CANADA
Canada is the largest country in the American continent and the second largest
country in the world. Its area is almost 10 million square kilometres. It stretches over
5,500 kms from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean. Its border in the south with the USA is
the longest undefended one in the world.
Canada is famous for its varied and beautiful countryside, especially near the
Slave and Bear Lakes in the north-west and the Great Lakes in the south-east. The
largest lakes are Lake Superior, Lake Huron, Lake Erie and Lake Ontario on the frontier
with the USA. Visitors to Canada are eager to see Niagara Falls between Lake Ontario
and Lake Erie. They are 49 metres high and almost 1 km wide. Canada also has high
mountain ranges, such as the Rocky Mountains and the Mackenzie Mountains. The
highest mountain is Mt Logan (6,050 m) in the Alaska Region. The longest river is the
Mackenzie which flows from the Rocky Mountains to the Arctic Ocean. It is ice-covered
for a great part of the year. The most important river is the St Lawrence River which
was important for the development of Canada in the 17th century and today it is the most
important Canadian waterway. Other big rivers are the Yukon, the Fraser and the
Columbia flowing to the Pacific Ocean.
There are about 30 national parks in Canada. Thousands of tourists visit
Canada’s national parks all the year round to admire the scenery or to enjoy walking,
climbing, sightseeing, fishing or skiing there. The climate is mostly continental in
Canada, with warm summers and cold winters. But in the north it is arctic, i.e. winter
temperatures fall to minus 50 oC. The north of the country near the Arctic is a cold tundra
with large and beautiful forests to the south. The central plains form the prairies with rich
fertile soil, especially suitable for wheat-growing. This is the principal agricultural area.
Although Canada’s population is about 30 million inhabitants, most of the country
is very thinly populated. The population is concentrated near the border with the USA. The
most densely populated provinces are Ontario and Quebec.
Canada is a bilingual country: English and French are spoken there. 45 % of the
Canadians are of British origin and 29 % are of French origin. Most of the French
speaking population live in the province of Quebec. Only 1.5 % of today’s population are
descended from the original Eskimo and Indian inhabitants. Indians probably gave the
country its name: one of their tribes used the word "kanata" for settlement.
The Vikings discovered Canada more than a thousand years ago, but it was
rediscovered by Europeans only in the 15th century. The French occupied large parts of
the territory in the 16th century. They were followed by the English who captured most of
Canada from the French in the wars of the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries.
Canada became a British dominion in 1867. Now it is an independent federal
state and a member of the British Commonwealth of Nations. The official title is "the
Dominion of Canada". The head of state is Queen Elisabeth II represented by the Governor
General. The head of the government is the Canadian Prime Minister.
It consists of ten provinces and three territories: Newfoundland, Prince Edward
Island, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan,
Alberta, British Columbia, the Northwest Territories and the Yukon Territory. The last
one was created on April 1, 1999 and is called Nunavut. Its area is about 2 million sq km
extending above the tree line with the population of almost 29,0000 Inuits. Since 1965 it
has had its own national flag: a red maple leaf in the middle of a white stripe with red
stripes on both sides. Red and white are the official colours of Canada.
The capital of Canada is Ottawa situated in the province of Ontario. It is the seat
of the Canadian government and of the Prime Minister . Its population is nearly a million
inhabitants. The largest city is Montreal with more than three million inhabitants. It is
situated in the French-speaking province of Quebec. It is a big centre not only of
commerce and industry but it is also a social, cultural and educational centre. Its history is
rather short - it is 350 years old and it grew out of a small fishing village. It has an
important port on the St Lawrence River. The second largest city is Toronto, the capital
city of the province of Ontario, where the world’s tallest structure, Canadian Tower, is
built. It is 1,815 ft high. (The Sears Tower in Chicago, the world’s tallest building is
1,454 ft high). Vancouver, the capital of British Columbia, is the third largest city with its
one and a half million inhabitants. It is situated in the south-west near the American
border. It is the second most important Canadian port named after Captain George
Vancouver.
Canada’s economy is traditionally based on natural resources and agriculture.
Canada is the world’s second largest exporter of wheat grown in the interior. It is also
one of the world’s biggest producers of wood and paper. Coal, oil and gas, zinc, silver,
uranium, gold and other important ores are found in Canada.
VOCABULARY:
strech [streč] táhnout se descend [di´send] pocházet
eager [i:g∂] dychtivý tribe [traib] kmen
defend [di´fend] bránit densely [densli] hustý
capture [kæpč∂] ukořistit flag [flæg] vlajka
bilingual [bai´lingwl] dvojjazyčný stripe [straip] pruh
maple leaf [meipl li:f] javorový list
QUESTIONS:
Where is Canada situated?
When was Canada discovered, and by whom?
What Canadian rivers do you know?
What is the predominant climate in Canada?
What are the ethnic origins of the Canadian population?
What major cities in Canada do you know?
What are the major industrial branches in Canada?
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