Country Information on Canada

Terrain Canada may be divided into seven regions comprising the Atlantic provinces, the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence lowlands, the Canadian Shield, the interior plains, the Cordillera region, the Arctic Archipelago, and the Continental shelf. The country's highest elevation is Mount Logan at 5,951 m, which is located in the Yukon Territory. The country's chief rivers include the Yukon and Mackenzie in the west, the North Saskatchewan and South Saskatchewan and the Athabasca Rivers in Central Canada and the Ottawa and St. Lawrence Rivers in the east. Climate The Interior Lowlands make it possible for polar air masses to move south and for subtropical air masses to move north into Canada. Hudson Bay and the Great Lakes act to modify the climate locally. The Cordillera has a typical highland climate. Southern Canada has a temperate climate, with snow in the winter and cool summers. Farther to the north, extending to the timberline, is the humid sub-arctic climate characterized by short summers and a snow cover for about half the year. On the Arctic Archipelago and the northern mainland is the tundra, with its permafrost, snow cover and ice. Fauna/Flora Some of the common tree species include e.g. the white and black spruce, balsam and Douglas fir, western red cedar, white pine and the sugar maple. Endemic animals include e.g. the grizzly, black, brown and polar bears, beaver, buffalo, wolf and moose. There are also 500 species of birds, such as the great blue heron, Canada geese. History/Politics The first inhabitants of Canada were the Inuit (Eskimo) and other native Indian peoples. John Cabot reached Newfoundland or Nova Scotia in 1497. Jacques Cartier claimed Canada for France in 1534. The actual settlement of New France began in 1604 at Port Royal in what is now Nova Scotia. In 1608, Quebec was founded. French explorers had by the end of the 17th century penetrated beyond the Great Lakes to the western prairies and south along the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico. Meanwhile, the English Hudson's Bay Company had been established in 1670. In 1713, Newfoundland, Hudson Bay, and Nova Scotia (Acadia) were lost to England. During the Seven Years' War (1756-63), England extended its conquest, and the British Maj. Gen. Wolfe won his victory over Gen. Montcalm outside Quebec on 13 September 1759. The Treaty of Paris in 1763 gave England control. In 1849, the right of Canada to self-government was recognized. The British North America Act of 1867 created the dominion of Canada through the confederation of Upper and Lower Canada, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick. Prince Edward Island joined the dominion in 1873. In 1869, Canada purchased from the Hudson's Bay Company the vast middle west (Rupert's Land) from which the provinces of Manitoba (1870), Alberta (1905), and Saskatchewan (1905) were later formed. In 1871, British Columbia joined the dominion. It took more 100 years to cut the last legal tie between Canada and Britain. During the time of prime minister Trudeau's office, Queen Elizabeth II finally signed the Constitution Act in Ottawa on 17 April 1982. The constitution retains Queen Elizabeth as queen of Canada and keeps Canada's membership in the Commonwealth. In elections held in November 2000, Jean Chrétien of the Liberal Party won a third five-year term. Economy 3% of the active population is employed in the agricultural sector. 73% of the population finds employment in the services sector, with 23% in manufacturing. The unemployment rate amounted to 6.8% in 2000. The 1989 US-Canada Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) (which included Mexico) have touched off a dramatic increase in trade and economic integration with the US. Culture Among the foundations of Canada's cultural identity are the traditions of its native peoples. The Inuit are particularly famous for their sculptures and carvings. Contemporary writers include Margaret Atwood, Robertson Davies and Michael Ondaatje.