Canadá
Is a country in the northern part of North America? Its ten provinces and three territories
extend from the Atlantic to the Pacific and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering 9.98
million square kilometers (3.85 million square miles), making it the world's second-largest
country by total area and the fourth-largest country by land area. Canada's southern
border with the United States is the world's longest bi-national land border. The majority
of the country has a cold or severely cold winter climate, but southerly areas are warm in
summer. Canada is sparsely populated, the majority of its land territory being dominated
by forest and tundra and the Rocky Mountains. It is highly urbanized with 82 per cent of
the 35.15 million people concentrated in large and medium-sized cities, many near the
southern border. Its capital is Ottawa, and its largest metropolitan areas are Toronto,
Montreal and Vancouver.
Geography and climate
Canada occupies much of the continent of North America, sharing land borders with the
contiguous United States to the south, and the US state of Alaska to the northwest.
Canada stretches from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west; to
the north lies the Arctic Ocean.[100] Greenland is to the northeast. By total area (including
its waters), Canada is the second-largest country in the world, after Russia. By land area
alone, however, Canada ranks fourth, the difference being due to it having the world's
largest proportion of fresh water lakes.
Canada is home to the world's northernmost settlement, Canadian Forces Station Alert, on
the northern tip of Ellesmere Island – latitude 82.5°N – which lies 817 kilometers (508 mi)
from the North Pole. Much of the Canadian Arctic is covered by ice and permafrost.
Canada has the longest coastline in the world, with a total length of 243,042 kilometers
(151,019 mi); additionally, its border with the United States is the world's longest land
border, stretching 8,891 kilometers.
Average winter and summer high temperatures across Canada vary from region to region.
Winters can be harsh in many parts of the country, particularly in the interior and Prairie
provinces, which experience a continental climate, where daily average temperatures are
near −15 °C (5 °F), but can drop below −40 °C (−40 °F) with severe wind chills. In
noncoastal regions, snow can cover the ground for almost six months of the year, while in
parts of the north snow can persist year-round. Coastal British Columbia has a temperate
climate, with a mild and rainy winter. On the east and west coasts, average high
temperatures are generally in the low 20s °C (70s °F), while between the coasts, the
average summer high temperature ranges from 25 to 30 °C (77 to 86 °F), with
temperatures in some interior locations occasionally exceeding 40 °C.
Provinces and territories
Canada is a federation composed of ten provinces and three territories. In turn, these may
be grouped into four main regions: Western Canada, Central Canada, Atlantic Canada, and
Northern Canada (Eastern Canada refers to Central Canada and Atlantic Canada together).
Provinces have more autonomy than territories, having responsibility for social programs
such as health care, education, and welfare. Together, the provinces collect more revenue
than the federal government, an almost unique structure among federations in the world
Religion
Canada is religiously diverse, encompassing a wide range of beliefs and customs. Canada
has no official church, and the government is officially committed to religious pluralism.
Freedom of religion in Canada is a constitutionally protected right, allowing individuals to
assemble and worship without limitation or interference.[262] The practice of religion is
now generally considered a private matter throughout society and the state
Languages
A multitude of languages are used by Canadians, with English and French (the official
languages) being the mother tongues of approximately 60% and 20% of Canadians,
respectively. Nearly 6.8 million Canadians listed a non-official language as their mother
tongue. Some of the most common non-official first languages include Chinese (mainly
Cantonese; 1,072,555 first-language speakers), Punjabi (430,705), Spanish (410,670),
German (409,200), and Italian (407,490).Canada's federal government practices official
bilingualism, which is applied by the Commissioner of Official Languages in consonance
with Section 16 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the Federal Official
Languages Act English and French have equal status in federal courts, parliament, and in
all federal institutions
Symbols
Canada's national symbols are influenced by natural, historical, and indigenous sources.
The use of the maple leaf as a Canadian symbol dates to the early 18th century. The maple
leaf is depicted on Canada's current and previous flags, and on the Arms of Canada. The
Arms of Canada is closely modeled after the royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom with
French and distinctive Canadian elements replacing or added to those derived from the
British version
Literature
Canadian literature is often divided into French- and English-language literatures, which
are rooted in the literary traditions of France and Britain, respectively. There are four
major themes that can be found within historical Canadian literature; nature, frontier life,
Canada's position within the world, all three of which tie into the garrison mentality
Ethnicity
European (76.7%)
Asian (14.2%)
Indigenous (4.3%)
Black (2.9%)
Latin American (1.2%)
Multiracial (0.5%)
Other (0.3%)
