Canada

Capital City	Ottawa
Geographic Location	The borders of Canada, which sits on the northern end of North America, reaches as far as the North Pole. The Pacific Ocean is located to its west, while the Atlantic Ocean is located to its east. While the United States of America makes up the southern border of Canada, Alaska –also a part of the United States – makes up its northwest border. Canada, with its area nearly equal to that of Europe, is the second largest country in the world following Russia. Due to its large area, the country has a large number of different geographic regions. 60% of the lakes in the country are located in its eastern part which is covered with plains. A part of the Rocky Mountains, which is one of the largest mountain ranges in America, stretches to the western part of Canada.
Geographic Coordinates	45°24′ N 75°40′ W
Climate	A number of very different climates are seen in Canada. However, the overall climate of the country is characterized by very long and cold winters in which the temperature goes below -35 degrees Celsius; and short and hot summers in which the temperature goes up to 35 degrees Celsius. In the northern end of the country, the taiga region where the tundra disappear, the temperature may go down to -58 degrees Celsius. For this reason, the population is denser in the eastern shores where the climate is warmer. Oceanic climate is seen on the west coast. There, cold winters, warm spring months, and very humid and hot summers are seen.
Time Zone	GMT -6
Language	ENGLISH, FRENCH
Other Languages	French, Chinese, Italian, German, Punjabi, Spanish
Monetary Unit	Canada Dollar
Telephone	International Country Calling Code (to Canada): 1 International Country Calling Code (from Canada): 00 + country code
Mobile Phone	GSM 850/1900
Important Phone Nos.	911 for police, fire department, ambulance, and all emergencies. 311 for Citizen Service Center.
Internet	.ca
Opening Hours	Banks 10.00 – 15.30 (Monday-Thursday), 10.00–16.30 (Friday); other businesses 09.00–17.00 (Monday-Friday). Shopping Centers 09.30–18.00 (Monday-Wednesday), 9.30–21.00 (Thursday-Saturday), many stores are also open on Sundays.
Public Holidays	New Year’s Day (January 1), Good Friday (March 21), Victoria Day (May 24), Canada Day (July 1), Labour Day (First Monday of September), Thanksgiving Day (Second Monday of October), Remembrance Day (November 11), Christmas Day (December 25), Boxing Day (December 26)
Electric	110-120V/60HZ

General Information

Traces of human
life in Canada date back to around 10 thousand years ago. The first settlers in
the region were the Eskimos and Native Americans. Starting from late 15th
century Italian, Spanish, British and French sailors came to the region in
exploration and subsequently colonial settlements began to take place. When the
French lost the Seven Years’ War in 1763, the region came under British rule.
Canada, made up of four provinces, was granted the right to local government in
July 1, 1867 with Ottawa as its capital city. In time, the other British
colonies in the region were added to the confederation of Canada. Even though,
a referandum was conducted for the separation of the French-speaking parts of
Canada from the confederation in the second half of the 20th century, it was
not accepted.

Canada, made up of three territories, has 10 provinces in total. Even though,
the country has a very large total area, the population is a mere number of 30
million. 75% of the population lives on the United States borders. The most
crowded city is Toronto, followed by Montreal, Vancouver, and Ottawa. The close
proximity to the United States of America, has caused a cultural interaction
between the two countries. American culture is dominant in Canada. The borders
of Canada and the USA are not protected, making the cultural exchange between
the countries easier.

The rich geography of Canada is at the top of the list of places to see in the
country. There are nearly 2 million lakes in 8% of the country. Saint Lawrence
River, the longest river in Canada with a 2 thousand 58 kilometer length,
reaches as far as the Atlantic Ocean. Also, many rivers including Mackenzie,
Yukon and Columbia, are used for transportation of significant amounts of material.
The Canadian economy which went under rapid development following World War II
–especially due to its rich raw material resources- has started to show signs
of trouble after the 1980s.

The economic developments in the USA closely
affect Canada.