CANADA
a) Geography
Canada occupies the whole of the northern part of North America
(except Alaska) and many islands (e.g. Newfoundland, Vancouver, Prince Edward
Island etc.). Canada's area is about 10,000,000 sq. km - it is the second
largest country in the world (after Russia). Its neighbours are the USA in the
south, the Pacific Ocean and Alaska in the west, the Arctic Ocean in the north
and the Atlantic Ocean in the east. Canada
has a sea coast on the Arctic Ocean, giving it the
longest coastline of any country.
Canada has large mountain areas - the Rocky Mountains, the
Mackenzie Mountains and the Melville Hills. The highest mountain is Mt. Logan
in the Alaska Region.
The longest river is the Mackenzie (flows from the Rocky Mountains
to the Arctic Ocean), other big rivers are the Yukon, the Columbia and the
Frazer (they flow to the Arctic Ocean) and the River St. Lawrence (into the
Atlantic).
More lakes can be seen in some part of the country. The biggest
lakes are as follows - Lake Superior, Lake Huron, Lake Erie, Lake Ontario.
These are shared by the USA and Canada. Lakes which are entirely in Canada are
Great Bear Lake, Great Slave Lake and Lake Winnipeg. There are also famous
Niagara Falls between Lake Erie and Ontario.
The climate varies from Arctic climate in the North with winter
temperatures as low as minus 50 C, to moderate climate in the east and west.
The north of the country near the Arctic is a cold tundra with large and
beautiful forests to the south. The central plains form the prairie.
Canada maintains 38 national parks. Banff is the oldest. Other is
Tukut Nogait.
b)
Demographics
Canada's population is
about 30 million inhabitants which means that the density is one of the lowest.
The climatic conditions have a big influence on settlement. 89% of the land has
no permanent population. More than 75% of the total population live in cities.
More than 40% are of British origin, 30% of French origin, over 20% of
continental European origin and the rest is made by Eskimos or Indians.
60% of population speak English and about 30% speak French.
Interesting is that the name Canada comes from the original
inhabitants. Indians used the Word "kanata" which means
"village".
c)
History
The original inhabitants
came to Canada some 10,000 or 25,000 years ago from Asia crossing from Siberia
to Alaska. The first Europeans here were the Vikings who discovered Canada more
than a thousand years ago. During the Age of Discoveries (the 15th
and 16th centuries) some navigators landed on the Canadian coast.
First it was an Italian Giovanni Caboto in 1497 but the first real exploration
took place only after 1534 when Jacques Cartier discovered the Gulf of
St.Lawrence. Since the 16th century large territories were occupied
by the French but France lost this country in frequent wars with England during
the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. Canada
became a British dominion in 1867.
d)
The economy
The Canadian economy is
among the worlds soundest. It belongs to the G-7 countries (the Group of Seven
leading industrialized countries).
Canada is rich in mineral resources. These are especially gas,
oil, gold, coal, copper, iron ore, nickel, uranium and zinc.
Quebec, Ontario and British Columbia with their large forests
provide wood for building, furniture and paper production. Almost half of the
land area of Canada is covered by forests.
Although only about 7% of the land is suitable for farming,
agriculture is the world's fifth largest producer of wheat and the second
largest wheat exporter. Other important agricultural items are livestock
production, vegetables, fruits, tobacco, dairy products, leather.
e)
Political system
Canada is a
constitutional monarchy, a federal state and parliamentary democracy with Queen
Elizabeth II as the head of state (she is represented in Canada by the
Governor-General).
The Canadian Parliament is composed of the Queen, the Senate and
the House of Commons. The real executive authority is the Cabinet, under the
direction of the Prime Minister.
Canada is divided into 10 provinces and 2 territories.
Canada has two official languages: English and French. The
currency is Canadian dollar.
Canada is the member of many international organizations such as
the UN, the Commonwealth, NATO.
f) The Canadian flag and anthem
Flag - it is red in the
centre there is a white square with a simple red maple leaf. A maple leaf has
been used as Canada's national symbol for the past century or more.
The Canadian anthem is called Oh, Canada.
g) The capital
The capital of Canada is
Ottawa. The biggest city is Toronto. Other large cities are Montreal,
Vancouver, Edmonton, Hamilton, Winnipeg, Quebec.
Vocabulary:
maintains - udrovat