CANADA
The second largest country in the world occupies the whole of northern part of North America except Alaska and many islands. It neighbours with the USA. Great Lakes Area is the largest area of fresh water in the world. Canada has large mountains and long rivers for example Yukon, Mackenzie etc.
Canada’s population is about 28 millions inhabitants and the density is one of the lowest. Major part of Canadians lives in large urban centres. Sixty per cent of population speak English, about thirty per cent speak French, the rest are the other languages. The name Canada comes from the original inhabitants. Indians used the word “kanata” which means “village”. There is a high life expectancy.
The first Europeans in Canada were the Vikings who discovered Canada more than a thousand years ago but the first real exploration took place only after fifteen-thirty-four when the Gulf of St. Lawrence was discovered. Since the sixteenth century large territories were occupied by French but France lost this country in frequent wars with England.
Canada has a lot of natural resources. The main mining province is Alberta. There are many industries centres, for example Hamilton, Sydney, Chatham, Oshawa, Montreal and Toronto. Almost half the land area of Canada is covered by forests. Canada is the world’s fifth largest producer of wheat and the second largest exporter of wheat. Valid currency is Canadian dollar.
It is an independent federal parliamentary system with Queen Elizabeth the second as the head of state. She is represented in Canada by the governor-general. Federal parliament consists of two houses. The house of Commons and The Senate. The leading figure in political life is the Prime Minister. Canada is divided into ten provinces and two territories. The capital of Canada is Ottawa. The biggest city is Toronto. Other large cities are Montreal, Vancouver, Edmonton, Quebec etc. Canada has its own national flag since nineteen-sixty-four. It is red and in the centre there is a white square with a simple red maple leaf.