Canada is the second largest country in the world after Russia. Canada encompasses territory from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and from the high Arctic to the northern border of the continental U.S.A. Although very much a "northern" country, the terrain and geography of Canada is very diverse. As well as the popular image of Canada as a country of pristine forests and snowy vistas, there are also deserts and badlands, temperate rain forests and long and wide beaches. Canada has huge inland lakes, seemingly eternal prairies and evergreen forests, woodlands and meadows. Canada's coastlines are thousands of miles long, with fjords, and long, wild rivers leading to the oceans.

In contrast to the expanses of open country, Canada also has its share of urban areas. The majority of the population and heavy industry is in the two provinces of Quebec and Ontario, but large and modern cities are spread across the land from the Atlantic to the Pacific, all within a few hours drive, at most, from the border with the United States. Commerce is active throughout the country, Vancouver in the west and Halifax in the east are both major ports with trade to every corner of the world. Alberta is a major oil and gas producer. The Prairie Provinces (Alberta, Manitoba and Saskatchewan) with their vast fields of grain help to feed the world. The fisheries on both the West and the East Coast are widespread. Oil and natural gas have recently been discovered off the East Coast. The Trans-Canada Highway links the country from coast to coast, there is an extensive network of railways, and a widespread network of airline routes serving both major and remote communities.The rural areas are less populated, with more and more people leaving for the larger towns and cities. The lands to the north are much less developed, but as some of these areas are utilized for their ample natural resources, populations are growing.

Government and Politics
Canada is a parliamentary democracy with a federal political system. Each province or territory has its own democratically elected provincial legislature headed by a premier, and also sends elected representatives to the federal parliament in Ottawa. The House of Commons is the main federal legislature. The prime Minister is the head of the political structure, as well as an elected member of the House of Commons where he must be able to command a majority. Bills passed in the Commons are forwarded to an upper chamber, the senate, for ratification. At present, the priminister appoints senators, although there is increasing pressure to make the upper chamber too. The nominal head of state in the British monarch, currently Queen Elizabeth II, and Her Canadian representative is the Governor-General.

In recent years, the dominant political trend in Canadian politics has been regionalism. The provinces have sought to take back power from the center, which makes it difficult for any one political party to win majority support in all parts of the country at any one time.

Canada has played its part in the major events of the 20th century, including both world wars, and today holds a prominent position in international politics. The country is a member of NATO and one of the Group of Eight (G8) countries, which, with the US, UK, Italy, Japan, France, Germany, and Russia, decide on world trade agreements.

• Government of Canada Site
• Government of Canada Links
• Canada's Parliament
• Department of Foreign Affairs and Intenational Trade
• Government of British Columbia
• Government of Alberta
• Government of Saskatchewan
• Province of Manitoba
• Government of Ontario
• Government of Quebec
• Province of New Brunswick
• Government of Nova Scotia
• Government of Prince Edward
• Government of New Foundland and Labrador
• Government of Yukon
• Governement of Northwest Territories
• Governement of Nunavut

Economy

With a population of 30 million and a GDP exceed $830 billion, Canada is one of the world's largest economies. A member of the G7 group of leading industrial countries, Canada enjoys an enviable standard of living, an excellent infrastructure, a highly educated and skilled labour force as well as a well-deserved reputation as a successful trading nation.

State of the Economy
The Canadian economy is strong. Since 1994, Canada's economic performance has been characterized by growth, low inflation, stable unit labour costs, improved cost competitiveness, record exports, and a healthy level of business investment.
Among the G-7 countries - the most developed economies in the world - Canada ranks highly in per capita purchasing power. The country's level of exports has never been higher. This is due to improvements in cost competitiveness and strong productivity growth. As well, Canada continues to maintain one of the lowest inflation rates in the world.
Looking ahead, both the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development and the International Monetary Fund predict that Canada will be among the fastest-growing industrial economies.

Domestic Economy
Domestic business confidence is greater today than at any time since 1979. With a positive economic forecast and good prospects for consumer spending, overall demand in the Canadian consumer and industrial markets should continue to be strong.

Canadians currently spend close to $500 billion each year on consumer goods and services, with services now accounting for more than half of Canadian household expenditures. Consumer spending has also risen rapidly on items related to information technologies.

Average family income continues to increase and growth in disposable income continues to pick up as Canada's economy strengthens, labour market conditions continue to improve, and governments move to trim tax rates - a process that has already started in some provinces.

Investment Climate
Canada's solid economic fundamentals, strong business investment, increasing competitiveness, and integration into the North American market provide the basis for the country's near- and long-term growth potential.

A sound and innovative domestic financial sector, combined with investment from foreign sources, provide the capital necessary for more research and development,

technological upgrading, and infrastructure development. The environment for conducting research and development remains highly attractive through some of the most generous tax incentives among all industrial countries. The labour force is highly educated, skilled and committed, and works for competitive wages. Turnover and absenteeism rates are low.

Government policies are creating a more favourable climate for domestic and foreign investors, including a low-inflation environment. Consumer prices have risen by less than 2 percent annually since 1991, a trend that is expected to continue. The fiscal environment has improved considerably in recent years. The federal government has balanced its budget and the ratio of debt-to-gross domestic product has started to decline. Several provincial governments have also balanced their budgets or moved into a surplus position.

Because of its economic potential, Canada has continued to attract a large volume of direct investment from foreign sources. The stock of foreign direct investment in Canada has been increasing steadily in recent years indicating continued investor confidence in Canada's long-term prospects.

Financial Services
Canada has always been known for the sophistication of its financial markets. One of the main reasons for this is the strength of the financial services sector.

The Canadian financial services sector is made up of a variety of institutional players and markets, all of which provide numerous, and in many cases, competing products and services to domestic and foreign customers. It is stable, sophisticated and internationally competitive. The sector employs over half a million people, or about 3.5 percent of working Canadians, and contributes about 8 percent of Canada's gross domestic product.

With assets in excess of $1 trillion, chartered banks form the heart of Canada's financial services sector. They have approximately 8,000 branches throughout the country and an active presence in about 60 foreign countries. The country's six largest banks rank among the top 100 banks worldwide.

• Canada's International Business Strategy
• Canadian Commercial Corporation
• Doing Business in Canada - Canadian Business Guide
• Canadian Industry Statistic

People
Canada pride itself on its multiculturalism. The country has evolved a unique way of adjusting to the cultural needs of its increasingly diverse population. In contrast to the US's "melting pot," Canada has opted for what is often called the "Canadian mosaic," a model based on accepting diversity rather than assimilation.

Native Canadians
Today there are approximately one million Native Canadian, Though national census figures usually break this group down into three sub-sections- aboriginals (750,000), metis (Indian and French mixed race 200,000), and Inuit (50,000). Of the million, about 60 percent are known as Status Indians, which mean they are official settled on reserve land. However, over 40 percent of Status Indian now live away from reserve land, and only 900 of Canada's 2,370 reserves are still inhabited. These lands are home to 608 First Nations group, or bands, which exercises varying degrees of self-government through their own elected councils. Since the 1970s, progressive councils have plays a key role in the reinvigoration of traditional native culture. Most non-Status Native Canadians are now integrated within the rest of Canada's population.

British and Irish Canadians
Canadians of British and Irish decent constitute about 60 of the country's population. The first English settlers arrived in the 16th century. Thereafter, there was a steady trickle of English, Scottish, Welsh, and Irish immigrants and several mass Immigrations, prompted either by adverse politics at home or fresh opportunities in Canada. These British and Irish settlers did much to shape Canada, establishing its social and cultural norms and founding its legal and political institutions. Canada's official Head of state is still the British monarch.

French Canadians
Canada's French-speakers make up about 25 percent of the total population, and are the country's second largest ethnic group. They are mainly based in just one of the 10 provinces, Quebec, but other pockets thrive in other provinces. The French first reached the Canadian mainland in 1535 when Jacques Cartier sailed up the St.Lawrence River in search of a sea-route to Asia. Fur-trader, priest, and farmers followed in Cartier's footsteps and by the end of the 17th century, New Frence, as the colony was know, was well established. Since the 1960s, the constitutional link between Quebec and the rest of the country has been the subject of political debate, with a strong minority of Quebececois pressing for full independence.

German Canadians
Although there have been German-speakers in Canada since the 1660s, the first major migration came between 1850-1900, with other mass arrivals following both world Wars. On the whole, the English speaking majority has absorbed the Germans, but distinctive pocket of German-speakers hold strong today in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia and Kitchener-Waterloo in Ontario.

Italian Canadians
The widespread Italian presence in Canada can prove hard to see, as for the most part, all 600,000 immigrants have merged almost seamlessly with the English community. There are, however, exceptions; in Toronto, with a large and flourishing Little Italy.

Chinese Canadian
During the 1850s, Chinese laborers arrived in Canada to work in the gold fields of British Columbia. Thereafter, they play a key role in the construction of the railroad, settling new towns and cities as their work progressed eastward. A flood of Chinese immigration took place just before the return of Hong Kong to China by the British in 1997. Most settlers chose Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver to live.

• Citizenship and Immigration Canada
• Human Resource Development Canada