About Canada - Guide to Ontario
Ontario is the second largest province of Canada with well known centres such as Toronto which is viewed as the main city within Canada as well as Ottawa which is the Capital City of Canada. Ontario has Quebec to the east is surrounded by the Great Lakes and is one of the main artaries into the United States of America.
As it has such close ties with the USA it is a major tourist destination for both US Citizens and for vacationers from around the world with Niagara Falls being one of the most visited tourist destinations in the world. Much of the population lives in Southern Ontario where even though the land area is smaller than the vast north most of the commercial activity of Canada resides.
Places of interest:
CN Tower in Toronto
Grand Bend
Great Lakes
Fort William in Thunder Bay
Lake Huron Lighthouses
Niagara Falls
Ottawa - Canada's Capltal City
91% of the population is fluent in English
Canada
Canada is located directly above the United States of America, sharing land borders with the country, and comprises most of North America. The country extends from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean (east to west) and north into the Arctic Ocean.
A parliamentary democracy with a constitutional monarchy, Canada is a federation that comprises ten provinces and three territories. It is officially bilingual and multicultural with English and French represented at federal level.
Geography:
Canada shares a land border with the United States of America to the South and to the Northwest. Being the second largest country in the world, it stretches from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and to the North until the Arctic Ocean.
Canada's climate varies based on geography - in the north the temperature is almost permanently at freezing level, however towards the equator there are generally four distinct seasons. In this region the temperature can climb up to 35 degrees Celsius in the Summer and descend to a chilly -25 degrees Celsius during Winter. This means that most Canadian cities are within 300 km of the southern border - it is here that mild springs, hot summers and crisp autumns reign.
Winters are harsh in many areas of the country and in non-coastal areas snow can cover the ground for almost six months of the year. Interior and Prairie provinces experience a continental climate.
Government:
Canada runs as a constitutional monarchy and parliamentary democracy. The Prime Minister is the Head of Goverment, while the Head of State is Queen Elizabeth II. The Head of State retains formal constitutional power along with the Governor General who acts as an appointed representative to the Crown. They both defer the actual exercise of executive power to the Cabinet.
The Prime Minister heads the Cabinet, which is made up of ministers who are accountable to the elected House of Commons. The House of Commons and an appointed Senate make up the federal parliament, which is headed by the Queen/Governor General. Senate members are chosen by the Prime Minister and serve until they reach the age of 75.
Foreign Relations:
Canada and the United States of America share a unique relationship. They co-operate on military campaigns, are the largest trading partners and share the world's longest undefended border. Despite this, Canada has striven to maintain an independent foreign policy.
Canada is a founding member of NATO and is a member of the UN, the Commonwealth of Nations and La Francophonie.
Did You Know?
- Canada's national motto is A Mari Usque Ad Mare, which translated from Latin means "From Sea to Sea" and is no doubt in reference to the large land mass the country boasts.
- Canada's official national sports are ice hockey (Winter) and lacrosse (Summer).
© Written by E.J.Clarke.
|
