Canada

Canada

•“First Nations” inhabited land for thousands of year

•Vikings landed in Newfoundland 500 years prior to Columbus’s journey

•One of the world’s wealthiest countries

•Very low population density

Government/History

• 1700s: French and English colonies

• Britain beat France in French-Indian War (1763)

• British monarch still “symbolic” head of state in Canada

• Parliamentary Democracy: democratic government where the legislative and executive branches are combined

Economy

• Traditionally Canada has exported fur and fish (it has coasts on 3 oceans!)

• Presently, over 70% of economy is based on service activities (finance, tourism, communications, real estate, etc.)

Culture

• Inuit were the first settlers (eskimos) – still prevalent in Nunavut (“our land”)

• Majority of population is of European descent

• Huge population of Asians, especially in Vancouver

Vancouver

Great White North

• Biggest City: Toronto

• Province of Quebec: still French-speaking – has considered seceding as recently as 1995

• 80% of all Canadians live on 10% of their land – within 100 miles of U.S. border

• Canada’s “sin city”: Windsor, Ontario (near Detroit)