General Information About Canada
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About Canada
Geography
Canada
consists of 10 provinces and three territories in five
main regions: the Atlantic region, Central Canada, the
Prairies, the West Coast and the North. The culture and
population are different in each region.
The Atlantic region
consists of the provinces of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick,
Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador.
Activities such as fishing, farming, forestry, tourism
and mining are important to the Atlantic
economy.
Central Canada consists of the provinces of Ontario and
Quebec. This is the most populated region of the
country. Together, Ontario and Quebec produce more than
three-quarters of all Canadian manufactured
goods.
The Prairies include the provinces of Manitoba,
Saskatchewan and Alberta. Much of the land is flat and
fertile, excellent for farming and rich in energy
resources. In western Alberta, the Prairies end and the
Rocky Mountains begin. The Canadian Rockies include some
of the largest peaks in North America.
On the West Coast, the
province of British Columbia is famous for its mountain
ranges and forests. Natural resources such as lumber and
fish are important to the economy. Fruit farming is also
a major industry, as is tourism.
The North
consists of Canada's three territories: Yukon, the
Northwest Territories and Nunavut. Together, they make
up over one-third of Canada's land mass. Northern
resources include oil, natural gas, gold, lead and
zinc.
Distances
Distances in Canada are measured in kilometres.
Canada is over 7,000 kilometres from east to west. You
would need seven days to drive from Halifax, Nova
Scotia, to Vancouver, British Columbia. By airplane, the
same trip would take about seven hours.
Population
Canada
has about 31 million people. More than 80 percent
of all the people in Canada live in towns and cities
within 250 kilometres of the United States border.
Ottawa is Canada's capital city, with a population of
nearly one million. It is located in the province of
Ontario. Canada's largest cities are Toronto, Ontario
(4.4 million people); Montréal, Quebec
(3.4 million); and Vancouver, British Columbia
(1.9 million).
The Francophone
population
French is the
mother tongue of 6.6 million Canadians. Most Francophones
live in Quebec, but almost one million Francophones live in
Canada's other provinces and territories. About 76 percent of
Francophones living outside Quebec live in Ontario and New
Brunswick. Manitoba, Alberta and British Columbia each have
approximately 50,000 Francophones, while Nova Scotia has
35,000 and Saskatchewan has fewer than 20,000. The areas with
the smallest French-speaking populations are Prince Edward
Island, Newfoundland and Labrador, and the three
territories.
Economy
Canada has a
diversified economy. Natural resources industries, such as
forestry, mining, oil and gas extraction, farming and fishing,
are important sources of jobs and export earnings. Canada is
also a world leader in the fields of telecommunications,
biotechnology, aerospace technologies and pharmaceuticals.
More and more jobs involve work in service industries or in
information technology. Along with the United States and
Mexico, Canada is a partner in the North American Free Trade
Agreement.
Canada has a
decimal system of currency. The Canadian dollar is the basic
unit of money. The most common paper bills are the $5, $10 and
$20, but $50 and $100 bills are also used. Canadian coins
include the penny (one cent), nickel (five cents), dime
(10 cents), quarter (25 cents), loonie ($1) and
toonie ($2).
Protecting the environment --
Sustainable development
Canada has a
beautiful natural environment. Because we have lots of land
and a small population, most of our country is wild and
unspoiled. However, it is becoming harder to preserve our
environment as our population and cities grow. Pollution helps
cause large-scale environmental problems, such as acid rain.
And as more people use and live in natural areas, threats to
the environment increase.
Canadians are
very concerned about environmental issues. They know that
damage to the environment can be hard to fix.
Canadians know
that economic growth is crucial for the future prosperity of
Canada. But growth must be managed carefully so that it does
not harm the environment. The Canadian government is committed
to "sustainable development," which is economic growth that
does not hurt the environment and helps people.
A healthy
environment is important to quality of life. Everyone living
in Canada should act in a responsible way, both toward the
environment and within their community. This way, future
Canadians have the opportunity to live in a country that is
clean and prosperous. Both individuals and groups can help
Canada develop in a sustainable way.
Here are a few
things you can do to help protect quality of life:
- throw waste
paper and other garbage in public garbage cans;
- compost,
recycle and re-use as many products as possible, such as
paper, glass and cans;
- conserve
energy and water by turning off lights and taps when you are
not using them;
- walk, join
a car pool, or use a bicycle or public transit whenever
possible;
- use
products that are environmentally friendly;
- plant trees
or grow a garden, but avoid using chemicals;
- never pour
paint, oil or other harmful chemicals down sinks or toilets,
into sewers or onto the ground (telephone your local
government to find out where you can throw out these
hazardous materials);
- volunteer
with a local organization; and
- educate
yourself and your children about environmental issues.
For further
information, contact:
Environment Canada
Enquiry Centre
351 St. Joseph Boulevard
Gatineau, Quebec K1A 0H3
Telephone: 1 (819) 997-2800
1 800 668-6767
(toll-free, within Canada)
Fax: 1 (819) 953-2225
E-mail: enviroinfo@ec.gc.ca
Web site: www.ec.gc.ca
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