KEY FACTS:
| Capital City: | Ottawa |
| Type of Government: | Constitutional monarchy |
| Head of State: | Queen Elizabeth II |
| Head of Government: | Prime Minister Stephen Harper |
| Official Languages: | English and French |
| Area: | 9,976,140 km 2 |
| Population: | 32.5 million |
| Religion: | Roman Catholic 45%, Protestant and other 55% |
| Currency: | Canadian Dollar ($CAD) |
| Number of Time Zones: | 6 |
| Weights and Measures: | Metric system |
The National Flag of Canada, also known as the Maple Leaf.
GEOGRAPHY
Canada is the world’s second-largest country (9,976,140 km2), surpassed only by the Russian Federation. Canada is made up of ten provinces and three territories. The provinces are: British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, the province of Newfoundland and Labrador. The territories are the Yukon, the Northwest Territories (NWT), and Nunavut, Canada’s newest territory.
PEOPLE
Canada’s population is over 30 million with the vast majority (77%) living in cities and towns. The largest cities in Canada are: Toronto (4.44 million), Montréal (3.33 million), Vancouver (1.89 million), Ottawa-Hull, the National Capital Region (1.03 million).
CANADA’S ECONOMY
Canada’s economy is made up of many different industries. There are three main types of industries in Canada: natural resources, manufacturing and services.
- Natural resource industries include forestry, fishing, agriculture, mining and energy. These industries have played an important part in the country’s history and development. Today, the economy of many areas of the country still depends on developing natural resources.
- Manufacturing industries make products to sell in Canada and around the world. Manufactured products include paper, technological equipment, automobiles, food, clothing and many other goods. Our largest international trading partner is the United States.
- Service industries provide thousands of different jobs in areas like transportation, education, health care, construction, banking, communications and government. More than 70 percent of working Canadians now have jobs in service industries.
