Canada

Canada, the second largest country in the world in area (after Russia), occupying roughly the northern two-fifths of the continent of North America.

Canada is officially bilingual in English and French, reflecting the country’s history as ground once contested by two of Europe’s great powers.

The word Canada is derived from the Huron-Iroquois kanata, meaning a village or settlement.

The French and British influences are supplemented by the cultures of the country’s Native peoples (in Canada often collectively called the First Nations) and Inuit peoples, the former being far greater in number and the latter enjoying semiautonomous status in Canada’s newest territory, Nunavut.

An estimated 200,000 First Nations people and Inuit were living in what is now Canada when Europeans began to settle there in the 16th century. For the next 200 years the Indigenous population declined, largely as a result of European territorial encroachment and the diseases that the settlers brought.

In southwestern Ontario the Niagara Escarpment is the only significant exposed bedrock structure. This steep cuestaform ridge runs from Niagara Falls to the Bruce Peninsula west of Georgian Bay and on into Manitoulin Island.

There are seven locks between Montreal and Lake Ontario; the Welland Canal bypasses the Niagara River and Niagara Falls between Lake Ontario and Lake Erie with eight locks; and the Sault Sainte Marie Canal and lock link Lakes Huron and Superior.

The northern two-thirds of the country has a climate similar to that of northern Scandinavia, with very cold winters and short, cool summers. The central southern area of the interior plains has a typical continental climate—very cold winters, hot summers, and relatively sparse precipitation.

Southern Ontario and Quebec have a climate with hot, humid summers and cold, snowy winters, similar to that of some portions of the American Midwest. Except for the west coast, all of Canada has a winter season with average temperatures below freezing and with continuous snow cover.

Source: Britannica.com

Things to do

Visit an Inuksuk

In Nunavut and other far northern areas of Canada, the landscape is dotted with inuksuit built by Inuit peoples for communication.

An inuksuk is typically an anthropoid figure formed of stacked rocks that is visible from great distances in the territory, where there are few trees or other landmarks. Many inuksuit are quite ancient; they have been found near archaeological sites that date from 2400 to 1800 BCE.

Attend an ice hockey game

Ice hockey rose to prominence in Canada and is the country's most famous sport. The Stanley Cup, North America's oldest professional sporting trophy, hails from Canada.

Besides their prowess in the National Hockey League, Canadians have dominated the ice in the Winter Olympics.

2022 Olympics winning Women's ice hockey team

Explore Old Quebec

There are many brilliant and interesting cities in Canada, but Old Quebec has the distinction of being the country’s only remaining walled city. Old Quebec is more than 400 years old and is a designated UNESCO World Heritage site.

With its Old World charm—including narrow cobblestone streets, stone buildings, and fortifications—and its rich French Canadian culture, Quebec is an important tourist destination.

Go to the CN Tower

CN Tower, also called Canadian National Tower, broadcast and telecommunications tower in Toronto. Standing at a height of 1,815 feet (553 metres), it was the world’s tallest freestanding structure until 2007.

CN Tower, whose designers included John Andrews, Webb Zerafa, Menkes Housden, and E.R. Baldwin, is by far Toronto’s most distinctive landmark. It is a major tourist attraction that includes observation decks, a revolving restaurant at some 1,151 feet (351 metres), and an entertainment complex.