Canada

Origin of the Name Canada

In 1535, two Indian youths used the Huron-Iroquois word "kanata," which means "village" or "settlement," to tell Jacques Cartier the way to Stadacona (site of present-day Québec City). Cartier used "Canada" to refer not only to Stadacona, but also to the entire area subject to Donnacona, Chief at Stadacona. By 1547, the first world map to show the discoveries made on Cartier's second voyage applied the word "Canada" to the area north of the gulf and river St. Lawrence. By 1550, maps were also placing the name south of the river. The first use of "Canada" as an official name came in 1791 when the Constitutional Act (or Canada Act) divided Québec, then considerably larger, into the provinces of Upper Canada and Lower Canada. In 1841, they were united to become the Province of Canada. At the time of Confederation, the new country took the name of Canada.

Canada's official languages

English- and French-speaking people have lived together in Canada for more than 300 years, and English and French are Canada's two official languages. Linguistic duality is an important aspect of our Canadian identity--over 98 percent of Canadians speak either English or French or both. You must know either English or French to become a Canadian citizen.

Legal documents like the Canadian Constitution and the Official Languages Act protect the rights of individual Canadians with regard to official languages. For example:

English and French have equal status in the Parliament of Canada, in federal courts and in all federal institutions;

Everyone has the right to a criminal trial in either English or French;

The public has the right, where there is sufficient demand, to receive federal government services in either English or French; and

Official language minority groups in every province and territory have the right to be educated in their language.

Canada's economy

Canada's economy is based on a combination of many industries. There are three main types of industries in Canada: natural resources, manufacturing and services.

Natural resource industries include forestry, fishing, agriculture, mining and energy. These industries have played an important part in the country's history and development. Today, the economy of many areas of the country still depends on developing natural resources.

Manufacturing industries make products to sell in Canada and around the world. Manufactured products include paper, technological equipment, automobiles, food, clothing and many other goods. Our largest international trading partner is the United States.

Service industries provide thousands of different jobs in areas like transportation, education, health care, construction, banking, communications and government. Over 70 percent of working Canadians now have jobs in service industries.

Canada from coast to coast

Canada is a very large country with an area of 10 million square kilometres, but it has a fairly small population. About 30 million people live here. Most Canadians live in the southern parts of Canada.

Provinces and territories

Canada has 10 provinces and three territories. Each province and territory has its own capital city. You should know the capital of Canada as well as the capital of your province or territory.

Canada is bordered by three oceans: the Pacific Ocean on the west, the Atlantic Ocean on the east, and the Arctic Ocean to the north.

The regions of Canada

Canada is a country of 10 million square kilometres covering many different geographical areas. These regions may include one or several different provinces.

The regions of Canada are the Atlantic Region, Central Canada, the Prairie Provinces, the West Coast and the North.

The national capital

The national capital of Canada is Ottawa, Ontario. This is where the federal government and the Parliament buildings are located.

Provinces and territories

Canada has 10 provinces and three territories. Each province and territory has its own capital city. You should know the capital of Canada as well as the capital of your province or territory.

Region	Province/Territory	Capital
Atlantic Region	Newfoundland Prince Edward Island Nova Scotia New Brunswick	St. John's Charlottetown Halifax Fredericton
Central Canada	Quebec Ontario	Québec Toronto
Prairie Provinces	Manitoba Saskatchewan Alberta	Winnipeg Regina Edmonton
West Coast	British Columbia	Victoria
North	Nunavut Northwest Territories Yukon Territory	Iqaluit Yellowknife Whitehorse

Population

Canada has a fairly small population. About 30 million people live here. Most Canadians live in the southern parts of Canada.

Confederation

On July 1, 1867, the provinces we now know as Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia joined together in Confederation to create the new country of Canada. The British North America Act of 1867 made this Confederation legal.

As time passed, other provinces and territories joined the Confederation and became part of Canada.

Dates when provinces and territories joined the Confederation

1867

Ontario

Nova Scotia

Quebec

New Brunswick

1870

Manitoba

Northwest Territories

1871

British Columbia

1873

Prince Edward Island

1898

Yukon Territory

1905

Alberta

Saskatchewan

1949

Newfoundland

1999

Nunavut

Canada's first prime minister

In 1867, Sir John A. Macdonald became the first prime minister of Canada. His picture appears on the ten-dollar bill.

Canada's Constitution

Canada's Constitution is the system of laws and conventions by which our country governs itself. Until 1982, changes to the Constitution had to be approved by the British government. In 1982, the new Constitution Act allowed us to change our Constitution without asking the British government's approval. This is the year when the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms became part of the Canadian Constitution.

When did your province or territory join the Confederation?

Canada Day

Each year on July 1, we celebrate Canada Day, the anniversary of the Confederation.

The Queen

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II is the Queen of Canada and Canada's Head of State. This means that the Queen is the formal head of Canada.

The Governor General is the Queen's representative in Canada. The Queen is also represented in the provinces by lieutenant-governors and in the territories by a commissioner.