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Canada
is the second-largest country in the world and a nation
of tremendous cultural and ethnic diversity.
Anchored
by indigenous First Nations’ peoples and settled by French
and British pioneers, Canada is a mosaic of culture with
citizens who have immigrated from all over the world. Few
nations can equal Canada’s range of wildlife, natural splendor
and geographic diversity; bounded by the Atlantic, Pacific,
and Arctic oceans, Canada features Rocky Mountain peaks,
endless forests and prairie wheat fields, rainforest and
desert. This extraordinary natural beauty is complemented
by our country’s vibrant cosmopolitan cities.
Population
33,390,741
(July 2007 est.)
Capital
Ottawa, Ontario
Land Area
Total: 9,984,670 sq km
Land: 9,093,507 sq km
Water: 891,163 sq km
Government
Canada is a constitutional monarchy that is also a parliamentary
democracy and a federation. The country is divided into
ten provinces and three territories*: Alberta, British
Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador,
Northwest Territories*, Nova Scotia, Nunavut*, Ontario,
Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Saskatchewan, and Yukon
Territory.*
Major Cities
Canada’s major cities include: St.John’s, Saint John, Halifax, Quebec City, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Winnipeg, Regina, Saskatoon, Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver and Victoria.
Weather
Canada is a country that truly offers exciting indoor and
outdoor activities for every season. Generally, spring
runs mid-March to mid-May, summer mid-May to mid-September,
fall mid-September to mid-November, and winter mid-November
to mid-March. Choose the season best suited to your tastes
and temperament.
Time Zones and Daylight Savings
Canada encompasses six of the world's 24 time zones with
Newfoundland 3hr 30min behind GMT and British Columbia
7 hours behind GMT. Train, bus and plane timetables are
always provided in local time; this is something to watch
if you are making long journeys across several zones.
Daylight saving time takes effect in Canada in all regions
except Saskatchewan and the northeast corner of British
Columbia. Clocks go forward one hour on the first Sunday
of April, and back one hour on the last Sunday in October.
Currency and Money
Canadian Dollar (C$)
The currency system in Canada uses dollars and cents similar
to the U.S., Australia and New Zealand. Canada has a large
network of reliable automatic teller machines, which make
it the simplest means to obtain cash, particularly if your
home bank ATM card is on the Cirrus or Delta networks.
Holidays
Government services, schools and banks are closed on the
following national holidays.
New Year's Day – January 1
Good Friday – March 21, 2008
Easter Monday – March 24, 2008
Victoria Day – The Monday preceding May 25
Canada Day – July 1 (observed July 2 if July 1 is a Sunday)
Labour Day – The first Monday of September
Thanksgiving Day – The second Monday of October
Remembrance Day – November 11
Christmas Day – December 25
Boxing Day – December 26
Some shops and restaurants may also be closed during these
days but many remain open.
Opening hours
Most shops, including grocery stores, open from about 9:00
am to 6:00 pm Monday to Saturday, though in larger towns
and cities supermarkets and malls may open as early as
7:30 am and close as late as 9:00 pm. Sunday shopping
is currently permitted in all provinces and territories
except for Nova Scotia, however many stores across Canada
choose not to operate on Sunday and hours are limited
– usually 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.
Languages
English and French are Canada’s two official languages,
though the province of New Brunswick is the only officially
bilingual area in the country. Both languages will generally
appear on maps, tourist brochures and product labels.
French is the dominant language in the province of Quebec.
Religion
Catholic (45%), Protestant (36%) and minorities from most
of the world's major religions.
Electricity
110 to 120 volts; 60Hz cycle
Canada uses ‘American-style’ plugs with two parallel flat
blades above a circular grounding pin and plugs with two
parallel flat blades. Conversion kits are required for
those bringing electrical goods from Europe.
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