Terrain

Canada can be divided into five regions geographically: the Great Lakes region, the lowlands of the St. Lawrence River, the Canadian Shield, which is a region of sandy soil and thick forests, the plains of the country's interior and the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. The country's highest peak is Mount Logan at 5,951 m, which is located in the Yukon Territory. The country's most important rivers include the Yukon and the Mackenzie in the west and the St. Lawrence River in the east, which originates from the Great Lakes.

Climate

The mountainous regions have a typical highland climate. Southern Canada has a temperate climate, with snow in the winter and cool summers. North of the timberline there is a humid sub-arctic climate characterized by short summers and snow cover for nearly six months of the year. On the Arctic Archipelago and the northern mainland is the tundra, with its ever present frost, snow cover and ice.

Fauna/Flora

Some of the most common tree species include white pine, white and black spruce, balsam, Douglas fir, western red cedar, and sugar maple. The most common animal species include grizzly, black, brown and polar bears, beavers, buffalo, wolves and moose. There are also 500 species of birds, such as the great blue heron, and Canada geese.

History/Politics

The first inhabitants of Canada were the Inuits, or Eskimos, who lived spread out across the country along with other indigenous peoples of Asian origin. At the end of the 15th century, Giovanni Caboto reached Newfoundland, or Nova Scotia, and in so doing laid the foundations for its colonization by the British. In 1534, Jacques Cartier claimed the area at the upper reaches of the St. Lawrence River for France, which led to conflicts and changes of rule between the French and the British up to the 19th century. After the USA became independent, the British crown took in more than 50,000 loyalist refugees in Nova Scotia and along the St. Lawrence River. The refugees made various demands on the King which eventually led him to create the New Brunswick province in 1784 and divide Quebec into French and English zones.

Between 1820 and 1830, demands were made for reforms which led to revolt. The Empire's reaction was to install John George Lambton as General Governor in 1838 and to create the Canadian Province a year later. Canada gained representation in the British House of Commons. The conflicts between the British and French territories and fear of a civil war similar to that in the USA, led to a union movement for the British colonies in North America and to the creation of the Canadian Dominion, a federation of colonies under the leadership of the British crown.

In the course of the following decades, the Canadian territory was expanded, leading to conflicts with mestizo groups and Indigenous tribes. After the end of World War I, further demands for equality forced the British crown to recognise the complete equality of all British domains and to found the Commonwealth of Nations as a free group of sovereign states.

April 1982 saw the signing of the so-called "Constitution Act" under prime minister Trudeau in Ottawa, in which Elizabeth II dissolved the last traditional legal ties between Canada and Great Britain. The constitution recognises Queen Elisabeth II as Head of State and makes a commitment to remaining a member of the Commonwealth. In December 2003, Paul Martin became Prime Minister after Jean Chrétian retired.

Economy

Until the beginning of the 20th century, Canada was mainly an agricultural country and it only began developing into a leading industrial nation once the transcontinental railway line was completed. The most important branches of industry include the steel, motor and processing industries, as well as fishing and energy. Three percent of the active population is currently employed in the agricultural sector, 73% of the population finds employment in the service sector, and 23% in industry. In 2003 the unemployment rate reached 7.8% and the inflation rate was 2.8%.

Culture

Despite the multi-ethnic composition of Canada's population, the traditions of the indigenous peoples form the basis of the country's cultural identity. The Inuits are particularly famous for their stone and bone sculptures and carvings. Western cultural influence has allowed for the emergence of internationally recognized contemporary writers such as Margaret Atwood, Robertson Davies and Michael Ondaatje.