Canada occupies a major northern portion of North America, sharing land borders with
the contiguous United States to the south (the longest border between two countries in the world)
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.
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Greenland is to the northeast,
while Saint Pierre and Miquelon is south of Newfoundland. By total area (including its waters),
Canada is the second-largest country in the world, after Russia. By land area alone, Canada ranks
fourth.
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The country lies between latitudes 41 and 84N, and longitudes 52 and 141W.
A satellite composite image of Canada.Boreal forests prevail on the rockyCanadian Shield, while ice
and tundra are prominent in the Arctic. Glaciers are visible in the Canadian Rockies and Coast Mountains. The
flat and fertile prairiesfacilitate agriculture. The Great Lakes feed the St. Lawrence River in the southeast,
where lowlands host much of Canada's population.
Since 1925, Canada has claimed the portion of the Arctic between60 and 141W longitude,
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but
this claim is not universally recognized. Canada is home to the world's northernmost
settlement,Canadian Forces Station Alert, on the northern tip of Ellesmere Island latitude 82.5N
which lies 817 kilometres (508 mi) from the North Pole.
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Much of the Canadian Arctic is covered by
ice andpermafrost. Canada has the longest coastline in the world, with a total length of 202,080
kilometres (125,570 mi);
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additionally, its border with the United States is the world's longest land
border, stretching 8,891 kilometres (5,525 mi).
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Since the end of the last glacial period, Canada has consisted of eight distinct forest regions,
including extensive boreal forest on the Canadian Shield.
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Canada has around 31,700 large
lakes,
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more than any other country, containing much of the world's fresh water.
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There are also
fresh-water glaciers in the Canadian Rockies and the Coast Mountains. Canada is geologically
active, having many earthquakes and potentially active volcanoes, notablyMount Meager, Mount
Garibaldi, Mount Cayley, and the Mount Edziza volcanic complex.
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The volcanic eruption of
the Tseax Cone in 1775 was among Canada's worst natural disasters, killing 2,000 Nisga'a
people and destroying their village in the Nass River valley of northern British Columbia. The
eruption produced a 22.5-kilometre (14.0 mi) lava flow, and, according to Nisga'a legend, blocked
the flow of the Nass River.
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Canada's population density, at 3.3 inhabitants per square kilometre
(8.5 /sq mi), is among the lowest in the world. The most densely populated part of the country is
the Quebec City Windsor Corridor, situated in Southern Quebec andSouthern Ontario along the
Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River.
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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.
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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 (104 F).
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Government and politics
Main articles: Government of Canada and Politics of Canada
Parliament Hill in Canada's capital city, Ottawa
Canada has a parliamentary system within the context of a constitutional monarchy, the monarchy of
Canada being the foundation of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches.
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The
sovereign is Queen Elizabeth II, who also serves as head of state of 15 other Commonwealth
countries and each of Canada's ten provinces. As such, the Queen's representative, the Governor
General of Canada (at presentDavid Lloyd Johnston), carries out most of the federal royal duties in
Canada.
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The direct participation of the royal and viceroyal figures in areas of governance is limited.
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In
practice, their use of the executive powers is directed by the Cabinet, a committee of ministers of the
Crownresponsible to the elected House of Commons and chosen and headed by the Prime Minister
of Canada (at present Stephen Harper),
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the head of government. The governor general or
monarch may, though, in certain crisis situations exercise their power without
ministerial advice.
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To ensure the stability of government, the governor general will usually appoint
as prime minister the person who is the current leader of the political party that can obtain the
confidence of a plurality in the House of Commons.
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The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) is thus
one of the most powerful institutions in government, initiating most legislation for parliamentary
approval and selecting for appointment by the Crown, besides the aforementioned, the governor
general, lieutenant governors, senators, federal court judges, and heads of Crown corporations and
government agencies.
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The leader of the party with the second-most seats usually becomes
the Leader of Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition (presentlyThomas Mulcair) and is part of an
adversarial parliamentary system intended to keep the government in check.
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