About Canada

Canada, number one in the world

• The name Canada originated from an Aboriginal word kanata for settlement, village, or land.
• Statistics Canada estimates that the population of Canada will reach 33,698,817 by July 1, 2009.
• Canada's incredible geographical variety and natural beauty is a significant tourist attracter. Canada's largest cities are well-known for their culture and diversity and Canadian historic sites across the nation are highly visited.
• Canada is the second-largest country in the world by area, but ranks only 33rd in population. Most Canadians live along the southern fringe of the country, within a few hundred kilometres of the U.S. border. One in two Canadians lives in the Great-Lakes/St Lawrence region, where the two largest cities are located: Toronto and Montreal. Much of the rest of Canada is sparsely inhabited.
• Canada is only second only to Russia in land-mass size and just slightly bigger than the United States and China. Canada has seacoasts on three sides: the Atlantic Ocean to the east, the Pacific Ocean to the west, and the Arctic Ocean to the north. Canada’s only land borders are with America, Alaska to the northwest and the continental United States to the south.
• A land of vast distances and rich natural resources, Canada became a self-governing dominion in 1867 while retaining ties to the British crown.
• A parliamentary democracy, Canada is made up of 10 provinces east to west and three territories in the north. The country is multicultural and welcomes people of all races and religions. Canada has two official languages, English and French.
• While Canada is rich in natural resources, the country’s economy is increasingly knowledge-based, and built on innovation.