Canada is a country in North America. It extends from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and north to the Arctic Ocean, making it the second-largest country in the world by total area. Its capital is Ottawa.
Canada is a federal parliamentary democracy and constitutional monarchy. It has ten provinces, three territories and two official languages at the federal level: English and French.
Geography
Canada borders the United States to the south and north-west. It has Atlantic, Pacific and Arctic coastlines and includes forests, prairies, mountains, tundra, lakes and large river systems.
Its major regions include the Canadian Shield, the Great Lakes and St Lawrence lowlands, the Prairies, the Western Cordillera, the Atlantic region and the Arctic.
History
Indigenous peoples lived in the lands now called Canada long before European settlement. French and British colonisation shaped the later state, especially through New France, British North America and the development of settler colonies.
The Dominion of Canada was created in 1867 through Confederation. Later constitutional development increased Canadian autonomy, and the Constitution Act 1982 patriated the constitution and included the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
Government
Canada is a federation. Powers are divided between the federal government and provincial governments, while territories have delegated powers from the federal level.
The Crown is part of Canada's constitutional structure. The Governor General represents the monarch federally, and lieutenant governors represent the Crown in the provinces.
Provinces and Territories
Canada's provinces are Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec and Saskatchewan.
The territories are the Northwest Territories, Nunavut and Yukon. Northern geography, Indigenous governance, resource development and climate change are especially important issues in the territories.
Economy
Canada has a developed mixed economy. Natural resources, energy, manufacturing, agriculture, finance, technology, education, tourism and public services all play important roles.
Trade with the United States is central to the economy, but Canada also trades widely through Pacific, Atlantic and global markets.
Culture
Canadian culture is shaped by Indigenous peoples, English-speaking and French-speaking traditions, immigration, regional identities and close ties with the United States.
Public life often emphasises federalism, bilingualism, multiculturalism, Indigenous rights, immigration, healthcare, sport and regional difference.
See Also
References
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