared war on Germany]] independently during [[World War II]] under Liberal Prime Minister [[William Lyon Mackenzie King]], three days after Britain. The first Canadian Army units arrived in Britain in December 1939.<ref name="stacey">C.P. Stacey, ''History of the Canadian Army in the Second World War'' (London: Queen's Printer, 1948).</ref> Canadian troops played important roles in the [[Battle of the Atlantic]], the failed 1941 [[Dieppe Raid]] in France, the [[Allied invasion of Italy]], the [[Battle of the Scheldt]] during the liberation of the [[Netherlands]] in 1944. The Canadian economy boomed as industry manufactured military [[materiel]]<!--This is not a misspelling. Follow the link to find out the difference between material and materiel—> for Canada, [[Great Britain]], [[China]] and the [[Soviet Union]]. Despite another [[Conscription Crisis of 1944|Conscription Crisis]] in Quebec, Canada finished the war with one of the largest armed forces in the world.<ref name="stacey"/>
 
The name ''Canada'' is believed to come from the Huron-Iroquois word ''kanata'', which means "village" or "settlement". In 1535, locals used the word to tell [[Jacques Cartier]] the way to Stadacona, site of present-day Quebec City. Cartier used Canada to refer not only to Stadacona, but also to the entire area subject to Donnacona, Chief at Stadacona; by 1547, maps began referring to this and the surrounding area as Canada.
 
  
==History==
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In 1949, [[Newfoundland and Labrador|Newfoundland]] joined the Confederation as Canada's 10th province.
  
===Prehistory===
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[[Quebec]] underwent profound social and economic changes during the [[Quiet Revolution]] of the 1960s. [[Québécois]] [[Quebec nationalism|nationalists]] began pressing for greater provincial autonomy. The [[Quebec sovereignty movement|separatist]] [[Parti Québécois]] first came to power in 1976. A [[referendum]] on [[sovereignty-association]] in [[1980 Quebec referendum|1980]] was rejected by a solid majority of the population, and a second referendum in [[1995 Quebec referendum|1995]] was rejected by a slimmer margin of just 50.6 percent to 49.4 percent.<ref name="dickinson">John Alexander Dickinson and Brian Young, ''A Short History of Quebec'' (Montreal: McGill-Queen's University Press, 2003, ISBN 0773524509).</ref> In 1997, the Canadian Supreme Court ruled [[Reference re Secession of Quebec|unilateral secession by a province to be unconstitutional]]; Quebec's sovereignty movement has continued nonetheless.<ref name="dickinson" /> 
The ancestors of Canada's aboriginal peoples, or First Peoples, have inhabited parts of what is now called Canada since the retreat of glaciers that marked the end of the last ice age. Archaeological records show that these lands have been inhabited for at least 10,000 years. Several [[Viking]] expeditions occurred circa 1000 c.e., with evidence of settlement at L'Anse aux Meadows.
 
  
===European Settlement===
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Under successive [[Liberal Party of Canada|Liberal]] governments of [[Lester B. Pearson]] and [[Pierre Trudeau]], a new [[Canadian identity]] emerged. Canada adopted its current [[Flag of Canada|Maple Leaf Flag]] in 1965. In response to a more assertive [[francophone|French-speaking]] [[Quebec]], the federal government became [[Bilingualism in Canada|officially bilingual]] with the [[Official Languages Act (Canada)|Official Languages Act]] of 1969. Non-discriminatory [[Immigration to Canada|Immigration Acts]] were introduced in 1967 and 1976, and official [[Multiculturalism#Origins in Canada|multiculturalism]] in 1971; waves of non-European immigration have changed the face of the country. [[Social democratic]] programs such as [[Medicare (Canada)|Universal Health Care]], the [[Canada Pension Plan]], and [[Canada Student Loans]] were initiated in the 1960s and consolidated in the 1970s; provincial governments, particularly Quebec, fought these as incursions into their jurisdictions. Finally, Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau pushed through the [[patriation]] of the constitution from Britain, enshrining a [[Charter of Rights and Freedoms]] based on [[individual rights]] in the [[Constitution Act of 1982]].
During the early part of the 16th century both [[Kingdom of Great Britain|Great Britain]] and [[France]] claimed to portions of land in what is current day Canada. British claims to North America date from 1497, when [[John Cabot]] reached what he called ''Newfoundland'', though it is unclear whether Cabot landed in current [[Newfoundland]], [[Nova Scotia]], or [[Maine]]. French claims date from explorations by [[Jacques Cartier]] in 1534 and [[Samuel de Champlain]] in 1603. Neither Cabot's nor Cartier's explorations left any permanent settlers behind. Then on [[August 5]], 1583, Sir [[Humphrey Gilbert]] claimed Newfoundland as [[England]]'s first overseas colony under the [[Royal Charter]] of [[Queen Elizabeth I]]. In 1604, French settlers were the first Europeans to settle permanently in what is now Canada. After an unsuccessful winter in St. Croix Island (in current-day Maine) the French settlers settled Port-Royal in what is now the [[Annapolis Valley]] in Nova Scotia, and later moved to found [[Quebec City]] in 1608. [[New France]] was generally used as the name given to the French colonies in Canada and Acadia (and later [[Louisiana]]).
 
  
[[Image:Death-wolfe.jpg|thumb|right|300px|''The Death of General Wolfe'', painted by [[Benjamin West]], inspired by British General James Wolfe's final moments during the Battle of the Plains of Abraham in 1759.]]
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Economic integration with the United States has increased significantly since World War II. The [[Canada-United States Automotive Agreement]] (or Auto Pact) in 1965 and the [[Canada-United States Free Trade Agreement]] of 1987 were defining moments in integrating the two economies. [[Canadian nationalism|Canadian nationalists]] continued to worry about their cultural autonomy as American television shows, movies and corporations became omnipresent.<ref name="granatstein">J.L. Granatstein, ''Yankee Go Home: Canadians and Anti-Americanism'' (Toronto: HarperCollins, 1997, ISBN 0006385419).</ref> However, Canadians take special pride in their [[Health care in Canada|system of universal health care]] and their commitment to multiculturalism.<ref name="bickerton">James Bickerton and Alain Gagnon (eds), ''Canadian Politics'' (Orchard Park, NY: Broadview Press, 2004, ISBN 1551115956).</ref>
  
During this time [[English colonization of the Americas|British settlements]] were established along the [[East Coast of the United States|Atlantic seaboard]] and around [[Hudson Bay]]. As these colonies expanded, a struggle for control of North America took place between 1689 and 1763 in the [[French and Indian War|Seven Years' War]], which was exacerbated by wars in Europe between France and Great Britain. France progressively lost territory to Great Britain, surrendering peninsular Nova Scotia in the 1713 [[Treaty of Utrecht]] and the remainder of New France, including what was left of Acadia, in the [[Treaty of Paris (1763)|Treaty of Paris]] in 1763.
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[[Image:Canada Parliament2.jpg|thumb|right|400px|Parliament Hill, [[Ottawa]].]]
  
===British Control===
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Canada is a constitutional monarchy with [[King Charles III]], King of Canada, as head of state; the monarch of Canada also serves as head of state of 15 other Commonwealth countries, putting Canada in a [[personal union]] relationship with those other states. The country is a [[parliamentary democracy]] with a federal system of parliamentary government and strong democratic traditions.
During and after the [[American Revolution]] approximately 70,000 United Empire Loyalists fled the United States. Of these, roughly 50,000 loyalists settled in the [[British North America]]n colonies which then consisted of Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, the Province of Quebec, and Prince Edward Island (created 1769). To accommodate the Loyalists, Britain created the colony of New Brunswick in 1784 from part of Nova Scotia, and divided Quebec and Ontario into Lower Canada and Upper Canada under the Constitutional Act in 1791.
 
  
Canada was a major battlefield of the [[War of 1812]] between the United States and the [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland|United Kingdom]]. The British forces had the upper hand, until the Americans managed to build warships faster and seized control of the Great lakes, and with the Napoleanic wars raging in Europe the United Kingdom had limited men and resources to commit to the war, which essentially ended in a stalemate. The war was over with the Treaty of Ghent in 1814 with the British returning conquered land and the American objective of annexing Canada failing. Due to slow travel times hostilities continued after the treaty was signed. After the French and [[Napoleonic wars]] ended in Europe in November 1815 large-scale immigration to Canada resumed from the United Kingdom and Europe.
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[[Constitution of Canada|Canada's constitution]] consists of written text and unwritten traditions and conventions. The Constitution Act, 1867 (formerly the British North America Act) established governance based on Parliamentary precedent "similar in principle to that of the United Kingdom" and divided powers between the federal and provincial governments. The Constitution Act, 1982 added a Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which guarantees basic rights and freedoms for Canadians that generally cannot be overridden by legislation of any level of government in Canada. However, a "notwithstanding clause," allows the federal parliament and the provincial legislatures to override certain sections of the Charter temporarily, for a period of five years.
  
Following the Rebellions of 1837, The Canadas were merged into a single, quasi-federal colony, the United Province of Canada, with the Act of Union (1840), in an attempt to assuage local resentment at a lack of popular involvement in colonial executive decision-making and perhaps to also integrate French Canadians better into the widening community. Thus the demands of the Upper and Lower Canada Rebels for responsible government was largely accommodated. In 1846 when the U.S. and Britain agreed to the [[49th parallel north]] as the border with western British North America, the British government created the Colony of Vancouver Island in 1849 and the Colony of British Columbia in 1858. The area between the Province of Canada and the colony of British Columbia, Rupert's Land, was administered by the Hudson's Bay Company, but by the late 1850s, politicians in the Province of Canada launched a series of western exploratory expeditions with the intention of assuming control of Rupert's Land and the Arctic region.
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[[Image:parliament2.jpg|thumb|right|400px|The Chamber of the House of Commons.]]
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The position of Prime Minister, Canada's head of government, belongs to the current leader of the political party that can obtain the confidence of a plurality in the House of Commons. Executive power is exercised by the Prime Minister and Cabinet ministers, all of whom are sworn into the King's Privy Council for Canada to become Ministers of the Crown and responsible to the elected House of Commons. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are formally appointed by the Governor General (who is the Monarch's representative in Canada). However, the Prime Minister chooses the Cabinet, and by convention, the Governor General respects the Prime Minister's choices. Cabinet ministers are traditionally drawn from elected members of the Prime Minister's party in the House of Commons. The Prime Minister exercises vast political power, especially in the appointment of government officials and civil servants.  
  
===Confederation and Evolving Sovereignty===
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The federal parliament is made up of the King and two houses: an elected House of Commons and an appointed Senate. Each member in the House of Commons is elected by simple plurality in a "riding" or electoral district; general elections are called by the Governor General when the Prime Minister so advises. While there is no minimum term for a Parliament, a new election must be called within five years of the last general election. Members of the Senate, whose seats are apportioned on a regional basis, are chosen by the Prime Minister and formally appointed by the Governor General, and serve until age 75.
[[Image:Johnamacdonald1870.jpg|thumb|left|The Right Honourable Sir John A. Macdonald, first prime minister.]]
 
  
In 1864 and 1866, British North American politicians, in what became known as the Great Coalition, held three conferences in Charlottetown, Quebec City and [[London]] to discuss the creation of a federal union. Spearheaded by John A. Macdonald, in 1867, three colonies&mdash;Canada (Ontario & Quebec), Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick&mdash;were granted a constitution, the British North America Act, by the United Kingdom, creating the Dominion of Canada.
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Canada's four major political parties are the Conservative Party of Canada, the Liberal Party of Canada, the New Democratic Party (NDP), and the Bloc Québécois. The current government is formed by the Conservative Party of Canada. While the Green Party of Canada and other smaller parties do not have current representation in Parliament, the list of historical parties with elected representation is substantial.
  
The term "Canadian Confederation" refers to the initial 1867 act of union and subsequent incorporation of other British colonies and territories. By 1880, Canada included all of its present area except for Newfoundland and Labrador (which would join in 1949). At that time, the vast area outside the seven provinces constituted the Northwest Territories, but over the years most of it would be transferred to three existing provinces, two new ones (Alberta and Saskatchewan, 1905), and two additional territories (Yukon, 1898; Nunavut, 1999).
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== Law ==
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[[Image:Supreme Court of Canada.jpg|thumb|right|400px|The [[Supreme Court of Canada]] in Ottawa, west of Parliament Hill.]]
  
In 1919, Canada became a member of the [[League of Nations]] and, in the Imperial Conference of 1926, Canada assumed full control of its own affairs through the [[Balfour Declaration]]. In 1927, Canada appointed its first ambassador to a foreign country, the United States. In 1931, the Statute of Westminster gave the Balfour Declaration constitutional force, confirming that no act of the UK's parliament would thereafter extend to Canada without its consent.
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Canada's [[judiciary]] plays an important role in interpreting laws and has the power to strike down laws that violate the Constitution. The [[Supreme Court of Canada]] is the highest court and final arbiter and is led by the Right Honourable Madam Chief Justice [[Beverley McLachlin]], P.C. Its nine members are appointed by the [[Governor General of Canada|Governor General]] on the advice of the Prime Minister. All judges at the superior and appellate levels are appointed by the Governor General on the advice of the prime minister and minister of justice, after consultation with non-governmental legal bodies. The federal cabinet appoints justices to superior courts at the provincial and territorial levels. Judicial posts at the lower provincial and territorial levels are filled by their respective governments (see [[Court system of Canada]] for more detail).
  
Canadian citizenship was first distinguished from the notion of "British subjects" in 1947; judicial appeals to the British Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (JCPC) had been ended in criminal matters in 1875 with the establishment of the Supreme Court of Canada. This element of local judicial independence was ended by the JCPC in ''Nadan v. The King'' (1925), a major provocation to Canada and cause of the discussions which led to the Balfour Declaration; ultimately, all JCPC appeals were abolished in 1949. The power to amend Canada's constitution remained with the British parliament, although subject to the Statute of Westminster, until it was "patriated" to Canadian control by the Canada Act 1982 (which includes the 1867 act and contemporaneous act).
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[[Common law]] prevails everywhere except in Quebec, where [[civil law (legal system)|civil law]] predominates. [[Criminal law in Canada|Criminal law]] is solely a federal responsibility and is uniform throughout Canada. Law enforcement, including criminal courts, is a provincial responsibility, but in rural areas of all provinces except Ontario and Quebec, policing is contracted to the federal [[Royal Canadian Mounted Police]] (RCMP).
  
===Quebec sovereignty movement ===
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== Foreign relations and military ==
The [[Quebec sovereignty movement]] has led to two referendums held in 1980 and 1995, with votes of 59.6% and 50.6% respectively against its proposals for [[sovereignty-association]]. In 1997, the [[Supreme Court of Canada]] ruled unilateral secession by a province to be unconstitutional.
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[[Image:Peacekeeping monument.jpg|thumb|right|400px|The [[Peacekeeping Monument]] in Ottawa.]]
  
The cornerstone of the ideology for a sovereign [[Quebec]] was a strong impetus for the [[October Crisis]] and the need to counter Quebec sovereignty through a "sponsorship program" engendered under the administration of former Prime Minister [[Jean Chretien]]. See [[sponsorship scandal]] for more details.
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Canada and the [[U.S.-Canada relations|United States]] share the world's longest undefended [[border]], co-operate on military campaigns and exercises, and are each others largest trading partners. Canada has nevertheless maintained an independent foreign policy, most notably maintaining full relations with [[Cuba]] and declining participation in the [[Iraq War]]. Canada also maintains historic ties to the [[United Kingdom]] and [[France]] and to other former British and French colonies through Canada's membership in the [[Commonwealth of Nations]] and [[La Francophonie]] (French-Speaking Countries).  
  
==Government==
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Canada employs a professional, volunteer military force of regular and reserve personnel. The unified [[Canadian Forces]] (CF) comprise the [[Canadian Forces Land Force Command|army]], [[Canadian Forces Maritime Command|navy]], and [[Canadian Forces Air Command|air force]].
  
[[Image:Canada Parliament2.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Centre Block, Parliament Hill, Ottawa, Ontario.]]
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Strong attachment to the [[British Empire]] and Commonwealth in [[English Canada]] led to major participation in British military efforts in the [[Second Boer War]], the [[First World War]], and the [[Second World War]]. Since then, Canada has been an advocate for [[multilateralism]], making efforts to resolve global issues in collaboration with other nations.<ref name="canada_policy"> Government of Canada, ''Canada's International Policy Statement: A Role of Pride and Influence in the World'' (Government of Canada, 2005, ISBN 066268608X).</ref><ref name="middle_powers">Andrew Fenton Cooper, Richard A. Higgot, and Kim R. Nossal, ''Relocating Middle Powers: Australia and Canada in a Changing World Order'' (Vancouver: UBC Press, 1993, ISBN 0774804505). </ref> Canada joined the [[United Nations]] in 1945 and became a founding member of [[NATO]] in 1949. During the [[Canada in the Cold War|Cold War]], Canada was a major contributor to UN forces in the [[Korean War]], and founded the [[North American Aerospace Defense Command]] (NORAD) in cooperation with the [[United States]] to defend against aerial attacks from the [[Soviet Union]].
  
====Federal political parties====
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Canada has played a leading role in [[United Nations]] peacekeeping efforts. During the [[Suez Crisis]] of 1956, [[Lester B. Pearson]] eased tensions by proposing the inception of the [[UN peacekeeping|United Nations Peacekeeping Force]].<ref name="lester">The Dominion Institute, [https://www.suezcrisis.ca/ Lester Pearson and the Suez Crisis] Retrieved April 4, 2023.</ref> Canada has since served in 50 peacekeeping missions, including every UN peacekeeping effort until 1989<ref>Desmond Morton, ''A Military History of Canada'' (Toronto: McClelland & Stewart, 1999, ISBN 0771065140), 258.</ref> and has since maintained forces in international missions in the former [[Yugoslavia]] and elsewhere.  
Canada has four main political parties today. The Liberal Party formed the government in Canada for most of the 20th century. The only other parties to have formed a government have been incarnations of the centrist/right-of-center conservative movement in Canada. The current government is formed by the Conservative Party, established in 2003 from a merger of the Progressive Conservative (PC) Party and the Canadian Alliance. The PC party has formed governments in the past, as did its predecessor, also called the Conservative Party, which was the dominant political party in the 19th century. A single-term Unionist Party was formed as a union of Conservatives and conscription-supporting Liberals during [[World War I]].
 
  
The New Democratic Party (NDP) is the major party furthest to the political left and espouses social democratic policies. The Bloc Québécois promotes Quebec independence from Canada and currently holds a majority of Quebec's seats in the House of Commons. There are many smaller parties and, while none has current representation in parliament, the list of historical parties with elected representation is substantial.
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Canada joined the [[Organization of American States]] (OAS) in 1990 and hosted the OAS General Assembly in Windsor in June 2000, and the third Summit of the Americas in Quebec City in April 2001. Canada seeks to expand its ties to [[Pacific Rim]] economies through membership in the [[Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation]] forum (APEC).
  
===Judiciary===
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Since 2001, Canada has had troops deployed in [[Afghanistan]] as part of the [[War in Afghanistan (2001–present)|US stabilization force]] and the UN-authorized, NATO-commanded [[International Security Assistance Force]]. Canada's [[Disaster Assistance Response Team]] (DART) has participated in three major relief efforts in the past two years; the two-hundred member team has been deployed in relief operations after the [[2004 tsunami|December 2004 tsunami]] in South Asia, the [[Hurricane Katrina]] in September 2005 and the [[2005 Kashmir earthquake|Kashmir earthquake]] in October 2005.
  
Common law prevails everywhere except in Quebec, where [[civil law (legal system)|civil law]] predominates. Criminal law is solely a federal responsibility and is uniform throughout Canada. Law enforcement, including criminal courts, is a provincial responsibility, but in most provinces policing is contracted to the [[Royal Canadian Mounted Police]] (RCMP).
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In August 2007, Canadian sovereignty in [[Territorial claims in the Arctic|Arctic waters]] was challenged following a [[Arktika 2007|Russian expedition]] which planted a Russian flag at the seabed at the North Pole. Canada has considered that area to be sovereign territory since 1925.<ref>Adrian Blomfield, [https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/1559165/Russia-claims-North-Pole-with-Arctic-flag-stunt.html Russia claims North Pole with Arctic flag stunt] ''The Telegraph'', August 1, 2007. Retrieved April 4, 2023.</ref>
  
==Foreign relations==
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== Provinces and territories ==
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[[Image:Map Canada political-geo.png|thumb|right|350px|A geopolitical map of Canada, exhibiting its ten provinces and three territories]]
  
Canada has a close relationship with the United States, sharing the world's longest undefended border, co-operating on some military campaigns and exercises, and being each other's largest trading partners. Canada also shares history and long relationships with the U.K. and France, the two most significant imperial powers in its founding. These relations extend to other former-members of the British and French empires, through Canada's membership in the [[Commonwealth of Nations]] and La Francophonie.
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Canada is a [[federation]] composed of ten [[province]]s and three [[Territory (country subdivision)|territories]]; in turn, these may be grouped into numerous [[region]]s. [[Western Canada]] consists of [[British Columbia]] and three [[Canadian Prairies|Prairie provinces]] ([[Alberta]], [[Saskatchewan]], [[Manitoba]]). [[Eastern Canada]] consists of [[Central Canada]] ([[Quebec]] and [[Ontario]]) and [[Atlantic Canada]] (comprised of the three [[Maritimes|Maritime provinces]] of [[New Brunswick]], [[Prince Edward Island]], and [[Nova Scotia]]; and [[Newfoundland and Labrador]]). Three territories ([[Yukon]], [[Northwest Territories]], and [[Nunavut]]) comprise [[Northern Canada]]. Provinces have a [[Canadian federalism|large degree of autonomy]] from the federal government, territories somewhat less. Each has its own [[List of Canadian provincial and territorial symbols|provincial or territorial symbols]].
  
In the last century, Canada has been an advocate for multilateralism, making efforts to reach out to the rest of the world. This was clearly demonstrated during the [[Suez Crisis]] when Prime Minister Lester Pearson mollified the tension by proposing peacekeeping efforts and the inception of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force. In that spirit, Canada developed and has tried to maintain a leading role in UN peacekeeping efforts. Canada has cumulatively contributed more troops to peacekeeping operations worldwide than all other nations combined and currently serves in over 40 different peacekeeping missions.
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The provinces are responsible for most of Canada's social programs (such as [[Health care in Canada|health care]], [[Education in Canada|education]], and [[welfare (financial aid)|welfare]]) and together 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.
  
===Military===
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All provinces have [[unicameral]], elected [[Legislative Assemblies of Canada's provinces and territories|legislatures]] headed by a [[premier (Canada)|Premier]] selected in the same way as the Prime Minister of Canada. Each province also has a [[Lieutenant-Governor (Canada)|Lieutenant-Governor]] representing the King, analogous to the Governor General of Canada, appointed on the recommendation of the Prime Minister of Canada, though with increasing levels of consultation with provincial governments in recent years.
  
A founding member of the [[North Atlantic Treaty Organization]] (NATO), Canada currently employs about 62,000 regular and 26,000 reserve military personnel. The unified Canadian Forces (CF) comprise the army, navy, and air force. Major CF equipment deployed includes 2,400 armoured fighting vehicles, 34 combat vessels, and 140 combat aircraft.  
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== Geography and climate ==
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{{readout||right|250px|Canada is the second largest country in the world by total area (including its waters), and the fourth by land area}}
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Canada occupies a major northern portion of [[North America]], sharing land borders with the [[contiguous United States]] to the south and with the [[U.S. state|US state]] of [[Alaska]] to the northwest, stretching from the [[Atlantic Ocean]] in the east to the [[Pacific Ocean]] in the west; to the north lies the [[Arctic Ocean]]. By total area (including its waters), Canada is the second largest country in the world, after [[Russia]].<ref>Michael M. Brescia and John C. Super, ''North America: An Introduction'' (University of Toronto Press, 2008, ISBN 978-0802096753).</ref> By land area alone, Canada ranks fourth, due to having the world's largest area of fresh water lakes.<ref>Robert A. Battram, ''Canada in Crisis (2): An Agenda for Survival of the Nation'' (Trafford Publishing, 2010, ISBN 978-1426933929), 1.</ref> The northernmost settlement in Canada and in the world is [[CFS Alert|Canadian Forces Station (CFS) Alert]] on the northern tip of [[Ellesmere Island]]—latitude 82.5°N—just 817 kilometres (450 [[nautical mile]]s) from the North Pole.<ref>Royal Canadian Air Force, [http://jproc.ca/rrp/alert.html CFS Alert] Jerry Proc, ''Radio Communications and Signals Intelligence in the Royal Canadian Navy''. Retrieved April 4, 2023.</ref> Canada has the longest coastline in the world: 243,000 kilometres (151,019 miles.<ref>  [https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/the-coastline-of-canada-the-longest-in-the-world.html The Coastline Of Canada, The Longest In The World] ''World Atlas''. Retrieved April 4, 2023.</ref>
  
Canadian forces have served in various wars including the [[Second Boer War]], [[World War I]], [[World War II]], the [[Korean War]], the [[First Gulf War]] and recently, in Afghanistan. Since Pearson proposed the first United Nations peacekeeping force in 1956, the Canadian Forces have served in 42 peacekeeping missions &mdash; more than any other country. Battles significantly contributing to Canada's development and self-identity include the Battle of Vimy Ridge, the Second Battle of Ypres, the Third Battle of Ypres, Dieppe, Juno Beach]], and the Battle of the Scheldt. At the end of World War II, Canada was the fourth-strongest military power in the world, distantly behind the U.S., the U.K., and the [[Soviet Union]].
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The [[population density]], is among the lowest in the world. The most densely populated part of the country is the [[Quebec City-Windsor Corridor]] along the Great Lakes and Saint Lawrence River in the southeast.
  
Canada participated in a variety of capacities in NATO operations in the former [[Yugoslavia]], and maintains military personnel in [[Kosovo]] as part of KFOR. Since 2001, Canada has had troops deployed in Afghanistan as part of the US invasion force, Operation Enduring Freedom. Canada also participated militarily in the UN-authorized, NATO-commanded International Security Assistance Force, in Kabul, Afghanistan. Canadian troops have participated in a number of UN missions in [[Haiti]], including the ongoing United Nations Stabilization Mission there. Canada's Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) has participated in two major relief operations in the last year: after [[Hurricane Katrina]] in September 2005 and the earthquake that struck Kashmir in South Asia in October 2005. The two-hundred-member team was also deployed to assist with relief efforts in Southeast Asia after the December 2004 tsunami.
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To the north of this region is the broad [[Canadian Shield]], an area of rock scoured clean by the [[Wisconsin glaciation|last ice age]], thinly soiled, rich in minerals, and dotted with lakes and rivers. Canada by far has more lakes than any other country and has a large amount of the world's freshwater.
  
==Provinces and territories==
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[[Image:Niagara Falls and Maid of the Mist 2005.JPG|thumb|right|400px|The [[Horseshoe Falls (Canada)|Horseshoe Falls]] in Ontario is the largest component of [[Niagara Falls]], one of the world's most voluminous waterfalls, a major source of hydroelectric power, and a tourist destination.]]
[[Image:Map_Canada_political-geo.png|thumb|right|325px|A political map of Canada, exhibiting its 13 provincial and territorial divisions].]]
 
  
Canada is composed of ten provinces and three territories. The provinces have a large degree of autonomy from the federal government, the [[territories]] somewhat less. Each has its own [[List of Canadian provincial and territorial symbols|provincial or territorial symbols]].
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In eastern Canada, the Saint Lawrence River widens into the [[Gulf of Saint Lawrence]], the world's largest [[estuary]], that contains the island of [[Newfoundland (island)|Newfoundland]]. South of the Gulf, the [[Canadian Maritimes]] protrude eastward along the [[Appalachian Mountains|Appalachian Mountain]] range from northern [[New England]] and the [[Gaspé Peninsula]] of Quebec. [[New Brunswick]] and [[Nova Scotia]] are divided by the [[Bay of Fundy]], which experiences the world's largest tidal variations. [[Ontario]] and [[Hudson Bay]] dominate central Canada. West of Ontario, the broad, flat [[Canadian Prairies]] spread toward the [[Rocky Mountains]], which separate them from [[British Columbia]].
  
The provinces are responsible for most of Canada's social programs (such as health care, education, and welfare) and together collect more revenue than the federal government, an almost unique structure among federations in the world. The federal government can initiate national policies that the provinces can opt out of, but this rarely happens 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.
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In western Canada, the [[Mackenzie River]] flows from the [[Great Slave Lake]] to the [[Arctic Ocean]]. A tributary of the Mackenzie is the [[South Nahanni River]], which is home to [[Virginia Falls, Northwest Territories|Virginia Falls]], a waterfall about twice as high as [[Niagara Falls]].
  
==Economy==
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[[Northern Canada|Northern Canadian]] vegetation tapers from [[coniferous]] forests to [[tundra]] and finally to Arctic barrens in the far north. The northern Canadian mainland is ringed with a vast [[Canadian Arctic Archipelago|archipelago]] containing some of the world's largest islands.
  
An affluent, high-tech industrial society, Canada today closely resembles the U.S. in its market-oriented economic system, pattern of production, and high living standards. In the last century, the impressive growth of the manufacturing, mining, and service sectors has transformed the nation from a largely rural economy into one primarily industrial and urban. Canada has vast deposits of natural gas on the east coast and in the west, and a plethora of other natural resources contributing to self-sufficiency in energy. The 1989 [[Canada-U.S. Free Trade Agreement]] (FTA) and 1994 [[North American Free Trade Agreement]] (NAFTA) (which included Mexico) touched off a dramatic increase in trade and economic integration with the U.S. Since 2001, Canada has successfully avoided economic recession and has maintained the best overall economic performance in the [[G8]].
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Average winter and summer high temperatures across Canada vary depending on the location. Winters can be harsh in many regions of the country, particularly in the interior and Prairie provinces which experience a [[continental climate]], where daily average temperatures are near −15 °[[Celsius|C]] (5 °[[Fahrenheit|F]]) but can drop below −40 °C (−40 °F) with severe wind chills. In non-coastal regions, snow can cover the ground almost six months of the year, (more in the north). Coastal British Columbia is an exception and enjoys a temperate climate with a mild and rainy winter. On the east and west coast average high temperatures are generally in the low 20s °C (70s °F), while between the coasts the average summer high temperature ranges from 25 to 30 °C (75 to 85 °F) with occasional extreme heat in some interior locations exceeding 40 °C (104 °F).
  
==Demographics==
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== Economy ==
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Canada is one of the world's [[List of countries by GDP (nominal)|wealthiest nations]] with a high per capita income, a member of the [[Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development]] (OECD) and [[Group of Eight]] (G8). Canada has traditionally had a lower per capita [[gross domestic product]] (GDP) than its southern neighbor (whereas wealth has been more equally divided), but higher than the large western European economies.<ref>John N.H. Britton, ''Canada and the Global Economy: The Geography of Structural and Technological Change'' (Montreal: McGill-Queen's University Press, 1996, ISBN 0773509275), 6–7.</ref> Since the early 1990s, the Canadian economy has been growing rapidly with low [[unemployment]] and large government surpluses on the [[Government of Canada|federal]] level. Today Canada closely resembles the US in its market-oriented economic system, pattern of production, and high living standards.
  
The 2001 national census recorded 30,007,094 people; the population is currently estimated to be 32.5 million people. Population growth is largely accomplished through immigration and, to a lesser extent, natural growth. About three-quarters of Canada's population lives within 160 km of the U.S. border. A similar proportion live in urban areas concentrated in the Quebec City-Windsor Corridor (notably the [[Toronto]]-Hamilton, Montreal, and Ottawa metropolitan areas); the BC Lower Mainland and Southern [[Vancouver Island]] ([[Vancouver]], Victoria, and environs); and the Calgary-Edmonton Corridor in Alberta.
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In the past century, the growth of the manufacturing, [[mining]], and service sectors has transformed the nation from a largely rural economy into one primarily industrial and urban. As with other [[first world nation]]s, the Canadian economy is dominated by the [[service industry]], which employs about three quarters of Canadians. However, Canada is unusual among developed countries in the importance of the [[primary industry|primary sector]], with the [[logging]] and [[petroleum|oil]] industries being two of Canada's most important.
  
[[Image:Cntower3.jpg|thumb|right|200px|[[Toronto]] is one of the world's most multicultural cities.]]
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Canada is one of the few developed nations that is a net exporter of energy. [[Atlantic Canada]] has vast offshore deposits of natural gas and large oil and gas resources are centred in [[Alberta]]. The vast [[Athabasca Tar Sands]] give Canada the world's second largest reserves of oil behind [[Saudi Arabia]]. In Quebec, British Columbia, Newfoundland & Labrador, Ontario and Manitoba, [[hydroelectric power]] is a cheap and clean source of [[renewable energy]].
  
Canada is a very ethnically diverse nation. According to the 2001 census, it has 34 ethnic groups with at least 100,000 members each. Ancestries with more than 1 million people claiming them are English (19.2%), French (15.7%), Scottish (14%), Irish (12.9%), German (9.0%), Italian (4.3%), Chinese (3.5%), Ukrainian (3.6%), and aboriginal (North American Indian) (3.4%). Canada's aboriginal population is growing almost twice as fast as the rest of the Canadian population. In 2001, 13.4% of the population belonged to visible minorities.
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Canada is one of the world's most important suppliers of [[agriculture|agricultural]] products, with the Canadian Prairies one of the most important suppliers of [[wheat]], [[canola]] and other grains. Canada is the world's largest producer of [[zinc]] and [[uranium]] and a world leader in many other natural resources such as [[gold]], [[nickel]], [[aluminum]], and [[lead]]; many, if not most, towns in the northern part of the country, where agriculture is difficult, exist because of a nearby mine or source of [[timber]]. Canada also has a sizable manufacturing sector centered in southern Ontario and Quebec, with [[automobile]]s and [[aeronautics]] representing particularly important industries.  
  
Canadians adhere to a wide variety of religions. According to the last census, 77% of Canadians identified as being [[Christianity|Christians]]; of this, [[Catholicism|Catholics]] make up the largest group (44% of Canadians). The largest [[Protestantism|Protestant]] denomination is the United Church of Canada; about 17% of Canadians declared no religious affiliation, and the remaining 6% were affiliated with religions other than Christianity.
+
Canada is highly dependent on [[international trade]], especially trade with the United States. The 1989 [[Canada-US Free Trade Agreement]] (FTA) and 1994 [[North American Free Trade Agreement]] (NAFTA) (which included Mexico) touched off a dramatic increase in trade and economic integration with the US.
  
==Language==
+
==Demographics==
 +
[[Image:Cntower2.jpg|thumb|400px|right|[[Toronto]], [[Ontario]] skyline with the [[CN tower]].]]
  
[[Image:800px-MontrealSkyline8.jpg|thumb|right|300px|[[Montreal]] is the second-largest French-speaking city in the world]]
+
Canada's population growth is from [[Immigration to Canada|immigration]] and, to a lesser extent, natural growth. About 80 percent of Canada's population lives within 150 kilometres (90&nbsp;[[mile|mi]]) of the U.S. border.<ref>Alexander Moens and Martin Collacott (eds.), ''Immigration Policy and the Terrorist Threat in Canada and United States'' (The Fraser Institute, 2008, ISBN 978-0889752351).</ref>
  
 +
The country's largest self-reported ethnic origin is Canadian (accounting for 32 percent of the population), with substantial numbers of English, Scottish, French, Irish, and German populations, and smaller numbers of Chinese, Italian, First Nations, Indian, and Ukrainian. There are 600 recognized First Nations governments or bands encompassing over 1 million people.
  
Canada's two official languages, English and French, are the mother tongues of 56% and 29% of the population, respectively. In 1969, under the Official Languages Act, French was made commensurate to English throughout the federal government. This started a process that led to Canada redefining itself as a "bilingual" nation.
+
Canada has one of the highest per capita immigration rates in the world,<ref>Karla Zimmerman, ''Canada'' (Lonely Planet Publications, 2008, ISBN 978-1741045710), 51.</ref> driven by [[Economic impact of immigration to Canada|economic policy]] and [[Immigration to Canada#Immigration categories|family reunification]]; Canada also accepts large numbers of [[refugee]]s. Newcomers settle mostly in the major urban areas of [[Toronto]], [[Vancouver]] and [[Montreal]].  
  
[[Image:Montreal-Place Vauquelin, Note.jpg|250px|thumb|right|A bilingual sign in [[Quebec]]. Bilingualism is a defining feature of Canada's culture.]]
+
Canada is religiously diverse, encompassing a wide range of beliefs and customs. Canada has no official church, and the government is officially committed to religious pluralism.<ref> Richard Moon, ''Law and Religious Pluralism in Canada'' (UBC Press, 2008, ISBN 978-0774814973). </ref> The majority of Canadians identified as being [[Christianity|Christians]]; of this, [[Catholicism|Catholics]] make up the largest group. The largest [[Protestant]] denomination is the [[United Church of Canada]]. A growing number of Canadians declare no religious affiliation; the remainder are affiliated with religions other than Christianity, of which the largest is [[Islam]], followed by [[Judaism]], [[Hinduism]], and [[Sikhism]].
  
English and French have equal status in federal courts, Parliament, and in all federal institutions. The public has the right, where there is sufficient demand, to receive federal government services in either English or French. While multiculturalism is official policy, to ''become'' a citizen one must be able to speak either English or French and more than 98% of Canadians speak English or French or both. While the nation remains officially bilingual, the majority of Canadians are fluent only in English.  
+
Canadian provinces and territories are responsible for education. Each system is similar while reflecting regional history, culture and geography. The mandatory school age ranges between 5–7 to 16–18 years, contributing to an adult literacy rate of 99 percent. Postsecondary education is also administered by provincial and territorial governments, who provide most of the funding; the federal government administers additional research grants, student loans and scholarships.
  
French is mostly spoken in Quebec with parts of [[New Brunswick]], eastern and northern [[Ontario]], [[Saskatchewan]], the south shore of [[Nova Scotia]] and southern [[Manitoba]]. Of those who speak French as a first language, 85% live in Quebec.  
+
== Culture ==
 +
[[Image:Wawadit'la(Mungo Martin House) a Kwakwaka'wakw big house.jpg|thumb|400px|right|A [[Kwakwaka'wakw]] [[totem pole]] and traditional "big house" in [[Victoria, British Columbia|Victoria]], [[British Columbia|BC]].]]
 +
Canadian culture has historically been influenced by [[British people|British]], [[French people|French]], and [[Aboriginal peoples in Canada|Aboriginal]] cultures and traditions. It has also been influenced by [[American culture]] because of its proximity and migration between the two countries. American media and entertainment are popular if not dominant in Canada; conversely, many Canadian cultural products and entertainers are successful in the U.S. and worldwide. Many cultural products are marketed toward a unified "North American" or global market.
  
French is the provincially designated official language in Quebec and the use of English in this province is not promoted. New Brunswick is the only officially bilingual province in the country. English is the provincially-designated official language in all other provinces.
+
The creation and preservation of distinctly Canadian culture are supported by federal government programs, laws, and institutions such as the [[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation]] (CBC), the [[National Film Board of Canada]] (NFB), and the [[Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission]] (CRTC).  
  
Several [[Canada#Aboriginal peoples|aboriginal]] languages have official status in [[Northwest Territories]]. [[Inuktitut]] is the majority language in [[Nunavut]] and has official status there.
+
Canada is a geographically vast and ethnically diverse country. There are cultural variations and distinctions from province to province and region to region. Canadian culture has also been greatly influenced by immigration from all over the world. Many Canadians value [[multiculturalism]], and see Canadian culture as being inherently multicultural.<ref name="bickerton" /> Multicultural heritage is enshrined in [[Section Twenty-seven of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms|Section 27 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms]].  
  
Non-official languages are also important in Canada, with 5,470,820 people listing a non-official language as a first language. (The above three statistics include those who listed more than one first language.) Among the most important non-official first language groups are [[Chinese language|Chinese]] (853,745 first-language speakers), [[Italian language|Italian]] (469,485), [[German language|German]] (438,080), and [[Punjabi]] (271,220).
+
[[File:Mountie@parliamentOttawa.jpg|thumb|400px|The [[Royal Canadian Mounted Police]] are the federal and national police force of Canada and an international icon.]]
 +
[[National symbols of Canada|National symbols]] are influenced by natural, historical, and [[First Nations]] sources. Particularly, the use of the [[maple leaf]] as a Canadian symbol dates back to the early eighteenth century and is depicted on its [[Flag of Canada|current]] and [[Canadian Red Ensign|previous]] flags, the [[penny (Canadian coin)|penny]], and on the [[Coat of Arms of Canada|coat of arms]]. Other prominent symbols include the [[beaver]], [[Canada goose]], [[common loon]], [[Monarchy in Canada|the Crown]], and the [[Royal Canadian Mounted Police|RCMP]].<ref name="symbol1">Canadian Government Publishing, ''Symbols of Canada'' (Ottawa, ON: Canadian Government Publishing, 2002, ISBN 0660186152). </ref>
  
==Culture==
+
Canada's official national [[Sport in Canada|sports]] are [[ice hockey]] (winter) and [[lacrosse]] (summer).<ref> [https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/n-16.7/page-1.html National Sports of Canada Act (1994)] ''Justice Laws Website''. Retrieved April 4, 2023.</ref> Hockey is a [[national pastime]] and the most popular spectator sport in the country. Canada's six largest metropolitan areas - Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Ottawa, Calgary, and Edmonton - have franchises in the [[National Hockey League]] (NHL), and there are more Canadian players in the league than from all other countries combined. After hockey, other popular spectator sports include [[curling]] and [[Canadian football|football]]; the latter is played professionally in the [[Canadian Football League]] (CFL). [[Golf]], [[baseball]], [[skiing]], [[Soccer in Canada|soccer]], [[volleyball]], and [[basketball]] are widely played at youth and amateur levels, but professional leagues and franchises are not as widespread.
[[Image:RCMP officer Expo 67.jpg|thumb|200px|right|The [[Royal Canadian Mounted Police]] are the federal and national police force of Canada and an international icon.]]
 
  
Due to its colonial past, Canadian culture has historically been heavily influenced by [[English people|English]], [[French people|French]], [[Irish people|Irish]] and [[Scottish people|Scottish]] cultures and traditions. In more modern times, Canadian culture is now greatly influenced by American culture, due to the proximity and the [[migration]] of people, ideas, and capital.  
+
Canada has hosted several high-profile international sporting events, including the 1976 Summer [[Olympics]], the [[1988 Winter Olympics]], and the 2007 [[FIFA U-20 World Cup]]. Canada was the host nation for the [[2010 Winter Olympics]] in [[Vancouver]] and [[Whistler, British Columbia|Whistler]], [[British Columbia]].
  
Many American movies, authors, TV shows and musicians are equally popular in Canada (and vice versa), many have been successful worldwide. Most cultural products of these types are now increasingly marketed toward a unified "North American" market, and not specifically a Canadian or American one.
+
== Language ==
 +
[[Image:Mont.jpg|thumb|right|400px|The population of [[Montreal]], [[Quebec]] is mainly [[French Canadian|French-speaking]], with a significant [[English-speaking Quebecer|English-speaking]] community.]]
  
Amidst this large American cultural presence, which has prompted some fears of a "cultural takeover," a more robust and distinct Canadian culture with unique characteristics has developed in recent years due to a focus by the federal government on programs, laws and institutions to support culture and the arts, including the [[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation]] (CBC), the [[National Film Board of Canada]], and the [[Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission]] (CRTC).  
+
Canada's two official languages are [[English language|English]] and [[French language|French]]. [[Bilingualism in Canada|Official Bilingualism in Canada]] is law, defined in the [[Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms]], the [[Official Languages Act (Canada)|Official Languages Act]], and ''Official Language Regulations''; it is applied by the [[Commissioner of Official Languages]]. The large majority of Canadians speak either or both English and French. English and French have equal status in federal courts, Parliament, and in all federal institutions. The public has the right, where there is sufficient demand, to receive federal government services in either English or French, and official language minorities are guaranteed their own schools in all provinces and territories.  
  
Many Canadian citizens see Canadian culture as based on the policy of [[multiculturalism]], while others see it as based on a predominantly [[British culture|British]] and [[French culture|French]] core, with [[American culture|American]] and new immigrant influences and modifications.
+
Although the majority of French-speaking Canadians live in [[Quebec]], there are substantial Francophone populations in [[Franco-Ontarian|Ontario]], [[Franco-Albertan|Alberta]] and southern [[Franco-Manitoban|Manitoba]], with an [[Acadian]] population in the northern and southeastern parts of [[New Brunswick]] constituting 35 percent of that province's population as well as concentrations in Southwestern [[Nova Scotia]] and on [[Cape Breton Island]]. Ontario has the largest French population outside Quebec. The [[Charter of the French Language]] in Quebec makes French the official language in Quebec, and New Brunswick is the only province to have a statement of official bilingualism in the constitution. Other provinces have no official language(s) as such, but French is used as a language of instruction, in courts, and other government services in addition to English. Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec allow for both English and French to be spoken in the provincial legislatures, and laws are enacted in both languages. In Ontario, French has some legal status but is not fully co-official. Several aboriginal languages have official status in [[Northwest Territories]]. [[Inuktitut]] is the majority language in Nunavut, and one of three official languages in the territory.
  
===Sports===
+
==Notes==
[[Image:Ice_hockey_1901.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Ice hockey on the Rideau Canal in 1901. Ice hockey events are popular in Canada. The game originated in Canada when residents began playing Shinty on ice.]]
+
<references />
  
((WHAT IS SHINTY??))
+
==References==
Canada's official national sports are [[ice hockey]] (winter) and [[lacrosse]] (summer), however, hockey is considerably more a part of Canadian culture and by far the most popular spectator sport in the country. Canada's six largest metropolitan areas have franchises in the [[National Hockey League]] (NHL), and there are more Canadian players in the league than from all other countries combined. The three major junior leagues that together comprise the Canadian Hockey League have a combined total of 49 teams in Canadian towns or cities, from all 10 provinces. There are also strong women's leagues across the country.
+
*Battram, Robert A. ''Canada in Crisis (2): An Agenda for Survival of the Nation''. Trafford Publishing, 2010. ISBN 978-1426933929
 +
*Bickerton, James, and Alain Gagnon (eds.). ''Canadian Politics.'' Orchard Park, NY: Broadview Press, 4th edition, 2004. ISBN 1551115956
 +
*Bothwell, Robert. ''History of Canada Since 1867.'' East Lansing, MI: Michigan State University Press, 1996. ISBN 0870133993
 +
*Brescia, Michael M., and John C. Super. ''North America: An Introduction''. University of Toronto Press, 2008. ISBN 978-0802096753
 +
*Britton, John N.H. ''Canada and the Global Economy: The Geography of Structural and Technological Change.'' Montreal: McGill-Queen's University Press, 1996. ISBN 0773509275
 +
*Brooks, Stephen. ''Canadian Democracy: An Introduction,'' 3rd ed. Don Mills, ON: Oxford University Press Canada, 2000. ISBN 0195415035
 +
*Bumsted, J.M. ''History of the Canadian Peoples.'' Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press, 2004. ISBN 0195416880
 +
*Conrad, Margarat and Alvin Finkel. ''Canada: A National History.'' Toronto: Longman, 2003. ISBN 020173060X
 +
*Cooper, Andrew Fenton, Richard A. Higgot, and Kim R. Nossal. ''Relocating Middle Powers: Australia and Canada in a Changing World Order.'' Vancouver: UBC Press, 1993. ISBN 0774804505
 +
*Dahlitz, Julie. ''Secession and international law : conflict avoidance - regional appraisals.'' The Hague: T.M.C. Asser Press, 2003. ISBN 9067041424
 +
*Dickinson, John Alexander, and Brian Young. ''A Short History of Quebec.'' Montreal: McGill-Queen's University Press, 2003. ISBN 0773524509
 +
*Dowding, Keith, and Patrick Dumont (eds.). ''The Selection of Ministers around the World''. Routledge, 2016. ISBN 978-1138238190
 +
*Eayrs, James. ''In Defence of Canada.'' Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1980. ISBN 0802023452
 +
*Farthing, John. ''Freedom Wears a Crown.'' Toronto: Kingswood House, 1957. {{ASIN|B0007JC4G2}}
 +
*Fox, Annette Baker. ''Canada in World Affairs.'' East Lansing, MI: Michigan State University, 1996. ISBN 0870133918
 +
*Granatstein, J.L. ''Yankee Go Home: Canadians and Anti-Americanism.'' (Toronto: HarperCollins, 1997. ISBN 0006385419
 +
*Marr, William L., and Donald G. Paterson. ''Canada: An Economic History.'' Toronto: Gage, 1980. ISBN 0771556845
 +
*Maxwell, Doug. ''Canada Curls: The Illustrated History of Curling in Canada.'' North Vancouver, BC: Whitecap books, 2002. ISBN 1552854000
 +
*McFarlane, Brian. ''Brian McFarlane's History of Hockey.'' Champaign, IL: Sports Publishing Inc., 1997. ISBN 1571671455
 +
*Moens, Alexander, and Martin Collacott (eds.). ''Immigration Policy and the Terrorist Threat in Canada and United States''. The Fraser Institute, 2008. ISBN 978-0889752351
 +
*Moon, Richard. ''Law and Religious Pluralism in Canada''. UBC Press, 2008. ISBN 978-0774814973
 +
*Moore, Christopher. ''The Loyalist: Revolution Exile Settlement.'' Toronto: McClelland & Stewart, 1994. ISBN 0771060939
 +
*Morton, Desmond. ''When Your Number's Up: The Canadian Soldier in the First World War.'' Toronto: Random House of Canada, 1993. ISBN 0394222881
 +
*Morton, Desmond. ''A Military History of Canada.'' Toronto: McClelland & Stewart, 1999. ISBN 0771065140
 +
*Morton, Desmond. ''A Short History of Canada,'' 6th ed. Toronto: M & S, 2001. ISBN 0771065094
 +
*Morton, Desmond, and J.L. Granatstein. ''Marching to Armageddon: Canadians and the Great War 1914–1919.'' Toronto: Lester & Orpen Dennys, 1989. ISBN 0886192099
 +
*Natural Resources Canada. ''National Atlas of Canada.'' Ottawa: Information Canada, 2005. ISBN 0770511988
 +
*Rayburn, Alan. ''Naming Canada: Stories of Canadian Place Names,'' 2nd ed. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2001. ISBN 0802082939
 +
*Resnick, Philip. ''The European Roots Of Canadian Identity.'' Peterborough, Ont.: Broadview Press, 2005. ISBN 1551117053
 +
*Rochlin, James. ''Discovering the Americas: The Evolution of Canadian Foreign Policy towards Latin America.'' Vancouver: University of British Columbia Press, 1994. ISBN 0774804769
 +
*Ross, David. ''The Royal Canadian Mounted Police 1873–1987.'' London: Osprey, 1988. ISBN 085045834X
 +
*Stanford, Quentin H. (ed.). ''Canadian Oxford World Atlas,'' 5th ed. Toronto: Oxford University Press (Canada) 2003. ISBN 0195418972
 +
*Stewart, Gordon T. ''History of Canada Before 1867.'' East Lansing, MI: Michigan State University Press, 1996. ISBN 0870133985
 +
*Trigger, Bruce G. (ed.). ''Handbook of North American Indians'' Volume 15. Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution, 1978. ISBN 978-0874741957
 +
*Wallace, Iain. ''A Geography of the Canadian Economy.'' Don Mills, ON: Oxford University Press, 2002. ISBN 0195407733
 +
*Zimmerman, Karla. ''Canada.'' Lonely Planet Publications, 2008. ISBN 978-1741045710
  
[[Curling]] is another extremely popular winter sport in Canada, with the strongest support in the prairie provinces. At the international level, Canada has dominated the sport of curling, with 29 out of 46 Men's World Curling Championships won by Canada. Additionally, 13 out of 27 Women's World Curling Championships have gone to the Canadian side.
+
==External links==
 
+
All links retrieved November 25, 2023.
[[Image:Vancouver-bridge.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Vancouver will be hosting the next winter [[Olympic Games]].]]
 
 
 
[[Canadian football]], like [[American football]], is a descendant from [[rugby football]] but evolved differently and has unique rules. The eight team [[Canadian Football League]] is the top league of the sport, and the annual [[Grey Cup]] championship game is viewed by a large television audience. Traditional [[association football|football]] (soccer) is widely popular in youth, interscholastic, and senior leagues but not at the professional level as it is in Europe or Latin America.
 
 
 
As the vast majority of Canadians live in very close proximity to the United States, Canadians can also watch sporting events from the professional leagues in that country, such as NASCAR and the National Football League. The NHL and the National Lacrosse League are composed of teams from both Canada and the United States. Toronto currently has franchises in [[Major League Baseball]] and the [[National Basketball Association]]. Other notable participatory sports which are enjoyed throughout Canada include ice skating, skiing, golf, soccer, swimming, baseball and softball.
 
 
 
Canada will be the host country of the [[2010 Winter Olympics]], to be held in Greater [[Vancouver]] and [[Whistler, British Columbia]].
 
 
 
===National symbols===
 
[[Image:Maple leaf.jpg|thumb|200px|right|The maple leaf is the characteristic leaf of the maple tree, and is an important national symbol of Canada.]]
 
 
 
The use of the maple leaf as a Canadian symbol dates back to the early 18th century, and is depicted on its current and previous flags, the penny, and on the coat of arms.
 
 
 
The Crown appears on the national coat of arms of Canada, the flag of the governor general, provincial and territorial coat of arms; the badges of the armed forces, many regiments, and police forces; on many buildings, as well as some highway signs. Also, the Queen's image appears in Canadian government buildings, military installations and schools; and on Canadian stamps, $20 bank notes, and all coins.  
 
  
Canada is known for its vast forests and mountain ranges, and the animals that reside within them, such as moose, beavers, caribou, polar bears, grizzly bears, Canada geese, and common loons. The beaver's emblematic status originated from the fact that much of Canada's early economic history was tied to the fur trade. Other products made from the country's natural resources, such as maple syrup, are also strongly associated with Canadian identity.
+
* [https://www.canada.ca/ Government of Canada]
 
+
* [https://pm.gc.ca/ Prime Minister of Canada]
Additional national symbols include the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and anything pertaining to hockey, Canada's official winter sport, which is often used as a national symbol of unity and pride.
+
* [https://www.gg.ca/ Governor General of Canada]
 
+
* [http://www.forces.gc.ca/ The Department of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces]
In recent years, other symbols have become a source of pride: the ''I am Canadian'' campaign by brewer Molson, most notably the commercial featuring Joe Canada, infused locally produced beer with nationalism. The Canadian fashion retailer Roots also sells a variety of merchandise designed to evoke nationalistic sentiment.
+
* [https://www.cbc.ca/ Canadian Broadcasting Corporation]
 
+
* [https://www.canadapost-postescanada.ca/cpc/en/home.page Canada Post]
==External links==
+
* [https://www.destinationcanada.com/en Destination Canada]
{{Sisterlinks|Canada}}
+
* [https://www.iccs-ciec.ca/ International Council for Canadian Studies]
* [http://www.gc.ca Official website of the Government of Canada]
+
* [https://canadiangeographic.ca/ Canadian Geographic]
* [http://atlas.gc.ca/site/index.html Official Government of Canada online Atlas of Canada]
+
* [https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/canada/ Canada] ''The World Factbook''
* [http://www.cbc.ca/ Canadian Broadcasting Corporation]
+
{{credit|166313592}}
* [http://www.justlanded.com/english/canada A Guide to living in Canada - Justlanded]
 
* [http://www.iccs-ciec.ca/blackwell.html Canadian Studies: A Guide to the Sources]
 
* [http://statcan.ca/english/edu/clock/population.htm Statistics Canada with Canada's population clock]
 
* [http://www.canadiangeographic.ca/atlas/ The Canadian Atlas Online]
 
* [http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/ca.html Canada] at ''[[The World Factbook]]''
 
* [http://www.international.gc.ca/canada_un/new_york/ Permanent Mission of Canada to the United Nations]
 
* UN Human Development Programme: [http://hdr.undp.org/statistics/data/country_fact_sheets/cty_fs_CAN.html Country Fact Sheet: Canada], [http://hdr.undp.org/statistics/data/countries.cfm?c=CAN Statistics - Country Sheet: Canada]
 
  
{{credit|49235505}}
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[[Category:Countries]]
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[[Category:Geography]]

Latest revision as of 19:09, 25 November 2023


Canada
Flag of Canada Coat of arms of Canada
MottoA Mari Usque Ad Mare (Latin)
"From Sea to Sea"
Anthem: "O Canada"
Royal anthem: "God Save the King"[1]
Location of Canada
CapitalOttawa
45°24′N 75°40′W / 45.4, -75.667
Largest city Toronto
Official languages English and French
Recognized regional languages Chipewyan, Cree, Gwich’in, Inuinnaqtun, Inuktitut, Inuvialuktun, Slavey (North and South) and Tłįchǫ[2]
Demonym Canadian
Government Federal parliamentary democracy and constitutional monarchy[3]
 -  Monarch Charles III
 -  Governor General Mary Simon
 -  Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
Legislature Parliament
 -  Upper House Senate
 -  Lower House House of Commons
Establishment
 -  British North America Acts July 1, 1867 
 -  Statute of Westminster December 11, 1931 
 -  Canada Act April 17, 1982 
Area
 -  Total 9,984,670 km² (2nd)
3,854,085 sq mi 
 -  Water (%) 8.92 (891,163 km2/344,080 mi2)
Population
 -  Q1 2023 estimate 39,566,248[4] (37th)
 -  2021 census 39,566,248[5] 
 -  Density 4.2/km² (236th)
10.9/sq mi
GDP (PPP) 2022 estimate
 -  Total Green Arrow Up (Darker).png $2.240 trillion[6] (15th)
 -  Per capita Green Arrow Up (Darker).png $57,827[6] (25th)
GDP (nominal) 2022 estimate
 -  Total Green Arrow Up (Darker).png $2.200 trillion[6] (8th)
 -  Per capita Green Arrow Up (Darker).png $56,794[6] (11th)
Gini (2018) 30.3[7] 
Currency Canadian dollar ($) (CAD)
Time zone (UTC−3.5 to −8)
 -  Summer (DST)  (UTC−2.5 to −7)
Internet TLD .ca
Calling code [[++1]]

Canada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean. It is the world's second largest country by total area (including its waters), and shares land borders with the United States to the south and northwest. Canada has about one-tenth the population of the U.S.

The lands have been inhabited for millennia by aboriginal peoples. Beginning in the late fifteenth century, British and French expeditions explored and later settled the Atlantic coast. France ceded nearly all of its colonies in North America in 1763 after the Seven Years War. In 1867, with the union of three British North American colonies through Confederation, Canada became a federal dominion. A gradual process of independence from the United Kingdom moved Canada towards statehood and culminated in the Canada Act 1982, severing the last vestiges of dependence on the British parliament.

A federation now comprising ten provinces and three territories, Canada is a parliamentary democracy and a constitutional monarchy with King Charles III as its head of state. It is a bilingual and multicultural country, with both English and French as official languages at the federal level. Technologically advanced and industrialized, Canada maintains a diversified economy that is heavily reliant upon its abundant natural resources and upon trade—particularly with the United States, with which Canada has had a long and complex relationship. In contrast to American individualism, Canadians have a strong ethic of “fairness," which for them means to do right by the less fortunate. Arguably, even more than its southern neighbor, Canadians have transcended geographical, ethnic and religious boundaries to create one nation, especially since the issue of Quebec separatism has been relegated to the past.

Etymology

The name Canada comes from a Saint Lawrence Iroquoian word meaning "village" or "settlement." In 1535, inhabitants of the present-day Quebec City region used the word to direct explorer Jacques Cartier toward the village of Stadacona.[8] Cartier used the word 'Canada' to refer to not only that village, but the entire area subject to Donnacona, Chief at Stadacona. By 1545, European books and maps began referring to this region as Canada.[9]

The French colony of Canada referred to the part of New France along the Saint Lawrence River and the northern shores of the Great Lakes. Later, it was split into two British colonies, called Upper Canada and Lower Canada until their union as the British Province of Canada in 1841. Upon Confederation in 1867, the name Canada was adopted for the entire country, and was frequently referred to as the Dominion of Canada until the 1950s.[10] As Canada asserted its political autonomy from Britain, the federal government increasingly simply used Canada on legal state documents and treaties. The Canada Act 1982 refers only to "Canada" and, as such, it is currently the only legal (and bilingual) name. This was reflected in 1982 with the renaming of the national holiday from Dominion Day to Canada Day.

History

Aboriginal and Inuit tradition holds that the First Peoples inhabited parts of Canada since the dawn of time. Archaeological studies support a human presence in northern Yukon from 26,500 years ago, and in southern Ontario from 9,500 years ago.[11] Europeans first arrived when the Vikings settled briefly at L'Anse aux Meadows circa 1000 C.E. The next Europeans to explore Canada's Atlantic coast included John Cabot in 1497 for England and Jacques Cartier in 1534 for France; seasonal Basque whalers and fishermen would subsequently exploit the region between the Grand Banks and Tadoussac for over a century.

French explorer Samuel de Champlain arrived in 1603 and established the first permanent European settlements at Port Royal in 1605 and Quebec City in 1608. These would become respectively the capitals of Acadia and Canada. Among French colonists of New France, Canadiens extensively settled the St. Lawrence River valley, Acadians settled the present-day Maritimes, while French fur traders and Catholic missionaries explored the Great Lakes, Hudson Bay and the Mississippi watershed to Louisiana. The French and Iroquois Wars broke out over control of the fur trade.

The fur trade was Canada's most important industry until the 1800s

The English established fishing outposts in Newfoundland around 1610 and colonized the Thirteen Colonies to the south. A series of four Inter-colonial Wars erupted between 1689 and 1763. Mainland Nova Scotia came under British rule with the Treaty of Utrecht (1713); the Treaty of Paris (1763) ceded Canada and most of New France to Britain following the Seven Years' War.

The Death of General Wolfe on the Plains of Abraham at Quebec in 1759, part of the Seven Years' War.

The Royal Proclamation (1763) carved the Province of Quebec out of New France and annexed Cape Breton Island to Nova Scotia. It also restricted the language and religious rights of French Canadians. In 1769, Saint John's Island (now Prince Edward Island) became a separate colony. To avert conflict in Quebec, the Quebec Act of 1774 expanded Quebec's territory to the Great Lakes and Ohio Valley, and re-established the French language, Catholic faith, and French civil law in Quebec; it angered many residents of the Thirteen Colonies, helping to fuel the American Revolution.[12] The Treaty of Paris (1783) recognized American independence and ceded territories south of the Great Lakes to the United States. Approximately 50,000 United Empire Loyalists fled the United States to Canada.[13] New Brunswick was split from Nova Scotia as part of a reorganization of Loyalist settlements in the Maritimes. To accommodate English-speaking Loyalists in Quebec, the Constitutional Act of 1791 divided the province into French-speaking Lower Canada and English-speaking Upper Canada, granting each their own elected Legislative Assembly.

Canada was a major front in the War of 1812 between the United States and British Empire. Its defense contributed to a sense of unity among British North Americans. Large-scale immigration to Canada began in 1815 from Britain and Ireland. The timber industry would also surpass the fur trade in importance in the early 1800s.

The desire for responsible government resulted in the aborted rebellions of 1837. The Durham Report (1839) would subsequently recommend responsible government and the assimilation of French Canadians into British culture.[14] The Act of Union (1840) merged The Canadian Provinces into the United Province of Canada. French and English Canadians worked together in the Assembly to reinstate French rights. Responsible government was established for all British North American provinces by 1849.

The signing of the Oregon Treaty by Britain and the United States in 1846 ended the Oregon boundary dispute, extending the border westward along the 49th parallel, and paving the way for British colonies on Vancouver Island (1849) and in British Columbia (1858). Canada launched a series of western exploratory expeditions to claim Rupert's Land and the Arctic region. The Canadian population grew rapidly because of high birth rates; British immigration was offset by emigration to the United States, especially by French Canadians moving to New England.

Following several constitutional conferences, the British North America Act brought about Confederation creating "one Dominion under the name of Canada" on July 1, 1867 with four provinces: Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick.[15] Canada assumed control of Rupert's Land and the North-Western Territory to form the Northwest Territories, where Métis' grievances ignited the Red River Rebellion and the creation of the province of Manitoba in July 1870. British Columbia and Vancouver Island (which had united in 1866) and the colony of Prince Edward Island joined Confederation in 1871 and 1873, respectively.

Prime Minister John A. Macdonald's Conservative Party established a National Policy of tariffs to protect nascent Canadian manufacturing industries. To open the West, the government sponsored construction of three trans-continental railways (most notably the Canadian Pacific Railway), opened the prairies to settlement with the Dominion Lands Act, and established the North West Mounted Police to assert its authority over this territory. In 1898, after the Klondike Gold Rush in the Northwest Territories, the Canadian government decided to create the Yukon territory as a separate territory in the region to better control the situation. Under Liberal Prime Minister Wilfrid Laurier, continental European immigrants settled the prairies, and Alberta and Saskatchewan became provinces in 1905.

Canadian soldiers proved effective in the Allied victory at the Battle of Vimy Ridge in 1917.

Canada automatically entered the First World War in 1914 with Britain's declaration of war, sending volunteers to the Western Front. The Conscription Crisis of 1917 erupted when conservative Prime Minister Robert Borden brought in compulsory military service over the objection of the French-speaking people of Quebec. In 1919, Canada joined the League of Nations independently of Britain; in 1931 the Statute of Westminster affirmed Canada's independence.

The Great Depression of 1929 brought economic hardship to all of Canada. In response, the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) in Alberta and Saskatchewan presaged a welfare state as pioneered by Tommy Douglas in the 1940s and 1950s. Canada declared war on Germany independently during World War II under Liberal Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King, three days after Britain. The first Canadian Army units arrived in Britain in December 1939.[16] Canadian troops played important roles in the Battle of the Atlantic, the failed 1941 Dieppe Raid in France, the Allied invasion of Italy, the Battle of the Scheldt during the liberation of the Netherlands in 1944. The Canadian economy boomed as industry manufactured military materiel for Canada, Great Britain, China and the Soviet Union. Despite another Conscription Crisis in Quebec, Canada finished the war with one of the largest armed forces in the world.[16]

In 1949, Newfoundland joined the Confederation as Canada's 10th province.

Quebec underwent profound social and economic changes during the Quiet Revolution of the 1960s. Québécois nationalists began pressing for greater provincial autonomy. The separatist Parti Québécois first came to power in 1976. A referendum on sovereignty-association in 1980 was rejected by a solid majority of the population, and a second referendum in 1995 was rejected by a slimmer margin of just 50.6 percent to 49.4 percent.[17] In 1997, the Canadian Supreme Court ruled unilateral secession by a province to be unconstitutional; Quebec's sovereignty movement has continued nonetheless.[17]

Under successive Liberal governments of Lester B. Pearson and Pierre Trudeau, a new Canadian identity emerged. Canada adopted its current Maple Leaf Flag in 1965. In response to a more assertive French-speaking Quebec, the federal government became officially bilingual with the Official Languages Act of 1969. Non-discriminatory Immigration Acts were introduced in 1967 and 1976, and official multiculturalism in 1971; waves of non-European immigration have changed the face of the country. Social democratic programs such as Universal Health Care, the Canada Pension Plan, and Canada Student Loans were initiated in the 1960s and consolidated in the 1970s; provincial governments, particularly Quebec, fought these as incursions into their jurisdictions. Finally, Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau pushed through the patriation of the constitution from Britain, enshrining a Charter of Rights and Freedoms based on individual rights in the Constitution Act of 1982.

Economic integration with the United States has increased significantly since World War II. The Canada-United States Automotive Agreement (or Auto Pact) in 1965 and the Canada-United States Free Trade Agreement of 1987 were defining moments in integrating the two economies. Canadian nationalists continued to worry about their cultural autonomy as American television shows, movies and corporations became omnipresent.[18] However, Canadians take special pride in their system of universal health care and their commitment to multiculturalism.[19]

Parliament Hill, Ottawa.

Canada is a constitutional monarchy with King Charles III, King of Canada, as head of state; the monarch of Canada also serves as head of state of 15 other Commonwealth countries, putting Canada in a personal union relationship with those other states. The country is a parliamentary democracy with a federal system of parliamentary government and strong democratic traditions.

Canada's constitution consists of written text and unwritten traditions and conventions. The Constitution Act, 1867 (formerly the British North America Act) established governance based on Parliamentary precedent "similar in principle to that of the United Kingdom" and divided powers between the federal and provincial governments. The Constitution Act, 1982 added a Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which guarantees basic rights and freedoms for Canadians that generally cannot be overridden by legislation of any level of government in Canada. However, a "notwithstanding clause," allows the federal parliament and the provincial legislatures to override certain sections of the Charter temporarily, for a period of five years.

The Chamber of the House of Commons.

The position of Prime Minister, Canada's head of government, belongs to the current leader of the political party that can obtain the confidence of a plurality in the House of Commons. Executive power is exercised by the Prime Minister and Cabinet ministers, all of whom are sworn into the King's Privy Council for Canada to become Ministers of the Crown and responsible to the elected House of Commons. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are formally appointed by the Governor General (who is the Monarch's representative in Canada). However, the Prime Minister chooses the Cabinet, and by convention, the Governor General respects the Prime Minister's choices. Cabinet ministers are traditionally drawn from elected members of the Prime Minister's party in the House of Commons. The Prime Minister exercises vast political power, especially in the appointment of government officials and civil servants.

The federal parliament is made up of the King and two houses: an elected House of Commons and an appointed Senate. Each member in the House of Commons is elected by simple plurality in a "riding" or electoral district; general elections are called by the Governor General when the Prime Minister so advises. While there is no minimum term for a Parliament, a new election must be called within five years of the last general election. Members of the Senate, whose seats are apportioned on a regional basis, are chosen by the Prime Minister and formally appointed by the Governor General, and serve until age 75.

Canada's four major political parties are the Conservative Party of Canada, the Liberal Party of Canada, the New Democratic Party (NDP), and the Bloc Québécois. The current government is formed by the Conservative Party of Canada. While the Green Party of Canada and other smaller parties do not have current representation in Parliament, the list of historical parties with elected representation is substantial.

Law

The Supreme Court of Canada in Ottawa, west of Parliament Hill.

Canada's judiciary plays an important role in interpreting laws and has the power to strike down laws that violate the Constitution. The Supreme Court of Canada is the highest court and final arbiter and is led by the Right Honourable Madam Chief Justice Beverley McLachlin, P.C. Its nine members are appointed by the Governor General on the advice of the Prime Minister. All judges at the superior and appellate levels are appointed by the Governor General on the advice of the prime minister and minister of justice, after consultation with non-governmental legal bodies. The federal cabinet appoints justices to superior courts at the provincial and territorial levels. Judicial posts at the lower provincial and territorial levels are filled by their respective governments (see Court system of Canada for more detail).

Common law prevails everywhere except in Quebec, where civil law predominates. Criminal law is solely a federal responsibility and is uniform throughout Canada. Law enforcement, including criminal courts, is a provincial responsibility, but in rural areas of all provinces except Ontario and Quebec, policing is contracted to the federal Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP).

Foreign relations and military

The Peacekeeping Monument in Ottawa.

Canada and the United States share the world's longest undefended border, co-operate on military campaigns and exercises, and are each others largest trading partners. Canada has nevertheless maintained an independent foreign policy, most notably maintaining full relations with Cuba and declining participation in the Iraq War. Canada also maintains historic ties to the United Kingdom and France and to other former British and French colonies through Canada's membership in the Commonwealth of Nations and La Francophonie (French-Speaking Countries).

Canada employs a professional, volunteer military force of regular and reserve personnel. The unified Canadian Forces (CF) comprise the army, navy, and air force.

Strong attachment to the British Empire and Commonwealth in English Canada led to major participation in British military efforts in the Second Boer War, the First World War, and the Second World War. Since then, Canada has been an advocate for multilateralism, making efforts to resolve global issues in collaboration with other nations.[20][21] Canada joined the United Nations in 1945 and became a founding member of NATO in 1949. During the Cold War, Canada was a major contributor to UN forces in the Korean War, and founded the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) in cooperation with the United States to defend against aerial attacks from the Soviet Union.

Canada has played a leading role in United Nations peacekeeping efforts. During the Suez Crisis of 1956, Lester B. Pearson eased tensions by proposing the inception of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force.[22] Canada has since served in 50 peacekeeping missions, including every UN peacekeeping effort until 1989[23] and has since maintained forces in international missions in the former Yugoslavia and elsewhere.

Canada joined the Organization of American States (OAS) in 1990 and hosted the OAS General Assembly in Windsor in June 2000, and the third Summit of the Americas in Quebec City in April 2001. Canada seeks to expand its ties to Pacific Rim economies through membership in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum (APEC).

Since 2001, Canada has had troops deployed in Afghanistan as part of the US stabilization force and the UN-authorized, NATO-commanded International Security Assistance Force. Canada's Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) has participated in three major relief efforts in the past two years; the two-hundred member team has been deployed in relief operations after the December 2004 tsunami in South Asia, the Hurricane Katrina in September 2005 and the Kashmir earthquake in October 2005.

In August 2007, Canadian sovereignty in Arctic waters was challenged following a Russian expedition which planted a Russian flag at the seabed at the North Pole. Canada has considered that area to be sovereign territory since 1925.[24]

Provinces and territories

A geopolitical map of Canada, exhibiting its ten provinces and three territories

Canada is a federation composed of ten provinces and three territories; in turn, these may be grouped into numerous regions. Western Canada consists of British Columbia and three Prairie provinces (Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba). Eastern Canada consists of Central Canada (Quebec and Ontario) and Atlantic Canada (comprised of the three Maritime provinces of New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Nova Scotia; and Newfoundland and Labrador). Three territories (Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut) comprise Northern Canada. Provinces have a large degree of autonomy from the federal government, territories somewhat less. Each has its own provincial or territorial symbols.

The provinces are responsible for most of Canada's social programs (such as health care, education, and welfare) and together 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.

All provinces have unicameral, elected legislatures headed by a Premier selected in the same way as the Prime Minister of Canada. Each province also has a Lieutenant-Governor representing the King, analogous to the Governor General of Canada, appointed on the recommendation of the Prime Minister of Canada, though with increasing levels of consultation with provincial governments in recent years.

Geography and climate

Did you know?
Canada is the second largest country in the world by total area (including its waters), and the fourth by land area

Canada occupies a major northern portion of North America, sharing land borders with the contiguous United States to the south and with the US state of Alaska to the northwest, stretching from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west; to the north lies the Arctic Ocean. By total area (including its waters), Canada is the second largest country in the world, after Russia.[25] By land area alone, Canada ranks fourth, due to having the world's largest area of fresh water lakes.[26] The northernmost settlement in Canada and in the world is Canadian Forces Station (CFS) Alert on the northern tip of Ellesmere Island—latitude 82.5°N—just 817 kilometres (450 nautical miles) from the North Pole.[27] Canada has the longest coastline in the world: 243,000 kilometres (151,019 miles.[28]

The population density, is among the lowest in the world. The most densely populated part of the country is the Quebec City-Windsor Corridor along the Great Lakes and Saint Lawrence River in the southeast.

To the north of this region is the broad Canadian Shield, an area of rock scoured clean by the last ice age, thinly soiled, rich in minerals, and dotted with lakes and rivers. Canada by far has more lakes than any other country and has a large amount of the world's freshwater.

The Horseshoe Falls in Ontario is the largest component of Niagara Falls, one of the world's most voluminous waterfalls, a major source of hydroelectric power, and a tourist destination.

In eastern Canada, the Saint Lawrence River widens into the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, the world's largest estuary, that contains the island of Newfoundland. South of the Gulf, the Canadian Maritimes protrude eastward along the Appalachian Mountain range from northern New England and the Gaspé Peninsula of Quebec. New Brunswick and Nova Scotia are divided by the Bay of Fundy, which experiences the world's largest tidal variations. Ontario and Hudson Bay dominate central Canada. West of Ontario, the broad, flat Canadian Prairies spread toward the Rocky Mountains, which separate them from British Columbia.

In western Canada, the Mackenzie River flows from the Great Slave Lake to the Arctic Ocean. A tributary of the Mackenzie is the South Nahanni River, which is home to Virginia Falls, a waterfall about twice as high as Niagara Falls.

Northern Canadian vegetation tapers from coniferous forests to tundra and finally to Arctic barrens in the far north. The northern Canadian mainland is ringed with a vast archipelago containing some of the world's largest islands.

Average winter and summer high temperatures across Canada vary depending on the location. Winters can be harsh in many regions of the country, particularly in the interior and Prairie provinces which experience a continental climate, where daily average temperatures are near −15 °C (5 °F) but can drop below −40 °C (−40 °F) with severe wind chills. In non-coastal regions, snow can cover the ground almost six months of the year, (more in the north). Coastal British Columbia is an exception and enjoys a temperate climate with a mild and rainy winter. On the east and west coast average high temperatures are generally in the low 20s °C (70s °F), while between the coasts the average summer high temperature ranges from 25 to 30 °C (75 to 85 °F) with occasional extreme heat in some interior locations exceeding 40 °C (104 °F).

Economy

Canada is one of the world's wealthiest nations with a high per capita income, a member of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and Group of Eight (G8). Canada has traditionally had a lower per capita gross domestic product (GDP) than its southern neighbor (whereas wealth has been more equally divided), but higher than the large western European economies.[29] Since the early 1990s, the Canadian economy has been growing rapidly with low unemployment and large government surpluses on the federal level. Today Canada closely resembles the US in its market-oriented economic system, pattern of production, and high living standards.

In the past century, the growth of the manufacturing, mining, and service sectors has transformed the nation from a largely rural economy into one primarily industrial and urban. As with other first world nations, the Canadian economy is dominated by the service industry, which employs about three quarters of Canadians. However, 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 is one of the few developed nations that is a net exporter of energy. Atlantic Canada has vast offshore deposits of natural gas and large oil and gas resources are centred in Alberta. The vast Athabasca Tar Sands give Canada the world's second largest reserves of oil behind Saudi Arabia. In Quebec, British Columbia, Newfoundland & Labrador, Ontario and Manitoba, hydroelectric power is a cheap and clean source of renewable energy.

Canada is one of the world's most important suppliers of agricultural products, with the Canadian Prairies one of the most important suppliers of wheat, canola and other grains. Canada is the world's largest producer of zinc and uranium and a world leader in many other natural resources such as gold, nickel, aluminum, and lead; many, if not most, towns in the northern part of the country, where agriculture is difficult, exist because of a nearby mine or source of timber. Canada also has a sizable manufacturing sector centered in southern Ontario and Quebec, with automobiles and aeronautics representing particularly important industries.

Canada is highly dependent on international trade, especially trade with the United States. The 1989 Canada-US Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) (which included Mexico) touched off a dramatic increase in trade and economic integration with the US.

Demographics

Toronto, Ontario skyline with the CN tower.

Canada's population growth is from immigration and, to a lesser extent, natural growth. About 80 percent of Canada's population lives within 150 kilometres (90 mi) of the U.S. border.[30]

The country's largest self-reported ethnic origin is Canadian (accounting for 32 percent of the population), with substantial numbers of English, Scottish, French, Irish, and German populations, and smaller numbers of Chinese, Italian, First Nations, Indian, and Ukrainian. There are 600 recognized First Nations governments or bands encompassing over 1 million people.

Canada has one of the highest per capita immigration rates in the world,[31] driven by economic policy and family reunification; Canada also accepts large numbers of refugees. Newcomers settle mostly in the major urban areas of Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal.

Canada is religiously diverse, encompassing a wide range of beliefs and customs. Canada has no official church, and the government is officially committed to religious pluralism.[32] The majority of Canadians identified as being Christians; of this, Catholics make up the largest group. The largest Protestant denomination is the United Church of Canada. A growing number of Canadians declare no religious affiliation; the remainder are affiliated with religions other than Christianity, of which the largest is Islam, followed by Judaism, Hinduism, and Sikhism.

Canadian provinces and territories are responsible for education. Each system is similar while reflecting regional history, culture and geography. The mandatory school age ranges between 5–7 to 16–18 years, contributing to an adult literacy rate of 99 percent. Postsecondary education is also administered by provincial and territorial governments, who provide most of the funding; the federal government administers additional research grants, student loans and scholarships.

Culture

A Kwakwaka'wakw totem pole and traditional "big house" in Victoria, BC.

Canadian culture has historically been influenced by British, French, and Aboriginal cultures and traditions. It has also been influenced by American culture because of its proximity and migration between the two countries. American media and entertainment are popular if not dominant in Canada; conversely, many Canadian cultural products and entertainers are successful in the U.S. and worldwide. Many cultural products are marketed toward a unified "North American" or global market.

The creation and preservation of distinctly Canadian culture are supported by federal government programs, laws, and institutions such as the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), the National Film Board of Canada (NFB), and the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC).

Canada is a geographically vast and ethnically diverse country. There are cultural variations and distinctions from province to province and region to region. Canadian culture has also been greatly influenced by immigration from all over the world. Many Canadians value multiculturalism, and see Canadian culture as being inherently multicultural.[19] Multicultural heritage is enshrined in Section 27 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police are the federal and national police force of Canada and an international icon.

National symbols are influenced by natural, historical, and First Nations sources. Particularly, the use of the maple leaf as a Canadian symbol dates back to the early eighteenth century and is depicted on its current and previous flags, the penny, and on the coat of arms. Other prominent symbols include the beaver, Canada goose, common loon, the Crown, and the RCMP.[33]

Canada's official national sports are ice hockey (winter) and lacrosse (summer).[34] Hockey is a national pastime and the most popular spectator sport in the country. Canada's six largest metropolitan areas - Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Ottawa, Calgary, and Edmonton - have franchises in the National Hockey League (NHL), and there are more Canadian players in the league than from all other countries combined. After hockey, other popular spectator sports include curling and football; the latter is played professionally in the Canadian Football League (CFL). Golf, baseball, skiing, soccer, volleyball, and basketball are widely played at youth and amateur levels, but professional leagues and franchises are not as widespread.

Canada has hosted several high-profile international sporting events, including the 1976 Summer Olympics, the 1988 Winter Olympics, and the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup. Canada was the host nation for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver and Whistler, British Columbia.

Language

The population of Montreal, Quebec is mainly French-speaking, with a significant English-speaking community.

Canada's two official languages are English and French. Official Bilingualism in Canada is law, defined in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, the Official Languages Act, and Official Language Regulations; it is applied by the Commissioner of Official Languages. The large majority of Canadians speak either or both English and French. English and French have equal status in federal courts, Parliament, and in all federal institutions. The public has the right, where there is sufficient demand, to receive federal government services in either English or French, and official language minorities are guaranteed their own schools in all provinces and territories.

Although the majority of French-speaking Canadians live in Quebec, there are substantial Francophone populations in Ontario, Alberta and southern Manitoba, with an Acadian population in the northern and southeastern parts of New Brunswick constituting 35 percent of that province's population as well as concentrations in Southwestern Nova Scotia and on Cape Breton Island. Ontario has the largest French population outside Quebec. The Charter of the French Language in Quebec makes French the official language in Quebec, and New Brunswick is the only province to have a statement of official bilingualism in the constitution. Other provinces have no official language(s) as such, but French is used as a language of instruction, in courts, and other government services in addition to English. Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec allow for both English and French to be spoken in the provincial legislatures, and laws are enacted in both languages. In Ontario, French has some legal status but is not fully co-official. Several aboriginal languages have official status in Northwest Territories. Inuktitut is the majority language in Nunavut, and one of three official languages in the territory.

Notes

  1. Royal Anthem Government of Canada. Retrieved April 4, 2023.
  2. NWT Official languages NWT Languages Commissioner. Retrieved April 4, 2023.
  3. Keith Dowding and Patrick Dumont (eds.), The Selection of Ministers around the World (Routledge, 2016, ISBN 978-1138238190).
  4. Population estimates, quarterly Statistics Canada. Retrieved April 4, 2023.
  5. Census Profile, 2021 Census of Population Statistics Canada. Retrieved April 4, 2023.
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 World Economic Outlook Database: October 2022 International Monetary Fund. Retrieved April 4, 2023.
  7. Income inequality OECD. Retrieved November 5, 2022.
  8. Bruce G. Trigger (ed.), "Saint-Lawrence Iroquoians" Handbook of North American Indians Volume 15 (Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution, 1978), 357–361.
  9. Jacques Cartier, Relation originale de Jacques Cartier Tross, (1863 edition). Retrieved April 4, 2023.
  10. Confederation The Canadian Encyclopedia. Retrieved April 4, 2023.
  11. J.V. Wright, A History of the Native People of Canada: Early and Middle Archaic Complexes Canadian Museum of Civilization Corporation. Retrieved April 4, 2023.
  12. Quebec Act, 1774. The Canadian Encyclopedia. Retrieved April 4, 2023.
  13. Christopher Moore, The Loyalist: Revolution Exile Settlement (Toronto: McClelland & Stewart, 1994, ISBN 0771060939).
  14. David Mills, Durham Report The Canadian Encyclopedia. Retrieved April 4, 2023.
  15. John Farthing, Freedom Wears a Crown (Toronto: Kingswood House, 1957).
  16. 16.0 16.1 C.P. Stacey, History of the Canadian Army in the Second World War (London: Queen's Printer, 1948).
  17. 17.0 17.1 John Alexander Dickinson and Brian Young, A Short History of Quebec (Montreal: McGill-Queen's University Press, 2003, ISBN 0773524509).
  18. J.L. Granatstein, Yankee Go Home: Canadians and Anti-Americanism (Toronto: HarperCollins, 1997, ISBN 0006385419).
  19. 19.0 19.1 James Bickerton and Alain Gagnon (eds), Canadian Politics (Orchard Park, NY: Broadview Press, 2004, ISBN 1551115956).
  20. Government of Canada, Canada's International Policy Statement: A Role of Pride and Influence in the World (Government of Canada, 2005, ISBN 066268608X).
  21. Andrew Fenton Cooper, Richard A. Higgot, and Kim R. Nossal, Relocating Middle Powers: Australia and Canada in a Changing World Order (Vancouver: UBC Press, 1993, ISBN 0774804505).
  22. The Dominion Institute, Lester Pearson and the Suez Crisis Retrieved April 4, 2023.
  23. Desmond Morton, A Military History of Canada (Toronto: McClelland & Stewart, 1999, ISBN 0771065140), 258.
  24. Adrian Blomfield, Russia claims North Pole with Arctic flag stunt The Telegraph, August 1, 2007. Retrieved April 4, 2023.
  25. Michael M. Brescia and John C. Super, North America: An Introduction (University of Toronto Press, 2008, ISBN 978-0802096753).
  26. Robert A. Battram, Canada in Crisis (2): An Agenda for Survival of the Nation (Trafford Publishing, 2010, ISBN 978-1426933929), 1.
  27. Royal Canadian Air Force, CFS Alert Jerry Proc, Radio Communications and Signals Intelligence in the Royal Canadian Navy. Retrieved April 4, 2023.
  28. The Coastline Of Canada, The Longest In The World World Atlas. Retrieved April 4, 2023.
  29. John N.H. Britton, Canada and the Global Economy: The Geography of Structural and Technological Change (Montreal: McGill-Queen's University Press, 1996, ISBN 0773509275), 6–7.
  30. Alexander Moens and Martin Collacott (eds.), Immigration Policy and the Terrorist Threat in Canada and United States (The Fraser Institute, 2008, ISBN 978-0889752351).
  31. Karla Zimmerman, Canada (Lonely Planet Publications, 2008, ISBN 978-1741045710), 51.
  32. Richard Moon, Law and Religious Pluralism in Canada (UBC Press, 2008, ISBN 978-0774814973).
  33. Canadian Government Publishing, Symbols of Canada (Ottawa, ON: Canadian Government Publishing, 2002, ISBN 0660186152).
  34. National Sports of Canada Act (1994) Justice Laws Website. Retrieved April 4, 2023.

References
ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

  • Battram, Robert A. Canada in Crisis (2): An Agenda for Survival of the Nation. Trafford Publishing, 2010. ISBN 978-1426933929
  • Bickerton, James, and Alain Gagnon (eds.). Canadian Politics. Orchard Park, NY: Broadview Press, 4th edition, 2004. ISBN 1551115956
  • Bothwell, Robert. History of Canada Since 1867. East Lansing, MI: Michigan State University Press, 1996. ISBN 0870133993
  • Brescia, Michael M., and John C. Super. North America: An Introduction. University of Toronto Press, 2008. ISBN 978-0802096753
  • Britton, John N.H. Canada and the Global Economy: The Geography of Structural and Technological Change. Montreal: McGill-Queen's University Press, 1996. ISBN 0773509275
  • Brooks, Stephen. Canadian Democracy: An Introduction, 3rd ed. Don Mills, ON: Oxford University Press Canada, 2000. ISBN 0195415035
  • Bumsted, J.M. History of the Canadian Peoples. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press, 2004. ISBN 0195416880
  • Conrad, Margarat and Alvin Finkel. Canada: A National History. Toronto: Longman, 2003. ISBN 020173060X
  • Cooper, Andrew Fenton, Richard A. Higgot, and Kim R. Nossal. Relocating Middle Powers: Australia and Canada in a Changing World Order. Vancouver: UBC Press, 1993. ISBN 0774804505
  • Dahlitz, Julie. Secession and international law : conflict avoidance - regional appraisals. The Hague: T.M.C. Asser Press, 2003. ISBN 9067041424
  • Dickinson, John Alexander, and Brian Young. A Short History of Quebec. Montreal: McGill-Queen's University Press, 2003. ISBN 0773524509
  • Dowding, Keith, and Patrick Dumont (eds.). The Selection of Ministers around the World. Routledge, 2016. ISBN 978-1138238190
  • Eayrs, James. In Defence of Canada. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1980. ISBN 0802023452
  • Farthing, John. Freedom Wears a Crown. Toronto: Kingswood House, 1957. ASIN B0007JC4G2
  • Fox, Annette Baker. Canada in World Affairs. East Lansing, MI: Michigan State University, 1996. ISBN 0870133918
  • Granatstein, J.L. Yankee Go Home: Canadians and Anti-Americanism. (Toronto: HarperCollins, 1997. ISBN 0006385419
  • Marr, William L., and Donald G. Paterson. Canada: An Economic History. Toronto: Gage, 1980. ISBN 0771556845
  • Maxwell, Doug. Canada Curls: The Illustrated History of Curling in Canada. North Vancouver, BC: Whitecap books, 2002. ISBN 1552854000
  • McFarlane, Brian. Brian McFarlane's History of Hockey. Champaign, IL: Sports Publishing Inc., 1997. ISBN 1571671455
  • Moens, Alexander, and Martin Collacott (eds.). Immigration Policy and the Terrorist Threat in Canada and United States. The Fraser Institute, 2008. ISBN 978-0889752351
  • Moon, Richard. Law and Religious Pluralism in Canada. UBC Press, 2008. ISBN 978-0774814973
  • Moore, Christopher. The Loyalist: Revolution Exile Settlement. Toronto: McClelland & Stewart, 1994. ISBN 0771060939
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External links

All links retrieved November 25, 2023.

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