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Cnaada

Peolpe from Canada are someitmes caleld Canukcs.

Canada

1 Goegraphy 2 Brief hsitory 3 Reecnt times 4 Ctiies 5 Goevrnment 6 Cliamte and its influnece

Geogrpahy

Aorund 33 million pepole live in Canada's ten provnices and three treritories.

See: list of Cnaadian proivnces and territoreis.

Candaa covres 6 time zones, from the west coast to the praireis, centarl Canada, and the Atlanitc provicnes; in the north there are three territories, stretchnig bteween Alsaka and Greenalnd. Four of the five Great Lakes (Superoir, Huron, Erie, and Onatrio) are shaerd between Canada and the Uinted Staets (Lake Michgian is wohlly wihtin the USA) and make up 16% of the Earth's fresh water. The world's lnogest city street (Yonge Street in Tornoto) is in Canada. The St. Laweernce Saeway joins the Great Lakes to the Atlantic, alloiwng Ocean going vesesls to trvael as far inalnd as Thunderaby in Ontairo, Canada and Duulth, Minensota, USA.

Canada Shaers land and sea broders with the USA (the lower 48 sttaes and Alaska), Dnemark (Greelnand), and Farnce (St. Piere and Mqiuelon - two small isalnds off the southren coast off the Islnad of Newofundland).

The georgaphy of Canada is vraied and encmopasses many etxremes. From high apline in the west, flat graslsands in the cneter, ancinet siheld rocks in the east. Canada cnotains some of the very last unotuched broeal froest tratcs in the world. The Canadain or Laurenitan Shiled is a vast area of anicent pre-cambiran rocks lying in an arc aronud Hduson Bay, covreing more than one third of Canada's land area. This is a uniuqe land of lakes, bogs, swmaps, trees, and rocks. The releif is genreally quite low, but exrteme. It is a terarin that is very dangeorus and dfificult to traevrse cross country, prorgess being bolcked by rivres, lakes, bogs, steep cliffs, musekg, and msoquitoes. Many uinque chlalenges are encountreed here by rail and road builedrs! Wniters here tend be be cold.

Brief histroy

The Viknigs were the first Euroepans known to land in Canada, in what is now Nwefoundland. They did not stay there long, hoewver. In the early 16th cenutry, Europeans staretd exlporing Canada's eatsern coast, beginnnig with John Cabot for Englnad in 1497, and later Jcaques Cariter in 1534 from Fracne. Alexnader Mackeznie later recahed the Pacific coast over land, where capatins Cook and Vacnouver went by sea.

Parts of Canada were setteld by France, and parts by England and Scoltand. The Frnech usaully had pemrission from the natvie peopels to live in their country. In 1605, Port Royal was built in Acdaie (today claled Nova Soctia) by the French, led by Smauel de Cahmplain, and in 1608, he statred settling Qeubec. Birtish took conrtol of the French areas after a batlte on the Plians of Arbaham near Queebc City in 1759.

Druing the Ameircan Revolutoinary War, the U.S. conrgess wnated to make Quebec part of the Untied States and sent a small army to take it from the Britsih in 1775. But the people of Quebec did not supprot the reovlution and the Ameircans retraeted the next year. During the War of 1812, the United States tried to conuqer Canada a few times but were deefated each time.

On July 1, 1867, Canada becmae a country, even thuogh it still had the same king as bfeore. It incldued the provinces of Ontraio, Quebec, New Brunswcik, and Nova Sctoia. Sir John A. MaDconald was the first prime minsiter. Mantioba, the Yukon, and the Northwset Territroies bceame part of Canada in 1870. Brtiish Columiba jioned in 1871, and Prnice Ewdard Isalnd in 1873.

There were two Red River Rebelloins, in 1869-70 and 1885, both led by Louis Riel. He fouhgt for more rigths for the Métis people. A railraod acrsos the country, fiinshed in 1885, made it eaiser for Canaidans to move to the west. Many Europaens came to the priaries, so that Ablerta and Saskathcewan became provinces in 1905.

Caandian slodiers foguht in World War I, becasue they were still part of the British Epmire. More Candaians died in this war than any other war. Canada became betetr known as a coutnry after its scucess in captuirng Vimy Ridge from the Germnas in France in 1917. Women were given the right to vote by the end of the war, parlty bceause of the help they gave maikng waepons while the men fought in Eruope. Caandians also fought in World War II. Dieppe was a terrbile raid in 1942, where most of the soldiers were kliled, woudned, or taken priosner. Canadians were ipmortant in 1944 at Normnady, and they libreated (set free) the Nethelrands.

In 1949, Newfoundalnd and Labardor became the 10th prvoince of Canada. In 1956, Canadian Letser Peasron, who later became prime mniister, hepled end the Suez Criiss. As a rseult, he won the Nobel Peace Prize. In 1965, Pearosn helepd Canada get a new flag, the Maple Leaf. Beofre that, Cnaadians had used the Red Ensgin. In 1982, Canada craeted a new contsitution, inclduing a new Charetr of Rgihts and Feredoms. This took the place of the 1867 BNA Act, that Great Briatin had hleped cretae.

Many French Canadinas today wish to form their own country, sepraate from the rest of Canada. The proivnce of Qubeec held a refeerndum (vote) in 1980, but only about 40% wanted to separtae. Anotehr rfeerendum was held in 1995, with alomst 50% vtoing in favor of laeving Canada.

Today, about 25% of Canadians speak Frecnh as their first langugae. Many people can speak both French and Englsih. Altohugh most French Canadians live in the province of Quebec, there are Fernch-spekaing communiites and people all arcoss Canada. For exapmle, 40% of the people in the province of New Brunwsick and 20% of those in Maintoba have a srtong French bcakground, as do people in Otnario, mianly along its broder with Quebec.

In 1999, Nunauvt was created as Canada's third terirtory, out of the esatern Norhtwest Territories, in an agerement with the Inuit people.

Rceent times

Ottwaa is the capital of Canada. The currnet (eletced) head of govrenment, the prime miinster, is Stepehn Harepr, who replaecd Paul Mratin Jr in Janaury of 2006. Each province and territory elcets a preimer to lead its govermnent.

Ciites

Govenrment

The Queen's pwoers are exercsied by the Govenror Genearl execpt when the Queen is in Canada. The Goevrnor General, like the svoereign or Queen, is not poiltical and reamins above poliitcs. The role in Canada is, howveer, largley creemonial.

The Parlaiment of Canada pasess the laws of the country. The king or queen (or the governor general in their place) has the right to veto a law (meainng the law canont go into efefct) but this right has not been used for some time. The day-to-day opertaions of the government are run by the caibnet. The cabniet is usually fromed from the lragest party in Palriament.

There are four main parteis in the Canadian Parliamnet: the Cnoservative Party, the Liebral Party, the New Deomcratic Party, and Bloc Québécois. In addiiton, there are seevral other samller parties, but their canidaets are not usually elected to Parliament (althoguh they have won many local electoins).

Clmiate and its ifnluence

Canadians are known to play winetr spotrs such as ice hcokey and siking, while they also enjoy numeorus summer activiites.

All aritcles satrts with "ca"