| Official Name: | Canada |
| Capital: | Ottawa |
| Population: | 31 million |
| Area: | 9.97 million sq km or 3.84 million sq mi |
| Currency: | Dollar (Canadian)($1=1.54) |
| Religion: | Christianity |
| Literacy: | 97% |
| Languages: | English, French |
| Major Cities: | Ottawa, Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Edmonton |
| Climate: | Varies from temperate to sub-artic to artic |
About Canada
Canada, the second largest ountry in the world, is a collection of ten fairly large provinces and three territories. The total area of Canada is 9,984,670square kilometers. Initially Canada was a colony of the United Kingdom but today it is a free nation. The National Flag of Canada holds a large red maple leaf in the middle with thick red borders on the two sides. Canada represents Federal Constitutional Monarchy with Parliamentary democracy. Toronto is the largest city of the country. The capital is Ottawa .
The ten provinces of the country are as follows
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- North west Territories
- Nunavut
- Yukon
Much of the land in Canada is either under water or consists of rocky, marshy, mountainous, which is just not fit for settling down. This is precisely why most of the inhabitants settle in areas that have better soils and is easier to live in than the rough terrains.
Climate of Canada
The climate of Canada varies from temperate in the southern region to sub arctic and arctic in northern region. In fact, Canada's climate is influenced by latitude and topography. The north of Canada has harsh Arctic and sub-Arctic climates, which is why it is sparsely inhabited. Most Canadians live in the southern part of the country.
Canada is bound on the north by the Arctic Ocean; by Baffin Bay and Davis Strait on the northeast, which separate it from Greenland; by the Atlantic Ocean on the east; by the United States on the south; by the Pacific Ocean and Alaska and on the west.
Flora And Fauna of Canada
Canada has rain forest, prairie grassland, deciduous forest, tundra, and wetlands. Most of the people in Canada are ethnically British or French, but other people from other European countries are also present and indigenous peoples are the majority in the north. Most Canadians live in cities, and most of the cities are close to the southern border. The largest urban areas are in Quebec and Ontario provinces, or central Canada, where some two-thirds of the population lives.
French and English are the official languages, though English is more widely spoken than French. Canada sees many people immigrating to its land, though this group still remains a minority. The people of Canada are mostly literate and maintain a high standard of living.
Arts, Culture and Music of Canada
Canada has a variety of artistic cultures. The interest of the people in dance and music gets clearly reflected in symphony orchestras, opera companies, classical and modern dance groups, and live theater, which are quite common in Canada. The musicians of Canada have made a mark not just in their country but also across the globe. The same goes for the writers who have also gained worldwide recognition, the painters, the sculptors, filmmakers, and architects.
The flag of Canada is made up of two vertical bands of red (along the hoist and fly side and is half width), with a white square between them. The white square has an 11-pointed red maple leaf in the center. The official colors of Canada are red and white.
Economy of Canada
The economy of Canada is quite advanced and most of the people enjoy high standard of living. In fact, Canada has an abundance of natural resources, such as forests, minerals, fish, and hydroelectric power, all of which has helped Canada focus their economic development on the export of raw materials and around 33.6 percent of its GDP is dedicated to exports. This has in turn led to the conservation of the resources, which is a top priority of the nation.
Since the recession of the early 1990s, The Canadian economy has grown more rapidly than the other developed countries. The success can be attributed to several factors, including low inflation, low interest rates, and a low Canadian dollar (with respect to other major currencies), all of which helped exports to grow. During the year from 1986 to 1995, the Canadian economy grew 20.4 percent and reached a GDP of C$776.3 billion, representing a per-capita income of C$25,900. In 1999 it was C$976.7 billion. The mining, communications, utilities, trade, and financial services sectors grew the most in output, while employment growth was greatest in nongovernmental services. At the same time, the proportion of GDP accounted for by federal government expenditure decreased from 23.1 to 15.2 percent, the result of the sale of several large government-owned corporations as well as reduced program spending.
