Canada

18 Canada

1) Basic political information (constitutional monarchy, Commonwealth.,....)

- federal state - confederation with parliamentary democracy

- member of British Commonwealth of Nations

- the head of state is the British Monarch (the Queen) represented by the Governor General

- the head of government is the Prime Minister

- selects his own cabinet

- each province has its regional government - it is responsible for educational system, property

and civil might, administration of justice, hospital system, social security, health

- the Parliament

- federal parliament is responsible for national defense, interprovincial and international trade,

immigration, banking and monetary system and criminal law

- the House of Commons

- Senate

- leading parties

- Libertal party

- Progressive Conservative

2) Geography (borders, climate, animals, rivers, mountains, lakes)

- BORDERS – - made up of 10 provinces and 3 territories

- the largest province - Quebec

- Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Ontario, Manitoba, British

Columbia, New Brunnswick, Saskatchewan and Alberta

- territories - Yukon Territory, the Northwest Territories, Nunuvat (established in 1999)

- borders with the USA

- CLIMATE – - depends on the location

- British Columbia - temperate climate

- Pacific coast - a temperate rain, forest climate, moist Pacific air currents

- artic conditions in the north

- winters - harsh, severe wind chills

- ANIMALS – whale, walrus, seal, polar bear, reindeer, wolves, polar foxes, black and brown bears, beaver

- RIVERS – - the longest river - the Mackenzie - flowing from the Rocky Mt. to the Atlantic Ocean

- St. Lawrence river - world’s largest estuary

- MOUNTAINS – - the Canadian shield covers a half of the country

- the Rocky Mountains

- the Mackenzie Mountains

- the highest peak is Mg.Logan (6050m

- LAKES - Great Baer Lake, Great Slave Lake, Lake Superior, Lake Huron, Lake Erie, Lake Ontario -

3) Niagara Falls and ways how you can admire them

- located between Lake Ontario and Lake Erie

- lie in the south of Ontario on the border with New York State

- major producer of hydro-electricity for the country

4) Size, population (Anglo-Canadians, French-Canadians.....)

- SIZE – Area: 9 970 000 sq km

- the second largest country in the world (after Russia)

- POPULATION – 32 Million

- ANGLO-CANADIANS-

- FRENCH-CANADIANS –

population

- one of the lowest densities

- most of the inhibitants are concentrated near the border with the USA

- currency - Canadian dollar

- official languages - English, French

- symbols of the country - maple leaf, moose, beaver, grizzly, maple syrup

5) Flag

- red maple leaf on the white background symbolising snow

- the red colour is in honour to dead people in the WWII

- on the sides are 2 red stripes symbolising 2 oceans surrounding Canada

- the national anthem is called ”Ooo Canada”

6) The name Canada

- the name comes from the original inhibitants - Inuits

- word “kanata” which means “village”

7) Provinces....cities¨