Canada
is a country occupying the northern portion of North America, and
is the world's second largest country in total area.
Inhabited for at least ten millennia by aboriginal peoples, Canada
was founded as a union of British colonies, some of which had earlier
been French colonies.
A federal dominion of ten provinces with three territories, Canada
peacefully obtained its sovereignty in a process beginning in 1867
from its last colonial possessor, the United
Kingdom.
Today, Canada is governed
as a parliamentary democracy and constitutional monarchy. Canada's
head of state is its monarch, who is represented in Canada by the
Governor General. The head of government is the Prime Minister.
The most recent federal general election was held on 23 January
2006.
Canada defines itself
as a bilingual and multicultural nation. Both English and French
are official languages of the country. In the early 1970s, Canada
began to adopt policies based on the concepts of cultural diversity
and multiculturalism. Many Canadians now view this as one of the
country's key attributes.
A technologically advanced and industrialized nation, Canada is
a net exporter of energy because of its large fossil fuel deposits,
nuclear energy generation, and hydroelectric power capacity. Its
diversified economy relies heavily on an abundance of natural resources
and trade, particularly with the United
States, with which Canada
has had a long and complex relationship.
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canada
|
Home
