As Canadians, we are proud and honored to share the excitement of our cities, the splendor of our natural wonders, and the quiet beauty of our rural communities. Our Canadian Values are Optimism; Compromise and Cooperation; Acceptance, Tolerance and Respect; Ambition and Perseverance; Individualism; and Civil Responsibility.

Land Mass, Provinces & Territories

At 9 970 610 km2, Canada is the second-largest country in the world. Canada comprises 7% of the world's landmass, and 9% of its fresh water supply. Canada's population is about 30 million. Its capital is Ottawa, in the province of Ontario. Three oceans border the country: the Pacific, the Arctic, and the Atlantic. Canada has 10 provinces and 2 territories, each with its own capital city (in brackets): Alberta (Edmonton); British Columbia (Victoria); Prince Edward Island (Charlottetown); Manitoba (Winnipeg); New Brunswick (Fredericton); Nova Scotia (Halifax); Ontario (Toronto); Quebec (Quebec City); Saskatchewan (Regina); Newfoundland (St. John's); Northwest Territories (Yellowknife) and Yukon Territory (Whitehorse). The leading Canadian cities are Toronto (4.26 million), Montreal (3.33 million), Vancouver (1.83 million), Ottawa-Hull, the National Capital Region (1.01million) and Edmonton (0.86 million). Canada's geography includes fertile plains suitable for agriculture, vast mountain ranges, lakes and rivers. Wilderness forests give way to arctic tundra in the Far North.

Climate

There are of course many climatic variations in this huge country. Most of Canada has four distinct seasons: spring, summer, fall, and winter, especially in the regions lying along the U.S. border. Temperatures and conditions differ from season to season in most parts of the country. In Spring (March, April, May, June), it is usually rainy in most parts of Canada. The temperatures increase but nights remain cool. First flowers bloom in March (in southern Canada) but trees are without leaves until April / May, except in southwestern British Columbia (B. C.) where temperatures are more moderate. In Summer (July, August), it is usually hot and dry, with occasional rain storms. In Fall (September, October, November), frost occurs overnight. Leaves on trees change color and drop. Weather tends to be unsettled and rainy. Snowfalls begin in most areas in November except in southern B. C. In Winter (December, January, February), the temperatures usually remain below freezing except in southwestern B. C. Snow usually remains on the ground from late December until March except in southwestern B. C.

Natural Environment

Canada has a beautiful natural environment. It contains many different landforms, including mountains, prairies, forests, lakes, rivers, and rugged coasts. The Canadian government has set aside more than 100 national parks and historic sites in honor of the people, places and events that have marked the country's history. Canada's mountain ranges are: the Torngats, Appalachians and Laurentians in the east; the Rocky, Coastal and Mackenzie ranges in the west; and Mount St. Elias and the Pelly Mountains in the north. At 6050 m, Mount Logan in the Yukon is Canada's tallest peak. The main lakes are Huron, Great Bear, Superior, Great Slave, Winnipeg, Erie and Ontario. Great Bear Lake in the Northwest Territories is the largest lake situated entirely in Canada; its area is 31 326 km2. The St. Lawrence River, which is 3058 km long, provides a seaway for ships from the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean. The Mackenzie is the longest river, flowing 4241 km through the Northwest Territories. The Yukon and the Columbia, parts of which flow through U.S. territory, the Nelson, the Saskatchewan, the Peace and the Churchill are also major watercourses.

Government

Canada is a constitutional monarchy and a federal state with a democratic parliament. The Parliament of Canada consists of the House of Commons, whose members are elected, and the Senate, whose members are appointed. On average, members of Parliament are elected every four years. The Prime Minister is the leader of the political party with the largest number of elected Members of Parliament in the House of Commons. The Government consists of three levels: Federal, Provincial, and Municipal. The responsibilities of the Federal Government include national defense, interprovincial and international trade and commerce, immigration, the banking and monetary system, criminal law and fisheries. Provincial Governments are responsible for education, health care, etc. Municipal Governments are in charge of the police force, the fire department and environmental issues

Education

The educational system varies from province to province and includes six to eight years of elementary school, four or five years of secondary school and three or four years at the university undergraduate level. The education system includes public schools, “separate” schools, and private schools. Public education in Canada is co-educational and free up to and including secondary school. Canada gives especially high priority to post-secondary education. Canada ranks the top of all industrialized nations in the share of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) devoted to public-sector funding of education. About 8% of Canada GDP is spent on education. Canada also ranks the top in the world in the proportion of the population aged 18-24 enrolled full-time in universities, institutes, and colleges. More than 25% of the Canadian working population has a university or college degree.

Employment

In Canada, full-time jobs are common. However, a growing number of people have part-time jobs, temporary contracts, or commission-based agents. Information about jobs is available from many sources. Newspapers have classified advertisements that list jobs by occupation. Stores needing workers often put a sign in the window. People you meet may know of a business that is hiring. It is very important for you to ask people and keep aware of opportunities. You can often get help finding a job from the Headquarters Office of CAC Inc. We have assisted our clients in finding jobs. If you need more information about job opportunities, please feel free to contact us. We will do our best to help you find your ideal job!

Natural Resources & Leading Industries

The principal natural resources are natural gas, oil, gold, coal, copper, iron ore, nickel, potash, uranium and zinc, along with wood and water. The leading industries include automobile manufacturing, pulp and paper, iron and steel work, machinery and equipment manufacturing, mining, extraction of fossil fuels, forestry and agriculture, high-technology, and computer software industry.

History

Aboriginals are thought to have arrived from Asia 30 000 years ago by way of a land bridge between Siberia and Alaska. When the European explorers arrived, a diverse range of Aboriginal peoples populated Canada. Permanent French and English settlement began in the early 1600s and increased throughout the century. The British and the French were the first two European groups to move here in large numbers. Each group brought its own language, system of government, laws, and culture.

Canada was created in 1867 when Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick jointed together. On July 1, 1867, the British North America Act declared Canada a country. This act is celebrated each year on July 1 as Canada’s official birthday. The name Canada may have come from the word “Kanata” in the language of the Huron-Iroquois Indians, which means a village or settlement. Westward expansion did not happen without stress. In 1869, Louis Riel led an uprising of the Métis in an attempt to defend their ancestral rights to the land. A compromise was reached in 1870 and a new province, Manitoba, was carved from Rupert's Land. British Columbia, already a Crown colony since 1858, decided to join the Dominion in 1871 on the promise of a rail link with the rest of the country; Prince Edward Island followed suit in 1873. In 1898, the northern territory of Yukon was officially established to ensure Canadian jurisdiction over that area during the Klondike gold rush. In 1905, two new provinces were carved from Rupert's Land: Alberta and Saskatchewan; the residual land became the Northwest Territories. Newfoundland preferred to remain a British colony until 1949, when it became Canada's 10th province.

The creation of new provinces coincided with an increase of immigration to Canada, particularly to the west. Immigration peaked in 1913 with 400 000 coming to Canada. During the prewar period, Canada profited from the prosperous world economy and established itself as an industrial as well as an agricultural power.

Over the past 100 years, waves of immigrants from other parts of the world introduced many more languages and cultures into the Canadian mosaic. In the early 1980s, Asia replaced Europe as the leading source of new immigrants. 800,000 Canadians are Chinese descent.