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Canada: An Overview

Introduction

Consistently rated one of the top countries for quality of life, Canada is a land of vast open spaces and a generally relaxed pace, with a vibrant, multicultural society and plenty to offer visitors of all ages and interests.

Living standards are generally high, though the cost of living varies substantially. Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal are the most expensive areas, and Charlottetown, Winnipeg and Edmonton less so.

Thousands of Britons have already bought second homes in Canada, a trend that is increasing. Many Canadian properties are aimed at the UK market, ranging from flats in central Toronto to apartments and chalets at the ski and sports resorts now being built across the country. In some Canadian resort developments, more than half the buyers are British.

Geography

Canada is bordered to the south by the US, to the northwest by Alaska, to the east by the Atlantic and to the west by the Pacific. Slightly larger than the US, it is the world’s second largest country (after Russia) and its northernmost one, extending through the Arctic Ocean to the North Pole.

The country has a huge variety of landscapes, with magnificent lakes and forests, mountains, plains and even its own desert, in British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley.

The Great Plains, or prairies, cover Saskatchewan, Manitoba and eastern Alberta. Western Canada has the Rocky Mountains, whilst the east is home to most of the major cities and Canada’s most popular visitor attraction, Niagara Falls. The highest point is Mount Logan (5,959m) in southwest Yukon.

Climate and weather

The Canadian climate varies greatly, from the extreme cold of the Arctic regions to the moderate temperatures of the more southerly latitudes, which, in contrast to the areas of permafrost, show pronounced seasonal variations.

In the Atlantic Provinces, summer heat and winter cold are modified by the influence of the Atlantic Ocean, resulting in significant rain and fog. On the west coast, the warm Pacific Ocean currents bring mild summers, high humidity and copious rainfall. The Great Plains are relatively dry throughout the year.

Winters are universally long and extremely cold. In two-thirds of Canada, the average January temperature is -18 degrees Celsius. July and August are the warmest months, temperatures in the south reaching the high 20s Celsius.

History

For thousands of years, Canada was inhabited by aboriginal peoples, now known as First Nations. The earliest Europeans to arrive there, in around AD 1000, were probably from Greenland.

John Cabot reached Newfoundland in 1497, establishing the basis of the English claim to Canada. During the 1530s, Jacques Cartier led several expeditions to the region, which he claimed for France. These rival claims formed the basis of arguments about separatism that continue into the present.

France sent the first large group of settlers in the 17th century but the British dominated Canada until it won independence in the 20th century. The Dominion of Canada, a new nation, was created in 1867. It is still growing and changing.

More pages

Page 1: Introduction
Page 2: Culture
Page 3: The great outdoors
Page 4: Sport and leisure

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