“Quebecers” are the people of Québec. Most are descendents of 8,500 French settlers from the 1600s and 1700s and maintain a unique identity, culture and language. The House of Commons recognized in 2006 that Quebecois form a nation within a united Canada. One million English Quebecers form a vibrant part of the Québec fabric.*
According to the 2006 Census, 6,186,950 foreign-born people lived in Canada. Not all foreign-born people who live in Canada have English or French as their mother tongue. In the 2006 census, people reported their mother tongue as: • Chinese 18.6% • Italian 6.6% • Punjabi 5.9% • Spanish 5.8% • German 5.4% • Tagalog 4.8% • Arabic 4.7%
The border between Canada and the United States is the longest undefended border in the world. It stretches over 8,800 kms.There are many border crossings.There are limits to the value of goods that can be taken across the border. *
The Inuit, which means “the people” in the Inuktitut language, live in small, scattered communities across the Arctic. Their knowledge of the land, sea and wildlife enabled them to adapt to one of the harshest environments on earth.About 65% of the Aboriginal people are First Nations, while 30% are Métis and 4% Inuit.*
The name “Canada” comes from the Huron-Iroquois word “kanata” meaning village or settlement, and the name was used by the early explorer Jacques Cartier.The word Canada started appearing on maps in the 1550s.*
The Acadians are the descendants of French colonists who began settling in the Maritime provinces in 1604. During the war between Britain and France, 1755–1763, more than two-thirds of the Acadians were deported from their homeland. Despite this “Great Upheaval,” the Acadians survived and maintained their unique identity.*