Canada Info

Information on this page is collected from different sources, some own stuff is added. However, there is no guarantee for correctness or information being up-to-date. This collection is meant as a very brief overview to give a feeling for the country.

With an Area of 9,975,000 kmē and a Population of approximately 31 Million people Canada is the world's second-largest country. On the other hand it is quite uncrowded with persons of 40 % British Descent, 25% French descent, 3% German descent as well as aboriginal peoples (4%) plus minorities of Italian, Ukrainian, Dutch, Greek, Polish and Chinese descent. 90% of the countries' population crowds at the southern borders to USA. The Westside is bordered by the Pacific, the Eastside by the Atlantic Ocean. The Extension is 7700km East to West and 4600km North to South.

325000 inhabitants are living in the Capital city Ottawa (Ontario).
English, French and some 53 native Languages are used in the country, where Catholic and Protestant Religion are dominating besides most all other world's major religions. Quebec as the French language quarter (not really French - Quebecoise) and New Brunswick as the only officially bilingual area are distinguishing - not only in the language - from the rest of the English speaking provinces. Quebec therefore would like sovereignty in an association with the rest of the country.




Wood and paper industry, food products (with a huge share in fish products and wheat crop), transportation equipment, processed and unprocessed minerals, petroleum and natural gas and chemicals are the major products of Canada.

Due to the multi-cultural society, containing cultures with a basis from the Bristish and French majority, but also including all European, Asian, Latin-Amerikan, aboriginal as well as US American elements, plus the nature ranging from desert via lakes, forest, mountains to glaciers, from wilderness to Million inhabitants cities, creates a really three-dimensional country offering ways more than just maple-sirup and logging.

In addition to maple syrup from the sugar-maple trees, Canada can offer a wide range of food, nothing really typical "Canadian" though, due to the influence from so many different nations you can find Chinese, Indian, Greek or Italian cuisine. Seafood can be recommended of course at any of the coasts as delicious and not too expensive. The influence from USA can't be overlooked: Kentucky Fried Chicken, Mac Donalds and Dairy Queens are always welcoming for a fast snack.


Eight vegetation zones cover the country.
Native fauna contains species like Black, Grizzly and Polar bears, beaver, coyote, racoons, wolf, lynx, cougar, elk, moose, caribou and hundreds of different birds.
The flora is dominated by forests including Douglas firs, western red cedar and sugar maple ("THE" symbol of Canada!).

The Northern parts are dominated by the Canadian shield (glaciers and rock) and far up North frozen tundra. The coast lines East and West are quite wet (indicated e.g. by the tempered rain forests on Vancouver Island), the winters are providing average January temperatures of -18°C in huge parts of the country.

This tremendous potential of Nature is partly taken account of by 37 national parks and over 100 national historic parks. 12 areas are one the UN World Heritage list.




Some history in short form ?

Ancient times Asian tribes come across Bering Strait
~ 1000 AD Vikings try to settle in Newfoundland; Indian tribes have developed a multitude of cultures
1534 The French Jacques Cartier makes first claim on the area around St Lawrence River
Early 1600s The French Samuel de Champlain founds Quebec City
1663 Canada becomes province of France, inhabiting 3000 French settlers
1670 British people found the Hudson's Bay Company to compete in fur trading with the French, becoming a peaceful coexistence
1745 Bristish troops capture a French Fort in Novo Scotia - the fight begins
1759 The turning point of the seven years war was enterted when the British defeated the French at Quebec City
1763 France hands over Canada to Britain at the Treaty of Paris.
1775-1783 50000 British Loyalists from USA migrate after the end of the American Revolution
1867 Britain proclaims the British North America Act establishing the Dominion of Canada (Canada's equivalent to constitution)
1885 The Canadian Pacific Railway is completed opening the way from Canada's East to the West
1912 All provinces are part of the central government (except Newfoundland, who joined 1949)
1931 Canada becomes voluntarily member of the Commonwealth.
Worldwar II Canada fights with Britain against Germany and enters into defence agreements with USA
After Worldwar II Wave of European immigration; Economic expansion and prosperity
1960s Social upheavals showed problems between English-speaking Canada and French-speaking Quebec
1967 100th anniversary and the world fair Expo in Montreal
1975- Land rights agreements are signed with the native people giving them control over big areas of the Northern parts (Nunavut)
1995 In the vote about separatism of French speaking Quebec the result was very close to break up Canada

Interesting Links:
Parks Canada: http://www.parkscanada.pch.gc.ca/