LEARNING ABOUT CANADA
With its cultural diversity, magnificent landscape, and varied climate, Canada is a truly elite part of North America. 'Humungous' is a Canadian word that is an apt description for the country.

• Canada's width from the Atlantic to the Pacific is more than 7700 kilometers, equaling more than four times the width of India.
• From its southernmost point Pelee Island to the Ellesmere Island, It covers nearly 4800 kilometers in area and is more than five times the length of Japan.
• Canada is the largest country in the world since the dissolution of the USSR, covering nearly 10 million square kilometers; it still is one of the least populated countries in the world with fewer than 30 million inhabitants.
• It has more than a million rivers, lakes and streams that contribute to quarter of the world's fresh water supply.

GEOGRAPHY
Now you know that Canada is big, but most people can't really grasp how large it is unless they visit it. Canada has a landmass of 9,970,610 km2. Yet because its population is only about 30 million, it has one of the smallest population densities in the world, with an average of only three people for every square kilometer and it is estimated that there is more than 14.5 hectares of forest for every person in Canada.

1. The Pacific Coast has a moderate climate. The oldest trees and rain forests in Canada: 1,300-year-old western red cedars and 90m high Douglas firs are found here.
2. The Cordillera stretches from British Columbia to just east of the Alberta border. British Columbia. The Rocky Mountains, the Coast Mountains and the Elias Mountains are the main attractions.
3. The Prairies are know fro their endless wheat fields and for having very few trees. It is also famous for its petroleum production.
4. The Canada Shield is an enormous area that occupies about half of the mainland of Canada. Its is made up of the northern half of Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec and Labrador (the mainland part of the province of Newfoundland).
5. The Great Lakes being a very small area of Canada extends across the south of the two provinces of Ontario and Quebec. Despite its size, its here that more than half of Canada's population lives. It is prime growing land for fruits and vegetables and is one of the most photographed regions during autumn.
6. The Atlantic Provinces - Appalachian region contains the four smallest Canadian provinces (the Maritime Provinces). Its is also prime agricultural land and gets quite a bit of precipitation.
7. The Artic is north of the tree line. Its has nearly continuous daylight during its short summer as well as some fairly warm temperatures that help the flowers bloom on the tundra.

ECONOMY
Canada has one of the most stable economies in the world and was rated as having the best quality of life in all the G8 countries, which include France, Germany, Japan, Italy, USA, Russia and the UK. Historically, natural resources and agriculture have been the mainstays of the nation's wealth. This rating also takes in to account the political and social environment, security, culture, health, education, public services, recreation, consumer goods, housing and natural environment. Today a prosperous services sector is providing added diversity for continued growth.

POLITICAL SYSTEM
Confederation
On 1st July 1867, the provinces we now know as Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia joined together in Confederation to create the new country of Canada. Further provinces joined later became a part of Canada, as we know now. The form of government in Canada is a constitutional monarchy. Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II is the Queen of Canada and Canada's Head of State, whose representative within Canada is the Governor General. The Prime Minister leads the ruling government of Canada. The 10 provinces are self-governing and are presided over by premiers elected with in each province.
The National Capital
The national capital of Canada is Ottawa, Ontario. This is where the federal government and the parliament buildings are located
Province and Territories
Canada has 10 provinces and three territories located within its regions. Each province and territory has its own capital city.

POPULATION AND SETTLEMENT
Owing to immigration Canada's population is growing faster than any other industrialized country in the west. The Canadians consider English as their mother tongue, though when the province of Quebec is subtracted, less than six per cent of the population are native French speakers. English and French are considered as the official languages.
In the recent years an increasing proportion of immigrants is from non-European countries. Immigrants represent about 16 % of the population, with most living in just four provinces (Ontario, British Columbia, Quebec and Alberta). The capital city of Canada is Ottawa.

CLIMATE
Canada has four varied climates, all of which occur right across the country. The most significant factor in climate is latitude where with in a few hours of traveling north by road, a drop in temperature can be felt. The warmest areas are on the US border (where most people live). July and August are the warmest months across the whole country, which are usually dry with temperatures ranging from mid to high 200C. More summer rains are found on the west and east coasts and extremely long day light hours on the far north. Canadian winters are long with more than two thirds of the country having an average temperature. Major cities are not so cold but are generally below freezing point. Snowfall is frequent and especially heavy in the central regions.

HOUSING
With its high living standards and abundance of land, locating a reasonable priced home in Canada is not difficult. And there is no shortage of properties in a wide variety of sizes and styles. The housing facility ranges from condominiums and townhouses to semi-detached and detached residences. Real estate agents can help individuals locate properties and financing can be obtained through banks, mortgage brokers and trust companies. Renting a house or apartment is also made available through advertising in newspapers and special publications. Most provinces have rental control legislation to ensure affordable housing. Rents vary widely according to property size and location.

EMPLOYMENT
There are many different ways of finding a job in Canada facilitated by the wide diversity of employment existing in the country. In recent years, the heaviest demands have been for skilled workers in mining, oil, gas and health care sectors. Canada's service sector, financial, aerospace and pharmaceutical are also important sectors with a bright future.
For management level employees, the most common place to find out about possible openings is through the advertisement columns of national, provincial or local newspapers. For those wishing to restrict their job search to a specific region of the country or to a more local area, the local office of the Canada Employment Center and provincial and local newspapers provide similar information.
Except for Canadian citizens and those holding permanent residence status, work permits are required for employment in Canada.

EDUCATION
Canada spends about 8 per cent of its GDP on education. Canada has excellent and fully funded public and separate schools and a network of acclaimed private schools. There are two types of schools: Public Schools funded by taxes and available free to every child. Private Schools paid for by the parents of the child. Because of the bilingual nature of the country there are both French and English language schools through out Canada. Higher education institutes in Canada have earned world-class reputations and attract international students in large numbers. Many scholarships, grants, student loans and other financial aids are available.

HEALTH CARE
Compared with many industrialized nations, Canada's health care system is excellent in its standards of care and accessibility. Health care is the responsibility of the provincial government, but funds are also contributed by the federal government. The federal ministry of health ensures that the provinces adhere to the Canada Health Act. Access to healthcare is guaranteed to all, with a few exceptions. Its universal health care system commonly called Medicare ensures that Canadians receive health care and hospitalization at virtually no cost and no insurance premiums are charged.

TAXATION
Canadians have to pay income taxes to support a generous health and social security service. Income tax includes Federal and Provincial taxes. A certain percentage is first paid to the Federal government and then a percentage of that is again paid to the Provincial government. Canada's income tax system is progressive in that it requires people who make more money to pay a larger percentage of their income in tax. These include a variety of taxes such as income tax, sales tax, property tax, automobile tax, social security and medical taxes.

TRANSPORT AND COMMUNICATIONS
In a large country as widely dispersed as Canada, transport is of utmost priority. Whether it is by car, bus, train, boat, or plane there is always a route or option available. Modern Canada boasts a transport and communications system which is another factor that cements the various regions into a unified whole. The roads are very good and the bus network is the most extensive public transport system available. The transcontinental rail system with a proud history, expressways, commuter trains, and public rapid transit systems facilitate urban travel. Air travel within the country links and outside is facilitated by Canada's regional and international air services.
Telephone services are efficient and are one of the most advanced in the world. Direct dialing is available from virtually any location in and outside Canada. Postal service is provided in an increasingly effective manner and many highly efficient private courier services are available. Canada has two national newspapers. Most large cities offer two or more daily papers. Wide access to televisions and radios are made available as a part of their basic cable arrangement.

CURRENCY AND BANKING
Canada has a decimal system of currency, with 100 cents to the dollar. The most common paper bills are the $2, $5, $10 and $20, but $50 and $100 area also used. Canadian coins include the penny (one cent), nickel (five cents), dime (ten cents), quarter (twenty-five cents) and loonie (one dollar).
The main banking institutions are chartered banks privately owned and operate under the National Bank Act. Other financial institutes include trust companies and co-operative credit unions.

SHOPPING
Shopping in Canada can be challenging at first. In most of the cities a world-class selection of retail goods can be found. Shopping malls are popular and one of the world's largest can be found in Canada. Most of the stores sell Canadian made goods and they accept major credit cards. You can look up the products you need in the yellow pages of the telephone book to find names and addresses of stores that sell the item you are looking for.

IMPORTING PERSONAL ITEMS
Household and other personal goods can be imported and owned for your personal use. They are not subject to duty or other charges upon arrival. But the cost of moving can be very high and the replacement value vary greatly in different countries. In case of electrical and electronic goods, it is advisable to purchase new ones to make it more worthwhile.

IMPORTING PETS AND ANIMALS
Most animals and pets can be brought to Canada, upon receiving the required certificate of good health and other papers.