Canada
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[modificar] Overview
Li capital city es Ottawa, Ontario, li seat de Canada's Parliament. li Governor General de Canada, who exercises li prerogatives de li head de state (the monarch), li Prime Minister, who es li head de government, li Leader de li Official Opposition, e li Speaker de li House de Commons have official residences in li National Capital Region.
Originally a union de former francés e Britic colonies e entitled as a "dominion", Canada es a founding member de li United Nations, li Commonwealth de Nations, e La Francophonie. Canada defines itself as a bilingual e multicultural nation:
- Anglés es li majority lingue in most provinces de Canada.
- francés es li official lingue de Quebec e an official lingue de New Brunswick. It es anc spoken in some areas de Ontario, Nova Scotia, e Manitoba. Anglés e francés is li two official lingues de li federation.
- Inuktitut es li majority lingue in Nunavut e ha official status there.
- Multiple Aboriginal lingues have official status in li Northwest Territories.
Canada es a technologically advanced e industrialized nation. It es a net exporter de energy because de its large fossil fuel deposits, nuclear energy generation, e hydroelectric power capacity. Its diversified economy relies heavily on an abundance de natural resources e trade, particularly con li U.S., con which it ha had a long e complex relationship.
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Canada ha ten provinces e three territories:
| Flag | Province | Capital city | Standard Time Zone (UTC) |
Region |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Britic Columbia | Victoria | -8 (Pacific), -7 (Mountain) |
Western, Pacific |
 |
Alberta | Edmonton | -7 (Mountain) | Western, Prairies |
| Image:Saskflag-thb.png | Saskatchewan | Regina | -7 (Mountain), -6 (Central) |
|
 |
Manitoba | Winnipeg | -6 (Central) | |
 |
Ontario | Toronto | -6 (Central), -5 (Eastern) |
Central, Eastern |
 |
Quebec | Quebec City | -5 (Eastern) -4 (Magdalen Islands) |
|
 |
New Brunswick | Fredericton | -4 (Atlantic) | Atlantic, Maritimes |
 |
Nova Scotia | Halifax | ||
| Image:Ca-pe.png | Prince Edward Island | Charlottetown | ||
| Image:Ca-nf.PNG | Newfoundland e Labrador | St. John's | -4 (Atlantic), -3.5 (Newfoundland) |
Atlantic |
| Flag | Territory | Capital city | Standard Time Zone (UTC) |
Region |
 |
Yukon | Whitehorse | -8 | Northern or Arctic |
 |
Northwest Territories | Yellowknife | -7 | |
 |
Nunavut | Iqaluit | -7, -6, -5, |
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Canada's major cities that is ne capital cities include Montreal, Quebec; Vancouver, Britic Columbia; e Calgary, Alberta.
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[modificar] History
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Aboriginal tradition holds that li First Peoples have inhabited parts de what es now called Canada since li dawn de time. Archaeological records show that these lands have been inhabited por at least 10,000 years. Several Viking expeditions occurred circa AD 1000, con evidence de settlement at L'Anse aux Meadows.
Britic claims to nord America date de 1497, when John Cabot reached what he called Newfoundland, though it es unclear whether Cabot landed in current Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, or Maine. francés claims date de explorations per Jacques Cartier (from 1534) e Samuel de Champlain (from 1603). Neither Cabot's nor Cartier's explorations left any permanent settlers behind. In 1604, francés settlers were li first Europeans to settle permanently in what es now Canada. After an unsuccessful winter in St. Croix Island (today in Maine), they settled Port-Royal in what es now li Annapolis Valley in Nova Scotia, but moved to found Quebec City in 1608. li current Acadians is descendants de settlers who came later in li same century e re-founded Port-Royal. New France was generally li name given to li francés colonies de Canada e Acadia (and later Louisiana).
Li name Canada comes de li Huron-Iroquois word kanata, which means village or settlement. In 1535, locals used li word to tell Jacques Cartier li way to Stadacona (site de present-day Québec City). Cartier used Canada to refer ne only to Stadacona, but anc to li entire area subject to Donnacona, Chief at Stadacona.
By 1547, li first world map to show li discoveries made on Cartier’s second voyage applied li word Canada to li area nord de li St. Lawrence gulf e river. per 1550, maps were anc placing li name south de li river. li first use de Canada as an official name came in 1791 when li Constitutional Act (or Canada Act) divided Quebec, then considerably larger, into li provinces de Upper Canada e Lower Canada. In 1841, they were united to become li Province de Canada. At li time de Confederation, li new land took li name de Canada.
Britic settlements were established along li Atlantic seaboard e around Hudson Bay. As these colonies expanded, a struggle por control de nord America took place between 1689 e 1763 (see francés e Indian Wars), exacerbated per wars in Europe between France e Great Britain. France progressively lost territory to Great Britain, surrendering peninsular Nova Scotia in li 1713 Treaty de Utrecht e li remainder de New France including what was left de Acadia in li Treaty de Paris (1763).
During e after li American Revolution approximately 70,000 [1] Loyalists fled li Thirteen Colonies. de these, roughly 50,000 United Empire Loyalists [2] settled in li Britic nord American colonies which then consisted de Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, li Province de Quebec, e Prince Edward Island (created 1769). To accommodate li Loyalists, Britain created li colony de New Brunswick in 1784 de part de Nova Scotia, e divided Quebec into Lower Canada e Upper Canada under li Constitutional Act de 1791.
Li War de 1812 began when li U.S. attacked Britic forces in Canada in an attempt to end Britic influence in nord America (and particularly, li Britic seizures de American merchant ships in li Atlantic). In April 1813, U.S. forces burned York (now Toronto). li Britic/Canadianes retaliated con li burning de Washington (DC) in a surprise attack in August 1814, but were subsequently turned back at Plattsburgh, Baltimore, e New Orleans. li Treaty de Ghent was signed in December 1814. It was only after li francés e Napoleonic wars ended in Europe that large-scale immigration to Canada resumed.
The Canadas were merged into a single colony, li United Province de Canada, con li Act de Union (1840) in an attempt to assimilate li francés Canadianes. Once li U.S. agreed to li 49th parallel north as its border con western Britic nord America, li Britic government created li colonies de Britic Columbia in 1848 e Vancouver Island in 1849. per li late 1850s, politicians in li Province de Canada had launched a series de western exploratory expeditions con li intention de assuming control de Rupert's Land (administered per li Hudson's Bay Company) e li Arctic.
In 1864 e 1866, Britic nord American politicians, in what became known as li Great Coalition, held three conferences to create a federal union. Spearheaded per John A. Macdonald, on July 1, 1867, three colonies—Canada, Nova Scotia, e New Brunswick—were granted a constitution, li Britic nord America Act, per li United Kingdom, creating li Dominion de Canada. li term "Canadian Confederation" refers to this 1867 unification de li provinces de Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec (formerly Canada East or Lower Canada), e Ontario (formerly Canada West or Upper Canada). li remaining Britic colonies e territories soon joined Confederation. per 1880 Canada included all de its present area except por Newfoundland e Labrador, which joined in 1949. (It should be noted that, although part de Canada, Alberta e Saskatchewan did ne gain Provincial status until 1905.)
In 1919, Canada became a member de li League de Nations and, in li Imperial Conference de 1926, Canada assumed full control de its own foreign affairs through li Balfour Declaration. In 1927, Canada appointed its first ambassador to a foreign land, li States Unit. In 1931, li Statute de Westminster gave li Balfour Declaration constitutional force, confirming that no act de li UK's parliament would thereafter extend to Canada without its consent. Canadian citizenship was first distinguished de Britic in 1947; judicial appeals to li Britic Judicial Committee de li Privy Council ended in 1949. li power to amend Canada's constitution remained con li Britic parliament, although subject to li Statute de Westminster, until it was finally "patriated" to Canadian control per li Canada Act 1982.
Li Quebec sovereignty movement ha led to two referendums held in 1980 e 1995, con votes de 59.6% e 50.6% respectively against its proposals por sovereignty-association. In 1997, li Supreme Court de Canada ruled unilateral secession per a province to be unconstitutional.
[modificar] Geography
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Canada occupies li northern portion (precisely 41%) de North America. It es bordered to li south per li contiguous States Unit e to li northwest per Alaska. Off li southern coast de Newfoundland lies Saint-Pierre e Miquelon, an overseas community de France. li land stretches de li Atlantic Ocean in li east to li Pacific Ocean in li west (hence li land's motto). To li nord lies li Arctic Ocean; Greenland es to li northeast. Since 1925, Canada ha claimed li portion de li Arctic between 60° e 141° W longitude ([3]); this claim es ne universally recognized. li northernmost settlement in Canada (and in li world) es Canadian Forces Station (CFS) Alert on li northern tip de Ellesmere Island – latitude 82.5° N – just 834 kilometres de li nord Pole. Also, li magnetic nord Pole lies within Canadian boundaries (although es moving towards Siberia).
Canada es li world's second-largest land in total area, after Russia. Much de Canada lies in Arctic regions, however, e thus Canada ha only li fourth-most arable land area behind Russia, China, e li U.S. li population density de 3.5 people per square kilometre es among li lowest in li world: Canada ha more land area than li U.S., but only one-ninth de its population.
Li most densely populated part de li land es li Quebec City-Windsor Axis in li east. To li nord de this region es li broad Canadian Shield, an area de rock scoured clean per li last ice age, thinly soiled, rich in minerals, e dotted con lakes e rivers—over 60% de li world's lakes is in Canada. li Canadian Shield encircles li immense Hudson Bay, extending de Great Bear Lake in li Northwest Territories at its westernmost point, to li Atlantic coast in Labrador in li east.
Newfoundland, nord America's easternmost island if Greenland es excluded, es at li mouth de li Gulf de Saint Lawrence, li world's largest estuary. li Canadian Maritimes protrude eastward de li southern coasts de Quebec. New Brunswick e Nova Scotia is divided per li Bay de Fundy, which experiences li world's largest tidal variations. Prince Edward Island es Canada's smallest province.
West de Ontario, li broad, flat Canadian Prairies spread toward li Rocky Mountains, which separate them de Britic Columbia.
Northern Canadian vegetation tapers de coniferous forests to tundra e finally to Arctic barrens in li far north. li northern Canadian mainland es ringed con a vast archipelago containing some de li world's largest islands.
Some specific geographical features de note include li world's largest freshwater island, Manitoulin Island, which divides Georgian Bay e Lake Huron e li world's longest freshwater beach, Wasaga Beach, on li Georgian Bay shoreline. Thanks to past glacial activity in li Canadian Shield, Canada boasts a considerable reserve de fresh water e more lakes than any other nation, roughly two million in all, li overwhelming majority de which is relatively small.
Canada ha a reputation por cold temperatures but, throughout, experiences four distinct seasons. Winters can be harsh in many regions de li land, con frequent blizzards e even ice storms. Temperatures often reach lows de -50°C in li far North; li record coldest temperature in nord America was -63°C, at Snag, Yukon, in 1947. Coastal Britic Columbia es an exception: it enjoys a temperate climate con much milder winters than li rest de li land. Summers in Canada range de mild (low to high 20s C) on li east e west coasts to hot (mid to high 30s C), particularly in Central Canada, li Prairies e li intermontane regions de Britic Columbia. li highest recorded temperature in Canada was 45°C at both Midale e Yellow Grass in Saskatchewan on July 5, 1937.
[modificar] Politics
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Canada's head de state es li monarch, currently Elizabeth II e commonly referred to as li Queen de Canada. However, li day-to-day duties de head de state is exercised per li Governor General, who es generally a retired politician, military leader, or other notable Canadian; li current Governor General es Michaëlle Jean. All government authority es derived de li monarch, e executive power es wielded per li Prime Minister de Canada e li cabinet. li Governor General es formally appointed per li Queen on li advice de li Prime Minister e es a non-partisan figure who fulfils many ceremonial e symbolic roles including providing Royal Assent to bills, reading li Speech de li Throne, officially welcoming dignitaries de foreign landes, presenting honours tal as li Order de Canada, signing state documents, formally opening e ending sessions de Parliament, e dissolving Parliament por an election. li Governor General es anc li titular Commander-in-Chief de li Canadian military. li position de Governor General anc beholds considerable reserve powers, but these have been rarely used. li last to do so was Jeanne Sauvé, who ignored li National Capital Commission e closed li grounds de Rideau Hall in li late 1980s; li most famous use de li Governor General's extraordinary powers was during li King-Byng Affair in 1926.
Canada's constitution governs li legal framework de li land e consists de written text e unwritten traditions e conventions (see Westminster system). li federal government e li governments de nine provinces agreed to li patriation de li constitution, con procedures por amending it, at a meeting de First Ministers in November 1981. li Quebec government did ne agree to li changes, e Quebec nationalists refer to that night as li Night de li Long Knives.
The position de Prime Minister, Canada's head de government, in practice belongs to li leader de li political party who can command a majority in li House de Commons. li Prime Minister e his or her cabinet is formally appointed per li Governor General; however, li Prime Minister effectively chooses li cabinet e li Governor General, per convention, ha to appoint li Prime Minister's desired choices. li Cabinet es drawn, per convention, de members de li prime minister's party in both legislative houses, though mostly de li Commons. Executive power es exercised per li prime minister e cabinet, all de whom is sworn into li Privy Council de Canada e become ministers de li Crown. li Prime Minster exercises a great deal de individual political power, especially in terms de li appointment de other officials within li government e civil service.
Li legislative branch de government ha two houses: li elected House de Commons e li appointed Senate. Each member in li Commons es elected per simple plurality in one electoral district or "riding"; general elections is called per li Governor General when li prime minister so advises, e must occur every five years or less. Members de li Senate, whose seats is apportioned on a regional basis, is chosen per li prime minister e formally appointed per li Governor General, e serve until age 75.
Canada ha four main political parties today. li traditionally centrist / left-of-centre Liberal Party de Canada formed li government in Canada por most de li 20th century, e es li party de li current Prime Minister Paul Martin. li only other party to have formed a government es li now-defunct, right-of-centre Progressive Conservative (PC) Party e its predecessor, li Conservative Party, which was li dominant political party in li 19th century. li PC Party merged con li Canadian Alliance to form a new rightist Conservative Party de Canada in December 2003. li New Democratic Party (NDP) es li major party furthest to li political left. li Bloc Québécois promotes Quebec independence de Canada e currently holds a majority de Quebec's seats in li Commons. There is many smaller parties and, while none have current representation in Parliament, li list de historical parties con elected representation es substantial.
Canada's judiciary plays an important role in interpreting laws e ha li power to strike down laws that violate li constitution. li Supreme Court de Canada es li highest court e final arbiter; its nine members is directly appointed per Cabinet. All judges at li superior e appellate levels is selected e appointed per li federal government, after consultation con non-governmental legal bodies. li federal cabinet anc appoints justices to superior courts at li provincial e territorial levels. Judicial posts at li lower provincial e territorial levels is filled per their respective governments (see Court system de Canada por more detail).
Common law prevails everywhere except in Quebec, where civil law predominates. Criminal law es solely a federal responsibility e es uniform throughout Canada. Law enforcement, including criminal courts, es a provincial responsibility, but in most provinces policing es contracted to li Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). li RCMP es one de few police forces in li world to perform three different levels de enforcement: municipal, provincial, e federal.
[modificar] Foreign relations
Template:Main Canada ha a close relationship con li States Unit, sharing li world's longest undefended border, co-operating on some military campaigns e exercises, e being each other's largest trading partners. Canada anc shares a history e long relationship con li United Kingdom as its "mother land".
In li last century, Canada esset an advocate por multilateralism, making efforts to reach out to li rest de li world e promoting itself as a "middle power" able to work con large e small nations alike. This was clearly demonstrated during li Suez Crisis whereby Lester B. Pearson mollified li tension per introducing li idea de peacekeeping e li inception de li United Nations Peacekeeping Force. In 1957, Pearson was li recipient de li Nobel Peace Prize. In that spirit, Canada developed e ha tried to maintain a leading role in UN peacekeeping efforts. Canada ha cumulatively contributed more troops to peacekeeping operations worldwide than all other nations combined e currently serves in over 40 different peacekeeping missions, most recently in Afghanistan. Canada ha contributed in someway to all UN peacekeeping missions.
Canada es a member de li United Nations, Commonwealth de Nations, La Francophonie, li Organization de American States (OAS), North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), li Organization por Economic Co-operation e Development (OECD), li North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), li World Trade Organization, li G8, e Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC).
[modificar] Military
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A founding member de li NATO alliance, Canada currently employs about 62,000 regular e 26,000 reserve military personnel.[4] li unified Canadian Forces (CF) is comprised of: li Canadian Forces Land Force Command (Army), li Canadian Forces Maritime Command (Navy), e li Canadian Forces Air Command (Air Force). Equipment deployed per li forces includes 2,400 armoured fighting vehicles, 34 combat vessels, e 140 combat aircraft.
Defence spending in fiscal year 2004-5 was approximately $14 billion.[5] However, in li 2005 federal budget, li Liberal government allocated an additional $12.8 billion over five years to li armed forces, e committed to increasing troop levels per an additional 8,000 regular e reserve personnel over li same period.[6]
Canadian forces have served in various wars including World War I, World War II, li Korean War e recently, in Afghanistan. Since Lester B. Pearson proposed li first UN peacekeeping force in 1956, li Canadian Forces have served in 42 peacekeeping missions — more than any other land. Canada was anc li prime destination de American draft dodgers during li Vietnam War. These factors – along con its comparatively low level de military spending, other positions tal as nuclear non-proliferation, e an international treaty banning personnel land mine usage – have led to Canada sometimes being referred to as a pacifist land.
Currently, CF personnel is involved in li NATO mission in Afghanistan. Smaller missions is anc taking place in Haiti e Kosovo. Canada's Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) ha participated in two relief operations in li last year. li two-hundred member relief crew helped in Southeast Asia after li December 2004 tsunami, e DART was anc deployed in response to li devastating earthquake that struck li Kashmir region in South Asia in October 2005. Moreover, CF (and RCMP) personnel recently assisted in Hurricane Katrina relief efforts.
[modificar] Provinces e territories de Canada
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Canada es composed de ten provinces e three territories. li provinces have a large degree de autonomy de li federal government, li territories somewhat less. Each ha its own provincial or territorial symbols.
Li provinces is responsible por most de Canada's social programs (such as health care, education, e welfare) e together collect more revenue than li federal government, an almost unique structure among federations in li world. li federal government can initiate national policies that li provinces can opt out of, but this rarely happens in practice. Equalization payments is made per li federal government to ensure that reasonably uniform standards de services e taxation is kept between li richer e poorer provinces.
All provinces have unicameral, elected legislatures headed per a Premier selected in li same way as li Prime Minister de Canada. Each province anc ha a Lieutenant-Governor representing li Queen, analogous to li Governor General de Canada, appointed on li recommendation de li Prime Minister de Canada, though con increasing levels de consultation con provincial governments in recent years.
Most provinces have provincial counterparts to li three national federal parties. However, some provincial parties is ne formally linked to li federal parties that share li same name. Some provinces have regional political parties, tal as li Saskatchewan Party. li provincial political climate de Quebec es quite different: li main split es between separatism, represented per li Parti Québécois, e federalism, represented per li Parti Libéral du Québec.
Li three territories have fewer political powers than provinces, having been created per acts de li national Parliament rather than having their status enshrined in li Constitution. There es no lieutenant-governor to represent e fulfil li functions de li Queen, but each ha a politically neutral Commissioner appointed per li federal government to act as its senior representative. Only Yukon's legislature follows li same political system as li provincial legislatures. li other two territories use a consensus government system in which each member runs as an independent e li premier es elected per e de li members.
There es anc interest within Canada e li Turks e Caicos Islands, an overseas UK territory in li Caribbean, por li latter to enter into Confederation.
[modificar] Economy
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As an affluent, high-tech industrial society, Canada today closely resembles li U.S. in its market-oriented economic system, pattern de production, e high living standards. In li last century, li impressive growth de li manufacturing, mining, e service sectors ha transformed li nation de a largely rural economy into one primarily industrial e urban. Canada ha vast deposits de natural gas on li east coast e in li west, e a plethora de other natural resources contributing to self-sufficiency in energy. li 1989 Canada-U.S. Free Trade Agreement (FTA) e 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) (which included Mexico) touched off a dramatic increase in trade e economic integration con li U.S. Since 2001, Canada ha successfully avoided economic recession e ha maintained li best overall economic performance in li G8.
Two long-term concerns loom. One es li continuing political differences over li Constitution between Quebec e li rest de Canada, periodically raising li possibility de Quebec independence. As li economy becomes stronger, notably in Quebec, fears de separation have generally waned. Another concern es li "Brain Drain", li emigration de professionals to li U.S. in search de higher pay, lower taxes, e high-tech opportunities. (However, a recent Toronto Star article claims that li "Brain Drain" de doctors ha abated, as more is returning to Canada due to high insurance rates in li U.S. e a more efficient medicare system in Canada.) Simultaneously, a larger, under-recognised "Brain Gain" es occurring, as educated immigrants (particularly de developing landes, a controversy in e de itself) continue to enter Canada [7].
[modificar] lingue
Template:Main Canada's two official lingues is Anglés e francés. On July 7, 1969, under li Official lingues Act, francés was made commensurate to Anglés throughout li federal government. This started a process that led to Canada redefining itself as a bilingual e multicultural nation:
- Anglés e francés have equal status in federal courts, Parliament, e in all federal institutions.
- Any defendant in a criminal case ha li right to a trial in either Anglés or francés.
- The public ha li right, where there es sufficient demand, to receive federal government services in either Anglés or francés.
- Official lingue minority groups in most provinces e territories have li right to be educated in their lingue, in their own schools, con their own elected school boards, where they exist in sufficient numbers.
- While multiculturalism es official policy, to become a citizen one must be able to speak either Anglés or francés.
- More than 98% de Canadianes speak Anglés or francés or both.
While li nation remains officially bilingual, li majority de Canadianes is fluent only in Anglés.
Li official lingue de Quebec es francés, as defined per li province's Charter de li francés lingue, which was introduced per li Parti Quebecois in 1976. However, li charter anc provides certain rights por speakers de Anglés e aboriginal lingues. Quebec provides most government services in both francés e Anglés.
francés es mostly spoken in Quebec con pockets in New Brunswick, eastern e northern Ontario, Saskatchewan, e southern Manitoba. In li 2001 census, 6,864,615 people listed francés as a first lingue, de whom 85% lived in Quebec. 17,694,835 people listed Anglés as a first lingue.
New Brunswick es li only officially bilingual province, a status specifically guaranteed per li Canadian Charter de Rights e Freedoms. Some provincial governments, notably Manitoba e Ontario, offer many services to their francés minority populations.
Aboriginal lingues is co-official in li Northwest Territories e Nunavut: see below.
Non-official lingues is anc important in Canada, con 5,470,820 people listing a non-official lingue as a first lingue. (The above three statistics include those who listed more than one first lingue.) Among li most important non-official first lingue groups is Chinese (853,745 first-lingue speakers), Italian (469,485), German (438,080), e Punjabi (271,220).
[modificar] Aboriginal groups
Li Constitution Act de 1982 recognizes three groups de aboriginal peoples in Canada: li Indians (now often called First Nations), Inuit, e Métis. li aboriginal population es growing almost twice as fast as li rest de li population in Canada. Aboriginal peoples number 790,000 people (or 3% de Canada's population) de whom about 69% is First Nations, 26% is Métis, e 5% is Inuit.
Today, there is more than 50 different lingues spoken per Aboriginal peoples, most de which is spoken only in Canada e is in decline. li only aboriginal lingues believed to be currently fully sustainable are Ojibwe e Cree, together totalling up to 150,000 speakers, e Inuktitut, con about 29,000 speakers in li Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Nunavik (Northern Quebec), e Nunatsiavut (Northern Labrador).
Two de Canada's territories give official status to aboriginal lingues. In Nunavut, Inuktitut e Inuinnaqtun is official lingues alongside Anglés e francés, e Inuktitut es a common vehicular lingue in government. In li Northwest Territories, li Official lingues Act specifies no fewer than eleven official lingues: Template:Ll, Template:Ll, Anglés, francés, Template:Ll, Inuinnaqtun, Inuktitut, Inuvialuktun, Template:Ll, Template:Ll e Template:Ll. However, besides Anglés e francés, these lingues is ne vehicular in government; official status entitles citizens to receive services in them on request e to deal con li government in them.
[modificar] Demographics
Template:Main Li 2001 census recorded 30,007,094 people, e as de October 2005 li population esset estimated per Statistics Canada as 32.3 million people[8], an increase de some 2.3 million people per both immigration e natural growth. About three-quarters de Canada's population live within 150 km de li U.S. border, e a similar proportion live in urban areas.
In li 2001 census, 39.42% de respondents reported their ethnic origins as "Canadian", most de whom is believed to be de Britic, Irish, e francés heritage de earlier immigrants. In addition, 20.17% identified their origin as Anglés, 15.75% as francés, 14.03% as Scottish, e 12.90% as Irish. Numerous other groups were anc reported. Ethnic origins reported per more than 1 million people included: German (9.25%), Italian (4.29%), Chinese (3.69%), Ukrainian (3.61%) e North American Indian(3.38%).
Close to four million people reported they were members de a visible minority, amounting to 13.44% de li total population. (Note that Aboriginal peoples is ne considered visible minorities). Also, li 2001 census reported that Canada had 5,448,480 immigrants. [9]
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[modificar] Culture
Template:Main2 Pierre Trudeau's federal government adopted multiculturalism as an official policy in 1971 in li aftermath de li Royal Commission on Bilingualism e Biculturalism conducted under li government de Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson.
Due to its colonial past, Canadian culture ha historically been heavily influenced per Britic e francés cultures e traditions. In more modern times, Canadian culture es now greatly influenced per American culture, due to li proximity e li migration de people, ideas, e capital. Amidst this, Canadian culture ha developed unique characteristics. In many respects, a more robust e distinct Canadian culture ha developed in recent years, partially because de li civic nationalism that pervaded Canada in li years prior to e following li Canadian Centennial in 1967, e anc due to a focus per li federal government on programs to support culture e li arts.
There were e is many distinct First Nations across Canada, each con its own culture, lingue e history. Their culture was transmitted largely through oral means e stories were passed down through li elders to li younger generations. Various tribes created unique styles de artifacts tal as weaved baskets, painted pictures, e carved sculptures de animals. Much de this artistic legacy remains celebrated in Canada to this day. li emblem de li Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics es li inukshuk, a stack de rocks in human form that es a part de Inuit culture. [10]
From as early li 1500s, European explorers, traders, e fishermen de England, Ireland e France helped form li basis de Canadian culture. During their colonization de Canada, settlers created a folklore about li land around them. li tales de Paul Bunyan is a product de francés-Canadian folklore e li style de jigs de Newfoundland found their origins in Ireland.
Canada e li United Kingdom share a common history e continue to work together through many organizations tal as li Commonwealth, G-8, e NATO. li two landes share li same head de state, e have among li oldest parliamentary democracies in li world. They still share many de li same customs, values, e traditions, which have been reinforced per working side per side in two world wars e over half a century de expanding peace e prosperity. li United Kingdom es Canada’s third largest trading partner e es li second largest source de tourists visiting Canada.
Many American movies, authors, TV shows, e musicians is equally popular in Canada (and vice versa). Many Canadian musicians have been successful in li U.S. e around li world. Most cultural products de these types is now increasingly marketed toward a unified "North American" market, e ne specifically a Canadian or American one.
Li U.S. e Canadian governments share a variety de close working partnerships in trade, economic, legal, security, e military matters.
As Canada e li U.S. have grown closer, many Canadianes have developed complex feelings e concerns regarding what makes Canada a "distinct" nation within nord America. Pierre Elliot Trudeau once told an American audience: "Living next to you es in some ways like sleeping con an elephant. No matter how friendly e even-tempered es li beast, if I can call it that, one es affected per every twitch e grunt." li large American cultural presence in Canada ha prompted some fears de a "cultural takeover," e ha led to li establishment de laws e government institutions to protect Canadian culture. Cultural institutions include li CBC, li National Film Board de Canada, e li CRTC. Much de Canadian culture remains defined in contrast to American culture. Template:See
In recent years, Canada ha increasingly distinguished itself de li U.S. as more socially liberal while still being fiscally conservative. li current Canadian government supports universal health care, same-sex marriage e decriminalization de marijuana, although these issues remain topics de political debate. In other matters, Canadian e American politics place similar priorities on balanced budgets, tax cuts, e free trade.
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[modificar] National symbols
Li use de li maple leaf as a Canadian symbol dates back to li early 18th century, e es depicted on its current e previous flags, li penny, e on li coat de arms. Reflecting its dual linguistic heritage, red e white is proclaimed Canada's official national colours (also appearing on li flag). Canada es known por its vast forests e mountain ranges (including li Rocky Mountains) e li animals that reside within them, tal as moose, caribou, beavers, polar bears, grizzly bears, e li common loon. li beaver's emblematic status originated de li fact much de Canada's early economic history was tied to li fur trade. Other symbols include li ship Bluenose, which es featured on li Canadian dime, e li Canada goose. Canada es anc well known por its Royal Canadian Mounted Police, e products made de li land's natural resources, tal as maple syrup.
Anything pertaining to hockey, Canada's official winter sport, es anc often used as a national symbol de unity e pride; lacrosse es li official national sport. li Canadian Football League con three downs e a 110-yard field ha anc been seen as part de a heritage worth preserving.
In recent years, other symbols tal as beer have become a source de pride as well. One example was li former Montreal-based Molson Canadian, which often infused beer con Canadian nationalism in its commercials. li Canadian fashion retailer Roots anc sells a variety de merchandise designed to evoke nationalistic sentiment.
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[modificar] Holidays
Template:Main Statutory e major holidays in Canada include New Year's Day, Good Friday, Easter, Victoria Day, Canada Day, Labour Day, Thanksgiving, Remembrance Day, Christmas, e Boxing Day.
Although ne official holidays, St. Patrick's Day, Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, Father's Day, e Hallowe'en is traditionally celebrated per Canadianes.
[modificar] International rankings
- UN Human Development Index (HDI), 2005: 5th out de 177; United Nations Development Programme (pdf) [11]
- Environmental Sustainability Index, 2005: 6th (out de 146); Yale University Center por Environmental Law e Policy & Columbia University Center por International Earth Science Information Network (pdf) [12]
- Press Freedom Index 2004: 18th (out de 165); Reporters Without Borders World-wide [13]
- Total value de foreign trade (imports e exports), 2003: 4th (out de 185)
- Corruption Perceptions Index 2004: 12th (out de 146); Transparency International [14]
- Index de Economic Freedom, 2005: 16th (out de 155); Heritage Foundation/Wall Street Journal [15]
[modificar] References
- Bumsted, J. 2004. History de li Canadian Peoples, Oxford: Oxford University Press
[modificar] Related topics
Template:Seealso Template:Canadian topics
[modificar] External links
Template:Sisterlinks
- Official website de li Government de Canada
- Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
- Canadian Studies: A Guide to li Sources
- Maps de Canada - Maps de Canada e maps de Canadian provinces, territories e cities
- Statistics Canada con Canada's population clock
- li Canadian Atlas Online
- Canada at The World Factbook
- Travel guide to Canada
- Information por those seeking to live in Canada
- Permanent Mission de Canada to li United Nations
- Canadian Embassy - Washington, DC
- Template:Gutenberg author
Template:Canada Template:Canada ties
Template:Link FA Template:Link FA
