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Wild and beautiful, cosmopolitan and prosperous, Canada is a paradox in more than one way. The second largest country in the world, Canada has only 29 million people who despite the 10 provinces and 2 territories live mostly in two areas -Quebec and Ontario. Cities where they exist are large, busy and multi-ethnic -- you can hear a babble of tongues and see faces from different nationalities. But wander into the forest or the frozen tundra and you may hear no human voices except your own.

Quiz fans and trivia lovers will be thrilled to know that Canada is where the game of Trivial Pursuits was devised as also the all-important zipper. Insulin was discovered here, as was the use of cobalt for treating cancer. Environmentalists will already know that Canada is where the powerful Greenpeace group was born. All you folks going ga-ga over the radio, know that a lot of battery-less radio technology was developed first in Canada! Science buffs, did you know that the electron microscope, the snowmobile, chainsaw, snowplough and snowblower were all invented in Canada? So, don't wait too long to visit Canada, the country of many

firsts!

It is believed that the name Canada has been derived from "kanata” community or village, a Huron-Iroquis word and harks back to the days when the country consisted of trading posts. Visitors will find plenty to be enthralled by in Canada - some of the world's best natural vistas, great, fun-filled cities and warm and friendly people. Space is certainly not at a premium here and you can go do your own thing -- people-watching, sight-seeing, adventure sports, nature treks. Be what you want to be in Canada and go where your heart commands you here…

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Canada has the world’s longest coastline at 202,080 kms.

With close to 3 million lakes, Canada is reputed to have the maximum number of lakes in the world!

The second largest country in the world by total area, including land and water bodies, Canada has little over 3 people per sq km, which is one of the lowest densities of population in the world. To top it all Canada also has one of the highest standard and quality of living too!

Historically Speaking

The first people in Canada were the ancestors of the present day Native people -- they are believed to be nomadic hunters who came here from around 25,000 years ago, across the land bridge linking Asia with present-day Alaska. Starting from 3000 BC, wave upon wave of migrations passed over from Asia to North America, basically of the Inuit people who often came into conflict with each other.

The first white people to have visited this part of the world were the Norse in 1000 AD, who were forced to beat a hasty retreat thanks to the hostile native people. In 1497, the British under John Cabot sighted Newfoundland with its abundant cod stocks – opening up the region to fishermen from Britain, France and Spain who soon established bases along the shore to dry their catch. In 1535, French explorer Jacques Cartier traveled up the St Lawrence River and claimed the land as French territory. Fur became a big business from this area – in a clever move to increase traditional hostilities and get fur cheap, the French encouraged the native people to trade pelts for arms and ammunitions to be used against each other. In 1603, Samuel

de Champlain, the French king’s emissary founded Port Royal and in 1608, Québec City at the heart of New France. In 1642, Montreal was established as a missionary post and by late 17th century, Canada became a French province.

Fur, fish from the east coast and agriculture in the Acadia region became the mainstay of the French in Canada. Many fur traders assimilated themselves with the local culture, marrying women from the different tribes and soon a mixed-race people the Metis were born. However, it was not always smooth sailing for the French – increasing hostility from the Native Indians who were realizing that they were not really gaining much from the fur trade and territorial conflict with the British were soon to mark a turning point for the French.

The British in the meantime had kept themselves busy establishing their hold on the east coast through the Hudson’s Bay Company established by King Charles II in 1670. Soon, they defeated the Dutch settlers and took over their settlements in the Hudson River Valley. It was now only a matter of time for the French and British conflict to begin –in 1713, the British captured Acadia renaming it Nova Scotia. By 1754, the French and Indian War against the British began in Canada and the Seven Years’ War broke out in Europe by 1756. Though the French were triumphant in the initial years, the British slowly got the upper hand –Quebec City was captured in 1759 and at the Treaty of Paris in 1763, the French handed over their land in Canada to the British.

Initially, the British had to face quite a few problems in administering Canada –the native people and the predominantly large French population, both parties fiercely resistant to British rule. In order to placate the native population, the British government set aside an “Indian Territory” west of the Great Lakes and Appalachian Mountains, which excellent as a concept did not work in reality as trespassers confiscated Indian land. As far as the French Canadians were concerned, major concessions were granted to them via the Quebec Act in 1774 whereby they could hold civil positions and practise their Roman Catholic religion – a remarkable decision at a time when Catholics in Britain had no political or religious rights!

The American Revolution (1775-83) saw many British settlers moving into Canada from the USA. Economic power soon began to be concentrated in the hands of the British merchants who formed the North West Company, which controlled the Montreal-centered fur trade from Canada. Their demand for universal English law and greater political power was not condusive to maintaining harmony with the French-speakers. Therefore in 1791, the British government announced through the Canada Act, which divided the country into Upper and Lower Canada. The French-based legal system operated in Lower Canada and English common law in Upper Canada. However powerful cliques began to form and people were not happy with this arrangement. In 1840, the British government passed the Act of Union, by which Lower and Upper Canada were united with a single assembly. However, this did not resolve all the problems –there were demands for independence and for greater power by the English-speaking populace. The British crown, not keen to lose Canada the way it had America, worked out a confederation –the central government would have certain powers while the colonies would retain some other powers. The 1867 BNA (British North America) Act established the Dominion of Canada, which included Nova Scotia, Quebec, Ontario and New Brunswick. John Alexander Macdonald became the first Prime Minister and by 1912, all provinces except Newfoundland (which joined only in 1949) became part of the Dominion.

Post World War I and II, the salient features of Canada’s history are massive economic growth and large-scale immigration from Europe. The 1950s were the golden years but the 1960s saw a downslide with tremendous social and political upheavals –the Quebec separatist issue once again came to the fore and has dominated Canada’s politics since then. Pierre Elliot Trudeau, a Liberal who was prime minister from 1968 till 1984 (except for a short while in 1979) was an ardent advocate for a united Canada and was responsible for the completion of the Canadian Constitution in 1982. In 1984, the Conservatives under Brian Mulroney swept into power and stayed for two terms till 1992. The notable events of this time were the 1988 World Economic Summit in Toronto and the Winter Olympics in Calgary.

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Habitat

Canada has only one neighbouring country – America, which mainly borders it along the south and partly in the northwest (Alaska). The country is made up of three northern territories and ten provinces. Spreading across 7730 km east to west, Canada encompasses seven of the world's largest lakes and three of the longest rivers. Mountains, forests, a tiny desert, grasslands, plains, river deltas, islands -- all them are present in the geographical mix that is Canada.

The maple leaf, Canada's best known symbol seen on the national flag is indicative of the rich flora and fauna in the country. Lush boreal forests, full of spruce, fir and pine, cover most of the country. There are eight vegetation zones in Canada -the Arctic tundra in the far north, the boreal forests in the north, the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River forest zone in the east, Acadian forest, the parkland zone, prairie grasslands, Rocky Mountain forests and the Pacific Coast forest. Pretty colorful wildflowers abound in the countryside, delighting those who chance upon them.

Bears, and more bears, characterise wildlife in Canada - grizzly bears,

brown bears, black bears and polar bears abound. Wolves, coyote, deer, moose, caribou, mountain goats, bisons, cougars, lynx and skunk are other animal denizens in Canada. Feathered friends are plenty - there five hundred species in Canada. Whales, seals and a variety of fish inhabit the waters in and around in Canada.

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