Canada occupies a major portion of North America, Canada borders with the United States on
the south by the United States state of Alaska to the northwest, with the Atlanta Ocean to
the east, to the Pacific Ocean in the west and north with the Arctic Ocean.
It is the world's second largest country by total area, and shares land borders with the
United States to the south and northwest. By total area (including its waters), Canada by
far has more lakes than any other country and has a large amount of the world's freshwater.
Canada is the second largest country in the world after Russia and largest on the continent.
Canada Map
Its economic progress now is thanks to its information, instant communication, advances
in technology, the increased globalization of markets and the emergence of liberal trading
regimes are fundamentally changing the way Canadians conduct their business. Technologically
advanced and industrialized, Canada maintains a diversified economy that is heavily reliant
upon its abundant natural resources and upon trade particularly with the United States, with
which Canada has had a long and complex relationship.
It is a bilingual and multicultural country, with both English and French as official languages
at the federal level. Official Bilingualism in Canada is law, defined in the Canadian Charter
of Rights and Freedoms, the Official Languages Act, and Official Language Regulations; English
and French have equal status in federal courts, Parliament, and in all federal institutions.
67.5% speak English only, 13.3% speak French only, and 17.7% speak both. Although 85% of French
speaking Canadians live in Quebec, Ontario has the largest French-speaking population outside
Quebec. Other provinces have no official languages as such, but French is used as a language
of instruction, in courts, and for other government services in addition to English.
The most densely populated country is Quebec City-Windsor along the Great Lakes and Saint
Lawrence River in the southeast. The Saint Lawrence River is the largest in the world before
flowing into the Gulf of Saint Lawrence; it has its origins from southwest to northeast in
the middle latitudes of North America and connecting the Great Lakes with the Atlantic Ocean.
The northern Canadian mainland is ringed with a vast archipelago containing some of the world's
largest islands, which dates from the last ice age and rich in minerals. The gulf is bounded by
Newfoundland to the north and the Maritime Provinces to the south.
Average winter and summer high temperatures across Canada vary depending on the location.
Winters can be harsh in many regions of the country, particularly in the interior and Prairie
Provinces, where daily average temperatures are near 15 °C but can drop below −40 °C with
severe wind chills.
On the east and west coast, average high temperatures are generally in the low 20s °C, while
between the coasts the average summer high temperature ranges from 25 to 30 °C with occasional
extreme heat in some interior locations exceeding 40 °C. In non coastal regions, snow can cover
the ground almost six months of the year. Coastal British Columbia is an exception and enjoys a
temperate climate with a mild and rainy winter.
Canada is made for exploring; it is a big country, with a lot of places to experience. Rugged
mountain peaks and soft sandy beaches, cosmopolitan cities surrounded by quiet cosy villages,
historic sites brimming with authentic traditions and stories, galleries with showcasing of modern
works, innovative and endless attractions that make a delight to the imagination.