Canada’s Pacific coast province is British Columbia. The Prairie provinces are Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. Central Canada refers to Ontario and Quebec.The North means the three territories: the Yukon, the Northwest Territories, and Nunavut.“Maritimes” refers to the three provinces of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island. “Atlantic provinces” refers to those three plus Newfoundland and Labrador.*
Canada is a land of lakes, rivers, and streams.Approximately 20% of the world’s fresh water is located here.
More than 80% of Canada’s population live in towns and cities that are within 250 kilometres of the U.S. border.The U.S. borders Canada to the south.The United States is Canada’s largest trading partner.
“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. *