Canada

2021-04-08T00:13:32Z

172.58.22.249: Undid revision 7465094 by 2604:3D09:E27F:DC50:DD0C:4415:66D3:A169 (talk)

{{Infobox country
| conventional_long_name = Canada
| image_flag = Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg
| alt_flag = A vertical triband design (red, white, red) with a red maple leaf in the center.
| image_coat =
| alt_coat =
| national_motto = {{native phrase|la|[[A Mari Usque Ad Mare]]|italics=on|parensize=100%}}<br />"From Sea to Sea"
| national_anthem ="[[O Canada]]"<div class="center" style="margin-top:0.4em;">[[File:"O Canada", performed by the United States Third Marine Aircraft Wing Band.oga]]</div>
| image_map = CAN orthographic.svg
| map_width = 220px
| alt_map = A projection of North America with Canada highlighted in green
| capital = [[Ottawa]]
| coordinates = {{Coord|45|24|N|75|40|W|type:city}}
| largest_city = [[Toronto]]
| official_languages = {{hlist|[[Canadian English|English]]|[[Canadian French|French]]}}
| ethnic_groups_year = 2016
| ethnic_groups_ref = <ref name="autogenerated1">{{Cite web |date=October 25, 2017 |title=2016 Census of Population—Ethnic Origin, Catalog no. 98-400-X2016187 |url=https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2016/dp-pd/dt-td/Rp-eng.cfm?LANG=E&APATH=3&DETAIL=0&DIM=0&FL=A&FREE=0&GC=0&GID=0&GK=0&GRP=1&PID=110528&PRID=10&PTYPE=109445&S=0&SHOWALL=0&SUB=0&Temporal=2017&THEME=120&VID=0&VNAMEE=&VNAMEF= |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171026161129/http://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2016/dp-pd/dt-td/Rp-eng.cfm?LANG=E&APATH=3&DETAIL=0&DIM=0&FL=A&FREE=0&GC=0&GID=0&GK=0&GRP=1&PID=110528&PRID=10&PTYPE=109445&S=0&SHOWALL=0&SUB=0&Temporal=2017&THEME=120&VID=0&VNAMEE=&VNAMEF= |archive-date=October 26, 2017 |publisher=Statistics Canada}}</ref>
| ethnic_groups = {{Collapsible list
| titlestyle = background:transparent;text-align:left;font-weight:normal;font-size:100%;
| title = List of ethnicities| 72.9% [[European Canadians|European]] | 17.7% [[Asian Canadians|Asian]] | 4.9% [[Indigenous peoples in Canada|Indigenous]] | 3.1% [[Black Canadian|African]] | 1.3% [[Latin American Canadians|Latin American]] | 0.2% [[Oceania]]n}}
| religion_year = 2011
| religion_ref = <ref name="statcan1">{{Cite web |date=May 8, 2013 |title=2011 National Household Survey |url=https://www.statcan.gc.ca/daily-quotidien/130508/dq130508b-eng.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130515212448/http://statcan.gc.ca/daily-quotidien/130508/dq130508b-eng.htm |archive-date=May 15, 2013 |publisher=Statistics Canada}}</ref>
| religion = {{Collapsible list
|titlestyle = background:transparent;text-align:left;font-weight:normal;font-size:100%;
|title = List of religions|67.2% [[Christianity in Canada|Christianity]] |23.9% [[Irreligion in Canada|No religion]]|3.2% [[Islam in Canada|Islam]]|1.5% [[Hinduism in Canada|Hinduism]] |1.4% [[Sikhism in Canada|Sikhism]] |1.1% [[Buddhism in Canada|Buddhism]] |1.0% [[History of the Jews in Canada|Judaism]] |0.6% [[Religion in Canada#Other religions|Other]]}}
| demonym = [[Canadians|Canadian]]
| government_type = {{nowrap|[[Federalism|Federal]] [[parliamentary system|parliamentary]]<br/>[[representative democracy]] under<br/>[[constitutional monarchy]]<ref name="DowdingDumont2014">{{Cite book |last1=Dowding |first1=Keith |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AClHBAAAQBAJ&pg=PT395 |title=The Selection of Ministers around the World |last2=Dumont |first2=Patrick |publisher=Taylor & Francis |year=2014 |isbn=978-1-317-63444-7 |page=395}}</ref>}}
| leader_title1 = [[Monarchy of Canada|Monarch]]
| leader_name1 = {{Canadian monarch, current|nameonly=~}}
| leader_title2 = {{nowrap|[[Governor General of Canada|Governor General]]}}
| leader_name2 = [[Julie Payette]]
| leader_title3 = [[Prime Minister of Canada|Prime Minister]]
| leader_name3 = [[Justin Trudeau]]
| legislature = [[Parliament of Canada|Parliament]]
| upper_house = [[Senate of Canada|Senate]]
| lower_house = [[House of Commons of Canada|House of Commons]]
| sovereignty_type = [[History of Canada#Canada under British rule (1763–1931)|Independence]]
| sovereignty_note = from the [[United Kingdom]]
| established_event1 = [[Canadian Confederation|Confederation]]
| established_date1 = July 1, 1867
| established_event2 = [[Statute of Westminster 1931|Statute of Westminster]]
| established_date2 = December 11, 1931
| established_event3 = [[Patriation]]
| established_date3 = April 17, 1982
| area_km2 = 9,984,670
| area_label = Total area
| area_rank = 2nd
| area_sq_mi = 3,854,085
| percent_water = 11.76 (as of 2015)<ref>{{Cite web |title=Surface water and surface water change |url=https://stats.oecd.org/Index.aspx?DataSetCode=SURFACE_WATER# |access-date=October 11, 2020 |publisher=[[Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development]] (OECD)}}</ref>
| area_label2 = Total land area
| area_data2 = {{convert|9093507|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}}
| population_estimate = 38,008,005<ref name="StatCan2018Q3Est">{{Cite web |title=Population estimates, quarterly |url=https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=1710000901 |access-date=December 18, 2020 |publisher=[[Statistics Canada]]}}</ref>
| population_census = 35,151,728<ref>{{Cite web |date=February 8, 2017 |title=Population size and growth in Canada: Key results from the 2016 Census |url=https://www.statcan.gc.ca/daily-quotidien/170208/dq170208a-eng.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170210133245/https://www.statcan.gc.ca/daily-quotidien/170208/dq170208a-eng.htm |archive-date=February 10, 2017 |publisher=Statistics Canada |access-date=February 8, 2017}}</ref>
| population_estimate_year = Q4 2020
| population_census_year = 2016
| population_estimate_rank = 38th
| population_density_km2 = 3.92
| population_density_sq_mi = 10.15
| population_density_rank = 228th
| GDP_PPP = {{increase}} {{nowrap|$1.971 trillion}}<ref name="IMFWEOCA">{{Cite web |date=October 2019 |title=World Economic Outlook Database |url=https://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2019/02/weodata/weorept.aspx?sy=2020&ey=2024&scsm=1&ssd=1&sort=country&ds=.&br=1&pr1.x=50&pr1.y=16&c=156&s=NGDPD%2CPPPGDP%2CNGDPDPC%2CPPPPC&grp=0&a= |access-date=March 30, 2020 |publisher=[[International Monetary Fund]]}}</ref>
| GDP_PPP_year = 2020
| GDP_PPP_rank = 16th
| GDP_PPP_per_capita = {{increase}} $52,144<ref name="IMFWEOCA" />
| GDP_PPP_per_capita_rank = 21st
| GDP_nominal = {{increase}} {{nowrap|$1.812{{nbsp}}trillion}}<ref name="IMFWEOCA" />
| GDP_nominal_year = 2020
| GDP_nominal_rank = 10th
| GDP_nominal_per_capita = {{increase}} $47,931<ref name="IMFWEOCA" />
| GDP_nominal_per_capita_rank = 17th
| Gini = 31.0 
| Gini_year = 2017
| Gini_change = increase
| Gini_ref = <ref>{{Cite web |title=Income inequality |url=https://data.oecd.org/chart/5OdN |access-date=January 10, 2020 |publisher=[[OECD]]}}</ref>
| HDI = 0.929 
| HDI_year = 2019
| HDI_change = increase
| HDI_ref = <ref name="UNHDR">{{Cite web |year=2020 |title=Human Development Report 2020 |url=http://hdr.undp.org/sites/default/files/hdr2020.pdf |publisher=[[United Nations Development Programme]] |language=en |access-date=December 15, 2020}}</ref>
| HDI_rank = 16th
| currency = [[Canadian dollar]] ($)
| currency_code = CAD
| utc_offset = −3.5 to −8
| utc_offset_DST = −2.5 to −7
| date_format = {{abbr|yyyy|year}}-{{abbr|mm|month}}-{{abbr|dd|day}} ([[Anno Domini|AD]])<ref>The [[Government of Canada]] and [[Standards Council of Canada]] prescribe [[ISO 8601]] as the country's official all-numeric date format: {{Cite book |author=Public Works and Government Services Canada Translation Bureau |author-link=Public Works and Government Services Canada |url=https://archive.org/details/canadianstylegui0000unse/page/97 |title=The Canadian style: A guide to writing and editing |year=1997 |publisher=Dundurn Press |isbn=978-1-55002-276-6 |edition=Revised |page=[https://archive.org/details/canadianstylegui0000unse/page/97 97] |chapter=5.14: Dates |chapter-url=http://www.btb.termiumplus.gc.ca/tcdnstyl-chap?lang=eng&lettr=chapsect5&info0=5.14}} The {{abbr|dd|day}}/{{abbr|mm|month}}/{{abbr|yy|year}} and {{abbr|mm|month}}/{{abbr|dd|day}}/{{abbr|yy|year}} formats also remain in common use; see [[Date and time notation in Canada]].</ref>
| drives_on = right
| calling_code = [[Telephone numbers in Canada|+1]]
| cctld = [[.ca]]
| royal_anthem = "[[God Save the Queen]]"<ref>{{Cite web |title=Royal Anthem |url=https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/services/royal-symbols-titles/royal-anthem.html |access-date=December 18, 2020 |publisher=Government of Canada}}</ref> <div class="center" style="margin-top:0.4em;">[[File:United States Navy Band - God Save the Queen.ogg]]</div>
|today=}}
'''Canada''' ({{IPAc-en|audio=EN-CA-Canada.ogg|ˈ|k|æ|n|ə|d|ə}}; [[French language|French]]: {{IPA-fr|ka.na.dɑ|}}) is a [[country]] in [[North America]]. It is north of the [[United States]]. Its land reaches from the [[Atlantic Ocean]] in the east to the [[Pacific Ocean]] in the west and the [[Arctic Ocean]] to the north. Canada's area is {{convert|9.98|e6km2|e6sqmi|2|abbr=off}}, so it is the world's [[List of countries and dependencies by area|second largest country by total area]] but only the fourth largest country by [[land area]]. It has the world's longest [[coastline]] which touches three [[ocean]]s. Canada has [[Provinces and territories of Canada|ten provinces and three territories]]. Most parts of the country have a cold or severely cold [[winter]] [[climate]], but areas to the south are warm in [[summer]]. Much of the land is [[forest]]s or [[tundra]], with the [[Rocky Mountains]] towards the west. About four fifths of Canada's 36 million people live in [[Urbanization|urban areas]] near the southern border with the US, the longest between any two countries in the world. The [[capital city|national capital]] is [[Ottawa]], and the largest [[city]] is [[Toronto]]. Other large cities include [[Montreal]], [[Vancouver]], [[Calgary]], [[Edmonton]], [[Quebec City]], [[Winnipeg]] and [[Hamilton, Ontario|Hamilton]].

[[Aboriginal people]] lived in the places that are now Canada for a long time. In 1537 the [[French colonial empire|French]] started a colony and the [[British Empire]] soon followed. The two empires fought several wars and in the late 18th century only [[British North America]] remained with what is more or less Canada today. The country was formed with the [[British North America Act]] on July 1, 1867, from several colonies. Over time, more provinces and territories became part of Canada. In 1931, Canada achieved near total independence with the [[Statute of Westminster 1931]], and became [[sovereignty|completely independent]] when the [[Canada Act 1982]] removed the last remaining ties of legal dependence on the [[Parliament of the United Kingdom]].

Canada is a [[federation|federal]] [[parliamentary democracy]] and a [[constitutional monarchy]], with [[Elizabeth II|Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom]] as its head of state. The country is officially [[bilingual]] at the federal level, meaning that [[Citizenship|citizens]] have the right to communicate with the [[Government of Canada|government]] in either English or French. [[Immigration to Canada]] has made it one of the world's most ethnically diverse and [[Multiculturalism in Canada|multicultural]] nations. Its economy is [[List of countries by GDP (nominal)|the eleventh largest in the world]], and relies mainly on [[natural resources]] and well-developed international [[trading|trade networks]]. Canada's relationship with its neighbor and biggest trading partner, the U.S., has a big impact on its [[economy of Canada|economy]] and [[culture of Canada|culture]].

Canada is a [[developed country]] and has the [[List of countries by GDP (nominal) per capita|tenth highest]] nominal per capita income globally as well as the [[List of countries by Human Development Index|tenth highest]] ranking in the [[Human Development Index]]. It ranks among the highest in international measurements of government transparency, [[civil liberties]], quality of life, economic freedom, and education. Canada is a [[Commonwealth realm]] member of the [[Commonwealth of Nations]], a member of the [[Organisation internationale de la Francophonie|Francophonie]], and part of several major international and intergovernmental institutions or groupings including the [[United Nations]], the [[NATO|North Atlantic Treaty Organization]], the [[G8]], the [[G-20 major economies|G20]], the [[North American Free Trade Agreement]] and the [[Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation]] forum.

== Geography ==
By total area (including its waters), Canada is the [[List of countries and outlying territories by total area|second-largest country]] in the world, after Russia. By land area alone, Canada [[List of countries and outlying territories by land area|ranks fourth]].<ref name="cia">{{cite web| publisher=CIA |url=https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ca.html |title=World Factbook: Canada |date=May 16, 2006}}</ref> It has the longest border with water ([[coast]]line) of any country in the world. It is next to the [[Pacific Ocean|Pacific]], [[Arctic Ocean|Arctic]], and [[Atlantic Ocean|Atlantic]] Oceans. It is the only country in the world to be next to three oceans at once. It has six [[time zone]]s.<ref>{{cite map|publisher=Natural Resources Canada|title=Standard Time Zones|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151001093650/http://geogratis.gc.ca/api/en/nrcan-rncan/ess-sst/3d76f780-9dde-5e72-8d1a-5698e55cf878.html|edition=6923|year=2007|scale=1:20000000|series=Atlas of Canada, 6th Edition}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.timeanddate.com/time/canada/time-zones-background.html|title=Canada’s Time Zones|website=www.timeanddate.com}}</ref>

Canada is made up of [[List of Canadian provinces and territories|ten provinces and three territories]]. The provinces are between the 45th and 60th parallels of latitude, and the territories are to the north of the 60th parallel of latitude. Most large cities in Canada are in the southern part of the country, including Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal. There are very few people living in the northern part of Canada.

Canada extends from the west coast, across the [[prairie]]s and central Canada, to the Atlantic provinces. In the north there are three territories, between Alaska and Greenland: the Yukon in the west, then the Northwest Territories, then Nunavut. Four of the five [[Great Lakes]] (Superior, Huron, Erie, and Ontario) are shared between Canada and the United States ([[Lake Michigan]] is in the [[USA]]), and they make up 16% of the Earth's [[fresh water]]. The [[Saint Lawrence Seaway]] joins the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean, allowing ocean going vessels to travel as far inland as [[Thunder Bay, Ontario|Thunder Bay]] in Ontario, Canada.

Canada shares land and sea borders with the USA (the lower 48 states and [[Alaska]]), [[Denmark]] ([[Greenland]]), and France (St. Pierre and Miquelon — a small group of islands off the southern coast off the island of [[Newfoundland]]).

The geography of Canada is very different from place to place, from high [[Alpine tundra|alpine areas]] in the west, flat [[grassland]]s and prairies in the centre, and ancient [[Shield (geology)|shield]] rocks in the east. Canada contains some of the very last untouched [[boreal forest]] in the world.

The [[Canadian Shield]] is a vast area of ancient Pre-Cambrian rocks lying in an arc around [[Hudson Bay]], covering more than one third of Canada's land area. This is a unique land of lakes, bogs, swamps, trees, and rocks. It is a terrain that is very dangerous and difficult to traverse cross country because of lakes, bogs, swamps, trees, and rocks. Canada has 60% of the world's [[lake]]s.

== History ==
{{Main|History of Canada}}
=== Aboriginal peoples ===
[[Indigenous peoples]] lived in what is now Canada for thousands of years before the first Europeans arrived. The indigenous groups are called the [[First Nations]], the [[Inuit]], and the [[Métis]].<ref name="GraberKuprecht2012">{{cite book |first1=Christoph Beat |last1=Graber |first2=Karolina |last2=Kuprecht |first3=Jessica C. |last3=Lai |title=International Trade in Indigenous Cultural Heritage: Legal and Policy Issues |url=https://books.google.com/?id=5dv2d57n52MC&pg=PA366 |year=2012 |publisher=Edward Elgar Publishing |isbn=978-0-85793-831-2 |page=366 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160412181512/https://books.google.com/books?id=5dv2d57n52MC&pg=PA366 |archive-date=April 12, 2016}}</ref> The Métis are people that come from both [[First Nations]] and European families.<ref name="GraberKuprecht2012" /> Together, these three groups are called "Indigenous," "Aboriginal," or "First Peoples." They used to be called "Indians" by the Europeans, but this is now considered rude.

Many people think that the first people to live in Canada came from [[Siberia]] by using the [[Bering land bridge]] at least 14,000 years ago. The land bridge used to connect Asia and North America.<ref>{{cite book |first=Thomas D. |last=Dillehay |title=The Settlement of the Americas: A New Prehistory |url=https://books.google.com/?id=aM0CRBQ9kFcC&pg=PA61 |year=2008 |publisher=Basic Books |isbn=978-0-7867-2543-4 |page=61 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160413032756/https://books.google.com/books?id=aM0CRBQ9kFcC&pg=PA61 |archive-date=April 13, 2016}}</ref><ref name="FaganDurrani2016">{{cite book |first1=Brian M. |last1=Fagan |first2=Nadia |last2=Durrani |title=World Prehistory: A Brief Introduction |url=https://books.google.com/?id=fMneCwAAQBAJ&pg=PA124 |year=2016 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-317-34244-1 |page=124}}</ref>

When European people first came to Canada to [[human settlement|settle]], the number of Indigenous people living in Canada already was between 200,000 and two million.<ref name="dying">{{cite book |last=Wilson |first=Donna M |last2=Northcott |first2=Herbert C |url=https://books.google.com/?id=p_pMVs53mzQC&pg=PA25 |title=Dying and Death in Canada |publisher=University of Toronto Press |year=2008 |isbn=978-1-55111-873-4 |pages=25–27 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160412144745/https://books.google.com/books?id=p_pMVs53mzQC&pg=PA25 |archive-date=April 12, 2016}}</ref><ref name="Steckel">{{cite book |last=Thornton |first=Russell |title=A population history of North America |editor=Haines, Michael R |editor2=Steckel, Richard Hall |publisher=[[Cambridge University Press]] |year=2000 |pages=13, 380 |chapter=Population history of Native North Americans |isbn=978-0-521-49666-7}}</ref>

=== European colonization ===
The [[Vikings]] were the first Europeans known to land in what is now called Canada, in what is now [[Newfoundland]], led by the Viking explorer [[Leif Erikson]]. They did not stay long, however. In the early 16th century, Europeans started exploring Canada's eastern coast, beginning with [[John Cabot]] from [[England]] in 1497, and later [[Jacques Cartier]] in 1534 from [[France]]. [[Alexander Mackenzie]] later reached the Pacific coast over land, where captains [[James Cook]] and [[George Vancouver]] went by sea. The Europeans also traded beaver furs to the [[First Nations]].

Parts of Canada were settled by France, and parts by [[Great Britain]]. In 1605, [[Port-Royal (Acadia)|Port-Royal]] was built in Acadia (today called Nova Scotia) by the French, led by [[Samuel de Champlain]], and in 1608 he started settling Quebec. The British took control of the French areas after a battle of the [[French and Indian War]] on the [[Plains of Abraham]] near [[Quebec City]] in 1759.

After the [[American Revolutionary War]], many people in the new [[United States]] wanted to stay loyal to Britain. Thousands came north to Canada and settled in [[Nova Scotia]], [[New Brunswick]], [[Quebec]], and [[Ontario]]. They were called [[United Empire Loyalists]]. During the [[War of 1812]], the United States tried to conquer Canada but were defeated.

=== Confederation and expansion ===
On July 1, 1867, Canada was united under a [[federation|federal government]]. It included the provinces of [[Ontario]], [[Quebec]], [[New Brunswick]], and [[Nova Scotia]]. Sir [[John A. Macdonald]] was the first prime minister. [[Manitoba]], the [[Yukon]] territory, and the [[Northwest Territories]] became part of Canada in 1870. [[British Columbia]] joined in 1871, and [[Prince Edward Island]] in 1873.

There were two [[Red River Rebellion]]s, in 1869-70 and 1885, both led by [[Louis Riel]]. He fought for more [[rights]] for the [[Métis people]], a mix between French and First Nations. A [[railroad]] across the country, the [[Canadian Pacific Railway]], finished in 1885, made it easier for Canadians to move to the west. Many Europeans came to the [[prairie]]s, so [[Alberta]] and [[Saskatchewan]] became provinces in 1905.

=== Early 20th century ===
Canadian soldiers fought in [[World War I]] for the [[British Empire]]. More Canadians died in this war than any other war. Canada became better known as a country after its success in capturing [[Battle of Vimy Ridge|Vimy Ridge]] from the Germans in France in 1917. Women were given the right to vote by the end of the war, partly because of the help they gave making weapons while the men fought in Europe. In 1931, Canada became fully [[Independence|independent]]. Then the government of Canada made all decisions about Canada.

[[File:Crew of a Sherman-tank south of Vaucelles.jpg|upright|thumb|left|alt=Crew of a Sherman-tank resting while parked|A Canadian crew during the [[Operation Overlord|battle of Normandy]] in June 1944.|140px]]Canadians also fought in [[World War II]]. The [[Dieppe Raid]] in 1942 went very badly and most of the soldiers were killed, wounded, or taken prisoner. Canadians were important in 1944 at [[Battle of Normandy|Normandy]], and they liberated the [[Netherlands]] from the Germans.

=== Modern times ===
In 1949, [[Newfoundland and Labrador]] became the 10th province of Canada. In 1956, Canadian [[Lester Pearson]], who later became prime minister, helped end the [[Suez Crisis]]. As a result, he won the [[Nobel Peace Prize]]. In 1965, Pearson helped Canada get a new flag, the [[Maple Leaf]]. Before that, Canadians had used the [[Flag of Canada|Red Ensign]]. In 1982, Canada changed its [[constitution]], including a new [[Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms]]. The main part of the Constitution is still the 1867 [[British North America]] Act.

Some French Canadians today wish to form their own country, separate from the rest of Canada. The province of Quebec held a [[referendum]] (vote) in 1980, but only about 40% wanted to separate. Another referendum was held in 1995, with almost 50% voting in favour of leaving Canada. Since then, fewer people in Quebec have wanted to leave Canada, but it is still important to Quebec politics.

Today, about 25% of Canadians speak French as their first language. Many people can speak both French and English. Although most French Canadians live in the province of [[Quebec]], there are French-speaking communities and people all across Canada. For example, 40% of the people in the province of [[New Brunswick]] and 20% of those in [[Manitoba]] have a strong French background, as do some people in [[Ontario]], mainly along its border with Quebec.

In 1999, [[Nunavut]] was created as Canada's third territory, out of the eastern [[Northwest Territories]], in an agreement with the [[Inuit]] people.

== Government ==
[[File:Centre Block and Centennial Flame (14766251442).jpg|thumb|right|200px|[[Parliament Hill]].]]
Canada has a government called a [[constitutional monarchy]].<ref>{{cite web|author=Amanda, Briney|title=About.com: geography and overview of Canada|url=http://geography.about.com/od/atlas/a/canada.html|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111122231021/http://geography.about.com/od/atlas/a/canada.html|archive-date=22 November 2011|access-date=November 12, 2010}}</ref> It has a [[monarch]] (meaning a king or queen is the head of that country), and is a [[democracy]] (meaning the people of that country rule it). The head of state is [[Elizabeth II|Queen Elizabeth II]], who is officially the Queen of Canada. She appoints a [[Governor General]] to represent her in the country, however, the choice of Governor General is made by the prime minister.

The Queen's powers are mostly exercised by the Governor General, currently [[Julie Payette]]. The Governor General, like the Canadian sovereign (King/Queen of Canada), is not political and remains above politics, and because of that they do not usually use their powers without the advice of the Prime Minister or other ministers.

The head of government is the [[Prime Minister of Canada|Prime Minister]]. The current prime minister is [[Justin Trudeau]],<ref>{{cite web|author=Official Government of Canada website|title=PRIME MINISTER OF CANADA|url=http://pm.gc.ca/eng/pm.asp|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060208030501/http://pm.gc.ca/eng/pm.asp|archive-date=8 February 2006|access-date=November 17, 2010}}</ref> who replaced [[Stephen Harper]] in October 2015. Each province and territory has a [[premier]] to lead its government. The day-to-day operations of the government are run by the cabinet. The cabinet is usually formed from the largest party in Parliament.

The Parliament of Canada passes the laws of the country. The governor general, acting on behalf of the monarch, has the right to [[veto]] a law (meaning the law cannot go into effect) but this right has not been used for some time. There are five main parties in the Canadian Parliament: the [[Conservative Party of Canada|Conservative Party]], the [[New Democratic Party]], the [[Liberal Party of Canada|Liberal Party]], the ''[[Bloc Québécois]]'', and the [[Green Party of Canada|Green Party]]. In addition to the five parties with MPs in Parliament, there are fourteen other smaller parties registered with Elections Canada and several MPs who sit as Independents.

=== Provinces and territories ===
{{main|Provinces and territories of Canada}}

[[File:Political map of Canada.png|center|800px]]

Below is a list of provinces and territories. They are listed by population.

{| class="sortable wikitable" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="7" width="230"|<blockquote>[[Provinces of Canada|Provinces]]</blockquote>
|-
!Name
!Capital
!Largest city
!Entered<br>Confederation
!Population<br><small>(2014)</small>
!Area<br><small>(km<sup>2</sup>)</small>
!Official<br>language
|-
|{{flag|Ontario}}
|[[Toronto]]
|Toronto
|align=center|1867
|align=center|13,678,700
|align=center|1,076,395
|align=center|English
|-
|{{flag|Quebec}}
|[[Quebec City]]
|[[Montreal]]
|align=center|1867
|align=center|8,214,700
|align=center|1,542,056
|align=center|French
|-
|{{flag|British Columbia}}
|[[Victoria, British Columbia|Victoria]]
|[[Vancouver]]
|align=center|1871
|align=center|4,631,300
|align=center|944,735
|align=center|English
|-
|{{flag|Alberta}}
|[[Edmonton]]
|[[Calgary]]
|align=center|1905
|align=center|4,121,700
|align=center|661,848
|align=center|English
|-
|{{flag|Manitoba}}
|[[Winnipeg]]
|Winnipeg
|align=center|1870
|align=center|1,282,000
|align=center|647,797
|align=center|English
|-
|{{flag|Saskatchewan}}
|[[Regina]]
|[[Saskatoon]]
|align=center|1905
|align=center|1,125,400
|align=center|651,036
|align=center|English
|-
|{{flag|Nova Scotia}}
|[[Halifax, Nova Scotia|Halifax]]
|Halifax
|align=center|1867
|align=center|942,700
|align=center|55,284
|align=center|English
|-
|{{flag|New Brunswick}}
|[[Fredericton]]
|[[Saint John, New Brunswick|Saint John]]
|align=center|1867
|align=center|753,900
|align=center|72,908
|align=center|English and French
|-
|{{flag|Newfoundland and Labrador}}
|[[St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador|St. John's]]
|St. John's
|align=center|1949
|align=center|527,000
|align=center|405,212
|align=center|English
|-
|{{flag|Prince Edward Island}}
|[[Charlottetown]]
|Charlottetown
|align=center|1873
|align=center|146,300
|align=center|5,660
|align=center|English
|-
! colspan="7" width="230"| Territories
|-
|{{flag|Northwest Territories}}
|[[Yellowknife]]
|Yellowknife
|align=center|1870
|align=center|41,462
|align=center|1,346,106
|align=center|<abbr title="Chipewyan, Cree, English, French, Gwich’in, Inuinnaqtun, Inuktitut, Inuvialuktun, North Slavey, South Slavey, Tłįchǫ">multiple</abbr>
|-
|{{flag|Yukon}}
|[[Whitehorse]]
|Whitehorse
|align=center|1898
|align=center|33,897
|align=center|482,443
|align=center|English and French
|-
|{{flag|Nunavut}}
|[[Iqaluit]]
|Iqaluit
|align=center|1999
|align=center|31,906
|align=center|2,093,190
|align=center|<abbr title="Inuinnaqtun, Inuktitut,
English, French">multiple</abbr>
|}

== Climate and its influence ==
Many people from other parts of the world think of Canada as a very cold and snowy place. While it is true that much of Canada is very far north, most Canadians live in the southern parts, where the weather is much milder. Nearly two thirds of Canadians live less than {{convert|100|km|mi}} from the U.S. border.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2006/as-sa/97-550/vignettes/a1-eng.cfm|title=2006 Census: Where we live? vignette - alternate format|website=www12.statcan.gc.ca}}</ref> In some cities the temperature can get very cold in the winter, especially in the inland.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20090428091202/http://www40.statcan.ca/l01/cst01/phys08b-eng.htm http://www40.statcan.ca/l01/cst01/phys08b-eng.htm]</ref> Warm air systems moving in from the Pacific Ocean bring more rain than snow to the Pacific coast, while colder temperatures further inland do result in snow. Most of Canada can get quite hot in the summer, often over {{convert|30|C|F|abbr=off}}.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20120121020224/http://www.cfls-elfc.forces.gc.ca/canada/weather-temps-eng.asp http://www.cfls-elfc.forces.gc.ca/canada/weather-temps-eng.asp]</ref>

Canadians are known to play winter sports such as [[ice hockey]] and [[skiing]] and [[snowboarding]], and also enjoy many summer sports and games.

== Natural resources ==
[[File:Peyto Lake-Banff NP-Canada.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Peyto Lake in [[Alberta]].]]
Canada has lots of [[natural resource]]s. Its large amounts of [[fish]] have been used for [[wikt:century|centuries]] for food and money. [[Hydroelectricity|Hydroelectric]] power (electricity by water) is abundant because of Canada's many rivers.<ref>{{cite web|title=Natural Resources Canada|url=http://nrcan.gc.ca/eneene/sources/eleele/index-eng.php|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090123122001/http://nrcan.gc.ca/eneene/sources/eleele/index-eng.php|archive-date=23 January 2009|access-date=November 17, 2010}}</ref> Forests of the west are used for wood. Besides these renewable resources, Canada has metal ores and oil [[wikt:deposit|deposits]]. Also, Canada is the leading exporter of [[zinc]], [[uranium]], [[gold]], [[nickel]], [[aluminum]], [[steel]] and [[lead]].<ref>{{cite web|author=Brendan Marshall, Director, Economic Affairs|date=2014|title=Facts & Figures 2014|url=http://mining.ca/sites/default/files/documents/Facts_and_Figures_2014.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151014080607/http://mining.ca/sites/default/files/documents/Facts_and_Figures_2014.pdf|archive-date=14 October 2015|access-date=December 3, 2015|publisher=The Mining Association of Canada}}</ref>

== Demographics ==
Around 35 million people live in Canada. This is almost the same number as in the U.S. state of [[California]]. About 80% of the Canadian population live in the southern parts of Canada since the climates are milder than the northern parts of Canada.

A large number of [[immigrant]]s from almost every part of the world come to live in Canada.<ref>{{cite book | title=Canadawosirutameno60syou(60 chapters about Canada) | authors=Ayabe Hisao, Iino Syouko | year= 2003 | publisher=Akaisi | location=Tokyo | pages=314 }}</ref> One example is the former [[Governor General]] of Canada, [[Michaëlle Jean]], who came to Canada as a young child with her family from [[Haiti]] in 1968. Today, up to 1/5th of the population is an immigrant to Canada.

== Healthcare ==
The [[Canadian government]] provides [[universal health care]]. The [[province]]s are responsible for [[health insurance]]. Five provinces prohibit all [[extra-billing]], while [[Alberta]], [[British Columbia]] and [[Newfoundland and Labrador|Newfoundland]] allow it in a small number of circumstances, and [[Prince Edward Island]] and [[New Brunswick]] do not restrict it at all.<ref>{{cite book|last=Sullivan|first=Terrence James, Patricia M. Baranek|title=First do no harm: making sense of Canadian health reform|year=2002|publisher=Malcolm Lester and Associates|location=Toronto, Ontario|isbn=978-0-7748-1016-6|pages=44|url=https://books.google.com/?id=IvgplVyKfeYC&pg=PA44&dq=%22extra+billing%22+canada#v=onepage&q=%22extra%20billing%22%20canada&f=false}}</ref>

In 2020 the [[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation]] reported a deterioration in the number of [[acute care bed]]s available in [[Ontario]] [[hospital]]s per every 1,000 people in that province. Ontario is Canada's largest province, and is home to Canada's largest city, [[Toronto]]. The number of hospital beds available in Ontario is 1.4 per every 1,000 people. This is half the number hospitals beds available in the [[United States]], and the same number available in [[Mexico]].<ref>https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ontario-hospital-hallway-medicine-healthcare-beyond-capacity-1.5420434</ref>

== References ==
{{reflist}}
'''Notes'''
<references group="lower-alpha"/>

== Other websites ==
{{commons}}
{{wikivoyage}}
* [https://www.canada.ca/ Official Government of Canada website]
* [https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ca.html CIA World Factbook - Canada]
* [https://archive.today/20130630173455/http://education.yahoo.com/reference/dictionary/entry/Canada Yahoo - Definition of Canada]

{{Canada topics}}
{{North America}}
{{G8}}
{{Group of 7}}
{{Commonwealth nations}}
{{North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO)}}
{{Provinces and territories of Canada}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Canada| ]]
[[Category:Current monarchies]]
[[Category:English-speaking countries]]
[[Category:French-speaking countries]]
[[Category:Commonwealth realms]]
[[Category:G8 nations]]
[[Category:G7 nations]]
[[Category:Federations]]
[[Category:1867 establishments in North America]]

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Canada