Canada is the second-largest country in the world. Only Russia has more land. Canada extends from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. It also reaches from the Arctic Ocean to the northern border of the United States.
Facts about Canada
| Capital | Ottawa |
| Official languages | English, French |
| Population | 33,700,000 people |
| Rank among countries in population | 36th |
| Major cities | Toronto, Montréal, Vancouver |
| Area | 3,860,000 square miles 9,980,000 square kilometers |
| Rank among countries in area | 2nd |
| Highest point | Mt. Logan 19,551 feet/5,959 meters |
| Currency | Canadian dollar |
Canada’s People
For a country its size, Canada’s population is quite small. About the same number of people live in Canada as in the U.S. state of California.
Most Canadians live near the country’s southern border. Two-thirds live within 200 miles (300 kilometres) of the United States. Canada’s northern areas are very lightly populated. Most who live there are Inuit or other indigenous (Native American) people.
Canada has two official languages: French and English. For a long time, France and Britain struggled for control of Canada. French explorers and traders arrived first, but Britain won control in a war that ended in the 1760s. Most of the French settlers stayed on and kept their language and traditions.
Today, most of Canada’s French speakers live in the province of Québec. They prize their French heritage. Many of them would like to separate from Canada and make Québec an independent country. However, Québec voters have narrowly voted against independence in two elections.
A Fairly New Country
Canada is a relatively new country. It was created from three British colonies in 1867. After they united to form Canada, the colonies became four provinces. Six more provinces later joined Canada. The province of Newfoundland and Labrador is the newest one. It joined Canada in 1949.
In 1931, Canada gained independence from Britain. But Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II is also Queen of Canada and the official head of the nation. Canada belongs to the Commonwealth of Nations, a group of countries that once formed part of the British Empire.
Land of Many Regions
Today, Canada is made up of ten provinces and three northern territories. As a big country, it has many different regions.
British Columbia is the westernmost Canadian province and the only province on the Pacific Ocean. Mountains cover most of it. Vancouver, a major port city, is here.
The Maritime Provinces lie along the Atlantic coast. They consist of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island. These provinces, along with Newfoundland and Labrador, are sometimes called the Atlantic Provinces.
Fishing is a major industry in these provinces. The rugged, rocky coastlines and picturesque fishing villages draw tourists in summer.
In between the coasts are the Prairie Provinces and the eastern provinces of Ontario and Québec. Rolling wheat fields cover much of the Prairie Provinces—Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. They produce more than one-fifth of the world’s wheat.
Two-thirds of Canada’s people live in Ontario and Québec. These two provinces are Canada’s business and industrial heartland. Toronto, Canada’s largest city, is in Ontario. So is Canada’s capital, Ottawa. Montréal, the second largest city, is in Québec.
Canada’s three territories are in the northern part of the country, where the land is frozen much of the year. The Northwest Territories, Nunavut, and the Yukon Territory have long, extremely cold winters.
Trans-Canada Highway
The Trans-Canada Highway extends across the country. The eastern starting point is St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador. The western end is Victoria, British Columbia.
Along the way, the highway crosses five time zones and all ten Canadian provinces. With a length of 4,860 miles (7,821 kilometres), it’s the longest national highway in the world. The highway was completed in 1962.
Major Bodies of Water
In addition to land, Canada has plenty of water. Hudson Bay, the largest bay in the world, is connected to both the Arctic and Atlantic oceans.
Four of North America’s five Great Lakes lie partly in Canada. All but Lake Michigan are on the border with the United States. Ontario touches all four lakes. The St. Lawrence River flows through southern Ontario and Québec. The river links the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean.
With so many water sources, it’s no surprise that Canada leads the world in the production of hydroelectric power—electricity produced from waterpower.
International Peace Garden
Canada and the United States share a long border and have friendly relations. The International Peace Garden honours the friendship between the countries.
2. Ontario
Ontario is the southernmost province in Canada. It is sometimes called the Heartland Province because of its central location and importance. Ontario leads the other provinces in manufacturing, agriculture, and mining. Canada’s largest city, Toronto, is in Ontario. So is Canada’s capital, Ottawa.
Facts about Ontario
| Capital | Toronto |
| Population | 12,800,000 people |
| Rank among provinces and territories in population | 1st |
| Major cities | Toronto, Ottawa, Hamilton |
| Area | 416,000 square miles 1,080,000 square kilometers |
| Rank among provinces and territories in area | 4th |
| Entry into federation | July 1, 1867 |
| Provincial bird | Common Loon |
| Provincial flower | White Trillium |
| Abbreviation | ON |
What Makes Ontario Important>
Ontario has more people than any other province in Canada. One-third of all Canadians live in Ontario. One-fourth of Canada’s farms are in Ontario. The province makes about half of the goods manufactured in Canada.
People, farms, and industries are clustered in the southern part of Ontario. Forests cover much of northern Ontario. Timber and paper are important industries. Rich mineral deposits are found in northern Ontario, too. Gold, nickel, copper, and other minerals come from Ontario’s mines.
Water Everywhere
Ontario borders four of North America’s five Great Lakes on its southern end: Erie, Huron, Ontario, and Superior. Ontario takes its name from Lake Ontario, the smallest and easternmost of the Great Lakes.
Ontario comes from an Indian word. No one is quite sure whether it’s from an Iroquois word meaning “handsome lake” or a Huron word meaning “large lake.” Within Ontario, there are at least 250,000 small lakes. The lakes are popular vacation spots for hiking, fishing, and camping.
Hudson Bay is to the north. Hudson Bay links the province with the Atlantic and Arctic oceans. Ontario is also linked to the Atlantic Ocean by the St. Lawrence River.
Niagara Falls
Niagara Falls plunges over cliffs between Lake Ontario and Lake Erie. Ontario shares this waterfall with New York State. Many waterfalls are higher than Niagara Falls. But few carry more water. Every minute, 35 million gallons (132 million litres) of water rush over the falls. Part of that water is sent to power plants.
Spectacular, roaring Niagara Falls has long been a popular tourist attraction. You can see the falls from up close, from the top of a tower, or from a boat that takes people to the bottom of the falls.
Setting Ontario
The first white settlers of Ontario came from the United States. They were Americans who had remained loyal to Great Britain during the American Revolution (1775-1783). After the Revolution ended, the “loyalists” fled to British-controlled Canada.
The United States invaded Ontario during the War of 1812 with Britain. After the war, settlement in Ontario was closed to Americans. However, many settlers arrived from Britain to farm the land. Ontario remained largely British until the mid-1900s.
Today, most new immigrants to Canada settle in Ontario, especially in Toronto. Ontario had a growth spurt in the late 1900s when many people from Asia and Latin America arrived. As a result, Toronto surpassed Montréal (in the province of Québec) as Canada’s largest city.
Toronto has many interesting ethnic neighbourhoods. They include Chinatown, Greektown, Little India, and Little Italy.
Choosing Canada’s Capital
In 1857, Britain’s Queen Victoria chose Bytown as the capital of the United Province of Canada. It was later renamed Ottawa. At the time, Bytown was just a little industrial town. Why did the queen pick it? It was midway between Toronto and Montréal.
Most people in Montréal spoke French, and most people in Toronto spoke English. The queen didn’t want to favour one group over the other. The town was also farther away from the United States border than Toronto and Montréal, and more easily protected in case of war.
In 1867, the British Parliament created the Dominion of Canada. Ottawa remained the nation’s capital.
Tourist Stops
Tourist attractions and festivals in Ontario celebrate more than 60 cultures. The Six Nations Native Pageant is an Indian festival held every year at Brantford. Ontario’s Indians also gather for powwows that feature songs, dances, and storytelling.
Caribana is a big summer event in Toronto. This festival features Caribbean music, dance, food, and costumes.
Another big festival in Ontario is the Stratford Shakespeare Festival. Plays by William Shakespeare are performed from June to November in the town of Stratford.
You can visit a rebuilt village to learn what life was like in Ontario’s past. Black Creek Pioneer Village in Toronto is a country village from the 1860s. Fort William Historical Park at Thunder Bay shows life at a fur-trading post in 1816.
Or you can travel Ontario’s Black Heritage Route. This route follows part of the Underground Railroad that many American slaves took to reach freedom in Canada.
The Great Outdoors
Ontario has six national parks that preserve its scenic beauty. Bruce Peninsula National Park is located on a strip of land between Georgian Bay and Lake Huron. It’s a great place to go hiking. It’s got forests, sandy beaches, lakes, and rugged cliffs.
Fathom Five National Marine Park is underwater in Georgian Bay. Divers and snorkelers can see shipwrecks and sea life on the seafloor.
If you like to see birds, head for Point Pelee National Park in spring or fall. It’s on a bit of land that juts out into Lake Erie. Birds stop here on their way north each spring and on their way south each fall. Pukaskwa National Park is a wilderness area along the shores of Lake Superior.
Georgian Bay Islands National Park is a favourite location for summer camps for kids. The islands have rocky shores and windswept pine trees. Canada’s best-known artists liked to paint here. Scenic islands in the St. Lawrence River make up the St. Lawrence Islands National Park.
3. Quebec
You might be surprised to learn that most of Canada has two official languages. One is English. The other is French. You may need to know French if you want to understand a menu or a street sign in the province of Québec. Unlike the rest of Canada, Québec has only one official language.
Colonists from France settled in Québec, starting in the 1600s. Today, most of Québec’s people have French ancestry. The province is serious about preserving its French heritage. Its laws forbid other languages from being used on local business signs unless French words are also given.
Facts about Quebec
| Capital | Québec |
| Population | 7, 700,000 people |
| Rank among provinces and territories in population | 2nd |
| Major cities | Montréal, Québec |
| Area | 595,000 square miles 1, 540,000 square kilometers |
| Rank among provinces and territories in area | 2nd |
| Entry into federation | July 1, 1867 |
| Provincial bird | Snowy Owl |
| Provincial flower | Blue Iris |
| Abbreviation | QC |
La Belle Province
Québec is located in eastern Canada. It is Canada’s largest province and is more than twice as big as the state of Texas in the United States. Québec covers about one-sixth of Canada’s total area. (The Canadian territory of Nunavut is larger, but it is not a province.)
To the people of Québec, it is La Belle Province (French for “The Beautiful Province”). The nickname refers to Québec’s splendid buildings and scenery.
The St. Lawrence River
The St. Lawrence River cuts through the southern part of the province. Fertile lowlands and mountains lie on both sides of the river. Most of Québec’s people live in the St. Lawrence Lowlands.
North of Québec City, the St. Lawrence River widens. It becomes so wide that people call it la mer. That’s French for “the sea.”
Whales gather near the mouth of the St. Lawrence each summer to feed on fish and other seafood. Tourists gather in the Parc Marin du Saguenay-Saint-Laurent to watch the whales.
Northern Québec
Most of Québec’s territory is far north. The northernmost part is cold, treeless tundra. The land remains frozen much of the year. Inuit live in villages in the far north.
South of the tundra are vast forests. Québec’s forests are full of wildlife, including black bears, caribou, moose, deer, beavers, and otters. The many lakes in the forests are filled with fish, ducks, and geese.
Québec City
Québec City is the capital of the province of Québec and the oldest city in Canada. It was founded in 1608 and has some of the oldest houses, churches, and streets in North America. Narrow, winding streets and old stone buildings make Québec City one of the most beautiful cities in North America.
Québec City is perched on a cliff high above the St. Lawrence River. A huge wall once enclosed Québec City and protected it from attackers. Parts of the wall remain. From it, you can look out on the city and the St. Lawrence River below.
There’s a fortress called the Citadel along the wall, at the highest point in Québec City. During the summer, troops perform a colourful ceremony called the changing of the guard at the Citadel.
Near the edge of the cliff is the Château Frontenac. This luxury hotel was built in 1893 in the style of a French castle. It has become a city landmark.
Montréal
But Montréal is also the second-largest French-speaking city. Paris, the capital of France, comes first.
Montréal has many interesting buildings in both French and British styles. It is noted for its many churches. After visiting the city in 1881, American author Mark Twain noted that “You couldn’t throw a brick without breaking a church window.”
In 1967, Montréal hosted Expo ‘67, a big world’s fair. The event celebrated the 100th anniversary of Canada’s confederation—that is, its formation as a nation. In 1867, four British colonies united to form the Dominion of Canada. Québec was one of those colonies. More than 50 million tourists came to see Expo ‘67.
In 1976, Montréal hosted the Summer Olympic Games. Today, the Montréal Expos, the city’s major league baseball team, play in Olympic Stadium. The stadium was built for the Summer Olympics.
Québec’s French Heritage
French explorer Jacques Cartier sailed up the St. Lawrence River in 1535, establishing France’s connection with Québec. But France did not begin to colonise Québec until the 1600s.
It means “place where the river narrows” and describes a narrowing in the St. Lawrence near present-day Québec City. That’s where the French established their first settlement in North America.
By 1763, France had lost most of its North American territory to Britain. But French colonists stayed on. Today, most of Québec’s people are descended from those French colonists.
Not Quite a Country
The 1960s were a time of change in Québec. People began to take more pride in being citizens of Québec and part of its French heritage than in being Canadian. Québec’s flag flew in many more places than Canada’s national flag.
Québec enacted new laws to protect its French Canadian culture. Some people suggested that the province should separate from the rest of Canada. An independence movement gained strength.
The people of Québec voted on whether to separate from Canada in 1980 and again in 1995. Both times the idea was rejected—but by only a small number of votes.
4. British Columbia
Fur trading brought British explorers to the west coast of Canada. In 1778, British explorer Captain James Cook arrived at Vancouver Island, now part of British Columbia (BC).
In exchange for knives and other metal goods, the native tribes gave Cook and his men sea otter pelts and other animal skins.
Facts about British Columbia
| Capital | Victoria |
| Population | 4,380,000 people |
| Rank among provinces and territories in population | 3rd |
| Major cities | Vancouver, Victoria, Abbotsford |
| Area | 365,000 square miles 945,000 square kilometers |
| Rank among provinces and territories in area | 5th |
| Entry into federation | July 20, 1871 |
| Provincial bird | Steller’s Jay |
| Provincial flower | Pacific Dogwood |
| Abbreviation | BC |
Mountains, Forests, and Sea
British Columbia is Canada’s westernmost province and the only part of Canada to border the Pacific Ocean. Rugged mountains cover most of British Columbia. Thick forests grow on the mountains. Narrow inlets called fjords cut into the coast. Cliffs line the fjords.
The province of British Columbia includes islands in the Pacific. Vancouver Island lies to the south. The Queen Charlotte Islands lie to the north.
It’s not surprising that timber and fishing are important industries in British Columbia. The province’s vast forests provide lots of timber.
The ocean waters and inland rivers provide fish, especially salmon. Mining is also important. British Columbia’s mines produce coal, gold, copper, zinc, and other valuable products.
Vancouver and Victoria
Very few people live in the mountainous parts of British Columbia. Most of the people live in the flatter southwestern part of the province. The two largest cities in British Columbia—Vancouver and Victoria—are there. Victoria is the capital, but Vancouver is much bigger.
Vancouver is Canada’s busiest port. Vancouver is growing rapidly, mainly as a result of immigration from Hong Kong and other places in East Asia. The city has a bustling Chinatown and Japantown. The Trans-Canada Railway, which crosses all of Canada, ends in Vancouver.
Victoria is on Vancouver Island. The city is proud of its British charm. Visitors enjoy having British-style tea at the grand Empress Hotel in Victoria. Victoria has many beautiful gardens, which give it the nickname the Garden City.
Hanging baskets of flowers decorate the town. The Butchart Gardens, just north of Victoria, are famous. The city was named after Britain’s Queen Victoria.
Who Was Vancouver?
George Vancouver is the explorer who claimed for Britain the territory that is now British Columbia. In 1792, he explored the area, and he claimed it the next year. Vancouver Island and the city of Vancouver are named after him.
What Brings Tourists to Bc?
Many tourists visit British Columbia each year. Some come to enjoy the spectacular mountain scenery and mountain resorts. Skiing is popular in the mountains in winter. Others come for the museums, theatres, and other features of city life in Vancouver and Victoria.
Both cities have magnificent settings along waterfronts near mountains. They also have mild climates, warmed by currents in the Pacific Ocean.
Tourists can also enjoy nature in British Columbia’s national parks. Pacific Rim National Park Reserve is located on the western side of Vancouver Island. It has beaches and hiking trails, and it’s a good place to see sea lions and whales.
Kootenay National Park in eastern British Columbia includes part of the Rocky Mountains. Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve includes 138 islands of the Queen Charlotte Islands. The park’s name means “Islands of Wonder” in the Haida Indian language.
The park preserves ancient settlements of the Haida people. It also has rainforests anars and other wildlife.
Gold Rush
In 1858, gold was discovered in the valley of the Fraser River and in the Cariboo Mountains. Thousands of gold-hungry miners rushed to British Columbia. Many came from California. Barkerville became a rowdy boom town near the Cariboo mines.
In 1858, the year of the gold rush, Britain established the colony of British Columbia. Vancouver Island was added to British Columbia in 1866. On July 20, 1871, British Columbia became the sixth province in Canada.
It was important to Canada to have ports on the Pacific Coast. But first, a railroad had to connect the coast with the rest of Canada. In 1886, the first trains reached the west coast of Canada. The city of Vancouver grew up at the westernmost point of the Canadian Pacific Railway.
First Nations in Bc
The native peoples of Canada prefer to be called First Nations. They were the largest group in British Columbia when the province joined Canada. But as European settlement grew, the First Nations lost many rights.
Native people could not vote in British Columbia’s elections until 1949. They also could not carry on traditional practices such as a gift-giving ceremony called a potlatch.
Potlatches had marked important occasions in the lives of Pacific Coast natives for hundreds of years. Rituals like potlatches were outlawed until 1951.
Pacific Coast natives are known for their totem poles. These carved wooden poles were created as memorials to dead family members. They are carved with figures and animals that represent family guardians.
4. Alberta
The Calgary Exhibition and Stampede, as it’s called, is the biggest annual event in Alberta. Cowboys demonstrate their skills in steer-wrestling, bronco-riding, and calf-roping contests at the daily rodeo. Chuck wagons race each evening.
Facts about Alberta
| 256,000 square miles 662,000 square kilometres | |
| Capital | Edmonton |
| Population | 3,470,000 people |
| Rank among provinces and territories in population | 4th |
| Major cities | Calgary, Edmonton |
| Area | 256,000 square miles 662,000 square kilometers |
| Rank among provinces and territories in area | 6th |
| Entry into federation | September 1, 1905 |
| Provincial bird | Great Horned Owl |
| Provincial flower | Wild Rose |
| Abbreviation | AB |
The Lay of the Land
Alberta is the westernmost of Canada’s three Prairie Provinces. The other two are Manitoba and Saskatchewan. Much of the land is flat prairie, where wheat grows and cattle graze. But the land is varied.
In Alberta, you’ll find golden wheat fields, rolling plains, forested foothills, and snow-covered mountains. The Rocky Mountains rise along the southwestern border. Their rugged crags and towering peaks provide magnificent scenery.
Beef cattle graze in the rolling grasslands east of Alberta’s Rockies. Farther north, much of the province’s wheat and other grains are grown in the foothills and sloping plains.
In the far northeastern part of Alberta, you’ll find forests dotted with lakes and swamps. Wood Buffalo National Park—the largest national park in Canada—is a popular attraction here.
The park was originally founded to protect the region’s free-roaming bison herds. Now it is also a breeding ground for North America’s endangered whooping crane.
Banff and Jasper
Alberta has the most land devoted to national parks of any Canadian province. Several of these parks are in the Rockies. Banff National Park is Canada’s oldest national park.
It was founded in 1885. Two years before, railroad workers had found hot mineral springs while laying railroad tracks in the mountains. These springs became part of the park.
Both Banff and Jasper National Park have spectacular mountain scenery, glaciers, and beautiful lakes. Lake Louise is in Banff. Its turquoise-blue waters mirror the forested slopes and snowcapped peaks nearby. The parks are popular with skiers in the winter and with hikers and nature-lovers in summer.
Waterton Lakes National Park is in the foothills of the Rockies. It lies next to Glacier National Park in the neighbouring state of Montana in the United States.
Alberta’s Beginnings
In the 1750s, British fur traders began arriving in what is now Alberta. The traders exchanged European goods with native peoples for buffalo robes, dried meat, horses, and furs. Beaver pelts were especially popular for men’s hats in Europe.
The fur trade led to the exploration of a vast region of western Canada known as the Northwest Territories. In 1905, two provinces were carved out of the southern part of the territories. They were Alberta and Saskatchewan.
Alberta became a province of Canada on September 1, 1905. The province was named after Princess Louise Caroline Alberta, a daughter of Britain’s Queen Victoria and wife of the governor-general of Canada.
As a result, Alberta is known as the Princess Province. Lake Louise in Banff National Park was also named after the governor-general’s wife.
Edmonton and Oil
Edmonton is the capital of Alberta and its second-largest city. It started as a fur-trading post. In the 1890s, prospectors arrived. They were heading north to the Yukon, where gold had been discovered. Some stayed on.
Edmonton’s population grew again in the 1950s, after oil was discovered near the city. Today, Alberta produces most of Canada’s oil and natural gas.
Edmonton is the site of the world’s largest shopping mall. The West Edmonton Mall has an amusement park and more than 800 stores and restaurants. It covers more than 120 acres (50 hectares).
Calgary
Calgary is Alberta’s largest city. It is located in a valley near the foothills of the Rockies. Most of Alberta south of Calgary was once open range where cattle grazed. But the land was fenced in by the early 1900s, after farmers settled in the region.
Today, Calgary is an important business and transportation centre for Alberta. The city is located near Alberta’s oil fields, and many oil companies have their headquarters in Calgary.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police
The North-West Mounted Police were established in Alberta in 1873 to bring law and order to Canada’s “Wild West.” They built a network of forts in Alberta and Saskatchewan for policing the prairies.
The Mounties, as they are popularly called, have become one of the best-known symbols of Canada. They wear bright red jackets, flat-brimmed hats, and ride on horseback. Today, they are formally known as the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
Cold Winters and Warm Winds
Alberta’s summers are hot and dry, except in the Rocky Mountains region, where it is cooler. The winters are very cold throughout the province. Albertans appreciate the warm winds that sometimes blow in from the Rocky Mountains during winter and early spring.
The warm winds are called chinooks. On cold days when the sky is grey, Albertans often look for the Chinook Arch over the mountains. This curved patch of blue sky tells them that the warm winds are coming. Read the similar post on this page.
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