Canada

INTRODUCTION

Canada, one of the largest countries by landmass in the world (at approximately half the size of Russia), is also the larger of the two countries occupying North America. The multicultural nation is officially bi-lingual, recognizing both English and French languages.

HISTORY

First nations tribes have lived in the region for thousands of years. Life was based primarily around hunting, fishing and some agriculture, but the mobile nature of First Nation’s society made the latter less tenable. As such, native inhabitants traveled the land continually. Early forms of art found in the northern regions, in particular the Yukon, have been dated to more than 20,000 years ago.

Around the first millennium, Viking explorers led by Erik the Red and Leif Erickson landed on the east coast, establishing a settlement at historic L'Anse aux Meadows, in the north of what is now Newfoundland. Remains of the Viking settlement were discovered in 1960, and became an UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1978.

By the late 1400s, European explorers began arriving off the east coast. Crossing the Atlantic Ocean was no easy feat, but the new world provided ample rewards. British and French explorers were the first to really colonize the land, and by the 1600s, permanent settlements had been founded, the earliest of which is believed to be Port Royal, in Nova Scotia. The settlement was ideal for trade and furthering exploration along the coast.

In 1535, First Nations residents made use of the word that would become the name of the future country when Jaques Cartier began exploring inland. The name Canada would be used to refer first to a settlement, then a territory before finally being applied to the fledgling nation as the Province of Canada in the mid 1800s.

Quebec City was founded in 1608, and would soon become the capital of the region.

The growth of trade with First Nations residents led to increased migration. As the fur trade boomed and the economy grew, many new settlements began to spring up throughout Canada. Territorial boundaries were constantly shifting, in large part due to the three dominant nationalities: First Nations tribes, British and French settlers.

As can be expected, racial, social and political tensions continued to influence the nature of the Canadian frontier, and residents were often at odds.

Before long, war came to shape the land. In the late 1600s, when King William’s War brought the conflict with France to the New World, foreign nationals began fighting for control over the territory. Among the many casualties, the French settlement of Port Royal was largely destroyed. This defeat led to the French surrender of the territory.

The First Nations tribes were dragged into the conflict with the French and Iroquois Wars, in which the Iroquois attempted to gain control over the lucrative fur trade. One of the bloodiest wars in North American history, the war brought new treaties, signed in Montreal, between European and First Nations residents.

Throughout the early years of the 18th century, however, British settlers began to exert dominance, and gain control over the land. The result was renewed conflict, and several years of war. By the mid 1700s, when most of Europe was fighting someone, British and French settlements in North America were devastated as a result of fighting each other and fighting the First Nations Tribes. The war in North America was brought to an end in 1762, with the British defeat of the French at the Battle of Signal Hill. The French ceded most of their territorial rights to the British.

War came to Canada once again in 1812, when American colonies sought independence from British control. While a peace treaty would be signed in 1814 (shortly after the American White House was burnt to the ground), the war would last three years, finally coming to an end in 1815.

In 1840, various colonies across Canada were brought together as the Province of Canada with the Act of Union.

By the mid 1800s, Britain had colonized as far as the west coast, reaching Vancouver Island in 1849.

The prosperity of the new region caught the attention of several other settlements, and the Confederation movement began. In 1867, Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick joined to form the Federal Dominion of Canada. The new found independence from British rule led many new territories to join the confederation, but also sparked much anti-confederation sentiment. Several short lived rebellions did little to slow the progress. In fact, the last region to join the Confederation was the relatively young territory of Nunavut, formed out of the Northwest Territories in 1999, joining the Confederation that same year.

The remaining years of the 19th century saw provincial boundaries shift, creating new territories to join confederation. The government was forced to restructure as well, extending influence from coast to coast. The nation elected its first Prime Minister, Sir John A. Macdonald, knighted by Queen Victoria for his role in the Canadian Confederation. In 1871, the colony of British Columbia became the Province of British Columbia, now one of the most lucrative and prosperous regions in the nation.

In the late 1800s, the Canadian Pacific Railway was built to provide quick and affordable travel and commerce, connecting both coasts of Canada, and including stops in the United States.

The CP Rail increased prosperity, as well as the colonization of Canada.

National pride became a prominent part of Canadian culture during the First World War, when the nation joined the war effort. Canadian troops were very successful, capturing German bases and producing many military heroes. Among the most memorable, Canadian pilot Billy Bishop. Bishop not only holds the record for air battle victories among all of the British colonies, the decorated officer once faced legendary German pilot Manfred von Richthofen, better known as the infamous Red Baron.

Following the war, Canada suffered tremendously during the Great Depression. In fact, the only nation that suffered more was neighboring United States. The troubled times would last until the Second World War returned to the country much of its lost pride, and a much needed boost to the economy through military production.

In September 1939, Canada declared war on Germany. The monumental event occurred only one week after Britain engaged in war. The war made Canada a considerable military force, a prestige that has faded in modern Canada’s more peaceful outlook.

Following the Second World War, Canada turned its attention to building a strong nation, establishing social assistance, veteran’s and senior assistance programs. Canada was also one of the first countries to join the newly formed NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization), designed to establish a “collective defense” of member nations in 1949.

The modern air defense system NORAD (North American Aerospace Defense Command) brought together Canadian and US military interests in an attempt to watch for, and defend against, any possibility of missile attacks on North America.

Legal independence from the British crown was finally realized in 1982, with the signing of the Canada Act by British Parliament.

The latter half of the 20th century saw French interests turn to separation from Canada. The Quebec Referendum of 1980 was called to decide the issue of whether or not Quebec would remain a part of Canada. Nearly 60% of the province voted to remain, a small but decisive defeat of separatist motivations.

The movement would be revisited in 1995, but this time only 51% would vote to remain a part of Canada.

In spite of separatist issues, modern Canada remains a strong and influential nation, actively taking part in the defense of weaker countries, making a name for itself as peace keepers. Canada boasts the 8th largest annual revenue by gross domestic product (though it is ranked 11th according to the Canadian dollar’s purchasing power) and maintains one of the highest per-capita incomes in the world.

Canada’s melting pot culture and unspoiled natural landscape attracts countless visitors every year.

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO

Capital: Ottawa

Currency: Canadian Dollar - Currently 1 CAD = 0.8131 USD

Languages: English and French

Power: 120 V, 60 Hz

Time Zone: DST -0400 UTC

Climate: The climate in Canada ranges dramatically depending on where in Canada you are. Check the regional info as you can weather ranging from warm summer days to Arctic conditions

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Canada

Provinces, territories, and sites include: