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Fidel Castro owns canada as of today
<!-- Before you edit this article to change the name of the [[country]] to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else, please read the Talk Page. This issue has been discussed at great length there, and the evidence provided indicates that the country's *legal* name is "Canada", not anything else. If you believe you have arguments or evidence to the contrary, please provide them on the Talk Page. Thank you!



Please use Canadian spelling.

Notice: This overview article is already too long and should serve only as an introduction for Canada. To keep this overview article concise, please consider adding information instead to one of the many "main" articles about Canada linked from this article, e.g. [[Politics of Canada]], [[Geography of Canada]], etc. See the [[List of basic Canada topics]] for the rest of them. Thank you. -->
{{pp-semi-protected|small=yes}}
{{dablink|For a topic outline on this subject, see [[List of basic Canada topics]]. For other uses of "Canada" or "Canadian", see [[Canada (disambiguation)]] and [[Canadian (disambiguation)]].}}
:''Distinguish from [[Kannada]] (a language spoken in India).''
{{featured article}}
{{Infobox Country
|native_name = Canada
|common_name = Canada
|image_flag = Flag_of_Canada.svg
|image_coat = Coat of arms of Canada.svg
|symbol_type = Royal coat of arms
|national_motto = {{lang|la|''[[A Mari Usque Ad Mare]]''}}{{spaces|2}}<small>([[Latin]])<br />"[[From Sea to Sea]]"</small>
|national_anthem = "[[O Canada]]"
|royal_anthem = "[[God Save the Queen]]"
|image_map = Canada (orthographic projection).svg
|map_width = 220px
|capital = [[Ottawa]]
|latd = 45 |latm=24 |latNS=N |longd=75 |longm=40 |longEW=W
|largest_city = [[Toronto]]
|ethnic_groups = 28% [[White British|British]], 23% [[French Canadian|French]], 15% [[European ethnic groups|European]], 2% [[Amerindian]], [[Asian]], [[African]], [[Arab]], 26% mixed.<ref>[https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/print/ca.html World Factbook Demographics]</ref><ref>[http://www12.statcan.ca/english/census06/data/highlights/ethnic/pages/Page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo=PR&Code=01&Data=Count&Table=2&StartRec=1&Sort=3&Display=All&CSDFilter=5000 Canada's offical demographic groups]</ref>
|official_languages = [[Canadian English|English]], [[Canadian French|French]]
|regional_languages = [[Inuktitut]], [[Inuinnaqtun]], [[Cree language|Cree]], {{nowrap|[[Dene Suline language|Dëne Sųłiné]]}}, [[Gwich’in language|Gwich’in]], [[Inuvialuktun]], [[Slavey language|Slavey]], {{nowrap|[[Dogrib language|Tłįchǫ Yatiì]]}}<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.justice.gov.nt.ca/PDF/ACTS/Official_Languages.pdf|format=PDF|title=Official Languages Act|work=Revised Statutes of NWT, 1988|publisher=Department of Justice, Northwest Territories|accessdate=2008-11-08}}</ref>
|demonym = [[Demographics of Canada|Canadian]]
|government_type = [[Parliamentary system|Parliamentary democracy]] and [[Constitutional monarchy]]
|leader_title1 = [[Monarchy of Canada|Monarch]]
|leader_name1 = [[Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom|HM Queen Elizabeth II]]
|leader_title2 = [[Governor General of Canada|Governor General]]
|leader_name2 = [[Michaëlle Jean]]
|leader_title3 = [[Prime Minister of Canada|Prime Minister]]
|leader_name3 = [[Stephen Harper]]
|sovereignty_type = [[Canadian Confederation|Establishment]]
|established_event1 = [[British North America Acts]]
|established_date1 = July 1, 1867
|established_event2 = [[Statute of Westminster 1931|Statute of Westminster]]
|established_date2 = December 11, 1931
|established_event3 = [[Canada Act 1982|Canada Act]]
|established_date3 = April 17, 1982
|area_km2 = 9,984,670
|area_sq_mi = 3,854,085 <!--Do not remove per [[WP:MOSNUM]]-->
|area_rank = 2nd
|area_magnitude = 1 E12
|percent_water = 8.92 (891,163&nbsp;km²/344,080&nbsp;mi²)
|population_estimate = {{formatnum:{{#expr: 32976026 + 329810/366 * {{Age in days|month1=7|day1=1|year1=2007}} round -3}} }}<ref>{{cite web
|url = http://www.statcan.ca/english/edu/clock/population.htm
|title = Canada's population clock
|publisher = Statistics Canada
|date = 2007-12-04
|accessdate = 2007-12-21
|format = source code
|quote = StartPop = 32976026; EndPop = 33305836; StartDate = new Date(2007, 6, 1); EndDate = new Date(2008, 6, 1)
|note = 33,305,836 - 32,976,026 = 329,810; 2 dates are 366&nbsp;days apart
<!-- this automatically updates ONCE per day at 00:00 UTC & rounds to nearest hundred—an estimate with any more sig figs can only be either false precision or extremely temporary -- Please do not change formula without discussing on talk page -->
}}
</ref>
|population_estimate_year = {{CURRENTYEAR}}
|population_estimate_rank = 36th
|population_census = 31,612,897
|population_census_year = 2006
|population_density_km2 = 3.2
|population_density_sq_mi = 8.3 <!--Do not remove per [[WP:MOSNUM]]-->
|population_density_rank = 219th
|GDP_PPP_year = 2007
|GDP_PPP = $1.269 trillion<ref name="imf2">{{cite web|url=http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2008/02/weodata/weorept.aspx?sy=2004&ey=2008&scsm=1&ssd=1&sort=country&ds=.&br=1&c=156&s=NGDPD%2CNGDPDPC%2CPPPGDP%2CPPPPC%2CLP&grp=0&a=&pr.x=70&pr.y=3 |title=Canada|publisher=International Monetary Fund|accessdate=2008-10-09}}</ref>
|GDP_PPP_rank = 13th
|GDP_PPP_per_capita = $38,613<ref name="imf2"/>
|GDP_PPP_per_capita_rank = 12th
|GDP_nominal = $1.436 trillion<ref name="imf2"/>
|GDP_nominal_rank = 9th
|GDP_nominal_year = 2007
|GDP_nominal_per_capita = $43,674<ref name="imf2"/>
|GDP_nominal_per_capita_rank = 14th
|HDI_year = 2007
|HDI = {{increase}} 0.961
|HDI_rank = 4th
|HDI_category = <font color="#009900">high</font>
|Gini = 32.1 (2005)<ref name="cia_factbook"/>
|currency = [[Canadian dollar|Dollar]] ($)
|currency_code = CAD
|time_zone =
|utc_offset = −3.5 to −8
|time_zone_DST =
|utc_offset_DST = −2.5 to −7
|date_format = dd-mm-yyyy, mm-dd-yyyy, ''and'' yyyy-mm-dd ([[Common Era|CE]])
|drives_on = right
|cctld = [[.ca]]
|calling_code = 1
|footnotes = <big>'''[[Portal:Canada|Canada portal]]'''</big>
}}

'''Canada''' ({{IPA-en|ˈkænədə}}) is a [[country]] occupying most of northern [[North America]], extending from the [[Atlantic Ocean]] in the east to the [[Pacific Ocean]] in the west and northward into the [[Arctic Ocean]]. It is the world's second [[List of countries and outlying territories by total area|largest country by total area]],<ref name="cia_factbook">{{cite web |author=Central Intelligence Agency |publisher= Central Intelligence Agency |url=https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ca.html |title=The World Factbook: Canada |date=2006-05-16 |accessdate=2007-05-06}}</ref> and shares [[Canada–United States border|land borders]] with the [[United States]] to the south and northwest.

The land occupied by Canada was inhabited for millennia by various [[Aboriginal peoples in Canada|aboriginal peoples]]. Beginning in the late 15th century, [[British colonization of the Americas|British]] and [[French colonization of the Americas|French]] expeditions explored and later settled the Atlantic coast. France ceded nearly all of [[New France|its colonies in North America]] in 1763 after the [[Seven Years' War]]. In 1867, with the union of three [[British North America]]n colonies through [[Canadian Confederation|Confederation]], Canada was formed as a [[federalism|federal]] [[dominion]] of four provinces.<ref>{{cite web| title = Territorial evolution| work = Atlas of Canada | publisher = Natural Resources Canada | url =http://atlas.nrcan.gc.ca/site/english/maps/reference/anniversary_maps/terr_evol | format = html/pdf | accessdate = 2007-10-09| quote = In 1867, the colonies of Canada, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick are united in a federal state, the Dominion of Canada.... }}</ref><ref>{{cite web| title = Canada: History| work = Country Profiles | publisher = Commonwealth Secretariat | url =http://www.thecommonwealth.org/YearbookInternal/145152/history/ | format = html/pdf | accessdate = 2007-10-09| quote = The British North America Act of 1867 brought together four British colonies&nbsp;... in one federal Dominion under the name of Canada.}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| last = Hillmer| first = Norman | authorlink =| coauthors = W. David MacIntyre | title = Commonwealth| work = Canadian Encyclopedia | publisher = Historica Project | url =http://thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=A1ARTA0001798 | format = html | accessdate = 2007-10-09| quote = With CONFEDERATION in 1867, Canada became the first federation in the British Empire&nbsp;... }}</ref> This began an [[Territorial evolution of Canada|accretion of additional provinces and territories]] and a process of increasing autonomy from the United Kingdom, highlighted by the [[Statute of Westminster 1931|Statute of Westminster in 1931]], and culminating in the [[Canada Act 1982|Canada Act in 1982]] which severed the vestiges of legal dependence on the British parliament.

A [[federation]] comprising [[Provinces and territories of Canada|ten provinces and three territories]], Canada is a [[parliamentary system|parliamentary democracy]] and a [[constitutional monarchy]], with [[Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom|Queen Elizabeth II]] as its [[head of state]]. It is a [[Official bilingualism in Canada|bilingual]] and [[multiculturalism|multicultural]] country, with both [[Canadian English|English]] and [[Canadian French|French]] as official languages at the federal level. [[Developed country|Technologically advanced and industrialized]], Canada maintains a diversified economy that is heavily reliant upon its abundant natural resources and upon trade—particularly with the United States, with which Canada has had a [[Canada–United States relations|long and complex relationship]]. It is a member of the [[G8]], [[NATO]], [[Commonwealth of Nations]], and [[Francophonie|La Francophonie]].

==Etymology==
{{main|Name of Canada}}<!--Please see the talk page before editing or reverting this to specify which (of several) languages produced the word Canada. There are differences of opinion, which may be best discussed at the main article Name of Canada-->
[[Image:Cartier.png|thumb|upright|left|[[Jacques Cartier]]]]
The name ''Canada'' comes from a [[St. Lawrence Iroquoians|St. Lawrence Iroquoian]] word, ''kanata'', meaning ''village'' or ''settlement''. In 1535, indigenous inhabitants of the present-day [[Quebec City]] region used the word to direct French explorer [[Jacques Cartier]] towards the village of [[Stadacona]].<ref>{{cite book| first=Bruce G.| last=Trigger| coauthors=Pendergast, James F.| year=1978| chapter=Saint-Lawrence Iroquoians| title=Handbook of North American Indians Volume 15| location=Washington| publisher=Smithsonian Institution |pages=357–361 |id=OCLC 58762737}}</ref> Cartier later used the word ''Canada'' to refer not only to that particular village, but also the entire area subject to [[Donnacona]] (the chief at Stadacona); by 1545, European books and maps had begun referring to this region as ''Canada''.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.gutenberg.org/files/12356/12356-h/12356-h.htm| title=Relation originale de Jacques Cartier| publisher=Tross (1863 edition)| author=Jacques Cartier| year=1545| accessdate=2007-02-23}}</ref>

From the early 17th century onwards, that part of [[New France]] that lay along the [[Saint Lawrence River]] and the northern shores of the [[Great Lakes]] was named ''Canada'', an area that was later split into two British colonies, [[Upper Canada]] and [[Lower Canada]], until their re-unification as the [[Province of Canada]] in 1841. Upon [[Canadian Confederation|Confederation]] in 1867, the name ''Canada'' was adopted as the legal name for the new country,<ref name="Martin">{{cite journal| last=Martin| first=Robert| title=1993 Eugene Forsey Memorial Lecture: A Lament for British North America| journal=The Machray Review| publisher=Prayer Book Society of Canada| year=1993| url=http://www.prayerbook.ca/library/machray/issue5/machray5d.htm| accessdate=2008-11-05| quote=Strictly speaking, the official name of the new country was, simply, "Canada", but usage sanctioned "Dominion of Canada.}}</ref> and ''[[Dominion]]'' was conferred as the country's title;<ref>{{cite book| first=J. E.| last=Hodgetts| coauthors=Gerald Hallowell| year=2004| chapter=Dominion| title=Oxford Companion to Canadian History| location=Toronto| publisher=Oxford University Press| pages=183| isbn=0195415590| quote=The title conferred on Canada by the preamble to the Constitution Act, 1867, whereby the provinces declare 'their desire to be federally united into one Dominion under the Crown of the United Kingdom'.}}</ref> combined, the term ''Dominion of Canada'' was in common usage until the 1950s. Thereafter, as Canada asserted its political autonomy from Britain, the federal government increasingly used simply ''Canada'' on state documents and treaties, a change that was reflected in the renaming of the national holiday from [[Dominion Day]] to [[Canada Day]] in 1982.<ref>{{cite web| title=Canada Day| publisher=Department of Canadian Heritage| accessdate=2008-11-06| url=http://www.pch.gc.ca/progs/cpsc-ccsp/jfa-ha/canada_e.cfm| quote=On October 27, 1982, July 1st which was known as "Dominion Day" became "Canada Day".}}</ref>

==History==
{{main|History of Canada|Timeline of Canadian history|Territorial evolution of Canada}}
[[Image:Voyageur canoe.jpg|left|thumb|The [[fur trade]] was Canada's most important industry until the 19th century]]

[[First Nations|First Nation]] and [[Inuit]] traditions maintain that indigenous people have resided on their lands since the [[Creation myth#North America|beginning of time]], while archaeological studies support a human presence in the northern [[Yukon]] from 26,500 years ago, and in southern [[Ontario]] from 9,500 years ago.<ref>{{cite journal| last=Cinq-Mars| first=J.| year=2001| title=On the significance of modified mammoth bones from eastern Beringia| journal=The World of Elephants - International Congress, Rome| url=http://www.cq.rm.cnr.it/elephants2001/pdf/424_428.pdf|format=PDF| accessdate=2006-05-14}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| author=Wright, J.V| publisher=Canadian Museum of Civilization Corporation| url=http://www.civilization.ca/archeo/hnpc/npvol04e.html| title=A History of the Native People of Canada: Early and Middle Archaic Complexes| date=27 September 2001| accessdate=2006-05-14}}</ref> [[European colonization of the Americas|Europeans first arrived]] when the [[Viking]]s settled briefly at [[L'Anse aux Meadows]] around AD 1000; following the failure of that colony, there was no further attempt at North American exploration until 1497, when [[John Cabot]] explored Canada's Atlantic coast for [[England]],<ref>{{cite encyclopedia| title=John Cabot| encyclopedia=Encyclopædia Britannica Online| publisher=Encyclopædia Britannica| url=http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9018457/John-Cabot}}</ref> followed by [[Jacques Cartier]] in 1534 for [[France]].<ref>{{cite encyclopedia| encyclopedia=World book Encyclopedia| title=Cartier, Jacques| accessdate=2007-09-01| publisher=World Book, Inc.| isbn=071660101X}}</ref>

French explorer [[Samuel de Champlain]] arrived in 1603 and established the first permanent European settlements at [[Port Royal, Nova Scotia|Port Royal]] in 1605 and [[Quebec City]] in 1608. These would become respectively the capitals of [[Acadia]] and Canada. Among [[French colonization of the Americas|French colonists]] of New France, ''Canadiens'' extensively settled the [[Saint Lawrence River]] valley, Acadians settled the present-day [[Maritimes]], while [[Coureur des bois|French fur traders]] and [[René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle|Catholic missionaries]] explored the Great Lakes, [[Hudson Bay]] and the [[Mississippi River#Watershed|Mississippi watershed]] to [[Louisiana (New France)|Louisiana]]. The [[French and Iroquois Wars]] broke out over control of the [[fur trade]].

The English established fishing outposts in [[Newfoundland (island)|Newfoundland]] around 1610 and colonized the [[Thirteen Colonies]] to the south. A series of four [[French and Indian Wars|Intercolonial Wars]] erupted between 1689 and 1763. Mainland [[Nova Scotia]] came under British rule with the [[Treaty of Utrecht]] (1713); the [[Treaty of Paris (1763)]] ceded Canada and most of New France to [[British Empire|Britain]] following the [[French and Indian War|Seven Years' War]].

[[Image:Benjamin West 005.jpg|thumb|right|''[[The Death of General Wolfe]]'' on the [[Battle of the Plains of Abraham|Plains of Abraham]] at [[Quebec City|Quebec]] in 1759, part of the [[French and Indian War|Seven Years' War]].]]

The [[Royal Proclamation of 1763|Royal Proclamation (1763)]] carved the [[Province of Quebec (1763–1791)|Province of Quebec]] out of New France and annexed [[Cape Breton Island]] to Nova Scotia. It also restricted the language and religious rights of [[French Canadian]]s. In 1769, St. John's Island (now [[Prince Edward Island]]) became a separate colony. To avert conflict in Quebec, the [[Quebec Act]] of 1774 expanded Quebec's territory to the Great Lakes and [[Ohio River|Ohio Valley]] and re-established the French language, Catholic faith, and French civil law in Quebec; it angered many residents of the Thirteen Colonies, helping to fuel the [[American Revolution]].<ref>{{cite web | author= |publisher= |title= Wars on Our Soil, earliest times to 1885 |accessdate=2006-08-21 |url=http://www.civilization.ca/cwm/gallery1/revolution2_e.html}}</ref> The [[Treaty of Paris (1783)]] recognized American independence and ceded territories south of the Great Lakes to the United States. Approximately 50,000 [[United Empire Loyalist]]s fled the United States to Canada.<ref name="moore">{{cite book |first= Christopher |last=Moore |year=1994 |title=The Loyalist: Revolution Exile Settlement |publisher=McClelland & Stewart |location= Toronto |id=ISBN 0-7710-6093-9}}</ref> [[New Brunswick]] was split from Nova Scotia as part of a reorganization of Loyalist settlements in the [[Maritimes]]. To accommodate English-speaking Loyalists in [[Province of Quebec (1763–1791)|Quebec]], the [[Constitutional Act of 1791]] divided the province into French-speaking [[Lower Canada]] and English-speaking [[Upper Canada]], granting each their own elected Legislative Assembly.

Canada (Upper and Lower) was the main front in the [[War of 1812]] between the United States and the British Empire. The defence of Canada contributed to a sense of unity among British North Americans. Large-scale immigration to Canada began in 1815 from Britain and [[Ireland]]. The [[logging|timber industry]] surpassed the fur trade in importance in the early nineteenth century.

[[Image:Fathers of Canadian Confederation.jpg|left|thumb|[[Canadian Confederation#Fathers of Confederation|Fathers of Confederation]] by [[Robert Harris (painter)|Robert Harris]], an amalgamation of [[Charlottetown Conference|Charlottetown]] and [[Quebec Conference, 1864|Quebec conference]] scenes]]

The desire for [[responsible government]] resulted in the aborted [[Rebellions of 1837]]. [[Report on the Affairs of British North America|The Durham Report]] subsequently recommended responsible government and the assimilation of French Canadians into British culture.<ref name="ce_durhamreport">{{cite web |author=David Mills |publisher= Historica Foundation of Canada |url=http://www.canadianencyclopedia.ca/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=A1ARTA0002473 |title=Durham Report |accessdate=2006-05-18}}</ref> The [[Act of Union 1840]] merged [[The Canadas]] into a [[Province of Canada|United Province of Canada]]. French and English Canadians worked together in the Assembly to reinstate French rights. Responsible government was established for all British North American provinces by 1849.<ref>{{cite web|title=''The Canadian Encyclopedia'': Responsible Government|publisher=Historica Foundation of Canada|url=http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=A1ARTA0006792|quote=This key principle of responsibility, whereby a government needed the confidence of Parliament, originated in established British practice. But its transfer to British N America gave the colonists control of their domestic affairs, since a governor would simply follow the advice (ie, policies) of responsible colonial ministers.}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Canadian Cofederation: Responsible Government|publisher=Library and Archives Canada|url=http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/confederation/023001-2974-e.html|quote=The Executive Council would be governed by the leader of the political party that held an elected majority in the Legislative Assembly. That same leader would also appoint the members of the Executive Council. The governor would therefore be forced to accept these "ministers", and if the majority of the members of the Legislative Assembly voted against them, they would have to resign. The governor would also be obliged to ratify laws concerning the internal affairs of the colony once these laws had been passed to the Legislative Assembly.}}</ref>

The signing of the [[Oregon Treaty]] by Britain and the United States in 1846 ended the [[Oregon boundary dispute]], extending the border westward along the [[49th parallel north|49th parallel]] and paving the way for British colonies on [[Colony of Vancouver Island|Vancouver Island (1849)]] and in [[Colony of British Columbia|British Columbia (1858)]]. Canada launched a series of western exploratory expeditions to claim [[Rupert's Land]] and the [[Arctic]] region. The Canadian population grew rapidly because of high birth rates; British immigration was offset by emigration to the United States, especially by French Canadians moving to [[New England]].

[[Image:Canada provinces evolution.gif|thumb|right|An animated map, exhibiting [[Territorial evolution of Canada|the growth and change of Canada's provinces and territories since Confederation]]]]

Following several constitutional conferences, the [[Constitution Act, 1867]] brought about Confederation creating "one Dominion under the name of [[Name of Canada#Adoption of Dominion|Canada]]" on July 1, 1867, with four provinces: [[Ontario]], [[Quebec]], [[Nova Scotia]], and [[New Brunswick]].<ref>{{cite book | last=Farthing |first= John |title= Freedom Wears a Crown |location= Toronto |publisher=Kingswood House |year=1957 |id = ASIN B0007JC4G2}}</ref> Canada assumed control of Rupert's Land and the [[North-Western Territory]] to form the [[Northwest Territories]], where [[Métis people (Canada)|Métis']] grievances ignited the [[Red River Rebellion]] and the creation of the province of [[Manitoba]] in July 1870. British Columbia and Vancouver Island (which had [[United Colonies of Vancouver Island and British Columbia|united in 1866]]) and the colony of [[Prince Edward Island]] joined Confederation in 1871 and 1873, respectively.

[[Prime Minister of Canada|Prime Minister]] [[John A. Macdonald|John A. Macdonald's]] [[Conservative Party of Canada (historical)|Conservative]] government established a [[national policy]] of [[tariff]]s to protect nascent Canadian manufacturing industries. To open the West, the government sponsored construction of three trans-continental railways (most notably the [[Canadian Pacific Railway]]), opened the prairies to settlement with the [[Dominion Lands Act]], and established the [[Royal Canadian Mounted Police|North-West Mounted Police]] to assert its authority over this territory. In 1898, after the [[Klondike Gold Rush]] in the Northwest Territories, the Canadian government created the [[Yukon]] territory. Under [[Liberal Party of Canada|Liberal]] [[Prime Minister of Canada|Prime Minister]] [[Wilfrid Laurier]], continental European immigrants settled the prairies, and [[Alberta]] and [[Saskatchewan]] became provinces in 1905.
[[Image:Canadian tank and soldiers Vimy 1917.jpg|thumb|left|Canadian soldiers won the [[Battle of Vimy Ridge]] in 1917.]]

Canada automatically entered [[World War I]] in 1914 with Britain's declaration of war, sending volunteers to the Western Front who later became part of the [[Canadian Corps]]. The Corps played a substantial role in the [[Battle of Vimy Ridge]] and other [[Canada's Hundred Days|major battles]] of the war. The [[Conscription Crisis of 1917]] erupted when [[Conservative Party of Canada (historical)|conservative]] Prime Minister [[Robert Borden]] brought in compulsory military service over the objection of French-speaking Quebecers. In 1919, Canada joined the [[League of Nations]] independently of Britain; in 1931 the [[Statute of Westminster 1931|Statute of Westminster]] affirmed Canada's independence.

The [[Great Depression]] brought economic hardship to all of Canada. In response, the [[Co-operative Commonwealth Federation]] (CCF) in Alberta and Saskatchewan enacted many measures of a [[welfare state]] as pioneered by [[Tommy Douglas]] in the 1940s and 1950s. Canada [[Military history of Canada during the Second World War|declared war on Germany]] independently during [[World War II]] under Liberal Prime Minister [[William Lyon Mackenzie King]], three days after Britain. The first Canadian Army units arrived in Britain in December 1939.<ref name="stacey">{{cite book | last = Stacey |first= C.P.| authorlink =C.P. Stacey | title=History of the Canadian Army in the Second World War | publisher = Queen's Printer | year= 1948}}</ref> Canadian troops played important roles in the [[Battle of the Atlantic (1939–1945)|Battle of the Atlantic]], the failed 1942 [[Dieppe Raid]] in France, the [[Allied invasion of Italy]], the [[D-Day]] landings, the [[Normandy Campaign|Battle of Normandy]] and the [[Battle of the Scheldt]] in 1944. Canada is credited by the [[Netherlands]] for having provided asylum and protection for its [[monarchy]] during the war after the country was occupied and the Netherlands credits Canada for its leadership and major contribution to the liberation of Netherlands from [[Nazi Germany]]. The Canadian economy boomed as industry manufactured military [[materiel]]<!--This is not a misspelling. Follow the link to find out the difference between material and materiel--> for Canada, Britain, China and the [[Soviet Union]]. Despite another [[Conscription Crisis of 1944|Conscription Crisis]] in Quebec, Canada finished the war with one of the largest armed forces in the world.<ref name="stacey"/> In 1945, during the war, Canada became one of the first countries to join the [[United Nations]].

This growth, combined with the policies of successive [[Liberal Party of Canada|Liberal]] governments, led to the emergence of a new [[Canadian identity]], marked by the adoption of the current [[Flag of Canada|Maple Leaf Flag]] in 1965, the implementation of [[official bilingualism]] in 1969, and [[Multiculturalism#Origins in Canada|official multiculturalism]] in 1971. [[Social democracy|Socially democratic]] programmes were also founded, such as [[Medicare (Canada)|universal health care]], the [[Canada Pension Plan]], and [[Student loans in Canada|Canada Student Loans]], though provincial governments, particularly Quebec and Alberta, opposed many of these as incursions into their jurisdictions. Finally, another series of constitutional conferences resulted in the [[patriation]] of Canada's constitution from the United Kingdom, concurrent with the creation of the [[Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms|Charter of Rights and Freedoms]].<ref name="bickerton">{{cite book| author=Bickerton, James & Gagnon, Alain-G & Gagnon, Alain (Eds).| title=Canadian Politics| publisher=Broadview Press| edition=4th edition| location=Orchard Park, NY| isbn=1-55111-595-6| year=2004}}</ref> At the same time, Quebec was undergoing profound social and economic changes through the [[Quiet Revolution]], giving birth to a [[Quebec nationalism|nationalis]] movement in the province.<ref name="QR">{{cite web| last=Bélanger| first=Claude |publisher=Marionopolis College, Montreal| url= http://faculty.marianopolis.edu/c.belanger/quebechistory/events/quiet.htm| title= Quiet Revolution| work=Quebec History| date=3 August 2000| accessdate=2008}}</ref> and the more radical [[Front de libération du Québec]] (FLQ), who's actions ignited the [[October Crisis]] in 1970. A decade later, an unsuccessful [[referendum]] on [[Quebec sovereignty movement|sovereignty-association]] was held in 1980, after which [[Meech Lake Accord|attempts at constitutional amendment]] were attempted and failed in 1989. A [[Quebec referendum, 1995|second referendum]] followed in 1995, in which sovereignty was rejected by a slimmer margin of just 50.6% to 49.4%.<ref name="dickinson">{{cite book| first=John Alexander| last=Dickinson| coauthors=Young, Brian| year=2003| title=A Short History of Quebec| publisher=McGill-Queen's University Press| edition=3rd edition| location=Montreal| isbn=0-7735-2450-9}}</ref> In 1997, the [[Supreme Court of Canada|Supreme Court]] ruled that[[Reference re Secession of Quebec|unilateral secession]] by a province would be unconstitutional, and the [[Clarity Act]] was passed by parliament, outlining the terms of a negotiated departure from Confederation.<ref name="dickinson" />

After various [[peacekeeping]] missions between the 1950s and 1990s, Canada engaged in the [[NATO]] led [[War in Afghanistan (2001–present)|Afghan War]] in 2001, though subsequently refusing to participate in the [[2003 invasion of Iraq]]. At home, following various legal battles, as well as some violent confrontations at [[Oka Crisis|Oka]], [[Ipperwash Crisis|Ipperwash]], and [[Gustafsen Lake Standoff|Gustafsen Lake]], in 1999 Canada recognized [[Inuit]] self-government with the creation of [[Nunavut]], settled [[Nisga'a Final Agreement|Nisga'a]] claims in British Columbia, and, in 2008, the Prime Minister apologised for the creation of [[Canadian residential school system|residential schools]] by previous governments.

==Government and politics==
{{main|Government of Canada|Politics of Canada|Monarchy of Canada}}
[[Image:Canada Parliament2.jpg|thumb|right|[[Parliament Hill]], [[Ottawa]]]]
Canada has a [[parliamentary government]] with strong democratic traditions. [[Parliament of Canada|Parliament]] is made up of [[the Crown]], an elected [[House of Commons of Canada|House of Commons]] and an appointed [[Senate of Canada|Senate]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Constitution Act, 1867; IV|publisher=Queen's Printer for Canada|url=http://laws.justice.gc.ca/en/const/c1867_e.html#legislative|quote=There shall be One Parliament for Canada, consisting of the Queen, an Upper House styled the Senate, and the House of Commons.}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Parliament of Canada: About the Governor General of Canada|publisher=Queen's Printer for Canada|url=http://www2.parl.gc.ca/Parlinfo/pages/govgeneral.aspx?Language=E&Menu=GG|quote=Parliament is the legislative branch of Government, composed of the Sovereign (represented by the Governor General), the Senate and the House of Commons.}}
</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=''Constitution Act 1867''; III.9|publisher=Queen's Printer for Canada|url=http://laws.justice.gc.ca/en/const/index.html|quote=The Executive Government and Authority of and over Canada is hereby declared to continue and be vested in the Queen.}}</ref>
Each [[Member of Parliament]] in the House of Commons is elected by simple [[plurality (voting)|plurality]] in an [[Canadian electoral district|electoral district]] or riding. General elections must be called by the [[Prime Minister of Canada|Prime Minister]] within five years of the previous election, or may be triggered by the government losing a [[confidence vote]] in the House. Members of the Senate, whose seats are apportioned on a regional basis, are chosen by the Prime Minister and formally appointed by the [[Governor General of Canada|Governor General]], and serve until age 75. Four parties had representatives elected to the federal parliament in the 2008 elections: the [[Conservative Party of Canada]] (governing party), the [[Liberal Party of Canada]] (Official Opposition), the [[New Democratic Party]] (NDP) and the ''[[Bloc Québécois]]''. The list of [[List of political parties in Canada#Historical parties that have won seats in Parliament|historical parties]] with elected representation is substantial.

[[Canadian federalism|Canada's federalist structure]] divides government responsibilities between the federal government and the ten [[Provinces and territories of Canada|provinces]]. [[Unicameralism|Unicameral]] [[Legislative Assemblies of Canadian provinces and territories|provincial legislatures]] operate in parliamentary fashion similar to the House of Commons. Canada's three [[Provinces and territories of Canada|territories]] also have legislatures, but with fewer constitutional responsibilities than the provinces, and with some structural differences (for example, the [[Legislative Assembly of Nunavut]] has no parties and operates on consensus).

[[Image:parliament2.jpg|thumb|left|The chamber of the [[Canadian House of Commons|House of Commons]]]]

Canada is also a [[constitutional monarchy]], with [[The Crown]] acting as a symbolic or ceremonial [[Executive branch|executive]].<ref name="stewart1">{{cite web|first= David | last = Stewart |title= Introduction: Principles of the Westminster Model of Parliamentary Democracy|work= Module on Parliamentary Democracy|publisher= Commonwealth Parliamentary Association |date=2008-11-02 |accessdate=2008-11-02|url=http://www.athabascau.ca/govn/parliamentary_democracy/chapters/index.html |quote= Parliamentary government is also associated with the presence of a dual executive. There is a ceremonial executive, which possesses some constitutional powers as well as performing symbolic functions, and a political executive, which performs the basic governing functions (see Magstadt and Schotten, 1999; O'Neill, 1999). In the British model, the Crown now serves as the ceremonial executive (or head of state) while the Prime Minister is head of government. }}</ref><ref name="heard1">{{cite web|first=Andrew| last = Heard |title= The Executive I: Crown and Cabinet |work= Canadian Government (Course notes) |publisher= Simon Fraser University |year= 2008 |accessdate=2008-11-02|url=http://www.sfu.ca/~aheard/221/221_class_sched.html |quote= o symbolic executive: Queen (de jure head of state) ... Governor General (de facto head of state); o political executive: Canada: Privy Council, including cabinet; Prime Minister (head of government) primus inter pares; cabinet/ministry membership (32 members including the PM); o permanent executive (bureaucracy): departments, agencies, & civil service}}</ref>
The Crown consists of [[Queen Elizabeth II]] (legal head of state) and her appointed [[viceroys]], the Governor General (acting head of state) and provincial Lieutenant-Governors, who perform most of the monarch's ceremonial roles.<ref name="nelson1">{{cite web|author= Nelson Education Ltd.|title= The Executive |work= Introduction to Canadian Government and Politics |publisher= Nelson Education Ltd. |date= |accessdate=2008-11-02|url= http://polisci.nelson.com/executive.html|quote= The symbolic executive is composed of the Queen, who is the legal head of state of Canada, and her representatives, who fulfill the monarch's
daily duties in Canada.}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author=Heritage Canada |authorlink=Department of Canadian Heritage |publisher= Heritage Canada |url=http://www.pch.gc.ca/royalvisit2005/53_e.cfm |title=The Queen and Canada: 53 Years of Growing Together|date=2005-04-21|accessdate=2006-05-14}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author=Governor General of Canada |authorlink=Governor General of Canada |publisher= Governor General of Canada|url=http://www.gg.ca/gg/rr/index_e.asp |title=Role and Responsibilities of the Governor General|date=2005-12-06|accessdate=2006-05-14}}</ref><ref name="cwlth1">{{cite web|author=Commonwealth Secretariat |title= Women in Politics |work= |publisher=Commonwealth Secretariat |year= 1999|accessdate=2008-11-02|url=http://books.google.ca/books?id=3_7kSP6mH7QC&pg=PA38&lpg=PA38&dq=%22symbolic+executive%22++%2BCanada&source=web&ots=pe65csjNt2&sig=hEbdDbCSi5weSi2BjBkbf5M-ZCw&hl=en |quote= However, the British monarch continues to serve as Canada's symbolic executive, appointing a representative, the Governor-General, on the advice of the Canadian Prime Minister.}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=Ray T. Donahue|title=Diplomatic Discourse: International Conflict at the United Nations|work=|publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group|url=http://books.google.ca/books?id=zolqhgKCQ5IC&pg=PA204&lpg=PA204&dq=%22symbolic+power%22+monarch+canada&source=web&ots=IXqQnZ7Hg8&sig=afyqd8EUlF4YUlhr5kNKqkYHAtM&hl=en| quote=As Head of State ... Elizabeth II has no political power, only symbolic power}}</ref>
The political executive consists of the Prime Minister (head of government) and the [[Cabinet of Canada|Cabinet]] and carries out the day-to-day decisions of government.<ref name="DJC">{{cite web|title=Canada's System of Justice: The Canadian Constitution|publisher=Department of Justice Canada|url=http://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/dept-min/pub/just/05.html|quote=The executive power in Canada is vested in the Queen. In this democratic society, this is only a constitutional convention, as the real executive power rests with the Cabinet.}}</ref><ref name="mahler1">{{cite web|first= Gregory | last = Mahler |title= Parliament and Congress: Is the Grass Greener on the Other Side? |work= Canadian Parliamentary Review|publisher= |year= 1985 |accessdate= 2008-11-02|url=http://www.parl.gc.ca/Infoparl/english/issue.htm?param=115&art=643 |quote= In Canada (and indeed most parliamentary democracies in the world today), the majority of challenges to legislative power which develop no longer come from the ceremonial executive (the Crown), but from the political executive, the government of the day. }}</ref><ref name="CSPS">{{cite web|title=Responsible Government: Clarifying Essentials, Dispelling Myths and Exploring Change|publisher=Canada School of Public Service|url=http://www.ccmd-ccg.gc.ca/Research/publications/html/resgov/rg5_e.html|quote=Under the constitutional convention of responsible government, the powers of the Crown are exercised by Ministers, both individually and collectively.}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author= Joseph Magnet|title= Separation of Powers in Canada|work=Constitutional Law of Canada|publisher=University of Ottawa Faculty of Law| url=http://www.uottawa.ca/constitutional-law/Division%20of%20Powers%20Topics%20-%20Separation%20of%20Powers.htm|quote= ... democratic principles dictate that the bulk of the Governor General's powers be exercised in accordance with the wishes of the leadership of that government, namely the Cabinet. So the true executive power lies in the Cabinet.}}</ref> The Cabinet is made up of ministers usually selected from the House of Commons and headed by the Prime Minister,<ref>{{cite web|title=''By Executive Decree'': The Cabinet|publisher=Library and Archives Canada|url=http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/executive-decree/023004-2040-e.html|quote=The Cabinet as selected and directed by the prime minister constitutes the active seat of executive power in Canada.}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author= W.A. Matheson|title=Prime Minister|work= The Canadian Encyclopedia |publisher=|url=http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=A1ARTA0006474|quote=The prime minister is the chief minister and effective head of the executive in a parliamentary system ...}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=|title=Responsible Government and Checks and Balances: The Crown |work=|publisher=|url=http://www.ccmd-ccg.gc.ca/Research/publications/html/resgov/rg9_e.html#crown|quote=Responsible government means that the Crown no longer has the prerogative to select or remove Ministers. They are selected and removed by the first Minister—the Prime Minister.}}</ref>
who is normally the leader of the party that holds the confidence of the House of Commons. The [[Office of the Prime Minister (Canada)|Prime Minister's Office]] (PMO) is one of the most powerful institutions in government,<ref>{{cite web|author=|title=The Prime Minister|work=By Executive Decree|publisher=National Archives of Canada|url=http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/executive-decree/023004-2030-e.html|quote=While the modern governor general has only a nominal influence on the operation of the Canadian government, the prime minister's influence is decisive.}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=|title=Responsible Government and Checks and Balances: The Crown |work=Responsible Government: Clarifying Essentials, Dispelling Myths and Exploring Change |publisher= Canada School of Public Service|url=http://www.ccmd-ccg.gc.ca/Research/publications/html/resgov/rg9_e.html#crown|quote= Ministers are thereby accountable to the Prime Minister who, in the Canadian tradition, has the sole power to appoint and dismiss them.}}</ref>
initiating most legislation for parliamentary approval and selecting, besides other Cabinet members, Senators, federal court judges, heads of Crown corporations and government agencies, and the Governor General. The Crown formally approves parliamentary legislation and the Prime Minister's appointments.<ref>{{cite web|title=''By Executive Decree'': The Governor General|publisher=Library and Archives Canada|url=http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/executive-decree/023004-2020-e.html|quote=The governor general holds formal executive power within the Queen's Privy Council for Canada, and signs orders-in-council.}}</ref>
The leader of the party with the second most seats usually becomes the [[Official Opposition (Canada)|Leader of the Opposition]] and is part of an adversarial parliamentary system that keeps the government in check. [[Michaëlle Jean]] has served as Governor General since September 27, 2005; [[Stephen Harper]], leader of the [[Conservative Party of Canada|Conservative Party]], has been Prime Minister since February 6, 2006; and [[Stéphane Dion]], leader of the [[Liberal Party of Canada]], has been Leader of the Opposition since December 2, 2006.

==Law==
{{main|Law of Canada}}
{{seealso|Court system of Canada}}
[[Image:Supreme Court of Canada.jpg|thumb|right|The [[Supreme Court of Canada]] in Ottawa, west of Parliament Hill]]
[[Constitution of Canada|The constitution]] is the supreme law of the country,<ref>{{cite web|title=The Constitution Act, 1982|publisher=Department of Justice Canada|url=http://laws.justice.gc.ca/en/const/annex_e.html#VI|quote="52.(1) The Constitution of Canada is the supreme law of Canada, and any law that is inconsistent with the provisions of the Constitution is, to the extent of the inconsistency, of no force or effect.}}</ref> and consists of written text and unwritten conventions.<ref>{{cite web |author=Department of Justice |publisher= Department of Justice, Canada |url=http://laws.justice.gc.ca/en/const/index.html |title=Constitution Acts 1867 to 1982|accessdate=2006-05-14}}</ref> The [[Constitution Act, 1867]], affirmed governance based on parliamentary precedent "similar in principle to that of the United Kingdom" and divided powers between the federal and provincial governments; the [[Statute of Westminster 1931|Statute of Westminster, 1931]], granted full autonomy; and the [[Constitution Act, 1982]], added the [[Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms]], which guarantees basic rights and freedoms that usually cannot be overridden by any level of government&nbsp;– though a ''[[Section Thirty-three of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms|notwithstanding clause]]'' allows the federal parliament and provincial legislatures to override certain sections of the Charter for a period of five years&nbsp;– and added a constitutional amending formula.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Constitution Act, 1982|publisher=Department of Justice Canada|url=http://laws.justice.gc.ca/en/const/annex_e.html#IV.I|quote="38.(1)}}</ref>

Canada's [[judiciary]] plays an important role in interpreting laws and has the power to strike down laws that violate the Constitution. The [[Supreme Court of Canada]] is the highest court and final arbiter and is led by the Right Honourable Madam Chief Justice [[Beverley McLachlin]], P.C. since 2000. Its nine members are appointed by the [[Governor General of Canada|Governor General]] on the advice of the Prime Minister and Minister of Justice. All judges at the superior and appellate levels are appointed after consultation with non-governmental legal bodies. The federal cabinet also appoints justices to superior courts at the provincial and territorial levels. Judicial posts at the lower provincial and territorial levels are filled by their respective governments.

[[Common law]] prevails everywhere except in Quebec, where [[civil law (legal system)|civil law]] predominates. [[Criminal law in Canada|Criminal law]] is solely a federal responsibility and is uniform throughout Canada. Law enforcement, including criminal courts, is a provincial responsibility, but in rural areas of all provinces except Ontario and Quebec, policing is contracted to the federal [[Royal Canadian Mounted Police]].

==Foreign relations and military==
{{main|Foreign relations of Canada|Canadian Forces|Military history of Canada}}
[[Image:Peacekeeping monument.jpg|thumb|right|The [[Peacekeeping Monument]] in Ottawa]]

[[Canada–United States relations|Canada and the United States]] share the world's longest undefended [[border]], co-operate on military campaigns and exercises, and are each other's largest trading partners. Canada has nevertheless maintained an independent foreign policy, most notably maintaining full relations with [[Cuba]] and declining to participate in the [[Iraq War]]. Canada also maintains historic ties to the United Kingdom and France and to other former British and French colonies through Canada's membership in the [[Commonwealth of Nations]] and [[Francophonie|La Francophonie]] (French-Speaking Countries). Canada is noted for having a strong and positive relationship with the [[Netherlands]] which Canada helped liberate during [[World War II]], and the Dutch government traditionally gives tulips, a symbol of the Netherlands, to Canada each year in remembrance of Canada's contribution to its liberation.

Canada currently employs a professional, volunteer military force of about 64,000 regular and 26,000 reserve personnel.<ref>{{cite web |author=Assistant Deputy Minister (Public Affairs) |authorlink=Department of National Defence (Canada) |publisher= Department of National Defence |url=http://www.forces.gc.ca/site/about/family_e.asp |title=The National Defence family|accessdate=2006-05-14}}</ref> The unified [[Canadian Forces]] (CF) comprise the [[Canadian Forces Land Force Command|army]], [[Canadian Forces Maritime Command|navy]], and [[Canadian Forces Air Command|air force]]. Major CF equipment deployed includes 1,400 armoured fighting vehicles, 34 combat vessels, and 861 aircraft.<ref name="cf_equipment">{{cite web |author=Assistant Deputy Minister (Public Affairs) |authorlink=Department of National Defence (Canada) |publisher=Department of National Defence |url=http://www.forces.gc.ca/site/Reports/cds_report/anxd_e.asp |title=Canadian Forces Equipment |accessdate=2006-05-14}}</ref>

Strong attachment to the [[British Empire]] and Commonwealth in [[English Canada]] led to major participation in British military efforts in the [[Second Boer War]], the First World War, and the Second World War. Since then, Canada has been an advocate for [[multilateralism]], making efforts to resolve global issues in collaboration with other nations.<ref name="canada_policy">
{{cite book | author = Government of Canada| title = Canada's international policy statement : a role of pride and influence in the world| publisher = Government of Canada | location = Ottawa |url=http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/cip-pic/IPS/IPS-Overview.pdf | year = 2005 | id = ISBN 0-662-68608-X|format=PDF}}</ref><ref name="middle_powers">{{cite book | first = Andrew Fenton |last = Cooper |coauthors= Higgot, Richard A.; Nossal, Kim R. | title = Relocating Middle Powers: Australia and Canada in a Changing World Order| publisher = UBC Press | location = Vancouver |url=http://books.google.com/books?id=Hw3laaTpOiIC&pg=PP1&lpg=PP1&vq=reaching+out&dq=Canada+middle+power&psp=s&sig=0009fdoEDuy42hFgXuCmmymun6c | year = 1993 | id = ISBN 0-7748-0450-5 }}</ref> Canada joined the [[United Nations]] in 1945 and became a founding member of [[NATO]] in 1949. During the [[Canada in the Cold War|Cold War]], Canada was a major contributor to UN forces in the [[Korean War]] and founded the [[North American Aerospace Defense Command]] (NORAD) in cooperation with the United States to defend against aerial attacks from the Soviet Union.

Canada has played a leading role in UN peacekeeping efforts. During the [[Suez Crisis]] of 1956, [[Lester B. Pearson]] eased tensions by proposing the inception of the [[peacekeeping|United Nations Peacekeeping Force]].<ref name="lester">{{cite web |author=Canadian Broadcasting Corporation |authorlink= Canadian Broadcasting Corporation | publisher= CBC.ca |title= Lester B. Pearson |url=
[http://www.cbc.ca/greatest/top_ten/nominee/pearson-lester.html CBC.ca - The Greatest Canadian - Top Ten Greatest Canadians - Lester B. Pearson<!-- bot-generated title -->] at www.cbc.ca |year=2006 | accessdate=2006-05-22}}</ref> Canada has since served in 50 peacekeeping missions, including every UN peacekeeping effort until 1989<ref>{{cite book| first = Desmond | last = Morton | authorlink = Desmond Morton (historian)| title = A Military History of Canada| publisher = McClelland & Stewart | location = Toronto | year = 1999 | id = ISBN 0-7710-6514-0 | pages = pg. 258}}</ref>
and has since maintained forces in international missions in [[Rwanda]], the former [[Yugoslavia]], and elsewhere.

Canada joined the [[Organization of American States]] (OAS) in 1990; Canada hosted the OAS General Assembly in [[Windsor, Ontario|Windsor]], [[Ontario]], in June 2000 and the third Summit of the Americas in [[Quebec City]] in April 2001. Canada seeks to expand its ties to [[Pacific Rim]] economies through membership in the [[Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation]] forum (APEC).

[[Image:Canadian soldiers afghanistan.jpg|thumb|right|Canadian soldiers in [[Canada's role in the invasion of Afghanistan|Afghanistan]]]]

Since 2001, Canada has had troops deployed in [[Afghanistan]] as part of the [[War in Afghanistan (2001–present)|U.S. stabilization force]] and the UN-authorized, NATO-commanded [[International Security Assistance Force]]. Canada and the U.S. continue to integrate state and provincial agencies to strengthen security long the [[Canada – United States border]] through the [[Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative]].<ref>[http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/whti-ivho/edl-pca-eng.html Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative<!-- bot-generated title -->] at www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca</ref> Canada's [[Disaster Assistance Response Team]] (DART) has participated in three major relief efforts in recent years; the two-hundred member team has been deployed in relief operations after the [[2004 Indian Ocean earthquake]] in South Asia, [[Hurricane Katrina]] in 2005, and the [[2005 Kashmir earthquake|Kashmir earthquake]] in October 2005.

In February 2007, Canada, Italy, Britain, [[Norway]], and Russia announced their funding commitments to launch a $1.5&nbsp;billion project to help develop vaccines they said could save millions of lives in poor nations, and called on others to join them.<ref name="NewsMax">"[http://newsmax.com/archives/articles/2007/2/9/152255.shtml Rich Nations Launch Vaccine Pact]". [[Reuters]]. February 10, 2007.</ref> In August 2007, Canadian sovereignty in [[Territorial claims in the Arctic|Arctic waters]] was challenged following a [[Arktika 2007|Russian expedition]] that planted a Russian flag at the seabed at the [[North Pole]]. Canada has considered that area to be sovereign territory since 1925.<ref>{{cite web | last = Blomfield | first = Adrian| url = http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/08/01/wpole101.xml | publisher = Telegraph | title = Russia claims North Pole with Arctic flag stunt | date = 2007-08-03 | accessdate = 2007-09-10}}</ref>

==Provinces and territories==
{{main|Provinces and territories of Canada|Canadian federalism}}
[[Image:Map Canada political-geo.png|thumb|left|A geopolitical map of Canada, exhibiting its [[Provinces and territories of Canada|ten provinces and three territories]]]]

Canada is a [[federation]] composed of ten [[province]]s and three [[Territory (administrative division)|territories]]; in turn, these may be [[List of regions of Canada|grouped into regions]]. [[Western Canada]] consists of [[British Columbia]] and the three [[Canadian Prairies|Prairie provinces]] ([[Alberta]], [[Saskatchewan]], and [[Manitoba]])
<ref>{{cite web|author= |title= Western Canada |work= MSN Encarta Dictionary|publisher= Bell Inc., Microsoft Corporation and their contributors. |date= |accessdate=2008-11-05|url= http://ca.encarta.msn.com/dictionary_1861712296_561511545/prevpage.html|quote= }}</ref>.
[[Central Canada]] consists of [[Quebec]] and [[Ontario]]. [[Atlantic Canada]] consists of the three [[Maritimes|Maritime provinces]] ([[New Brunswick]], [[Prince Edward Island]], and [[Nova Scotia]]), along with [[Newfoundland and Labrador]]. [[Eastern Canada]] refers to Central Canada and Atlantic Canada together. Three territories ([[Yukon]], [[Northwest Territories]], and [[Nunavut]]) make up [[Northern Canada]]. Provinces have [[Canadian federalism|more autonomy]] than territories. Each has its own [[List of Canadian provincial and territorial symbols|provincial or territorial symbols]]<ref>{{cite web|author= |title= A Look at Canada |work= |publisher= Minister of Public Worksand Government Services Canada |year= 2007|accessdate=2008-11-05|url= http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/resources/publications/look/index.asp|isbn= 0-662-39464-X}}</ref>.

The provinces are responsible for most of Canada's social programs (such as [[Health care in Canada|health care]], [[Education in Canada|education]], and [[welfare (financial aid)|welfare]]) and together collect more revenue than the federal government, an almost unique structure among federations in the world. Using its spending powers, the federal government can initiate national policies in provincial areas, such as the [[Canada Health Act]]; the provinces can opt out of these but rarely do so in practice. [[Equalization payments]] are made by the federal government to ensure that reasonably uniform standards of services and taxation are kept between the richer and poorer provinces.
{{clearleft}}

==Geography and climate==
{{main|Geography of Canada|Temperature in Canada}}
[[Image:Canada-satellite.jpg|thumb|right|A satellite composite image of Canada. [[taiga|Boreal forests]] prevail on the rocky [[Canadian Shield]]. Ice and [[tundra]] are prominent in the [[Arctic]]. Glaciers are visible in the [[Canadian Rockies]] and [[Coast Mountains]]. Flat and fertile [[prairie]]s facilitate agriculture. The [[Great Lakes]] feed the [[Saint Lawrence River]] (in the southeast) where lowlands host much of Canada's population.]]

Canada occupies a major northern portion of [[North America]], sharing land borders with the [[contiguous United States]] to the south and with the [[U.S. state]] of [[Alaska]] to the northwest, stretching from the [[Atlantic Ocean]] in the east to the [[Pacific Ocean]] in the west; to the north lies the [[Arctic Ocean]]. By total area (including its waters), Canada is the second largest country in the world—after Russia—and largest on the [[continent]]. By land area it ranks fourth.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://education.yahoo.com/reference/factbook/countrycompare/area/3d.html;_ylt=As1XMsN8kgSx746VWazy_s7PecYF|title=World Factbook: Area Country Comparison Table}}</ref> Since 1925, Canada has claimed the portion of the Arctic between 60°W and 141°W [[longitude]],<ref name="territorial_evolution">{{cite web |author=National Resources Canada |publisher= National Resources Canada |url=http://atlas.gc.ca/site/english/maps/historical/territorialevolution/1927/1 |title=Territorial Evolution, 1927|date=2004-04-06|accessdate=2006-05-14}}</ref> but this claim is not universally recognized. The northernmost settlement in Canada and in the world is [[CFS Alert|Canadian Forces Station (CFS) Alert]] on the northern tip of [[Ellesmere Island]]—latitude 82.5°N—just 817 kilometres (450 [[nautical mile]]s) from the North Pole.<ref name="alert">{{cite web | publisher = National Defence Canada | author = National Defence Canada | date = 2006-08-15 | accessdate=2006-10-03 | title = Canadian Forces Station (CFS) Alert | url = http://www.img.forces.gc.ca/org/cfiog/alert_e.asp}}</ref> Canada has the longest coastline in the world: 243,000 kilometres.<ref name="coastweb">{{cite web |author=Natural Resources Canada |publisher= Natural Resources Canada |url=http://gsc.nrcan.gc.ca/coast/facts_e.php |title=CoastWeb: Facts about Canada's coastline |date=2006-12-19 |accessdate=2007-07-13}}</ref>

The [[population density]], {{Pop density km2 to sq mi|3.5|precision=1|spell=UK|wiki=yes}}, is among the lowest in the world.<ref name="population_density">{{cite web |author=WorldAtlas.com |publisher= WorldAtlas.com |url=http://worldatlas.com/aatlas/populations/ctydensityl.htm |title=Countries of the World (by lowest population density) |date=2006-02 |accessdate=2006-05-16}}</ref> The most densely populated part of the country is the [[Quebec City-Windsor Corridor]] along the Great Lakes and Saint Lawrence River in the southeast.<ref>{{cite web |accessdate = 2006-10-03 | year = 2006 | publisher = railwaypeople.com | author = railwaypeople.com | title = Quebec–Windsor Corridor Jet Train, Canada |url=http://www.railwaypeople.com/rail-projects/quebec-windsor-corridor-jet-train-canada-30.html}}</ref>

To the north of this region is the broad [[Canadian Shield]], an area of rock scoured clean by the [[Last glacial period|last ice age]], thinly soiled, rich in minerals, and dotted with lakes and rivers. Canada by far has more lakes than any other country and has a large amount of the world's freshwater.<ref name="altas_lakes">{{cite web |author=The Atlas of Canada |publisher=National Resources Canada|url=http://atlas.nrcan.gc.ca/site/english/maps/freshwater/distribution/drainage/1 |title= Drainage patterns |date=2004-04-02 |accessdate=2006-05-18}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | author = Encarta| title = Canada | publisher = Microsoft Corporation | accessdate = 2006-06-12| year = 2006 | url = http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761563379/Canada.html}}</ref>
[[Image:Peggys Cove Harbour 01.jpg|thumb|left|A Maritime scene at [[Peggys Cove, Nova Scotia|Peggys Cove]], Nova Scotia, which has long been sustained by the Atlantic fishery]]

In eastern Canada, most people live in large urban centres on the flat [[Saint Lawrence Lowlands]]. The [[Saint Lawrence River]] widens into the world's largest [[estuary]] before flowing into the [[Gulf of Saint Lawrence]]. The gulf is bounded by [[Newfoundland (island)|Newfoundland]] to the north and the [[Maritimes]] to the south. The Maritimes protrude eastward along the [[Appalachian Mountains|Appalachian Mountain]] range from northern [[New England]] and the [[Gaspé Peninsula]] of Quebec. New Brunswick and Nova Scotia are divided by the [[Bay of Fundy]], which experiences the world's largest tidal variations. Ontario and [[Hudson Bay]] dominate central Canada. West of Ontario, the broad, flat [[Canadian Prairies]] spread toward the [[Rocky Mountains]], which separate them from British Columbia.

In northwestern Canada, the [[Mackenzie River]] flows from the [[Great Slave Lake]] to the [[Arctic Ocean]]. A tributary of a tributary of the Mackenzie is the [[South Nahanni River]], which is home to [[Virginia Falls (Northwest Territories)|Virginia Falls]], a waterfall about twice as high as [[Niagara Falls]].

[[Image:Mount Robson2.jpg|right|thumb|200px|[[Mount Robson]], [[Canadian Rockies]] in [[British Columbia]].]]
[[Northern Canada|Northern Canadian]] vegetation tapers from [[Pinophyta|coniferous]] forests to [[tundra]] and finally to Arctic barrens in the far north. The northern Canadian mainland is ringed with a vast [[Canadian Arctic Archipelago|archipelago]] containing some of the [[List of islands by area|world's largest islands]].

Average winter and summer high temperatures across Canada vary depending on the location. Winters can be harsh in many regions of the country, particularly in the interior and Prairie provinces which experience a [[continental climate]], where daily average temperatures are near −15&nbsp;°[[Celsius|C]] (5&nbsp;°[[Fahrenheit|F]]) but can drop below −40&nbsp;°C (−40&nbsp;°F) with severe wind chills.<ref name="twn_regina">{{cite web |author=The Weather Network |authorlink=The Weather Network |publisher=The Weather Network |url=http://www.theweathernetwork.ca/weather/stats/pages/C02072.htm?CASK0261 |title=Statistics, Regina SK |accessdate=2006-05-18}}</ref> In non-coastal regions, snow can cover the ground almost six months of the year (more in the north). Coastal British Columbia is an exception and enjoys a temperate climate with a mild and rainy winter.

On the east and west coast, average high temperatures are generally in the low 20s °C (70s °F), while between the coasts the average summer high temperature ranges from 25 to 30&nbsp;°C (75 to 85&nbsp;°F) with occasional extreme heat in some interior locations exceeding 40&nbsp;°C (104&nbsp;°F).<ref name="twn_vancouver">{{cite web |author=The Weather Network |authorlink=The Weather Network |publisher=The Weather Network |url=http://www.theweathernetwork.ca/weather/stats/pages/C02096.htm?CABC0308 |title=Statistics: Vancouver Int'l, BC |accessdate=2006-05-18}}</ref><ref name="twn_toronto">{{cite web |author=The Weather Network |authorlink=The Weather Network |publisher=The Weather Network |url=http://www.theweathernetwork.ca/weather/stats/pages/C02017.htm?CAON0696 |title=Statistics: Toronto Pearson Int'l |accessdate=2006-05-18}}</ref> For a more complete description of climate across Canada see Environment Canada's Website.<ref>{{cite web |author=Environment Canada |authorlink=Environment Canada |publisher= Environment Canada |url=http://www.climate.weatheroffice.ec.gc.ca/climate_normals/index_e.html |title=Canadian Climate Normals or Averages 1971–2000|date=2004-02-25|accessdate=2006-05-18}}</ref><br clear="right">

Canada is also geologically active, having many [[earthquake]]s and potentially active [[volcano]]es, notably [[Mount Meager]], [[Mount Garibaldi]], [[Mount Cayley]] and the [[Mount Edziza volcanic complex]].<ref> {{cite book | last = Etkin | first = David | coauthors = Haque, C.E. and Brooks, Gregory R. | title = An Assessment of Natural Hazards and Disasters in Canada | publisher = Springer | date = 2003-04-30 | location = | pages =569, 582, 583 | url = http://books.google.com/books?id=kaJz_SNNuKMC&pg=PA569&lpg=PA569&dq=wells+%22gray+clearwater%22+volcanic+field+earthquakes&source=web&ots=3-cpYxu0uM&sig=OsW3GQ5BQLaHN3HzRdzQfObnx6A
| isbn = 978-1402011795}}</ref> The volcanic eruption of [[Tseax Cone]] in 1775 caused a catastrophic disaster, killing 2,000 [[Nisga'a]] people and the destruction of their village in the [[Nass River]] valley of northern [[British Columbia]]; the eruption produced a {{Unit km|22.5|0}} lava flow and according to legend of the Nisga'a people, it blocked the flow of the Nass River.<ref>
{{cite web | title = Tseax Cone | work = Catalogue of Canadian volcanoes | publisher = [[Geological Survey of Canada]] | date = 2005-08-19 | url = http://gsc.nrcan.gc.ca/volcanoes/cat/volcano_e.php?id=svb_tsx_107 | accessdate = 2008-07-29}}</ref>

==Economy==
{{main|Economy of Canada|Economic history of Canada|Agriculture in Canada}}
[[Image:Canadian bills2.jpg|right|thumb|[[Banknotes of the Canadian dollar|Canadian banknotes]] depicting, top to bottom, [[Wilfrid Laurier]], [[John A. Macdonald]], [[Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom|Queen Elizabeth II]], [[William Lyon Mackenzie King]], and [[Robert Borden]]]]

Canada is one of the world's [[List of countries by GDP (nominal)|wealthiest nations]], with a high per-capita income, and is a member of the [[Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development]] (OECD) and the [[G8]]. It is one of the world's top 10 trading nations.<ref name="WTO 2008 Press Release">{{cite web | author=WTO|authorlink= WTO|publisher= WTO|url=http://www.wto.org/english/news_e/pres08_e/pr520_e.htm|title=Latest release |date=2008-04-17 |accessdate=2008-07-03}}</ref> Canada is a [[Mixed economy|mixed market]],<ref name="PBS, commanding heights, map of the world's economic systems">{{cite web|url=http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/commandingheights/hi/timemap/ti.html|title=PBS, Commanding Heights, map of the world's economic systems|accessdate=2008-01-31}}</ref> ranking lower than the U.S. but higher than most western European nations on the [[Heritage Foundation|Heritage Foundation's]] index of economic freedom.<ref>{{cite web | accessdate = 2006-10-03 | year = 2006 | publisher = The Heritage Foundation | author = The Heritage Foundation | title = Index of Economic Freedom | url = http://www.heritage.org/research/features/index/indexoffreedom.cfm}}</ref> Since the early 1990s, the Canadian economy has been growing rapidly with low [[unemployment]] and large government surpluses on the federal level. Today Canada closely resembles the U.S. in its market-oriented economic system, pattern of production, and high living standards.<ref name="cia_factbook" /> As of October 2007, Canada's national unemployment rate of 5.9% is its lowest in 33 years. Provincial unemployment rates vary from a low of 3.6% in Alberta to a high of 14.6% in Newfoundland and Labrador.<ref name="statcan_labour">{{cite web | author=Statistics Canada |authorlink= Statistics Canada |publisher= Statistics Canada |url=http://www.statcan.ca/english/Subjects/Labour/LFS/lfs-en.htm |title=Latest release from Labour Force Survey |date=2006-08-04 |accessdate=2006-08-04}}</ref> According to the Forbes Global 2000 list of the world's largest companies in 2008, Canada had 69 companies in the list, ranking 5th next to France.<ref name="2008 [[Forbes]] Global 2000">{{cite web | author=forbes|authorlink= forbes|publisher= forbes|url=http://www.forbes.com/lists/2008/18/biz_2000global08_The-Global-2000-Canada_10Rank.html|title=Latest release |date=2008-04-02 |accessdate=2006-07-01}}</ref> As of 2008, the Canada’s total [[government debt]] burden is the lowest in the G8. The [[Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development|OECD]] projects that Canada’s net debt-to-GDP ratio will decline to 19.5% in 2009, less than half of the projected average of 51.9% for all G8 countries. According to these projections, Canada’s debt burden will have fallen over 50 percentage points from the peak in 1995, when it was the second highest in the G8.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.budget.gc.ca/2008/plan/ann1-eng.asp|title=Budget 2008: Budget Plan—Annex 1}}</ref>

In the past century, the growth of the manufacturing, mining, and service sectors has transformed the nation from a largely rural economy into one primarily industrial and urban. As with other [[First World|first world nations]], the Canadian economy is dominated by the [[Tertiary sector of the economy|service industry]], which employs about three quarters of Canadians.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www40.statcan.ca/l01/cst01/econ40.htm|publisher=Statistics Canada|title=Employment by Industry|date=2007-01-04}}</ref> However, Canada is unusual among developed countries in the importance of the [[Primary sector of the economy|primary sector]], with the [[logging]] and [[petroleum|oil]] industries being two of Canada's most important.

Canada is one of the few developed nations that are net exporters of [[energy]].<ref name="cia_factbook" /> [[Atlantic Canada]] has vast offshore deposits of [[natural gas]] and large [[Petroleum|oil]] and gas resources are centred in [[Alberta]]. The vast [[Athabasca Oil Sands]] give Canada the world's second largest [[oil reserves]] behind [[Saudi Arabia]].<ref name="athabasca">{{cite web |author=Clarke, Tony; Campbell, Bruce; Laxer, Gordon |publisher= Parkland Institute |url=http://www.ualberta.ca/PARKLAND/research/perspectives/LaxerClarkeCampbellMar06OpEd.htm |title=US oil addiction could make us sick |date=2006-03-10|accessdate=2006-05-18}}</ref> In Quebec, British Columbia, Newfoundland & Labrador, New Brunswick, Ontario and Manitoba, [[hydroelectricity]] is a cheap and clean source of renewable energy.

Canada is one of the world's most important suppliers of agricultural products, with the Canadian Prairies one of the most important suppliers of [[wheat]], [[canola]] and other grains.<ref name="ce_agriculture">{{cite web |author=The Canadian Encyclopedia |publisher= Historical Foundation of Canada |url=http://www.canadianencyclopedia.ca/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=J1SEC80771 |title=Agriculture and Food: Export markets |year=2006|accessdate=2006-05-18}}</ref> Canada is the world's largest producer of [[zinc]] and [[uranium]] and a world leader in many other natural resources such as [[gold]], [[nickel]], [[aluminium]], and [[lead]];<ref name="ce_minig">{{cite web |author=The Canadian Encyclopedia |publisher= Historica Foundation of Canada |url=http://www.canadianencyclopedia.ca/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=A1SEC824436 |title=Canadian Mining |year=2006|accessdate=2006-05-18}}</ref> many towns in the northern part of the country, where agriculture is difficult, exist because of a nearby mine or source of timber. Canada also has a sizeable manufacturing sector centred in southern Ontario and Quebec, with [[automobile]]s and [[aeronautics]] representing particularly important industries.

[[Image:Nafta.jpg|thumb|left|Representatives of the Canadian, Mexican, and United States governments sign [[North American Free Trade Agreement|NAFTA]] in 1992.]]

Economic integration with the United States has increased significantly since World War II. This has prompted [[Canadian nationalism|Canadian nationalists]] to worry about cultural and economic autonomy in an age of [[globalization]] as American television shows, movies and corporations have become omnipresent.<ref name="granatstein">{{cite book |first= J.L. |last=Granatstein |year=1997 |title=Yankee Go Home: Canadians and Anti-Americanism |publisher=HarperCollins |location= Toronto |id=ISBN 0-00-638541-9}}</ref> The ''[[Automotive Products Trade Agreement]]'' in 1965 opened the borders to trade in the auto manufacturing industry. In the 1970s, concerns over energy self-sufficiency and foreign ownership in the manufacturing sectors prompted Pierre Trudeau's Liberal government to set up the [[National Energy Program]] (NEP) and [[Investment Canada|Foreign Investment Review Agency]] (FIRA).<ref>{{cite web|author= Norman Hillmer|title=Foreign Investment Review Agency|work= The Canadian Encyclopedia |publisher=Historica Foundation|url=http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=A1ARTA0002896}}</ref> In the 1980s, Brian Mulroney's Progressive Conservatives abolished the NEP and changed the name of FIRA to [[Investment Canada]] to encourage foreign investment. The ''[[Canada-United States Free Trade Agreement]]'' (FTA) of 1988 eliminated tariffs between the two countries, while ''[[North American Free Trade Agreement]]'' (NAFTA) expanded the free trade zone to include [[Mexico]] in the 1990s. In the mid-1990s, the Liberal government under Jean Chrétien began posting annual budgetary surpluses and began steadily paying down the national debt. Since 2001, Canada has successfully avoided economic recession and has maintained the best overall economic performance in the G8.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.pco-bcp.gc.ca/default.asp?Language=E&Page=archivechretien&Sub=Speeches&Doc=commonwealthbusinessforum.20031204_e.htm|publisher = Privy Council Office, Government of Canada | last = Chretien | first = Jean | date = 2003-12-04 | accessdate = 2006-08-07 | title = Notes for an Address by Prime Minister Jean Chrétien on the Occasion of the Commonwealth Business Forum}}</ref>

==Demographics==
{{main|Demographics of Canada|List of cities in Canada|Ethnic groups in Canada|Immigration to Canada}}

{{Largest Metropolitan Areas of Canada}}
<!-- This is here from before. It could be removed with consensus. -->

Canada's [[Canada 2006 Census|2006 census]] counted a total population of 31,612,897, an increase of 5.4% since 2001.<ref name="statscan_population_clock">{{cite web |author= Beauchesne, Eric |publisher=National Post |url=http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/financialpost/story.html?id=73b94aac-08f0-477f-a72a-b8b640f6658f&k=90795 |title=We are 31,612,897|date=2007-03-13|accessdate=2007-03-13}}</ref> Population growth is from [[Immigration to Canada|immigration]] and, to a lesser extent, natural growth. About three-quarters of Canada's population live within 150 kilometres (90&nbsp;mi) of the US border.<ref>{{cite web |date = 2005-01-25 | accessdate =2006-10-03 | title = Canada World View&nbsp;– Issue 24 | first =Norman | last = Hillmer |publisher = Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada | url = http://www.international.gc.ca/canada-magazine/issue24/01-title-en.asp}}</ref> A similar proportion live in [[urban area]]s concentrated in the [[Quebec City-Windsor Corridor]] (notably the [[Golden Horseshoe|Greater Golden Horseshoe]] including [[Toronto]] and area, [[Montreal]], and [[National Capital Region (Canada)|Ottawa]]), the BC [[Lower Mainland]] (consisting of the region surrounding [[Vancouver]]), and the [[Calgary-Edmonton Corridor]] in Alberta.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://dissemination.statcan.ca/english/freepub/82-221-XIE/00503/tables/html/44_01.htm | title = Urban-rural population as a proportion of total population, Canada, provinces, territories and health regions | year = 2001 | publisher = Statistics Canada | author = Statistics Canada | accessdate = 2006-10-03}}</ref>

According to the 2006 census, there are 43 ethnic origins that at least one hundred thousand people in Canada claim in their background.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www12.statcan.ca/english/census06/data/highlights/ethnic/pages/Page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo=PR&Code=01&Data=Count&Table=2&StartRec=1&Sort=3&Display=All&CSDFilter=5000|title=Ethnocultural Portrait of Canada Highlight Tables, 2006 Census<!-- Bot generated title -->}}</ref>

The largest ethnic group is [[English Canadian|English]] (21%), followed by [[French Canadian|French]] (15.8%), [[Scottish Canadian|Scottish]] (15.2%), [[Irish Canadian|Irish]] (13.9%), [[Canadians of German ethnicity|German]] (10.2%), [[Italian Canadians|Italian]] (5%), [[Chinese Canadian|Chinese]] (4%), [[Ukrainian Canadian|Ukrainian]] (3.6%), and [[First Nations]] (3.5%); Approximately, one third of respondents identified their ethnicity as "Canadian".<ref>{{cite web|url = http://www12.statcan.ca/english/census06/data/highlights/ethnic/pages/Page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo=PR&Code=01&Data=Count&Table=2&StartRec=1&Sort=3&Display=All&CSDFilter=5000 |title = Ethnocultural Portrait of Canada Highlight Tables, 2006 Census |accessdate = 2008-06-30}}</ref> Canada's [[Aboriginal peoples in Canada|aboriginal]] population is growing almost twice as fast as the Canadian average, and 3.8% of Canada's population claimed aboriginal identity in 2006. Also, 16.2% of the population belonged to non-aboriginal [[visible minority|visible minorities]].

In 2001, 49% of the [[Vancouver]] population and 42.8% of [[Toronto]]'s population were [[visible minority|visible minorities]]. In March 2005, [[Statistics Canada]] projected that people of non-European origins will constitute a majority in both Toronto and Vancouver by 2012.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.canadastatistics.info/canadian-people.html|title=Canadian People—Learn About Canada's People}}</ref> According to Statistics Canada's forecasts, the number of visible minorities in Canada is expected to double by 2017. A survey released in 2007 reveals that virtually 1 in 5 Canadians (19.8%) are foreign born.<ref name = "statcan-Census">[http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/071204/d071204a.htm The Daily, Tuesday, December 4, 2007. 2006 Census: Immigration, citizenship, language, mobility and migration<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> Nearly 60% of new immigrants hail from Asia (including the Middle East).<ref name = "statcan-Census"/>

Canada has the [[Immigration to Canada#Immigration rate|highest per capita immigration rate in the world]],<ref name="highest immigration">{{cite web |author=Benjamin Dolin and Margaret Young, Law and Government Division |publisher=Library of Parliament |url=http://www.parl.gc.ca/information/library/PRBpubs/bp190-e.htm|title=Canada's Immigration Program |date=2004-10-31|accessdate=2006-11-29}}</ref> driven by [[Economic impact of immigration to Canada|economic policy]] and [[Immigration to Canada#Immigration categories|family reunification]]; Canada also accepts large numbers of [[refugee]]s. Newcomers settle mostly in the major urban areas of Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal. In the 2006 census, there were 5,068,100&nbsp;people considered to belong to a visible minority, making up 16.2% of the population. Between 2001 and 2006, the visible minority population rose by 27.2 %.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20080402/main_census_080402/20080402?hub=Canada&s_name=|title=Visible minorities pass 5-million mark for first time}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/080402/d080402a.htm|title=2006 Census: Ethnic origin, visible minorities, place of work and mode of transportation}}</ref>

In common with many other developed countries, Canada is experiencing a demographic shift towards an older population, with more retirees and fewer people of working age. In 2006, the average age of the civilian population was 39.5 years.<ref>Statistics Canada [http://www12.statcan.ca/english/census06/analysis/agesex/highlights.cfm 2006 Census: Portrait of the Canadian Population in 2006]</ref> The census results also indicate that despite an increase in immigration since 2001 (which gave Canada a higher rate of population growth than in the previous intercensal period) the aging of Canada's population did not slow in the period.

Support for [[religious pluralism]] is an important part of [[Political culture of Canada|Canada's political culture]]. According to the 2001 census,<ref name="statscan_religion">{{cite web |author=Statistics Canada |authorlink=Statistics Canada |publisher= Statistics Canada |url=http://www40.statcan.ca/l01/cst01/demo30a.htm |title=Population by religion, by provinces, and territories|date=2005-01-25|accessdate=2006-05-14}}</ref> 77.1% of Canadians identify as being [[Christianity|Christians]]; of this, [[Catholicism|Catholics]] make up the largest group (43.6% of Canadians). The largest [[Protestantism|Protestant]] denomination is the [[United Church of Canada]]. About 16.5% of Canadians declare no religious affiliation, and the remaining 6.3% are affiliated with religions other than Christianity, of which the largest is [[Islam]] numbering 1.9%, followed by [[Judaism]] at 1.1%.

Canadian provinces and territories are responsible for education. Each system is similar, while reflecting regional history, culture and geography.<ref name="education">{{cite web | author =Council of Ministers of Canada | publisher = Education@Canada | title = General Overview of Education in Canada | url= http://www.educationcanada.cmec.ca/EN/EdSys/over.php | accessdate = 2006-05-22 }}</ref> The mandatory school age ranges between 5–7 to 16–18 years,<ref name="education" /> contributing to an adult literacy rate that is 99%.<ref name="cia_factbook" /> Postsecondary education is also administered by provincial and territorial governments, who provide most of the funding; the federal government administers additional research grants, student loans and scholarships. In 2002, 43% of Canadians aged between 25 and 64 had post-secondary education; for those aged 25 to 34 the post-secondary education rate reaches 51%.<ref>{{cite web | author = Department of Finance | publisher = Department of Finance Canada | title = Creating Opportunities for All Canadians | url= http://www.fin.gc.ca/ec2005/agenda/agc4e.html| date = 2005-11-14 | accessdate = 2006-05-22}}</ref>

==Culture==
{{main|Culture of Canada|National symbols of Canada|Sport in Canada|Music of Canada}}
[[Image:Wawadit'la(Mungo Martin House) a Kwakwaka'wakw big house.jpg|thumb|right|A [[Kwakwaka'wakw]] [[totem pole]] and traditional "big house" in [[Victoria, British Columbia|Victoria]], [[British Columbia]]]]

Canadian culture has historically been influenced by [[British people|British]], [[French people|French]], and [[Aboriginal peoples in Canada|Aboriginal]] cultures and traditions. It has also been influenced heavily by [[Culture of the United States|American culture]] because of its proximity and migration between the two countries. The great majority of English speaking immigrants to Canada between 1755-1815 were Americans from the Lower Thirteen Colonies who were drawn there by promises of land or exiled because of their loyalty to Britain during the American War for Independence. American media and entertainment are popular, if not dominant, in English Canada; conversely, many Canadian cultural products and entertainers are successful in the U.S. and worldwide.<ref>{{cite web |first=John D. |last=Blackwell |url=http://www.iccs-ciec.ca/blackwell.html#culture |title=Culture High and Low |year=2005 |accessdate=2006-03-15 |publisher=International Council for Canadian Studies World Wide Web Service}}</ref> Many cultural products are marketed toward a unified "North American" or global market.

The creation and preservation of distinctly Canadian culture are supported by federal government programs, laws and institutions such as the [[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation]] (CBC), the [[National Film Board of Canada]] (NFB), and the [[Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission]] (CRTC).<ref>{{cite web |author=National Film Board of Canada |authorlink=National Film Board of Canada |url=http://www.nfb.ca/atonf/organisation.php?v=h&lg=en |title=Mandate of the National Film Board |year=2005|accessdate=2006-03-15}}</ref>

Canada is a geographically vast and ethnically diverse country. Canadian culture has also been greatly influenced by immigration from all over the world. Many Canadians value multiculturalism and see Canadian culture as being inherently multicultural.<ref name="bickerton" /> Multicultural heritage is the basis of [[Section Twenty-seven of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms|Section 27 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms]].

[[Image:McGill hockey match.jpg|left|thumb|[[Ice hockey|Hockey]] game, [[McGill University]], Montreal, Quebec (1901)]]

[[National symbols of Canada|National symbols]] are influenced by natural, historical, and [[First Nations]] sources. Particularly, the use of the [[maple leaf]] as a Canadian symbol dates back to the early 18th century and is depicted on its [[Flag of Canada|current]] and [[Canadian Red Ensign|previous]] flags, the [[penny (Canadian coin)|penny]], and on the [[Coat of arms of Canada|coat of arms]].<ref name="symbol1">{{cite book | author=Canadian Heritage | title=Symbols of Canada | year=2002 | location=Ottawa, ON | id=ISBN 0-660-18615-2 | publisher=Canadian Government Publishing}}</ref> Other prominent symbols include the [[beaver]], [[Canada Goose]], [[Great Northern Diver|Common Loon]], [[Monarchy of Canada|the Crown]], the [[Royal Canadian Mounted Police|RCMP]],<ref name="symbol1"/> and more recently the [[totem pole]] and [[Inukshuk]].

Canada's official national [[Sport in Canada|sports]] are [[ice hockey]] in the winter and [[lacrosse]] in the summer.<ref name="National Sports of Canada Act">{{cite web | url= http://lois.justice.gc.ca/en/N-16.7/251603.html | title= National Sports of Canada Act (1994) | work = Consolidated Statutes and Regulations| accessdate= 2006-07-20 | publisher= [[Department of Justice (Canada)|Department of Justice]]}}</ref> Ice hockey is a [[National sport|national pastime]] and the most popular spectator sport in the country. It is the most popular sport Canadians play, with 1.65&nbsp;million active participants in 2004.<ref name = "sports">{{cite web | author = Conference Board of Canada| authorlink = Conference Board of Canada | year = 2004 | month = December | url = http://www.pch.gc.ca/progs/sc/pubs/socio-eco/tab2_tab_e.cfm | title = Survey: Most Popular Sports, by Type of Participation, Adult Population | publisher = Sport Canada | work = Strengthening Canada: The Socio-economic Benefits of Sport Participation in Canada—Report August 2005 | accessdate = 2006-07-01}}</ref> Canada's six largest metropolitan areas&nbsp;– Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Ottawa, Calgary, and Edmonton&nbsp;– have franchises in the [[National Hockey League]] (NHL), and there are more Canadian players in the league than from all other countries combined. After hockey, other popular spectator sports include [[curling]] and [[Canadian football|football]]; the latter is played professionally in the [[Canadian Football League]] (CFL). [[Golf]], [[baseball]], [[skiing]], [[Soccer in Canada|soccer]], [[volleyball]], and [[basketball]] are widely played at youth and amateur levels,<ref name = "sports"/> but professional leagues and franchises are not as widespread.

Canada hosted several high-profile international sporting events, including the [[1976 Summer Olympics]], the [[1988 Winter Olympics]], and the [[2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup]]. Canada will be the host country for the [[2010 Winter Olympics]] in [[Vancouver]] and [[Whistler, British Columbia]].<ref>{{cite web | author= The Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games | publisher =www.vancouver2010.com | url = http://www.vancouver2010.com/en | title = Vancouver 2010 | year = 2006 | accessdate = 2006-10-01}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title = FIFA U-20 World Cup Canada 2007 | author = Canadian Soccer Association | publisher = canadasoccer.com | accessdate= 2006-10-01 | year = 2006 | url = http://www.canadasoccer.com/eng/U20WC_2007/index.asp?top=banner_legs&sub=9}}</ref>

==Language==
{{main|Spoken languages of Canada|Official bilingualism in Canada|Canadian English|Canadian French}}
[[Image:Ville de Québec01.jpg|thumb|right|The population of [[Quebec City]], [[Quebec]] is mainly [[French Canadian|French-speaking]].]]

Canada's two official languages are [[English language|English]] and [[French language|French]]. [[Official bilingualism in Canada]] is law, defined in the [[Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms]], the [[Official Languages Act (Canada)|Official Languages Act]], and ''Official Language Regulations''; it is applied by the [[Commissioner of Official Languages]]. English and French have equal status in federal courts, Parliament, and in all federal institutions. The public has the right, where there is sufficient demand, to receive federal government services in either English or French, and official-language minorities are guaranteed their own schools in all provinces and territories.<ref>{{cite web|title=Federal Legislation on Official Languages|publisher=Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages|date=2003-09-01|url=http://www.ocol-clo.gc.ca/legislation.asp?Lang=English}}</ref>

English and French are the [[first language|mother tongues]] of 59.7% and 23.2% of the population respectively,<ref name="statscan_language">{{cite web |author=Statistics Canada |authorlink=Statistics Canada |publisher= Statistics Canada |url=http://www40.statcan.ca/l01/cst01/demo11a.htm |title=Population by mother tongue, by province and territory|date=2005-01-27|accessdate=2006-05-14}}</ref> and the languages most spoken at home by 68.3% and 22.3% of the population respectively.<ref name="home_language_2001">{{cite web| url=http://www12.statcan.ca/english/census01/products/standard/themes/RetrieveProductTable.cfm?Temporal=2001&PID=55535&APATH=3&GID=431515&METH=1&PTYPE=55440&THEME=41&FOCUS=0&AID=0&PLACENAME=0&PROVINCE=0&SEARCH=0&GC=0&GK=0&VID=0&VNAMEE=&VNAMEF=&FL=0&RL=0&FREE=0|title= First Official Language Spoken (7) and Sex (3) for Population, for Canada, Provinces, Territories and Census Metropolitan Areas 1 , 2001 Census&nbsp;– 20% Sample Data| work=[[Statistics Canada]], 2001 Census of Population| accessdate=2007-03-23}}</ref> 98.5% of Canadians speak English or French (67.5% speak English only, 13.3% speak French only, and 17.7% speak both).<ref name="statscan_language2">{{cite web |author=Statistics Canada |authorlink=Statistics Canada |publisher= Statistics Canada |url=http://www40.statcan.ca/l01/cst01/demo15a.htm |title=Population by knowledge of official language, by province and territory|date=2005-01-27|accessdate=2006-05-14}}</ref> English and French Official Language Communities, defined by First Official Language Spoken, constitute 73.0% and 23.6% of the population respectively.<ref>{{cite web |author=Statistics Canada |authorlink=Statistics Canada |publisher= Statistics Canada |url=http://www12.statcan.ca/english/census01/products/standard/themes/RetrieveProductTable.cfm?Temporal=2001&PID=55673&APATH=3&GID=517770&METH=1&PTYPE=55496&THEME=41&FOCUS=0&AID=0&PLACENAME=0&PROVINCE=0&SEARCH=0&GC=99&GK=NA&VID=0&VNAMEE=&VNAMEF=&FL=0&RL=0&FREE=0|title=Population by knowledge of official language, by province and territory|date=2005-01-27|accessdate=2006-05-14}}</ref>

Although 85% of French-speaking Canadians live in Quebec, there are substantial Francophone populations in [[Franco-Ontarian|Ontario]], [[Franco-Albertan|Alberta]] and southern [[Franco-Manitoban|Manitoba]], with an [[Acadians|Acadian]] population in the northern and southeastern parts of New Brunswick constituting 35% of that province's population, as well as concentrations in southwestern Nova Scotia, on [[Cape Breton Island]], and through central and western [[Prince Edward Island]]. Ontario has the largest French-speaking population outside Quebec. The [[Charter of the French Language]] in Quebec makes French the official language in Quebec, and New Brunswick is the only province to have a statement of official bilingualism in its constitution.<ref>{{cite web|title=Canadian Heritage|publisher=Canadian Heritage|url=http://www.canadianheritage.gc.ca/progs/lo-ol/pubs/mythes/english/abc.html}}</ref> Other provinces have no official languages as such, but French is used as a language of instruction, in courts, and for other government services in addition to English. Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec allow for both English and French to be spoken in the provincial legislatures, and laws are enacted in both languages. In Ontario, French has some legal status but is not fully co-official. Several aboriginal languages have official status in Northwest Territories. [[Inuktitut]] is the majority language in Nunavut, and one of three official languages in the territory.

Non-official languages are important in Canada, with over five million people listing one as a first language.<ref name="statscan_language" /> Some significant non-official first languages include [[Chinese language|Chinese]] (853,745 first-language speakers), [[Italian language|Italian]] (469,485), [[German language|German]] (438,080), and [[Punjabi language|Punjabi]] (271,220).<ref> name="statscan_language" </ref>

==International rankings==
{| class="wikitable"
! Organization
! Survey
! Ranking
|-
| [[State of World Liberty Project]]
| [[State of World Liberty Index]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.stateofworldliberty.org/report/rankings.html |title=The 2006 State of World Liberty Index |publisher=www.stateofworldliberty.org |accessdate=2007-12-07}}</ref>
| 3 out of 159
|-
| [[United Nations Development Programme]]
| [[Human Development Index]]
| 4 out of 177
|-
| [[A. T. Kearney]]/[[Foreign Policy|Foreign Policy Magazine]]
| [http://www.atkearney.com/main.taf?p=5,4,1,116 Globalization Index 2006]
| 6 out of 111
|-
| [[International Institute for Management Development|IMD International]]
| [http://www01.imd.ch/wcy/ World Competitiveness Yearbook 2007]
| 10 out of 60
|-
| [[The Economist]]
| [http://www.economist.com/theworldin/international/displayStory.cfm?story_id=3372495&d=2005 The World in 2005 - Worldwide quality-of-life index, 2005]
| 14 out of 111
|-
| [[Yale University]]/[[Columbia University]]
| [http://www.yale.edu/esi/ESI2005_Main_Report.pdf Environmental Sustainability Index, 2005 (pdf)]
| 6 out of 146
|-
| [[Reporters Without Borders]] Worldwide
| [http://www.rsf.org Press Freedom Index 2007]
| 18 out of 169
|-
| [[Transparency International]]
| [http://www.transparency.org/policy_research/surveys_indices/cpi/2008 Corruption Perceptions Index 2008]
| 9 out of 180
|-
| [[Heritage Foundation]]/[[The Wall Street Journal]]
| [http://www.heritage.org/research/features/index/topten.cfm Index of Economic Freedom, 2008]
| 7 out of 157
|-
| [[The Economist]]
| [[Global Peace Index]]
| 11 out of 140
|-
| [[Fund for Peace]]/[http://www.foreignpolicy.com/ ForeignPolicy.com ]
| [http://www.fundforpeace.org/web/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=229&Itemid=366 Failed States Index, 2007]
| 168 out of 177<ref>larger number indicates [[sustainability]]</ref>
|}

==See also==
{{portalpar|North America|North America.svg}}
{{main|List of basic Canada topics}}

==Notes==
<!--See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Footnotes for an explanation of how to generate footnotes using the <ref(erences/)> tags-->
{{reflist}}
<!-- No longer referenced: #{{note|WSM}} [http://www.worldstatesmen.org/Canada.html Canada from WorldStatesmen]-->
<!-- No longer referenced: #{{note|WWT}} [http://people-press.org/reports/display.php3?ReportID=165 What the World Thinks]-->

==References==
<!-- Please use the following templates when adding references:
* {{cite book
|first = | last =
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|year =
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* {{cite journal
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<div class="references-small">
{{col-begin}}
{{col-break|width=50%}}

;Origin and history of the name
* {{cite book
|title = Naming Canada: Stories of Canadian Place Names
|edition = 2nd ed.
|first = Alan | last = Rayburn
|publisher = University of Toronto Press
|location = Toronto
|year = 2001
|id = ISBN 0-8020-8293-9
}}

;History
* {{cite book
|title = History of Canada Since 1867
|first = Robert | last = Bothwell
|publisher = Michigan State University Press
|year = 1996
|location = East Lansing, MI
|id = ISBN 0-87013-399-3
}}
* {{cite book
|title = History of the Canadian Peoples
|first = J. | last = Bumsted
|publisher = Oxford University Press
|location = Oxford, UK
|year = 2004
|id = ISBN 0-19-541688-0
}}
* {{cite book
|title = Canada: A National History
|first = Margarat | last= Conrad
|coauthors= Finkel, Alvin
|publisher = Longman
|location = Toronto
|year = 2003
|id = ISBN 0-201-73060-X
}}
* {{cite book
|title = A Short History of Canada
|first = Desmond | last= Morton
|authorlink = Desmond Morton (historian)
|publisher = M & S
|location = Toronto
|year = 2001
|edition = 6th ed.
|id = ISBN 0-7710-6509-4
}}
* {{cite journal
|first = W. Kaye | last = Lamb
|title = Canada
|journal = The Canadian Encyclopedia
|year = 2006
|url = http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=J1SEC808542
}}
* {{cite book
|title = History of Canada Before 1867
|first = Gordon T. | last = Stewart
|publisher = Michigan State University Press
|year = 1996
|location = East Lansing, MI
|id = ISBN 0-87013-398-5
}}

;Government and law
* {{cite book
|author=Bickerton, James & Gagnon, Alain-G & Gagnon, Alain (Eds).
|title=Canadian Politics
|publisher=Broadview Press
|edition=4th edition
|location=Orchard Park, NY
|id=ISBN 1-55111-595-6
|year=2004
}}
* {{cite book
|first=Stephen | last=Brooks
|title=Canadian Democracy : An Introduction
|publisher=Oxford University Press Canada
|edition=3rd edition
|location=Don Mills, ON
|id=ISBN 0-19-541503-5
|year=2000
}}
* {{cite book
|first = Eugene A. | last = Forsey
|authorlink = Eugene Forsey
|title = How Canadians Govern Themselves
|edition = 6th ed.
|publisher = Canada
|location = Ottawa
|year = 2005
|id = ISBN 0-662-39689-8
|url = http://www.parl.gc.ca/information/library/idb/forsey/PDFs/How_Canadians_Govern_Themselves-6ed.pdf
|format=PDF}}
* {{cite book
|title = Secession and international law: conflict avoidance&nbsp;– regional appraisals
|first = Julie | last = Dahlitz
|publisher = T.M.C. Asser Press
|year = 2003
|location = The Hague
|id = ISBN 90-6704-142-4
}}

;Foreign relations and military
* {{cite journal
|first = Tim | last = Cook
|year = 2005
|title = Quill and Canon: Writing the Great War in Canada
|journal = American Review of Canadian Studies
|volume = 35
|issue = 3
|pages = 503+
}}
* {{cite book
|first = James| last = Eayrs
|title = In Defence of Canada
|publisher = University of Toronto Press
|location = Toronto
|year = 1980
|id = ISBN 0-8020-2345-2
}}
* {{cite book
|first = Annette Baker| last = Fox
|authorlink =
|title = Canada in World Affairs
|edition =
|publisher = Michigan State University Press
|location = East Lansing
|year = 1996
|id = ISBN 0-87013-391-8
|url =
}}
* {{cite journal
|first = Molot Maureen | last = Appel
|year = 1990
|month = Spring-Fall
|title = Where Do We, Should We, Or Can We Sit? A Review of the Canadian Foreign Policy Literature
|journal = International Journal of Canadian Studies
}}
* {{cite book
|first = Desmond | last = Morton
|coauthors = Granatstein, J.L.
|authorlink = Desmond Morton (historian)
|title = Marching to Armageddon: Canadians and the Great War 1914–1919
|edition =
|publisher = Lester & Orpen Dennys
|location = Toronto
|year = 1989
|id = ISBN 0-88619-209-9
|url =
}}
* {{cite book
|first = Desmond | last = Morton
|authorlink = Desmond Morton (historian)
|title = A Military History of Canada
|edition =
|publisher = McClelland & Stewart
|location = Toronto
|year = 1999
|id = ISBN 0-7710-6514-0
|url =
}}
* {{cite book
|first = Desmond | last = Morton
|authorlink = Desmond Morton (historian)
|title = When Your Number's Up: The Canadian Soldier in the First World War
|edition =
|publisher = Random House of Canada
|location = Toronto
|year = 1993
|id = ISBN 0-394-22288-1
|url =
}}
* {{cite book
|first = James | last = Rochlin
|authorlink =
|title = Discovering the Americas: The Evolution of Canadian Foreign Policy towards Latin America
|edition =
|publisher = University of British Columbia Press
|location = Vancouver
|year = 1994
|id = ISBN 0-7748-0476-9
|url =
}}

;Provinces and territories
* {{cite book
|first = J. M.
|last = Bumsted
|title = History of the Canadian Peoples
|publisher = Oxford University Press
|location = Oxford, UK
|year = 2004
|id = ISBN 0-19-541688-0
}}

{{col-break|width=50%}}

;Geography and climate
* {{cite book
|last = Natural Resources Canada
|title = National Atlas of Canada
|publisher = Information Canada
|location = Ottawa
|year = 2005
|id = ISBN 0-7705-1198-8
}}
* {{cite book
|title = Canadian Oxford World Atlas
|author = Stanford, Quentin H. (ed.)
|edition = 5th ed.
|location = Toronto
|publisher = Oxford University Press (Canada)
|id = ISBN 0-19-541897-2
|year = 2003
}}

;Economy
* {{cite book
|author=Central Intelligence Agency
|authorlink=Central Intelligence Agency
|title=The World Factbook
|publisher=National Foreign Assessment Center
|location=Washington, DC
|id=ISSN 1553-8133
|year=2005
|url=https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/
}}
* {{cite book
|first=Iain | last=Wallace
|title=A Geography of the Canadian Economy
|publisher=Oxford University Press
|location=Don Mills, ON
|id=ISBN 0-19-540773-3
|year=2002
}}
* {{cite book
|first = William L. | last=Marr
|coauthor= Paterson, Donald G.
|title= Canada: An Economic History
|publisher= Gage
|location=Toronto
|id = ISBN 0-7715-5684-5
|year=1980
}}
* {{cite book
|first = Mary Quayle | last=Innis
|title=An Economic History of Canada
|publisher=Ryerson Press
|location=Toronto
|id = ASIN B0007JFHBQ
|year = 1943
}}

;Demography and statistics
* {{cite book
|last = Statistics Canada
|title = Canada Year Book
|publisher = Queen of Canada
|location = Ottawa
|year = 2001
|id = ISBN 0-660-18360-9
}}
* {{cite book
|title = Historical statistics of Canada
|author = Leacy, F. H. (ed.)
|publisher = Statistics Canada
|location = Ottawa
|id =
|url = http://www.statcan.ca/english/freepub/11-516-XIE/sectiona/toc.htm
|year = 1983
}}

;Language
* {{cite web
|author=Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages
|authorlink= Commissioner of Official Languages
|publisher= Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages
|url=http://www.ocol-clo.gc.ca/legislation.asp?Lang=English
|title=Federal Legislation on Official Languages
|date=2003-09-01
|accessdate=2007-05-24
}}
* {{cite web
|author=Statistics Canada
|authorlink=Statistics Canada
|publisher= Statistics Canada
|url=http://www40.statcan.ca/l01/cst01/demo11a.htm
|title=Population by mother tongue, by province and territory
|date=2005-01-27
|accessdate=2006-05-14
}}
* {{cite web
|author=Statistics Canada
|authorlink=Statistics Canada
|publisher= Statistics Canada
|url=http://www40.statcan.ca/l01/cst01/demo15a.htm
|title=Population by knowledge of official language, by province and territory
|date=2005-01-27
|accessdate=2006-05-14}}

;Culture
* {{cite book
|author=Bickerton, James & Gagnon, Alain-G & Gagnon, Alain (Eds).
|title=Canadian Politics
|publisher=Broadview Press
|edition=4th edition
|location=Orchard Park, NY
|id=ISBN 1-55111-595-6
|year=2004
}}
* {{cite web
|first=John D. |last=Blackwell
|url=http://www.iccs-ciec.ca/blackwell.html#culture
|title=Culture High and Low
|year=2005
|accessdate=2006-03-15
|publisher=International Council for Canadian Studies World Wide Web Service
}}
* {{cite book
|author=Canadian Heritage
|title=Symbols of Canada
|year=2002
|location=Ottawa, ON
|id=ISBN 0-660-18615-2
|publisher=Canadian Government Publishing
}} Similar publication online [http://www.pch.gc.ca/progs/cpsc-ccsp/sc-cs/index_e.cfm here].
* {{cite web
|author=National Film Board of Canada
|authorlink=National Film Board of Canada
|url=http://www.nfb.ca/atonf/organisation.php?v=h&lg=en
|title=Mandate of the National Film Board
|year=2005
|accessdate=2006-03-15
}}
* {{cite book
|first = Gordon | last = Currie
|title = 100 years of Canadian football: The dramatic history of football's first century in Canada, and the story of the Canadian Football League
|publisher = Pagurian Press
|location = Don Mills, ON
|year = 1968
|id = ASIN B0006CCK4G
}}
* {{cite book
|first = Doug | last = Maxwell
|title = Canada Curls: The Illustrated History of Curling in Canada
|publisher = Whitecap books
|location = North Vancouver, BC
|year = 2002
|id = ISBN 1-55285-400-0
}}
* {{cite book
|first = Brian | last = McFarlane
|title = Brian McFarlane's History of Hockey
|year = 1997
|location = Champaign, IL
|publisher = Sports Publishing Inc
|id = ISBN 1-57167-145-5
}}
* {{cite book
|first=Philip |last=Resnick
|title=The European Roots Of Canadian Identity
|publisher=Broadview Press
|location=Peterborough, Ont.
|id=ISBN 1-55111-705-3
|year=2005
}}
* {{cite book
|author=Ross, David & Hook, Richard
|title=The Royal Canadian Mounted Police 1873–1987
|publisher= Osprey
|location=London
|id=ISBN 0-85045-834-X
|year=1988
}}
{{col-end}}
</div>

==External links==
{{Spoken Wikipedia|En-Canada.ogg|2008-01-04}}
{{portal}}
{{Sisterlinks|Canada}}
; Government
* [http://atlas.gc.ca/site/index.html Official Government of Canada online Atlas of Canada]
* [http://www.gc.ca Official website of the Government of Canada]
* [http://www.gg.ca Official website of the Governor General of Canada]
* [http://www.forces.gc.ca/ Official website of the Canadian Forces]
* [http://www.pm.gc.ca Official website of the Prime Minister of Canada]
* [http://www.international.gc.ca/canada_un/new_york/ Permanent Mission of Canada to the United Nations]

;Crown corporations
* [http://www.canadapost.ca/ Canada Post]
* [http://www.cbc.ca/ Canadian Broadcasting Corporation]
* [http://www.canadatourism.com Canadian Tourism Commission]

;Other
* {{CIA World Factbook link|ca|Canada}}
* [http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=A1ARTA0001216 Canada from ''The Canadian Encyclopedia'']
* [http://www.iccs-ciec.ca/blackwell.html Canadian Studies: A Guide to the Sources]*{{wikitravelpar|Canada}}
* [http://www.culture.ca/ Culture.ca—Canada's Cultural Gateway]
* [http://www.culturescope.ca/ Culturescope.ca—Canadian Cultural Observatory]
* [http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/country/country_energy_data.cfm?fips=CA Energy Information Administration] - Official Energy Statistics for Canada from the U.S. Government
* [http://statcan.ca/english/edu/clock/population.htm Statistics Canada with Canada's population clock]
* [http://www.canadiangeographic.ca/atlas/ The Canadian Atlas Online]
* [[UN]] Human Development Program: [http://hdrstats.undp.org/countries/country_fact_sheets/cty_fs_CAN.html Country Fact Sheet: Canada], [http://hdr.undp.org/statistics/data/countries.cfm?c=CAN Statistics—Country Sheet: Canada]
<br />
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[[Category:Canada| ]]<!--Please do not remove the space. Please do not move this article from its position at the top of its own category, which is the standard location for a lead article.-->
[[Category:1867 establishments]]
[[Category:Constitutional monarchies]]
[[Category:English-speaking countries and territories]]
[[Category:Former British colonies]]
[[Category:Federal countries]]
[[Category:French-speaking countries]]
[[Category:G8 nations]]
[[Category:Liberal democracies]]
[[Category:Members of the Commonwealth of Nations]]
[[Category:Member states of La Francophonie]]

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[[zh-classical:加拿大]]
[[hak:Kâ-nâ-thai]]
[[ko:캐나다]]
[[haw:Kanakā]]
[[hy:Կանադա]]
[[hi:कनाडा]]
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[[mr:कॅनडा]]
[[ms:Kanada]]
[[mn:Канад]]
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[[ru:Канада]]
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[[sa:केनडा]]
[[sco:Canadae]]
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[[tl:Kanada]]
[[ta:கனடா]]
[[te:కెనడా]]
[[tet:Kanadá]]
[[th:ประเทศแคนาดา]]
[[vi:Canada]]
[[tg:Канада]]
[[tpi:Kanada]]
[[to:Kānata]]
[[tr:Kanada]]
[[uk:Канада]]
[[ur:کینیڈا]]
[[vec:Canada]]
[[vo:Kanadän]]
[[wa:Canada (payis)]]
[[vls:Canada]]
[[wo:Kanadaa]]
[[wuu:加拿大]]
[[ts:Canada]]
[[yi:קאנאדע]]
[[yo:Kánádà]]
[[zh-yue:加拿大]]
[[diq:Kanada]]
[[bat-smg:Kanada]]
[[zh:加拿大]]

Revision as of 18:26, 2 December 2008

Fidel Castro owns canada as of today

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