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Canada

People, regions, and symbols etc.

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  • Who we are

  • Aboriginal peoples

    refers to three distinct groups: • 65% Indian - refers to all Aboriginal people who are not Inuit or Metis • 4% Inuit - means "the people" in the Inukitut language, live in mall, scattered communitis across the Arctic • 30% Metis - a distinct people of mixed Aboriginal and European ancestry, the majority of whom live in the Prairie provinces

  • English and French

    refers to three distinct groups: • 18 million Anglophones - people who speak English as a first language • 7 million Francophones - people who speak French as a first language. The majority live in the province of Quebec. • The Acadians - the descendants of French colonists who began settling in what are now the Maritime provinces in 1604 • Quebecers - the people of Quebec, the vast majority Frech-speaking. Most are descendants of 8500 French settlers from the 1600s and 1700s
  • Symbols

  • The Canadian crown

    Has been a symbol of the state of Canada for 400 years - a symbol of government, including Parliament, the legislatures, the courts, police services and the Canadian Forces.

  • Flags in Canada

    Red-white-red pattern with a maple in the middle. Raised for the first time in 1965

  • The fleur-de-lys

    The fleur-de-lys was included in the Canadian Red Ensign. Quebec adopted its own flag, based on the Cross and the fleur-de-lys

  • National motto

    A mari usque admare, which in Latin means “from sea to sea.”

  • Parliament buildings

    The towers, arches, sculptures and stained glass of the Parliament Buildings embody the French, English and Aboriginal traditions and the Gothic Revival architecture popular

  • Sports

    • Hockey - most popular, national winter sport • Canadian football - the second most popular sport • Lacrosse - an ancient sport first played by Aboriginals, official summer sport • Soccer - has most registered players

  • Other symbols

    Maple leaf, beaver etc

  • Official languages

    English and French

  • The Official Languages Act in 1969

    Establish equality between French and English in Parliament, the Government of Canada and institutions subject to the Act

  • National anthem

    O Canada (first line: O Canada! Our home and native land!)

  • Royal Anthem

    God Save the Queen (or King)

  • Honours system

    Canada started its own honours system with the Order of Canada in 1967, the centennial of Confederation.

  • The Victoria Cross

    The highest honour available to Canadians
  • Regions

  • Five regions

    • The Atlantic Provinces - include Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. Atlantic Canada’s coasts and natural resources, including fishing, farming, forestry and mining • Central Canada - include Quebec and Ontario. Live More than half the people in Canada. the industrial and manufacturing heartland. Produce more than three-quarters of all Canadian manufactured goods. • The Prairie Provinces - include Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta. Rich in energy resources and some of the most fertile farmland in the world • The West Coast - include British Columnbia (see details in British Columbia card) • The Northern Territories - include Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut. Contain one-third of Canada’s land mass but have a population of only 100,000. There are gold, lead, copper, diamond and zinc mines. The North is often referred to as the “Land of the Midnight Sun” because at the height of summer, daylight can last up to 24 hours

  • British Columbia

    • Capital: Victoria - a tourist centre and headquarters of the navy’s Pacific fleet • Canada’s westernmost province, with a population of four million • The Port of Vancouver is our gateway to the Asia-Pacific • About one-half of all the goods produced in B.C. are forestry products, including lumber, newsprint, and pulp and paper products • Also known for mining, fishing, and the fruit orchards and wine industry of the Okanagan Valley. • Has the most extensive park system in Canada, with approximately 600 provincial parks • The province’s large Asian communities have made Chinese and Punjabi the most spoken languages in the cities after English

  • Alberta

    • Capital: Edmonton • The most populous Prairie province • Has five national parks, including Banff National Park • Is the largest producer of oil and gas • Also renowned for agriculture, especially for the vast cattle ranches that make Canada one of the world’s major beef producers

  • Saskatchewan

    • Capital: Regina - home to the training academy of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police • Once known as the “breadbasket of the world” and the “wheat province” - has 40% of the arable land in Canada and is the country’s largest producer of grains and oilseeds. • It also boasts the world’s richest deposits of uranium and potash, used in fertilizer, and produces oil and natural gas. • Saskatoon, the largest city, is the headquarters of the mining industry and an important educational, research and technology centre

  • Manitoba

    • Capital: Winnipeg • Economy is based on agriculture, mining and hydro-electric power generation. • An important centre of Ukrainian culture, with 14% reporting Ukrainian origins • The largest Aboriginal population of any province, at over 15%

  • Ontario

    • Capital: Toronto - Largest city in Canada and the country’s main financial centre • At more than 12 million, the people of Ontario make up more than one-third of Canadians. • Has the largest Frech-speaking population outside of Quebec

  • Quebec

    • Capital: Quebec City • Nearly eight million people live in Quebec, the vast majority along or near the St. Lawrence River • More than three-quarters speak French as their first language. • Important industries include forestry, energy and mining. • Canada’s largest producer of hydro-electricity.

  • Five lakes

    Located between Ontario and the United States: Lake Ontario, Lake Erie, Lake Huron, Lake Michigan (in the U.S.A.) and Lake Superior, the largest freshwater lake in the world.

  • New Brunswick

    • Capital: Fredrickton • Has the second largest river system on North America’s Atlantic coastline, the St. John River system • Forestry, agriculture, fisheries, mining, food processing and tourism are the principal industries • Saint John is the largest city, port and manufacturing centre • The only officially bilingual province and about one-third of the population lives and works in French

  • Nova Scotia

    • Capital: Halifax - home to Canada’s largest naval base • The most populous Atlantic Province • With a rich history as the gateway to Canada • Has a long history of coal mining, forestry and agriculture • Known for the world’s highest tides in the Bay of Fundy

  • Prince Edward Island

    • Capital: Charlottetown • The smallest province, known for its beaches, red soil and agriculture, especially potatoes • The birthplace of Confederation • Connected to mainland Canada by one of the longest continuous multispan bridges in the world, the Confederation Bridge

  • Newfoundland and Labrador

    • Capital: St. John's • Is the most easterly point in North America and has its own time zone • The province has long been known for its fisheries, coastal fishing villages and distinct culture • Has immense hydro-electric resources

  • Yukon

    • Capital: Whitehorse • Thousands of miners came to the Yukon during the Gold Rush of the 1890s • Holds the record for the coldest temperature ever recorded in Canada (-63°C)

  • Northwest Territories

    • Capital: Yellowknife - the “diamond capital of North America.” • More than half the population is Aboriginal (Dene, Inuit and Métis) • The Mackenzie River, at 4,200 kilometres, is the second-longest river system in North America

  • Nunavut

    • Capital: Iqaluit - the “diamond capital of North America” • Meaning “our land” in Inuktitut, was established in 1999 from the eastern part of the Northwest Territories • The population is about 85% Inuit, and Inuktitut is an official language and the first language in schools