Canada, Dominion of the country occupying the entire northern half
of the North American continent - except for Alaska, which is part
of the USA. More than half of Canada consists of the Canadian
Shield, at the centre of which lies the Hudson Bay lowlands.
The
Western Cordillera, which is partly made up of the Coast Mountains
and the Rocky Mountains, runs parallel to the Pacific coast and
contains Mount Logan, Canada’s highest peak. Between the Rocky
Mountains and the Canadian Shield lie the Interior Lowlands,
consisting of prairies, plains, and the Mackenzie Lowlands. The SE
region of Canada is dominated by the St Lawrence River and the Great
Lakes and is the most densely populated area in the country. The
whole population is mainly of British descent, with a large French
population on the East Coast .
Economy: the numerous manufacturing industries, mainly in Ontario
and Quebec, include paper, iron and steel, motor vehicles, and food
processing. As well as iron ore, the rich mineral resources include
asbestos, nickel, zinc, molybdenum, uranium, silver, and gold. Oil
production has increased considerably since the discovery of large
oilfields in Alberta and natural gas is also produced. Agriculture
is important, with cereals in the Prairie Provinces and considerable
fruit growing in British Columbia and Ontario.
Other
industries include fishing, forestry, and the fur trade. Main
exports include oil, wheat, wood pulp, and paper. History: there is
evidence of Viking settlement in the NE around 1000 AD. In 1497 John
Cabot reached Newfoundland and Nova Scotia, the first being claimed
for England in 1583. In 1534 Jacques Cartier explored the Gulf of St
Lawrence and in 1608 Champlain established the first permanent
settlement at Quebec. Known as New France, this became a royal
province in 1663. The fur trade was of extreme importance and in
1670 the English set up the Hudson’s Bay Company.
By
1696 the French and English were in open conflict: in 1713 the
Treaty of Utrecht gave Acadia - present-day Nova Scotia,
Newfoundland, and Hudson Bay to Britain. After the Seven Years’ War,
during which Gen Wolfe defeated the French under Gen Montcalm
(1759), the Treaty of Paris (1763) gave Canada to Britain. By the
British North America Act (1867) a confederation of Lower Canada
(Quebec), Upper Canada (Ontario), Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick was
established. Manitoba joined the confederation in 1870, British
Columbia in 1871, and Prince Edward Island in 1873. Alberta and
Saskatchewan were created from the NW Territories in 1905. In 1931
Canada became an independent constitutional monarchy in the British
Commonwealth. In 1982 a new constitution for Canada was signed by
Elizabeth II.
Prime
minister: Brian Mulroney. Official languages: English and French.
Official currency: Canadian dollar of 100 cents. Area: 9 976 169 sq
km (3 851 809 sq mi). Population (1987): 25 963 000. Capital:
Ottawa. Main port: Montreal.