Etymology and Early History
– The name ‘Canada’ is derived from the St. Lawrence Iroquoian word ‘kanata,’ meaning village or settlement.
– In 1535, Indigenous inhabitants used the word to direct French explorer Jacques Cartier to the village of Stadacona.
– European books and maps began referring to the region along the Saint Lawrence River as ‘Canada’ by 1545.
– In 1791, the area became two British colonies called Upper Canada and Lower Canada.
– Upon Confederation in 1867, ‘Canada’ was adopted as the legal name for the new country.
– Canada has a rich history, with Indigenous peoples inhabiting the land for thousands of years.
– European exploration and settlement began in the 16th century.
– Canada was formed as a federal dominion of four provinces in 1867.
– The country gained increasing autonomy from the United Kingdom, culminating in the Canada Act 1982.
Indigenous Peoples
– Indigenous peoples in present-day Canada include the First Nations, Inuit, and Métis.
– They have a long history, with some cultures collapsing before European contact.
– The Indigenous population at the time of European settlements is estimated to have been between 200,000 and two million.
– The Indigenous population declined due to European diseases, conflicts, and loss of lands.
– Early interactions between European Canadians and Indigenous peoples were relatively peaceful.
Geography
– Canada is the second-largest country in the world by total area.
– It has the world’s longest coastline and the longest international land border with the United States.
– The country is characterized by a wide range of meteorologic and geological regions.
– The majority of the population resides in urban areas, with the three largest metropolitan areas being Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver.
– Ottawa is the capital of Canada.
Economy
– Canada has a high nominal per capita income and an advanced economy.
– It relies on abundant natural resources and well-developed international trade networks.
– The country is recognized as a middle power in international affairs.
– Canada is part of multiple major international and intergovernmental institutions.
– Its peacekeeping role during the 20th century has had a significant influence on its global image.
Historical Events and Contemporary Issues
– Norse explorer Leif Erikson believed to be the first European to explore the east coast of Canada.
– The Royal Proclamation of 1763 established First Nation treaty rights and created the Province of Quebec.
– Canadian Confederation was proclaimed in 1867 with four provinces: Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick.
– Canada automatically entered the First World War when Britain declared war in 1914.
– Canada declared war on Germany in 1939, seven days after the United Kingdom, highlighting its independence.
– Newfoundland joined Canada as a province in 1949 after relinquishing responsible government.
– Canada developed a new identity marked by the adoption of the maple leaf flag in 1965.
– Quebec underwent significant social and economic changes through the Quiet Revolution in the 1960s.
– Canada battled the Islamic State insurgency in Iraq in the mid-2010s.
– Possible graves of Indigenous people were discovered near former residential school sites in 2021.
– Canada is an island with a maritime boundary with France’s overseas collectivity of Saint Pierre and Miquelon to the southeast.
– The country can be divided into seven physiographic regions: the Canadian Shield, the interior plains, the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Lowlands, the Appalachian region, the Western Cordillera, Hudson Bay Lowlands, and the Arctic Archipelago.
– Average winter and summer high temperatures across Canada vary from region to region.
– Canada’s annual average temperature over land has risen by 1.7°C since 1948.
– Canada is divided into 15 terrestrial and five marine ecozones. Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's second-largest country by total area, with the world's longest coastline. Its border with the United States is the world's longest international land border. The country is characterized by a wide range of both meteorologic and geological regions. It is a sparsely inhabited country of 40 million people, the vast majority residing south of the 55th parallel in urban areas. Canada's capital is Ottawa and its three largest metropolitan areas are Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver.
Canada | |
|---|---|
| Motto: A mari usque ad mare (Latin) "From Sea to Sea" | |
| Anthem: "O Canada" | |
 | |
| Capital | Ottawa 45°24′N 75°40′W / 45.400°N 75.667°W |
| Largest city | Toronto |
| Official languages | |
| Demonym(s) | Canadian |
| Government | Federal parliamentary constitutional monarchy |
• Monarch | Charles III |
| Mary Simon | |
| Justin Trudeau | |
| Legislature | Parliament |
| Senate | |
| House of Commons | |
| Independence from the United Kingdom | |
| July 1, 1867 | |
| December 11, 1931 | |
| April 17, 1982 | |
| Area | |
• Total area | 9,984,670 km2 (3,855,100 sq mi) (2nd) |
• Water (%) | 11.76 (2015) |
• Total land area | 9,093,507 km2 (3,511,023 sq mi) |
| Population | |
• 2023 Q4 estimate |  40,528,396 (37th) |
• 2021 census | 36,991,981 |
• Density | 4.2/km2 (10.9/sq mi) (236th) |
| GDP (PPP) | 2023 estimate |
• Total |  $2.379 trillion (16th) |
• Per capita | $59,813 (28th) |
| GDP (nominal) | 2023 estimate |
• Total |  $2.118 trillion (10th) |
• Per capita | $53,247 (18th) |
| Gini (2018) |  30.3medium |
| HDI (2021) | 0.936 very high · 15th |
| Currency | Canadian dollar ($) (CAD) |
| Time zone | UTC−3.5 to −8 |
• Summer (DST) | UTC−2.5 to −7 |
| Date format | yyyy-mm-dd (AD) |
| Calling code | +1 |
| Internet TLD | .ca |
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Indigenous peoples have continuously inhabited what is now Canada for thousands of years. Beginning in the 16th century, British and French expeditions explored and later settled along the Atlantic coast. As a consequence of various armed conflicts, France ceded nearly all of its colonies in North America in 1763. In 1867, with the union of three British North American colonies through Confederation, Canada was formed as a federal dominion of four provinces. This began an accretion of provinces and territories and a process of increasing autonomy from the United Kingdom, highlighted by the Statute of Westminster, 1931, and culminating in the Canada Act 1982, which severed the vestiges of legal dependence on the Parliament of the United Kingdom.
Canada is a parliamentary democracy and a constitutional monarchy in the Westminster tradition. The country's head of government is the prime minister, who holds office by virtue of their ability to command the confidence of the elected House of Commons and is "called upon" by the governor general, representing the monarch of Canada, the head of state. The country is a Commonwealth realm and is officially bilingual (English and French) in the federal jurisdiction. It is very highly ranked in international measurements of government transparency, quality of life, economic competitiveness, innovation, education and gender equality. It is one of the world's most ethnically diverse and multicultural nations, the product of large-scale immigration. Canada's long and complex relationship with the United States has had a significant impact on its history, economy, and culture.
A developed country, Canada has a high nominal per capita income globally and its advanced economy ranks among the largest in the world, relying chiefly upon its abundant natural resources and well-developed international trade networks. Canada is recognized as a middle power for its role in international affairs, with a tendency to pursue multilateral solutions. Canada's peacekeeping role during the 20th century has had a significant influence on its global image. Canada is part of multiple major international and intergovernmental institutions.
